Is it my imagination, or have the summers been hotter than they've been in the past few years? We're in the midst of another heat wave across the east and this time I'm almost prepared--mentally. I knew it was coming and I'd devised a personal SOP (Army's Standard Operational Plan) on how I was going to handle it. First, I'd have 360 fan coverage, if that wasn't enough, I would shed clothes until I reached optimal comfort. If that didn't work, then the unheated hot tub. When I was too shriveled to sit any longer, then I'd have to spend the day at the library or go window shopping until the stores kicked me out.
A few days ago, news stations blasted that we're going to be hit by record high temperatures. My anxiety rose much like a thermometer in a sauna. For the last few years, it's been so hot in the summer I've about cooked from the inside out making me feel as though I'm in a state of constant, never-ending menopausal hot flashes. Right now, it's night and I'm sitting in a room with a fan blowing on me from a few feet away and it isn't enough.
All last winter, Mt. Bob and I have been scheming on ways to keep the house cool for the following summer. More fans--ice blocks in front of fans (not practical since we'd have to first freeze huge blocks of ice), spending most of the day in an unheated hot tube and window air-conditioner units. We thought we were onto something with getting a small window unit and running it for a few hours a day.
Mt. Bob set to work investigating this brilliant plan. How much power does it use? Can we run it off the inverter? If we ran it off the generator, how much would it cost per hour for that small measure of comfort? We even called a solar company and asked their opinion. Our hopes dashed as the man laughed at us, then he said that maybe we should just open a window. When we mentioned our windows were all open and that we lived in the deep south, he callously said "that's your first mistake, I'd never live in the south." So disheartened and slightly annoyed at his rudeness, we gave up the idea of a window unit. I'm sad to say another summer will go by without finding a way to cool the house from the incessant heat.
My friend's house, which is located in a holler and is surrounded by huge trees, is comfortable, while mine feels like the inside of a pizza oven in the middle of the night. To escape, we used to be able to jump in the car and go somewhere. It didn't matter where, just as long as the air-conditioning was blowing in our faces. But for the past few years, the air-conditioning broke in not one, but our second car as well. Talk about bad luck. We'd kicked around the idea of getting it fixed, but decided that eating and paying our bill was probably a better plan, although there were times I seriously doubted our judgment--usually when beads of sweat were rolling down my back.
This year, I'd decided I'd had enough. I pulled up to one of those mom and pop service shops and asked to have it looked at. An hour later, it was fixed and I only had to shell out fifty dollars for this priceless gift. Now I'm irritated that I'd spent the previous two summers arriving at church with my hair wind-blown--and not in a nice carefree way, and it would've taken only fifty bucks to save myself the personal harassment of nature's beast (heat).
Feeling emboldened, I brought in the second car and it was fixed too, but this time for quite a lot more--I don't want to go into details, it's still too painful to talk about. Now I have two cars, both with air-conditioning. Now if there's only something I can do about my house everything would be perfect…or at least I wouldn't completely melt.
Take Care, All
Here's the trailer for my new mystery novel: SMALL TOWN JUSTICE. I hope you enjoy it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sz3M7ByhYc&feature=channel&list=UL
A few days ago, news stations blasted that we're going to be hit by record high temperatures. My anxiety rose much like a thermometer in a sauna. For the last few years, it's been so hot in the summer I've about cooked from the inside out making me feel as though I'm in a state of constant, never-ending menopausal hot flashes. Right now, it's night and I'm sitting in a room with a fan blowing on me from a few feet away and it isn't enough.
All last winter, Mt. Bob and I have been scheming on ways to keep the house cool for the following summer. More fans--ice blocks in front of fans (not practical since we'd have to first freeze huge blocks of ice), spending most of the day in an unheated hot tube and window air-conditioner units. We thought we were onto something with getting a small window unit and running it for a few hours a day.
Mt. Bob set to work investigating this brilliant plan. How much power does it use? Can we run it off the inverter? If we ran it off the generator, how much would it cost per hour for that small measure of comfort? We even called a solar company and asked their opinion. Our hopes dashed as the man laughed at us, then he said that maybe we should just open a window. When we mentioned our windows were all open and that we lived in the deep south, he callously said "that's your first mistake, I'd never live in the south." So disheartened and slightly annoyed at his rudeness, we gave up the idea of a window unit. I'm sad to say another summer will go by without finding a way to cool the house from the incessant heat.
My friend's house, which is located in a holler and is surrounded by huge trees, is comfortable, while mine feels like the inside of a pizza oven in the middle of the night. To escape, we used to be able to jump in the car and go somewhere. It didn't matter where, just as long as the air-conditioning was blowing in our faces. But for the past few years, the air-conditioning broke in not one, but our second car as well. Talk about bad luck. We'd kicked around the idea of getting it fixed, but decided that eating and paying our bill was probably a better plan, although there were times I seriously doubted our judgment--usually when beads of sweat were rolling down my back.
This year, I'd decided I'd had enough. I pulled up to one of those mom and pop service shops and asked to have it looked at. An hour later, it was fixed and I only had to shell out fifty dollars for this priceless gift. Now I'm irritated that I'd spent the previous two summers arriving at church with my hair wind-blown--and not in a nice carefree way, and it would've taken only fifty bucks to save myself the personal harassment of nature's beast (heat).
Feeling emboldened, I brought in the second car and it was fixed too, but this time for quite a lot more--I don't want to go into details, it's still too painful to talk about. Now I have two cars, both with air-conditioning. Now if there's only something I can do about my house everything would be perfect…or at least I wouldn't completely melt.
Take Care, All
Here's the trailer for my new mystery novel: SMALL TOWN JUSTICE. I hope you enjoy it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sz3M7ByhYc&feature=channel&list=UL
