HOW TO SURVIVE A HEATWAVE MELTDOWN

The first heatwave has come on way too early this year. We expect it in summer, but it’s still officially spring. Global warming may or may not be to blame, because I can remember a few heatwaves when I was growing up in Indiana. There was no air conditioning in those days, unless you went to a department store or movie theatre. Most of us just sweat it out at home in various degrees of undress. As kids, we ran under a garden sprinkler hose to cool down. But grownups had to keep on going to work, taking care of children, cooking, doing laundry. Nowadays, most everyone has air conditioning. Except, sometimes you don’t. Even without a power blackout, the air conditioner often gets overloaded and breaks down. What to do? How to survive a heatwave A/C meltdown:

While you’re waiting in line for a repairman to come and fix whatever’s broken, here’s what you can do to cool a house with damp towels. This also works if you have a two story house, with an upstairs room that the air conditioning doesn’t reach.

1. Close all windows and doors in the early morning. Draw all the shades and pull the curtains shut.

2.Find every fan you have in the house, on the porch, garage, or basement and turn them on. .

3. Go to your linen closet and pull out some bath towels. Soak them in cold water. A damp towel, preferably light-colored, should hang in a window or in front of a fan, where its trapped water evaporates and cools the air flowing through it. Your rooms may not get as cold as they would with an air conditioner, but the towels and fans will alleviate the worst of the heat. And the noise from a fan is far less than a window air conditioner.

How To survive a heatwave meltdown. Hang a wet towel in front of your window. — How To Survive A Heatwave Meltdown. Hang a wet towel in your window and turn on a fan.

Meanwhile, turn off the oven. Eat cold cuts, or go for carry out.

Believe it or not, some people don’t have air conditioners at all. 87% of Americans have some type of air conditioning , but that’s true in only 8% of the rest of the world. You, too, can survive a heatwave without an air conditioner.

Finally, you might download you tube music “HeatWave,” , and listen to Irving Berlin’s popular song from the thirties https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5PpCCfhBhY

How to survive a heatwave meltdown. Listen to Ethel waters sing "Havin A Heatwave" — How To Survive A Heatwave Meltdown. Listen to Ethel Waters sing while hanging wet towels in front of fans.

Oh! We’re having a heatwave, a tropical heatwave
The temperature’s rising, it isn’t surprising,
She certainly can the can-can
She started a heatwave by letting her seat wave,
In such a way that the customers say
That she certainly can can-can

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

BEWARE OF SUMMER SCAMMERS

When you’ve lived in a small town for awhile, you know a lot of people who’ve held a variety of jobs. Sometimes, gossip about former employers reaches you through the grapevine. Here’s what you may hear if they’ve worked for an air conditioning company: A customer calls on a sweltering hot summer day because the A/C went out. Repair man shakes his head and says it can’t be fixed. You’re miserably hot, unable to sleep. You believe him when he tells you that you need a new unit. They do you a favor and get the new one installed the very next day. And remove the old unit at no extra charge. Then, guess what? Instead of taking it to the junk yard, they replace a minor part, then sell your old unit to another customer. Yes, it happens. Beware of summer scammers! .

Summer is when folks get serious about roof leaks, chimney repairs and other outdoor jobs. Have you ever gotten bids to fix a roof? The price range is nothing short of amazing. Half of them refuse to do a partial roof install. They will tell you that unless you get a whole new roof, they can’t guarantee it won’t leak. And if you start getting bids on a roof replacement, you’re bewildered. The bids may differ by as much as ten thousand dollars—or more . Now is the time to pause before making a decision. Talk to people, call different roofers, check BBB ratings and online reviews. You’d be surprised what you can find over the internet. Just gather the facts on your own. And beware of summer scammers.

But scamming can also occur in other professions. There are doctors who convince you that your backache cannot be cured unless you undergo expensive surgery. Tire salesmen who say they can’t fix a low tire.. They feed on your desperation: Afraid the back pain can’t get better, or of what you’ll do without a car for a day or so.

When you sense that a provider is pressuring you to make a quick decision, it’s time to stop and think. Get bids from other companies. Get second and third doctor’s opinions. Check with another tire company and see if a nail can be removed.. Beware of summer scammers.

