Cool Yourself

They say it's gonna be another hot one and you can already tell that they're right. Maybe today the candlesticks will give up the ghost again and wilt onto the dining room table like they did that crazy-hot summer in the 90s. Maybe my skin will actually slide off my face.I don’t love air conditioning but I'd've been a goner without it this week. I step from our refrigerated box of a bedroom into the upstairs hall and it's like an actual furnace, even at 5am.I can’t imagine what it feels like to sleep on the third floor like the two family members living with us while waiting for their apartment to be ready. They refuse to let us get a little AC unit.They moved here from Florida so they’re tougher than we are.Some years ago, when the guy of the couple was a lad of 19 working toward the old Bachelor's degree at RPI, he spent the whole month of July painting the trim in the upstairs study I use as my office, taking numerous breaks to hang out with our kids and their pals, natch. What's summer for if not for hanging out with a fun crowd?

 (a typical day that summer . Painting-Man third from left)

Then, by night he climbed the stairs to that same hot room under the roof, turned on the two standing fans he had up there, stretched out in front of them both and sprayed himself at ten minute intervals with a plant mister.  He always swore there was no nicer a feeling in the world and he kept it up all night long. I’ve just now tried the same trick down here on the screened porch where it's already 85 degrees, just after sun-up or not and do you know what?He's right.It's almost as good as the cooling methods of yore. :-)

I especially like the Baby Jesus rays coming out of the seated kid's head. Catholic school memories!