OMG, it's been a long day. And how is it cooler here than in NYC?

[stoney321]

That's insane. Here it's barely 100F (we've had a 100+ streak for several weeks now), and I saw that NYC and Chicago are expected to hit 107 and 108? You poor things. A/C is mandatory where I live, so we can easily deal with it, especially since we know it's coming and live with hot temps for months, but when you're not used to it... D: DRINK WATER. (And eat salty things. Or drink margaritas.)

Oh, hey, speaking of, today's cocktail recipe for the Glee recap of "Home" is my personal Margarita recipe, the one with the lime cocktail. I've gotten PMs from people telling me how good it is, so I'm not going to act like it's not the greatest thing ever. IT IS SO DELICIOUS, GUYS. I made a huge batch of the lime cocktail last night (8 pounds of limes! My biceps were killing me. And that's with using a juicer.) and I plan on getting my 'rita on here in a bit.

Things you can do to stay cool:

• it may be ugly, but anything to black out your windows is a must. A thick blanket/black out liner for drapes will drop the house temp by 10 degrees at least. I have a house that faces due west with 2 story windows. The drapes have blackout liner, and our electric bill cut in half.
• Wash your sheets, but don't dry them. Put them on the mattress, damp. You'll have crisp, cool sheets when you climb in bed, and the slightly damp top sheet will cool you right away. It's DELIGHTFUL.
• Ice in a towel on the back of your neck.
• Cold shower, wet hair in a ponytail or braids, right before bedtime
• MARGARITAS.

Ugh, be careful out there, guys

Comments

[phaeba.livejournal.com]

Floor and/or ceiling fans help a ton, too (but only if you're in the room -- turn them off when you leave). I second the blackout drapes or blankets. We finally buckled last summer and it makes a huge difference. And I think there's something psychologically cooling about feeling like you're in a cave :D

Also, that margarita sounds fantastic and I'll be picking up a butt-ton of limes tomorrow.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I assume fans are a given in cases of heat. ;)

The margarita recipe is faaaaaaabulous, honest and for true.

[phaeba.livejournal.com]

You are absolutely right, of course. I have gotten too used to talking to my family up north who consider 80 to be a heat wave (the humanity!). Giving them tips on how to stay cool in temps that are less than what my thermostat is set to cramps my thinking parts.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

And you just acclimate to your climate. I don't start getting uncomfortable until it's triples, I'm fine exercising, whatever in the upper 90s. But anyone up in New England would pass out. Then again, I hate the world when it's blustery and cold, and they would laugh at me for my distaste for cold & wet days, so it even out.

...that was the most banal paragraph I have ever written, I'm a complete dork.

[phaeba.livejournal.com]

Ha! No, I totally understand. I thought I was going to die when we moved here and went through our first summer. Ten years later and I don't even give it a second thought, but snow and ice, those get a frowny face.

[elizardbits.livejournal.com]

It's going to be 111 here tomorrow. I CANNOT FUCKING EVEN.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

THAT IS ABSURD. Clearly you need to be drinking frozen concoctions all day FOR HEALTH REASONS.

[elizardbits.livejournal.com]

Also, I totally left work early today to come home and work on Spartythings, as I will be away all weekend. BEING A GROWN UP IS HARD.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

YOU ARE THE MOSTEST GROWN UP I KNOW. You should frolic and scamper in the fjords with Eric Northman as your reward!

[oaktree89.livejournal.com]

It's 38 degrees here in Toronto, according to the internets, but my thermometer at the house says 40 *sob*

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

That's got to be absolutely unheard of there! I mean, that's how hot we are all summer in Texas! WHAT IS HAPPENING!!

[oaktree89.livejournal.com]

It's actually pretty standard for Toronto in the summer, sadly. We get cold winters, hot summers, and brief, tragically fleeting springs. Fall is nice, though!

They did issue a heat warning for today, and supposedly it's the hottest July 21st ever: "At 4 p.m., the temperature hit 37.5 C, with the humidex making it feel like 48. (http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110721/110721_toronto_heat/20110721/?hub=CP24Home)"

[dovil.livejournal.com]

We've just had our WARMEST WINTER EVER! Sucks to be you but I'm sitting in a short sleeved top in July, so roll on crazy weather*.

*Except for the part when we eventually get summer. Oh, and the part where we're getting tornadoes when we never really had tornadoes before.

[love-your-ego.livejournal.com]

113 here today. It was snowing in April. What is this I don't even.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

UP IS DOWN RIGHT IS LEFT DOGS AND CATS LIVING TOGETHER!

What Am I Doing Wrong?

[dovil.livejournal.com]

Dear Stoney,

I tried making myself cool by wearing a leather coat while stretching my thumbs out and saying 'Aaaaa', but instead I now have heatstroke.

Yours in Confusion
Me

Re: What Am I Doing Wrong?

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

Clearly, you have too much pomade in your pompadour, kiddo, and your haid can't breathe.

Also, it's pronounced "Aaaaaaaaay."

Re: What Am I Doing Wrong?

[dovil.livejournal.com]

Also, it's pronounced "Aaaaaaaaay."

THE COOLNESS HAS BEEN UNLOCKED! Also, I've now been able to go up a level.

Re: What Am I Doing Wrong?

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

AWESOME.

If someone asks you to water ski whilst wearing the leather jacket, DON'T DO IT.

Re: What Am I Doing Wrong?

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I just straight up snorted laughter. At your stupidity, natch. you should have worn FUR. Man, wise up!

Re: What Am I Doing Wrong?

[dovil.livejournal.com]

Ewww, snorter! I read that as stupid snatch, both provoking outrage at my highly intelligent vagina being slandered and also proving your point in one fell swoop.

