I know I have been talking big about the no air conditioning life. Lots of bold, brave words have been printed here. But the heat just won't stop. Last Saturday, according to the thermometer in the truck (which is usually accurate within one degree), it was 104. As if that weren't bad enough, someone gleefully told me the heat index was 120. I decided to make a change in my definition of appropriate air conditioning.
Already this summer, I have been having some real problems getting anything done in the afternoon. The heat just saps any ability I have to have cogent thoughts or keep on task. I wander through the latter part of the day with the attention span of a gnat and the critical thinking ability of a rutabaga. It was Chuck who finally convinced me to retreat to the bedroom.
I got a lot of my ideas about life from my mother, who, if you don't know, is Superwoman. One day, she broke her foot in four places in a bizarre accident on her way out the door. She tightened her shoelaces and went to work. And stayed the whole day. She taught me that anything can be endured and to give in to it is weakness. Never surrender.
Chuck has been working steadily throughout our marriage to break the hold of some of the deep rooted ideas I have, like sleeping past six is wasting the day and sitting still is being lazy. I can now sleep until eight without guilt and sit down and enjoy time with friends. In fact, most days I sleep later than he does. And now he has convinced me it might be okay to sit in the air conditioning in the afternoon.
Embarrassingly, I have had to make some rules to make it okay. First of all, I can only seek the refuge of air conditioning if it gets above 95 degrees at my desk. 94.9? Nope. Gotta be 95. Then, I only turn the A/C down to 88, which is what it is right now here at my desk at 8:30 in the morning, and quite comfortable. The big life saver is the dehumidify.
I still feel so guilty when I am in the bedroom in the afternoon, it's like I have to do some sort of penance for my weakness. Which means I have to be super productive. No reading a book. No having a nap. No catching up on blogs. I have to work. A lot.
So far, I have spent two afternoons in the bedroom, and the second was a little easier than the first. When I am waffling, Chuck points out how hot the dogs are and how much it would benefit them if I went into the bedroom. He is so devious. It works every time.
It looks like I am going to make it through this summer one afternoon at a time. And get a lot of work done.
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferThanks Nancy. You always make me feel better.
And you are totally right. I just have to get over this guilt thing.
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|200.77.74.xxx |m-d-Y H:i:s NancyI was just reading the New York Times online and thought you might enjoy reading this "The Unchilled Life"
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/garden/23air.html?hpw
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|SAdministrator |m-d-Y H:i:s jenniferThat is a great article. I love the picture at the top. And I love the part about the sense of achievement when you make it to the Fall. I know I certainly feel like I have earned a badge of honor when the Summer is over.
FYI - you can add links to your comments. I edited yours so it is now a link. I think it makes it easier for people who want to follow the links.
Here's how:
Code:[url=www.mylink.com]link text[/url ]
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Overcast 63 oF • 17 oC
When we lived NOB we never felt guilty for turning the heat on in the winter, for example.
For me, it just depends on the day. If there's no breeze, it feels so much hotter to me.