Salon post: July 13

[jenett]

(The last couple of Fridays got away from me. Knowing people are reading/enjoying helps a lot with getting me to post when that happens...)

Welcome to this week's salon post!


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Topic of the week
In the Northern Hemisphere, there's been a lot of summer out there. (Though locally, much more moderate this week.)

Do you like summer? What keeps you going in hot weather? (Me, I am a 'hide in a dark room with the air conditioning, and seltzer to drink. Maybe a gin and tonic occasionally' sort of person.)

If it is not summer where you are, tell us the wonders of winter! Or your local climate.

What I've been up to:
I've been writing - someone on one of the communities I follow mentioned a gamification writing site, http://4thewords.com (free month trial, $4 a month after that). I'm finding it useful (since it means I have a rough draft of stuff in one place on the web), and also amusing. The game part is that you battle monsters with set word/time counts and earn things, which either give you bonuses on challenges or are fun clothing for your avatar.

I have also been in all sorts of rounds of medical stuff (the joys of getting to second tier medical issues is that the more pressing ones are behaving themselves. On the downside, new set of appointments.)

My allergy shots are going well, though. And otherwise teaching the new Dedicants in my witchcraft tradition (we're doing the third proper class tomorrow.)


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Comments

[julian]

Theoretically, I like summer. Practically, while I'm mostly OK with heat, humidity wipes me out, and I live in stupid-humid-land aka Boston, so yeah, hiding in A/C and hydrating a hell of a lot.

Or, in my case, driving around in A/C and hydrating a lot, because apartment hunting. Narrowing options down, though. Alllmost done.

[jenett]

Apartment hunting around here is such an experience.

I like the idea of summer. I like the reality up to about 83F. (I loved Maine for this reason: all the stuff I liked, not so much the higher heat and humidity.)

[julian]

It is certainly an experience. A good one, not so much, though I'm meeting a lot of nice (if somewhat tired) people.

And yes, Maine's great. (In certain specific ways.) It's on the potential list for once I'm done school type stuff in a few years, since it certainly needs human services types, and (in general) cost of living's less.

[jazzyjj]

Hope the apartment hunting is going well. I remember doing the same with my parents back in 2001 or so. Now I have a wonderful apartment with wonderful neighbors in the same building. I've lived in the building since the summer of 2004, but switched apartments midstream because the one I'm currently occupying became vacant in 2007.

[eeeeka]

I used to love summer. It was a combination of No School and spending the summer in Colorado instead of Boston. Now...not so much. Humidity kills me and it's like wading through the atmosphere most days here in KY. Plus I work from home and don't have a dedicated office space, so summer is when my kids are around to bother me all the time. :)

Give me a nice fall day any time.

[author_by_night]

I like "cool" summer days. Warm enough to wear a dress or shorts, but not HOT where even a light t-shirt feels like a heavy, scratchy sweater. A few days ago it was so hot, it was almost a bit hard to breathe. However, that's an anomaly. I can't remember the last time it was that bad.

The other thing I don't like about summer? A/C/outdoor dissonance. I think I'm going to post my own entry about that, but tl;dr short, I feel like you wear something cool because it's hot, but then any damn place you go, it's freezing because everyone puts the A/C on to extreme levels. Sometimes I end up wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a light sweater, and I'll still be cold; meanwhile, the second I go back outside, I'm sweating trying to make it back to the car. Gaaah.

[pameladean]

I love and hate summer. I love the growing things, the intense green, the long long evenings, all the wildlife going about its business at top speed, the summer migrant birds that nest here, the seasons of the dragonflies, the color of the sky just after sunset on a clear day when Venus is the evening star, the shapes of thunderheads.

Extremely hot weather makes me ill if I am not careful; and I don't like humidity. My hair and skin love it, but I don't find it at all comfortable. I have ongoing issues with hydration and fluid retention that hot summer weather makes worse.

There are days that make the bad parts worth it. Mostly they come in June and sometimes in August, but we are about to have a run of them next week, after a horrendous spell of miserable heat, damp, and threatening storms.

P.

[alexseanchai]

Extremely hot weather makes me ill if I am not careful; and I don't like humidity. My hair and skin love it, but I don't find it at all comfortable. I have ongoing issues with hydration and fluid retention that hot summer weather makes worse.

r u me

though also I have asthma and humidity sets it off :(

[pameladean]

There are a lot of us, sadly! But solidarity is always nice.

I'm sorry about the asthma. I don't have that (yet -- it runs in my family and I have the vague impression that it might pop up whenever it feels it would be most unwelcome).

P.

[alexseanchai]

Summer is worst season. Except snowy winter.

I'm leading a ritual tomorrow and I'm not ready and I'm freaking out a lot. (Fucking anxiety.) I need to table that for several hours because I need to be at work in fifteen minutes, though!

[jazzyjj]

I have a love-hate relationship with snow and ice. It's fun to look at and all, but traveling in it is the not-so-fun part. Especially when you're a guide or service dog user, or like me a white cane user. It can also be treacherous for wheelchair users etc.

[genarti]

I love the plants of summer -- trees! flowers! fresh produce! green everywhere! -- but I greatly dislike the heat. It drains me of energy; I just want to hide inside and not do anything. (Whereas cold energizes me; my perfect weather is a breezy spring or fall day when I'm comfortable in jeans + sweater.)

I don't love air conditioning either, but there are certainly summer days when it's wonderful. Last week was one such -- it was in the 90s F with high humidity all week, ugh! This week's been better, though, and actuate quite pleasant most days! Which I particularly appreciate since I've spent it all in the woods at folk dance camp.

[redbird]

I like having lots of daylight, and I like summer fruits and vegetables, but I don't cope well with really hot days, or even days that a lot of other people don't think of as "really hot" (low 80s F/upper 20s C).

[sporky_rat]

I am energized by the heat, I love it. The high humidity of the 90+% (we even get super-saturation, we've had 105% humidity before with no rain) and heat of the 90°+? Yes please.

I will happily take it.

[julian]

I am very glad that there are some folks for whom that weather works.

(Where are you that you super-saturate? General scope of area, not specific town.)

[sporky_rat]

South Mississippi!

It's a really neat trick, sometimes.

Sometimes though you just want the humidity to break so you don't have to watch for mold on your bath towels.

[julian]

Oh! Yeah, that'd be pretty steamy area. (Do like the live oaks, though.)

Boston's pretty ridiculous sometimes, but we at least only get mold on the bread, not the towels.

[jazzyjj]

I am one of those who likes the summer, and even the really hot weather doesn't bother me all that much. I have to wear a hat and/or lots of sunscreen when I go out though and it is sunny, because of the anti-rejection meds I'm on. What I don't particularly care for though is all the humidity. Fortunately I have 2 window air-conditioners, which keep the pad nice and comfy. Our rec room has central air, as did the old rec room. We now have a nice gazebo out back, thanks to the current landlords. I'm actually a bit surprised that the unit in my bedroom is still working as well as it is, because I got it back in 2006 when I was living downstairs. The previous tenant up here was kind enough to leave behind the kitchen window unit though, but that one had to be replaced a few years ago because it got all dusty and things. Each apartment in the building also has ceiling fans, and my old apartment has an industrial-strength fan above the stove that sounds like an airplane taking off at max speed. In addition, I have one of those little round fans up here.





Tomorrow is our annual family cookout, where we pay tribute to all our families and all the great support staff who work here. A few additional friends were invited as well.

[redrose]

Summer is for missing winter. Winter is for dreaming of summer...