Ways To Handle The Heat

I put this together last week in the middle of our 100+ degree days and posted it on Facebook.  The worst of the heat wave might be past us now, but just in case you need to know.....here's my two cents worth on the subject.

Having lived all but 4 years of my life in the south, I’ve become well acquainted with the how-tos of dealing with high temps (and I mean more than keep water available for the critters, here).  So in the heat of the moment (tehehe) I’m going to give you my best recommends for staying cool as a cucumber.  FYI…these are in no particular order …..except that the first item IS most important….the rest are random.  And no, I didn’t google this….this is life learning here….just for you.

1.        Water.  I would say stay hydrated, but some people think sweet tea hydrates.  It does not.  WATER!  And LOTS of it!

2.       Turn the lights out…psychologically it’ll make you feel cooler.

3.       Take your shoes off or at least wear open shoes.

4.       Wear light colored clothes.  Cotton is my favorite too….who cares if it wrinkles, it’s breezy.

5.       Unless you’re body is trained for it, DON”T exercise in the heat of the day and put yourself at risk.  Change it up a little and workout in the mornings or evenings.  And for heaven’s sake…..don’t mow the grass at 2, 3, 4 or 5 pm!!!  Use common sense.

6.       Fill water bottles 4/5 full, cap and freeze them over night.  In the morning before heading out into the heat, top them off with water and carry along.  As you go through the day the ice will melt and give you cooler water.

7.       Eat cold foods.  Using the stove REALLY heats up the house.

8.       Air conditioners can really only cool your house about 20 degrees less than what the outside temps are (unless you have a larger unit than necessary, which I highly recommend!).  That said, be kind to your equipment and reset the thermostats to match the expected heat wave temps.  You’ll be glad you don’t have to call the a/c repairman when he can’t see you for several weeks out.

9.       Chew/suck on crushed ice.  : )  My favorite is ice from Sonic.  It's like a snow cone without all that sugary syrup....crunch, crunch, crunch.

10.   Leave the windows of your car cracked for air to circulate when parked in the heat.  Believe me, if somebody wants to steal your car or break into it, they don’t need that little window crack to do it. 

11.   When opening a car that’s been parked in the heat for a while, be aware!  Open the door and let the heated air seep out for a few minutes before getting into the car.

12.   If you have leather seats in your car, keep a towel or light blanket handy to put on the seat when you’re wearing shorts or have the kiddos along.  I promise, NOT doing this will give you a hair removal treatment on the back of your legs when you get out of the car that will make waxing seem like a trip to the candy store! 

13.   Fans.  Every room.

14.   Swimming may seem like the logical thing to do in a heat wave….but….no, not so much.  Yes you’re more likely to burn and all that, but….that swimming pool gets heated up, too.  And le’me-tell-ya….iIt feels like a warm bath!  So, unless you want a warm bath on a hot day, swim early or late, not in the heat of the day.  And again, DRINK WATER!  Just because you’re soaking in it doesn’t mean you’re hydrated!

15.   Garden early.  Like 6am.  Then you can sit on the porch and snap beans all afternoon, right?  Lol  Well, I did it…..

16.   Store Noxema or aloe in the fridge for sunburns.  It’ll give you a quick cool down as well as heal the skin. 

17.   And finally……….THINK SNOW!    What you think about determines where you go…..so take you body mentally to a cold place!

What do you recommend to stay cool on a hot day in the south? 

When Only a Snow Plow Will Do

A few snowflakes yesterday....Today’s forecast? High 37; Low 22; Clear : /

We all know that northern Alabamans woke up to a ginormous amount of snow covering the ground on Christmas morning 2010. It was something like 8-9 inches of the white stuff at my house! Wow! Needless to say, Christmas 2011 was a bit of a disappointment with no snow on the ground. Zero inches. Nada. Zip. Not even a flake in the forecast, thank you very much. And no one was more disappointed than V, my 10 year old. Especially since her Christmas list was all about the things she wanted for the Best Snow Day Ever! Poor thing; all she asked for was a new tutu for snow dancing, wax for her snowboard, and hot chocolate… lots and lots of hot chocolate! (Okay. And cheese. She’s got this thing about cheese….she wants a wheel of Parmesan for Christmas! It’s becoming legendary in our home. This desire has even replaced the classic song lyrics…. I want a wheel of Parmesan for Christmas…Only a wheel of Parmesan will do. You get the idea.)

One of the hardest lessons to learn growing up in the South is all about the snow, or the lack thereof. It just doesn’t snow much in the South. Get over it or move. But when it does snow, take full advantage of every minute of it, for it may not return for a long, long time. Years even. Like my grand kids may be the next ones to enjoy the use of our sled. Geeze! And remember, I’m not as old as my sister, so that’s many years away……far, far away into the future!

Okay, so after growing up in these conditions, I’d had enough. So, I took matters into my own hands. You know it! I moved. Where, you ask? Oh! To the state with the greatest snow on earth! Utah! And let me tell you, it did not let me down.

Snowfall in the month of November the first year I lived there was over a foot, maybe 3 feet or more in the canyons, which of course is where I decided to lock my keys in the car when I took a hike through the woods with my honey. In my Sunday best clothes, complete with ballerina flats, brrr. On my birthday. With no cell phone or even the idea of one for a few years out. Oh! But who cared if I was freezing to death? There was snow! Beautiful glorious snow! And look! There’s a river passing to the right of our trek. And somebody even left a bottle of wine chilling in the snow! (Thanks honey! Sorry about the keys!)

In late June I realized I was wearing a heavy sweater to work and it stopped me in my tracks. In July, I watched fireworks from the side of the foothills, freezing my tail off! Later that month, my sweetie and I drove home one night fighting to see past the snakes of snow on the road, huge snowflakes slamming down onto the windshield. We laughed hysterically at the wonder and insanity of snow in the middle of summer. Oooh! And once there was a storm we watched through our living room window that produced the craziest thunder and lightning in clouds oozing through the canyon walls and dropping snow like crazy! It was spectacular!

While I have lots of wonderful memories from my time in Utah, the thing I brought back with me to the South, the thing I appreciate the most is, a bigger love for the snowflake. And of course, I really miss my Utah friends, too. They just decided the gypsy life was not for them! But yes, Snow; it’s greater than any piece of Art I know.

This year, with Christmas 2011 a memory, I find myself at night listening to V’s prayers for snow (and more Parmesan cheese!) It’s such a tug to my heart, hearing her echo the same prayers of my own southern youth (minus the cheese). Couldn’t we have snow in January if Utah can get it in July? It’s not too much to ask, now, is it? Of course, she’ll probably move to upstate New York when she’s had enough, where she’ll have snow, raise a few cows, make some organic cheese and write a song about it!

For more snow-beauty and snow-details take a look at http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/ Snow…it’s where Art meets Science!

And just so there’s no confusion…. today’s snow is shoveled by someone other than me, because…well, because that’s someone else’s passion, right? But I put the scarf on the Snowman, make the endless pots of hot chocolate, and play the DVD of Raymond Briggs’, The Snowman, for my own little quiet time.

So what are your thoughts on snow? (Be careful how you answer, you might just give away your age! All 5 year olds LOVE snow; 45 year olds, Ehh, not so much; 80 year olds…Schmacka-rucka-dadblasted …schmucka….) Do you love snow like I love snow? Do you know the sound of snow? (Some people don’t. I know.... it’s so sad!) Do you have any favorite memories of snow? Do you collect frequent flyer miles with snow destinations in mind?