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This is the first creative morning I have felt in many a moon orbit, an
overcast gift of the moderation gods, and a respite from the fiery
oppression of a climate that has gone sweaty mad and flattened my
inspiration with a weighty stupor. I have become such a heat wimp.
The days fill with business and sporadic, relentless waves of mind-
robbing family duty, and a momentum-born agenda spilled on the
already messy floor of my recent retirement. I play Fifty-Two Card
Pickup with a life deck miss-shuffled by my uncertain fingers.
Change discombobulates me these days.
I work the keyboard, using the free wi-fi of the local "other" coffee
huddle and sip a cup of their ersatz-Starbuck hypeppuccino. Locals
come and go, carrying cups of exotic candy fattuccinos while hip
tunes blare overhead to the counterpoint groan and hiss of the
blender and espresso maker. Outside a drizzle glistens the parking
lot, as nature prepares a sauna for the afternoon.
I search for clever words to digitize the sensate reality dream, the
merry-go-round, the parade; whatever trite metaphor fits the life that
seems to be happening to me lately. But there is not the time to
relate stories of my new reality, the six hours it takes to flesh and
dress even an orphan of a story draft. Another family outing loiters
on a corner, two hours or so up the road.
So I sit, writing a description of a morning session of writing about a
morning session of not writing a story.
In Reply to: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by Jim H. [291.2562] on August 08, 2006 at 09:45:09:
Big smiles and hugs to ya, I'm a heat wimp too.
We had the best thunder, lightning storm with rain to refresh life.
hang in there, Barb ;o)
In Reply to: Re: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by Barb [5186.1351] on August 08, 2006 at 13:11:30:
Hey Barb,
Me three!!!! And I don't know where you are but here in the Carolinas we have a common complaint and if I've heard it once I've heard it a million times....it's not just the heat but the humidity...
But it's sooo true. If you're outside, even in the shade, you prespire(sweat) so profoundly, it's impossible to cross you legs. The top leg just slides right off the bottom leg.
I'm not sure if the heat's worse or it becomes more imbearable with age!?!
In Reply to: Re: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by D [465.1351] on August 08, 2006 at 17:26:10:
I'll shut up now!!!
In Reply to: Re: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by D [465.1351] on August 08, 2006 at 17:26:10:
Thats it for me too D. We lived in the Sacramento valley for 10 years and temperatures reached anywhere from 105 to 115 but we never had the humidity like we have this year. I live in Oregon. Normally we have hot weather but not like this year. The temps have been higher with humidity.
Even though I was drinking lots of water I was still feeling drained, nauseated and dizzy. My daughter suggested gatorade. Instead I drank the little Energy C packets a few times a day. Instantly, my energy level perked up.
I've heard about the humidity on the East Coast. I would die. ;o)
In Reply to: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by Jim H. [291.2562] on August 08, 2006 at 09:45:09:
Jimbo, I don't think you've missed a beat!
You will soon leave your structured lifestyle totally in the dust.
School starts soon, how are you going to feel?
In Reply to: Re: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by D [465.1351] on August 08, 2006 at 17:26:10:
Hi D., hubby says, it is not the humidity it's the DEWPOINT or at least humidity plus high dewpoint. I saw Al Gore's documentary on global warming and 2005 is the warmest year on record. Maybe 2006 will beat it.
In Reply to: Re: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by Sally [1945.1192] on August 08, 2006 at 18:39:21:
I wonder how that will go over around here? Especially with the old timers... Hey it's not just the heat.. it's the dewpoint?
Ha Ha.. I'm gonna give it a try tommorrow and see how many strange looks I get.
I hope it turns out to be hotter cause if it's not, that means I'm getting much too sensitive to the heat and I can't pack up and move to a cooler climate.
In Reply to: Re: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life - to D posted by Barb [5186.2765] on August 08, 2006 at 18:25:20:
When I visited Arizona, which is where Jim is from I think, it was mid July and in the hundreds but I don't remember being as uncomfortable as I am here with lower highs.
But then I was on vacation in a very beautiful, exciting state so I may have just not noticed the heat as I usually would. I mean..hot is hot, humidity or not.
