B.A.C.

Anstapa · Post by **Anstapa** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 6:57 am

Before Air Conditioning, an era some of us on this forum can remember. Are we wimping out as a society? Running from air conditioned homes, to our cars, then to the office/mall whatever. Why do we complain about the heat then.

It was 95 yesterday, and it will go to that or more with the Humidex taking it over 110 F. I went kayaking early in the morning but by noon, it was to hot to be on the river, even the robust enthusiasts of the yacht club surrendered to the heat and left their sailboats parked, no breeze, no shade!

I remember my mom waking at four in the morning or so, to cook all the meals for the day on the basement stove, when you couldn't go upstairs to the second floor after six in the evening (pre-insulated homes) because it was an oven. Home air conditioners were a luxury and huge, and buying a fan like we can now is the opposite what was available in the 1950's.

Just thoughts as the temp climbs once again today.

Anstapa

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:11 am

Or tooling down the freeway with the windows down on the sedan, because it was the only way not to swelter into a grease spot. (I'm keeping in mind that many of us were quite casual, if not downright negligent, about seat belts in those days too--where they even existed.)

I am not a fan of air conditioning. When the weather is very hot, I run it enough to take the edge off and keep the walls from molding and the crackers from going stale. I prefer to open the windows if things are tolerable.
There's not much I like less than going from a warm day into a building or house which is so ridiculously cooled that I need a jacket.

Many people really do better with a.c. because of allergies and such, but I like to feel the climate if I can.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:21 am

I just turned mine on low - several hours earlier than usual, even though the thermometer outside says it's too early too, but the thermostat in my head and body says, 'now, or you'll regret it'... so, on it goes. Yesterday though, the thermometer and my internal meters disagreed as well - in the opposite direction... a combo of menopause and allergies I suppose, and humidity... "78" this morning is decidedly hotter than "88" yesterday evening. Of course, we've always managed to get eccentric thermometers ... hmmm... and toasters...

Edited to add... "I am vindicated!!" ... the official reading in my area is already 91!

(Note to self... invest in more reliable thermalmeter)

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:38 am

It was 25° C (77°F) this morning at 6 am, plus humidity to make it feel like 32° (89.6° F) when I went for my morning constitutional down by the river. It will be another steamer again today. I don't have AC, and I cannot stand anything hotter than 16°C, so I just basically shut down during summers here. The most annoying part about it is that my crummy little fridge can't keep milk from curdling in this heat, so I have to walk to the store each day to buy a small carton, just enough to last the day.

Living in an uninsulated shack, I well understand the above comments. I sleep on the second floor, but have a big window shaker running all night long. It is not, however, conducive to a good night's sleep.

djm

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:48 am

djm wrote:... I sleep on the second floor, but have a big window shaker running all night long. It is not, however, conducive to a good night's sleep.

djm

Boy howdy!! Whenever the downstairs one cycles on from it's breaks (when set to anything less than 'high') my daughter and I jump nearly out of our skins... what a racket! It's like having a bulldozer hit the side of the house and the stereo come on full blast at the same time! Quite the irritation! ... so it goes off as soon at night as we can handle it, or else is left on high for those few nights (hopefully) that it's just too hot

Caroluna · Post by **Caroluna** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:35 am

djm wrote:...down by the river. It will be another steamer again today.

You have steamers on your river? I always associate them with the Mississippi and Mark Twain.

The most annoying part about it is that my crummy little fridge can't keep milk from curdling in this heat, so I have to walk to the store each day to buy a small carton, just enough to last the day.

When I was really little I can remember my grandmother talking about how they replaced their "ice chest" not too long ago. She was very proud of her refrigerator, but it was a lot like yours, just couldn't stand up to these tropical conditions!

We don't have AC either. The worst for us was last year when we had a spell of weather in the 100's (Emline I'm sure you remember...). At the time, we had an elderly Samoyede dog. Oh he was so miserable! We put wet towels in the freezer and once they had frozen we'd put them on the dog's back. We got him through the hot spell, but then gave him to another family, one with central AC, so he could live out his retirement years in comfort.

Deej, I could give you their address if you're interested in relocating...

