Dusk and Summer

The summer between 5th and 6th grade, my parents' central A/C was broken. That was the summer ceiling fans were installed in all our bedrooms, and I have clear memories of sweating profusely while washing dinner dishes in hot water.

I remember being miserably hot and wishing we just had working air conditioning. My hair was long that summer--past my shoulders--and it stuck to my neck in that unpleasant way you see captured in movies about Georgia or South Carolina.

The next year the A/C was working again, and since then I've either had air conditioning or have lived in a climate that has cool summer nights.

This year, I find myself in the middle of an "Extreme Heat Warning" weekend. The thermometer in my car read 101 while I was running errands at 6pm, and although the sun has already set, it is still 88 degrees. Since the HVAC at work is overzealous and I'm trying to save money, I have not turned on the air conditioning at home at all this summer. Instead I have opted to utilize the ceiling fans. I've been remarkably comfortable considering some of the extreme temperatures, but there is no way I would be able to put anyone else through this. Thankfully, as an adult, I can choose to put off my chores for cooler days. I can opt to veg out and have an ice cold beer under the fan on this hot night instead of washing dinner dishes.

Things I've noticed:

• If the outside temperature feels cool at 9pm, it won't feel cool inside until at least 12, and then only right next to the window.
• There is a spot on my kitchen floor between the table and the fridge, which is at least 10 degrees warmer than the rest of the kitchen which is already about 5 degrees warmer than the living room.
• Cold showers are a passable substitute for sitting in a waterfall.