16 August 2013

Day 16. Someone or something you definitely could live without.

Heat. It wouldn’t bother me if it never got over 70 degrees all year long.

I grew up in the South, so when Salem hits 85 and 25% humidity in July, you’d think it was a walk in the park, right? I mean, that’s the first week of March through the end of November back home, and most of that time the humidity is sky high! I never believed that “dry heat” stuff until I moved out here, but it really does make a difference. Even when it hits 100 here, in the shade it’s not so bad if there’s a little breeze blowing.

But the apartment I’m in is a middle floor unit, and it just traps the heat all day long. I just can’t get enough air moving to keep it comfortable, and when it gets into the mid-upper nineties, it’s just unbearable. Once, a few weeks ago, the last time I looked at the clock, it was 1:17AM and it was 88 degrees in my bedroom. Fans just blow hot air around. NASCAR driver Darrell Waltrip was once asked whether or not the side vents in the race cars that deflected air into the drivers’ faces helped with the 150 degree plus heat in the car. He replied that if you take 100 degree air and speed it up, you don’t have an air conditioner, you have a hair dryer.

I could have an air conditioner, but I’d have to get one of the portable ones and they’re more money than I want to spend, on that, anyway. Too many other, more pressing needs. And my bride-to-be has a portable, so we'll be comfortably cool newlyweds in a week! We’ll be moving into a new place this fall/winter, so we’ll plan to take things like air conditioning and air flow into consideration this time. But really, I'd move to the Mojave Desert to be with her, so all things comfort are relative. Given the choice, however, I'll take 65 degrees over 85 degrees every time!

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