September 9, 2019September 9, 2019

10 GREAT THINGS ABOUT FALL

Have you ever taken one of those online weather-personality tests? They’re designed to reveal which season best fits your personality. No surprise for me—I always knew which season I liked best. Here are 10 great things about fall:

fALL FOLIAGE IN COLORS OF ORANGE, GOLD AND CRIMSON IS SPECTACULAR — FALL FOLIAGE IN COLORS OF GOLD, ORANGE & CRIMSON GIVES US A SPECTACULAR SHOW

1. No air conditioning. Does anyone really enjoy air conditioning? Yes, we like escaping from hot, humid weather. But the feel of air conditioning does not compare to a fresh, fragrant autumn breeze.

2. Less laundry. Most summer days, I’m apt to change my sweaty clothes at least once a day, if I’ve taken a walk or done errands. Summer clothes usually can’t be worn twice. Wash loads are typically twice as large as in the cooler seasons.

3. Fall is the sweet spot for arthritis. Summer make my joints swell, , and winter makes them creaky. For some reason, arthritics get some pain relief and improved joint flexibility in the cool fall weather.

4. Better sleep. Well, of course you’re going to sleep better when you’re not tossing, turning and sweating it out on a hot night.

5. Hope is in the air. Fall is the time for new beginnings. Kids return to school, go off to college with high hopes for the future. Their optimism is catching. For seniors, there are new shows and concerts to see, and adult education classes to take.

6. Fall festivals are held nearly every weekend in your own or surrounding cities. Here in Indiana, the famous Parke County Covered Bridge festival in the middle of October draws thousands of visitors from all over the USA.

Who doesn't love the flavor of juicy, homegrown tomatoes that ripen in the fall — HOMEGROWN TOMATOES IN THE FALL ARE A DELICIOUS TREAT

7. Homegrown tomatoes. Now is the time to enjoy the taste of red, ripe, homegrown tomatoes, which put the bland flavor hot house tomatoes to shame.

8.. Curling up with a hot beverage. What could be better than savoring a cup of hot tea, hot chocolate, or hot apple cider on a cold day.

9. You look better— summer’s heat and humidity frizzes your hair and opens your pores, giving your skin an oily shine. . Come fall, your skin looks smoother and hair is more manageable.

10. Fall foliage. Nothing compares to the spectacular show of autumn leaves.. Trees with every shade of orange, gold, and crimson create a dazzling display, especially against a clear blue sky.

Here’s hoping that you will enjoy an awesome fall!

May 20, 2019May 20, 2019

ARE YOU SMOKIN’ HOT OR COLD?

Do you love hot weather? Anyone who reads my blog knows that I don’t. Yes, it’s great to have a green lawn and pretty flowers. But I really don’t like air conditioning. A sweater is a must if you’re going from a blazing hot day into a store, movie, restaurant or just about any public place. It’s always too cold inside for me. And my own home is no exception. Summer is when the battle of the thermostat begins. Are you smokin’ hot or cold?

A MAN MAY SWEAT WHILE A WOMAN SHIVERS AT THE SAME THERMOSTAT SETTING

Your husband may turn down the thermostat when you’re out in the kitchen fixing breakfast. He’s hoping you won’t notice. And then, all of a sudden, you’re breaking out in goosebumps. My husband, being a kindly person, hates to see me shiver. At that point, he will turn the air conditioning down until my lips are no longer blue. Half an hour later, he’s breaking out in a sweat and pulling off his shirt. Now, I’m turning down the thermostat, and putting on a sweater. After all, it’s the same as winter. You can always dress for warmth, but there isn’t much you can do if you’re too hot, except maybe jump in a swimming pool.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a pool at our house. Been there, done that, many moons ago when I lived in Florida. Pool maintenance took both money and energy. At times, I felt like a janitor, and vowed I would never have a pool again.

Are you way too hot or too cold?

The battle of the thermostat started in Indiana last week, when the temperatures got up into the 80’s. I’m bracing myself, because I know it will go on all summer. Every place I go— supermarket, restaurant, hotel—it’s going to be too cold. Last July, ,I sat an hour in a frigid doctor’s office and came down with a miserable summer cold. Why do doctors think it’s healthy to make their patients sit in a freezer?

MANY WOMEN FEEL COLD IN THE WORKPLACE, AND NEED A COVER UP.

One solution we’ve come up with at home is an auxiliary air conditioner in one upstairs bedroom. The sweaty person can sleep in the cool room, on dry sheets, and the cold blooded one can enjoy the warmth and humidity they crave. It’s not very romantic, but it sure beats the battle of the thermostat.