But when it comes down to it I feel humid heat may be better causing you to sweat out toxins and the humidity also keeps the skin more moist than out west. I was so shocked to see the misters at the entrances of commercial buildings in Arizona. Great idea but comming from a very humid state it was strange to see.
In Reply to: Re: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by D [465.1351] on August 08, 2006 at 20:16:32:
Ha. Ha. Get the camera.
I wonder if those cooling necklaces or neckerchiefs work? I don't even know what they are called.
In Reply to: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by Jim H. [291.2562] on August 08, 2006 at 09:45:09:
might be better to drink something Cooling on a hot, sweaty day. I wondered why I was drinking tea instead of something cold, but then I wasn't moving as fast as I used to, when I would. I guess that made the need less critical, but I was thinking about it. The heat wave is over, but I have been drinking liquids like crazy. I can tell how hot it is out, by how much I drink. I let my thirst decide. When my thirst guage goes bad, I'll be ready to hang up my spurs.
In Reply to: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by Jim H. [291.2562] on August 08, 2006 at 09:45:09:
Beautiful as always, "a momentum born agenda spilled on the already messy floor of my retirement", that's my favorite line.
Anyway, I had an idea that came to me as I read this. Would it be of interest to you to write a regular column in your local newspaper? Call me crazy but I bet that would be fun for you, not to mention a wonderful experience for your readers...
In Reply to: Re: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by Sally [1945.1192] on August 08, 2006 at 21:00:21:
Not too well. The finishing dept. at my work isn't air conditioned plus there are 3 ovens inside the dept. to dry the finish on furniture that runs on a chain production line.
They have handed the (neck cooler cloths) out to the workers in the past and you have to keep the cloths cool by dipping them in ice water which doesn't last long in the heat so they stopped handing them out.
In Reply to: Re: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by D [465.1351] on August 09, 2006 at 05:23:13:
Oooh, sounds like you're toast! Sorry.
In Reply to: Re: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by Sally [1945.1192] on August 08, 2006 at 18:36:05:
The main difference so far, Sally, is that I am not counting down days,
and soon...no bells!
In Reply to: Re: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by 2065 [80.56] on August 09, 2006 at 00:53:54:
Thanks, 2065, not a bad idea, but I don't know about that word
"regular". :)
In Reply to: Re: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life - to D posted by D [465.1351] on August 08, 2006 at 20:25:06:
I believe we sweat as much when it is hot, and the hotter it is, more so. When it is humid, the perspiration stays on the skin, and doesn't evaporate, making us feel uncomfortable. Misters only work in low humidity, and cool by evaporating.
If there is air flow, even in hot, humid weather. sponging off might make you feel cooler. Siting water would usually be cooler than our bodies. I think sweat on the skin, doesn't cool like water. With me, the oils released, that stay on my skin, make me feel clamy. Just wiping or washing it off, makes me feel a Lot better.
In Reply to: Re: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life posted by Jim H. [291.2562] on August 09, 2006 at 08:54:40:
You're welcome, Jim.
I did actually give it a lot of thought before I used the word 'regular', with a gentlemen who has just retired. Perhaps 'regular' could mean once a month instead of once a week? Perhaps it can still be done by remote location? Perhaps it can be done in multiple papers?
I may have been projecting my own not-so-humble opinion here, but I thought that a column would provide you the opportunity to write and express yourself consistently. Whether you feel like it or not at times, it may be the best thing in the world for you, and your readers of course...just a thought
:-)
In Reply to: Re: Life Imitating Art Imitating Get A Life - to D posted by Vince F [4572.20] on August 09, 2006 at 10:49:52:
So you're saying that higher humidity doesn't produce more sweat?
Maybe you're right but it's hard to imagine.
I know for sure I didn't sweat in Arizona with a three digit temp than I do in NC. Even counting evaporation time. The sweat would have had to evaporate before it reached my clothing and I can't imagine it would have.
I do know what you mean about the clammy feeling. That's when there is no air circulation to cool the perspiration on the skin. I know I feel worse when I'm very hot stuffy and can't sweat.Once the sweat breaks through the skin and air from a fan or outdoor breeze hits it it's cooling for me. Even though I hate the feeling of sweat it does feel better that a stuffy heat you can't sweat from.
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