what a week
I can deal with the heat. I have spent years in equatorial climates, Utah deserts, and inland California. But I can't deal with constant heat with no relief.
I biked to work on Monday, and enjoyed the air conditioned office. The ride home was an absolute killer. I finally crested the hill past Wilson High, and basically limped my way the remainder of the way home. We had anticipated the heat, and closed the windows during the day so that it would at least be somewhat cooler in the apartment. It worked out pretty darned well.
Then, the problems began. First off, it never got cold enough at night to justify drawing air from outside in. It just made things worse. Then, I showed up to work on Tuesday and our air conditioning in the building had gone out overnight. The building basically baked in its own juices for a 12-hour period, and was absolutely sweltering. Wow. A full day at work, with no relief. We bought bags of crushed ice, drank water, everything we could. Walking outside was like walking into a wall of heat.
So, last night, we worked out a deal with my mother-in-law. The original proposition composed of us helping remove her older, highly inefficient AC unit, and replacing with one of two units she had managed to find at Lowe's. Well, it didn't quite work out that way, and instead, I helped install one unit in their window, and we were able to borrow the other and bring it home. What a relief.
Of course, ironically enough, AC units are an amazing hassle to put in. I was sweating like crazy, it was so maddening that the very thing that was supposed to provide me relief was requiring so much work. Ugh. So, finally, we got the unit in the living room. We inflated our camp mattress and spent the night close to the AC.
It was a much more restful night. Our cat was overjoyed. He perked up almost immediately, and started eating and drinking again. It also gave me some relief before going to work again today, as the AC still had not been repaired.
Thankfully, my boss had a shred of humanity, and allowed us to "dress appropriately." Most interpreted that as shorts and even t-shirts. Boss-man even brought in Grand Central treats, and I partook of an amazing blueberry tart, oh, yummy yummy. We brought in fans, turned off the lights, rolled up our shirtsleeves and unbuttoned an extra button or so, and worked as normal. So, in spite of the heat (nearly 90 degrees in the building!), we did alright.
Wife met me after work, and we drove out to Sauvie Island for a dip. I really love it out there. The water was just the prescription for a long day at work, and did the trick. Just what we needed. :) K was even a sport, and waded out to her shoulders. We threw a frisbee around, snacked on blueberries and Rainier cherries, and picked up Mexican food on the way to a nicely air-conditioned home.
So. I can deal with the heat. As long as I get intermittent spells of relief.
I biked to work on Monday, and enjoyed the air conditioned office. The ride home was an absolute killer. I finally crested the hill past Wilson High, and basically limped my way the remainder of the way home. We had anticipated the heat, and closed the windows during the day so that it would at least be somewhat cooler in the apartment. It worked out pretty darned well.
Then, the problems began. First off, it never got cold enough at night to justify drawing air from outside in. It just made things worse. Then, I showed up to work on Tuesday and our air conditioning in the building had gone out overnight. The building basically baked in its own juices for a 12-hour period, and was absolutely sweltering. Wow. A full day at work, with no relief. We bought bags of crushed ice, drank water, everything we could. Walking outside was like walking into a wall of heat.
So, last night, we worked out a deal with my mother-in-law. The original proposition composed of us helping remove her older, highly inefficient AC unit, and replacing with one of two units she had managed to find at Lowe's. Well, it didn't quite work out that way, and instead, I helped install one unit in their window, and we were able to borrow the other and bring it home. What a relief.
Of course, ironically enough, AC units are an amazing hassle to put in. I was sweating like crazy, it was so maddening that the very thing that was supposed to provide me relief was requiring so much work. Ugh. So, finally, we got the unit in the living room. We inflated our camp mattress and spent the night close to the AC.
It was a much more restful night. Our cat was overjoyed. He perked up almost immediately, and started eating and drinking again. It also gave me some relief before going to work again today, as the AC still had not been repaired.
Thankfully, my boss had a shred of humanity, and allowed us to "dress appropriately." Most interpreted that as shorts and even t-shirts. Boss-man even brought in Grand Central treats, and I partook of an amazing blueberry tart, oh, yummy yummy. We brought in fans, turned off the lights, rolled up our shirtsleeves and unbuttoned an extra button or so, and worked as normal. So, in spite of the heat (nearly 90 degrees in the building!), we did alright.
Wife met me after work, and we drove out to Sauvie Island for a dip. I really love it out there. The water was just the prescription for a long day at work, and did the trick. Just what we needed. :) K was even a sport, and waded out to her shoulders. We threw a frisbee around, snacked on blueberries and Rainier cherries, and picked up Mexican food on the way to a nicely air-conditioned home.
So. I can deal with the heat. As long as I get intermittent spells of relief.