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:41 am

Just send the fridge with functional freezer, thx.

djm

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:45 am

I'd guess that the majority of homes in the Seattle area lack A/C, though more and more are having it installed. We've considered it, since mid-90s F (as forecast for mid-week) are not unusual in July and August, and our 2nd-floor bedroom with southwestern exposure gets mighty toasty. We just haven't convinced ourselves that A/C is worth the installation expense for 2 months of use each year. I really hate trying to sleep in a hot room, though...

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:51 am

No AC here. It would just be foolhardy to have it, even if we wanted it, as our house is so poorly insulated, it would be more like trying to cool the outdoors (and electricity costs here are insane!).

When we get up in the morning, we open every window in the house to catch as much of the early morning coolness as possible. Then, before it really starts to get hot outside, we close all the windows, draw the drapes, close up the rooms that get the most sun, and turn on the fans (we have a ceiling fan and a box fan in the living room, a Vornado in the kitchen, and oscillating fans in the loft and the bedrooms). I try to do all my "active" stuff (working out, running errands, etc.) in the morning or evening, and just stay quiet during the heat of the day.

Fortunately, we only have two months of the year (July and August) when temps regularly get above 90 degrees (we had 102 one day last week, and 111 a couple of years ago!).

I grew up in Eastern Washington, and still remember happily playing outside in 90+ weather, then coming inside to our darkened living room and plopping down in front of the box fan for a while before heading out to play again. I think air conditioning spoils us, frankly. I know I complain a lot less about the heat than do people who spend their days in air conditioned offices and come home to air conditioned houses and apartments.

Redwolf

jkwest · Post by **jkwest** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:04 am

I read the title and thought someone got a DUI...

Anyways, back to topic...

Since I was born a hippie kid, my parents spent a big chunk of their money from moving out of So. Cal on property. We lived in a tent for about 5 months before the trailer showed up....yada yada..I didn't have AC until I moved out on my own after high school.

Still when I go visit my mom and she only has a swamp cooler I have a hard time with the heat..

I hate the heat.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:39 am

Caroluna wrote:
djm wrote:...down by the river. It will be another steamer again today.
You have steamers on your river? I always associate them with the Mississippi and Mark Twain.

Alas, both Twain and the steamers are gone, though there is no shortage of 'wantabes' plying both the river and his once hometown.

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:56 am

Down by the river
I shot my baby
Dead

- Neil Young

djm

sbhikes · Post by **sbhikes** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:50 pm

You have rivers? With water in them in the summer time?

What is it Mark Twain said? Something like:

"I fell into one of California's mighty rivers. I got up and dusted myself off."

He also said the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. He ought to come to Santa Barbara. I turn the heat on every single day in my office, but that's only because some crazy midwesterners seem to be at the helm of every facilities department I've ever worked in. They all seem to think as soon as the calendar says May, turn on the AC and freeze everyone to death.

We have no AC at home. I have none in my car. I hate AC. Because of AC you have to carry a sweater around with you in the summer. I have to admit, though, the AC was nice in the shopping malls when I visited India. There, it's 90 in the winter and everybody is complaining about the cold.

It's all relative.

Anglorfin · Post by **Anglorfin** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 2:14 pm

I'd be the most irate person imaginable without A/C. Every summer I think that I should be living much more norther of where I am right now (New Jersey).

The summer does nothing for me. I just can't enjoy warm weather. I burn easily and feel all slimy and gross. Going to the beach for me is just a hassle. And if I had a choice I'd much rather live closer to mountains and colder climates that embrace the sports that I am into (hockey, snowboarding).

Oh also I think last year I wore long pants a total of 6 times not including formal functions. So you can imagine how uncomfortable any weather above 68F is to me. Luckily my job requires that I work in a freezer year round so that's a big plus.

Anstapa · Post by **Anstapa** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:40 pm

It was 36 C yesterday and the Humidex was around 44C, but to go to the movie house last night, I put on jeans, socks and shoes, and fleece sweater and only then was I comfortable enough to watch the movie. I thought at one time I could actually hear people's teeth chattering and knees knocking. I asked the manager why so cold, it is set as if there are 400 people in the audience all generating heat.....there were twenty of us in the whole place!!! It was okay for Happy Feet, kind of surreal environmental affect to go along with the movie but not last night.

Anstapa