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

I'm tellin' you, you should totes write that drink book.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I'm going to compile all of the cocktails together and make it downloadable, but I don't know that I could sell it or anything. I DON'T KNOW HOW THINGS WORK, SUZI SUE.

[beadattitude.livejournal.com]

Also, I find pressing the compress to my carotid artery, while sillier looking, more effective. I've been known to put one on my femoral artery, too, when unbearably hot, but,really, you need to be lying down for or everybody'll be all, "is that a coke in your pocket or are you just happy to see me, " blah blah blah...

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

The back of my head always gets so hot, which makes me feel close to fainting (if I'm out camping in the summer, something like that) so keeping the nape of my neck chilled does WONDERS.

I saw J's post on FB today, and I hope y'all are doing okay. :(

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

FWIW, I don't know anyone in the NE who doesn't have a/c (if they want it. like, my uncle objects because he doesn't like the smell. I KNOW. WHATVER, DUDE. THE SMELL. My poor aunt has it in her "sitting room") except some coastal people. So they're ok. They just get to bitch a lot for a few days every several years, unlike us. We get to bitch a lot for a few months every year.

BARELY 100. Well, it's 101.4 here right now.

The cold shower with wet hair thing is my go to.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I know of some, and I just feel terrible for them. (Old, old houses, no central air.) Wait, THE SMELL? What smell? I mean, the heater kicks on with that musty smell the first time, but I've never heard of air conditioning SMELLING?

Ha! We've been at 99.6 today, and the pool is a CHILLY 90. (Oy.)

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

I have no idea about the smell. He says "chemicals!" He's an electrical engineer, ffs!

I WANT A POOL SO BAD YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW.

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

OH AND your ICON.

I have Peewee IRL stories in my past. And the texas sign, LOL!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

I'M GONNA NEED THOSE STORIES. I think Big Adventure is a PERFECT comedy.

[copykween.livejournal.com]

It's blowing my mind that we're actually COOLER than some places (FINALLY!). Now if we could just get the damn rain.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Oh, rain would be a DELIGHT.

[ryokomusouka.livejournal.com]

Our bedroom is over the garage, which is west-facing. We HAVE to run a fan in there all the time or it turns into an oven. Bathroom fan creates a vacuum to pull cooler house air in, ceiling fan keeps it moving, box fan in the doorway pushes air through the bedroom into the bathroom. It sounds like a freakin' jet in there.

Sick of the heat. We did get a break this morning, but it's 90 now, and the heat index for tomorrow is 105. This makes me GRUMPY.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

That has to be a nightmare. When people build places, you'd think they'd put sunshine/blazing heat into consideration of windows, etc.

[ryokomusouka.livejournal.com]

I know. Let's not get started on the 8x6 foot window in that bedroom...

What gets me, too, is the Weather Channel always go ape shit when stuff like this hits the East, but when the Midwest has it? Pfft.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, ice box sitting. That prolly felt GOOOOD.

[cdvla313.livejournal.com]

Who has old wiring in their house? o/

We only have window ACs in the living room and each of the 3 bedrooms. Of course, there's a contractor working on the bathroom whose power tools blow a fuse if the ACs are on, so as soon as 8am rolls around, no AC anymore. Or if you use the microwave/toaster oven and an AC is on. Ah well, before the new energy saver ACs, we couldn't run more than two ACs at one time without blowing a fuse, and I would have to sleep in my brother's room. There were at least 2 summers I refused to and just went without AC.

/ends overly long explanation that can be summed up as "my house is fucking hot" And it's 120 on the subway platforms. /o\

[kuzu-no-ha.livejournal.com]

Ditto. House is not built for ac and would cost an insane amount to retrofit. Is the subway dripping gunk yet? I just want to be prepared.

[cdvla313.livejournal.com]

I don't think the subway has quite reached those levels yet, since it's only been one or two days of this extreme heat, but probably soon.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I knew that not all of y'all were with central air. For the most part, it's not essential for months on end like it is down here. We kick the A/C on in April, and it runs through October. Sounds like a new fuse/breaker needs to be put in so all of the power isn't on one system. That's a pain in the neck, so sorry!

Ugh, the subway in July is GROTENDOUS. Hot, dirty, smells of pee. No me gusta.

[cdvla313.livejournal.com]

Nope, only parts of the house will lose power if a fuse blows; it's just a very old system that can't handle lots of modern appliances. It's been like this ever since I can remember. We know what can and can't be turned on, people just don't always know what others are doing in parts of the house.

The only good thing about the subway is at least the cars themselves have AC. The Paris and London subways are horrible in the summer.

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

"only parts of the house" - yeah, that's why a new breaker to share the load from that part of the house is a good idea. We had to add another circuit in my bedroom when we added a plasma tv - that plus all of the other appliances/electronics were too much for one circuit load. Then again, it helps to have a handyman in the house that knows how to do all of that stuff, because electricity is skeery to me to handle. (I can change out light fixtures, but re-routing? Gah.)

I've not experienced London/Paris subways in summer, so that's a good thing to be prepared for. Ugh, that must be miserable in France - they get pretty hot in the summer.

[kuzu-no-ha.livejournal.com]

Lobsters are just going to burst into flame over the next few days.
Lovely margaritas recipe, I look forward to trying it. Provided I survive this heat. Woe!

[stoney321.livejournal.com]

Mmm, lobster rolls. Sorry, just thinking of all of that cooked lobster.

Hope you get to soon! If you do, lemme know what you think.

[kuzu-no-ha.livejournal.com]

And you don't even have to crack them open, on account of them already exploding.

I will definitely let you know when I get a chance to try it. Pretty damn awesome about the bicep work out.