I feel for those in the Pacific Northwest. I know from living there that not many have air conditioning. I never understood why. People would say to me when I'd ask, well we don't get that many hot days. Well you don't get that many cold days either but it's nice to have heat when they show up. We never understood it. It's not like in late July early August you wouldn't use your A/C. We always were thankful our apartment had one.
We left in 1998 I believe. We looked at a home that is probably over a million now but it was only $495,000 at the time and it was brand new. We thought we were buying a new home until I was sent back east for work. This house was beautiful and when you looked out the windows you could see the snowcaps of the Cascades.
A gorgeous location and gorgeous home. It was on the plateau if any are familiar. We were shocked to find that they didn't put in air conditioning in this big fat brand new home we were touring. 3,000 sq ft of no air. Unbelievable. They talked about granite etc. Rick and I asked why no air and can that be an add-on. We were adamant about not buying with no air. We've lived there at this point for 2 years so it's not like we didn't know what the weather was like. Icky and damp and then in the summer hot. Summer is only 6 to 8 weeks but nonetheless.
A gorgeous location and gorgeous home. It was on the plateau if any are familiar. We were shocked to find that they didn't put in air conditioning in this big fat brand new home we were touring. 3,000 sq ft of no air. Unbelievable. They talked about granite etc. Rick and I asked why no air and can that be an add-on. We were adamant about not buying with no air. We've lived there at this point for 2 years so it's not like we didn't know what the weather was like. Icky and damp and then in the summer hot. Summer is only 6 to 8 weeks but nonetheless.
There was no way we were going to buy something without air or heat. That is just silly. And what is cold to them isn't really even cold like here in the east. So again, you have heat when you never need it, at least we didn't. (took the chill out if it were cold in the am. with the fireplace) And come August you will die from the heat and no air. So imagine how they are feeling right now with 107 + degree temps. These poor people! One can't sleep in that kind of heat!
When Rick and I were very young we lived in a 2nd floor flat. (like a duplex but not side by side, on top of one another instead) We did not have air conditioning. It was so damn hot and humid in our apartment in July and August we would go to the movie theaters, eat out - ANYWHERE there was air conditioning. Sometimes just sitting in our car helped.
We actually would take a shower and did not dry off. We then stood in front of a fan with our feet in ice water and just cool off like that. Crazy kids. But we were so miserable in the summer on the top floor. We vowed we would never live without air again. And we haven't.
Since we are going to be retired and poor I told Rick even if we live in a pretty box under a bridge we need air somehow. He laughs. I can't take the heat as well as I can the cold. I'd rather freeze than be hot.
I hope this breaks soon for those out west. Their water supplies are drying up and they are burning up. Have you seen this? This is darn right scary to me. But hey, it's not global warming, according to the right. That is fake news to them.
Enjoy your cool home if you have one.
To those in the PNW, stay cool as you can. I pray this breaks for you all sooner than later!! But hey, my home is cool, my food is warm, you can come here, you just have to help pack 😁
20 comments:
The weather has been so wacky here too but degrees in the 100s - that's not fit for humans.
Jean, or dogs. My dog will not walk, she is miserable! Its only 98 here. Not even as bad as the wear.
No air!!!!! I'd die now. It's going to be in the 90's today and muggy. How is it that those people in the west living with 100 +. I worry for them. Going to the movies sounds good.
Have a great day Peg.
Cruisin Paul
Here in Ventura it gets hot (really hot) about 2 weeks out of each year. Almost no one has AC and never thought about it. I hope they get relief up there too! I have a vested interest :)
I have a friend in Billings, Montana where we used to live. I was talking to her on the phone yesterday and she said they were also in the heatwave. Highs of 104. Billings gets hot in August with those temps, not end of June. She doesn't have air conditioning, just a small window unit. She is in the midst of needing new housing and she has 2 things she really would want; a fenced yard (she still is raising children) and central air. I don't begrudge either one for her. My one requirement when looking at houses was to make sure there were 2 bathrooms.
We live in Phoenix and I don't know how people lasted before air conditioning came to be. Its a standard for use April through the first of November.
But you are right, no one can sleep if the daytime highs are 107 and there is no air conditioning. Just too hot in the house, no matter how many fans may be running.
betty
I have relatives in Oregon and am wondering about them since they are elderly. I can't imagine what I would be doing now if it were that hot in California. It's hot enough as it is. Our house has no AC, just a few fans. Today is expected ot be around the 90s, which is hot enough for me.
That is some brutal weather. I have some blog buddies under that dome and worry about them. Wonder if there will be a sale on A/C's after this or will most think it was just an aberration. I am spoiled and wouldn't look at a house without central air and heat. Sure is nice to control your indoor climate with a press of a button.
Yes Patti, I too am a bit spoiled. I worry about the elderly and the sick. This heat is horrible for people with asthma too. My husband has asthma and heat really affects him and not in a good way. I saw in Seattle there were no more window a/c's or fans. They were waiting on more supplies. This was like a Lowes or home depot. There were long lines. I am a spoiled American. I want heat, water and a/c.
Paul I am with you!
Jamie and Linda - I am still in shock that most in CA do not have air conditioning. It's hot there.
Betty - you're funny, that is #1 on our list too - minimum of 2 bathrooms. We don't have to use ours as long here as PHX but June - Sept is long enough. No matter how long it's nice to know it's there.
In July 1980, we experienced at least 17 straight days during which our lowest, daily high was 102 degrees - no air conditioner in car or house and no basement. I have always suffered from the heat, but I got through that spell just fine. At work, our HVAC went blooey. As the 2-story building had glass exterior walls, they removed a few wall panels to give us ventilation. Men wore shorts and we women wore hot pants and mini skirts, telling management that we would lower our hems when the inside air temperatures were lowered. Still...it wasn't as bad as the summer of 1962 when I was pregnant and lay on the floor much of the day, unable to stay upright. In those days, we toughed it out or died of the heat. I've only lived in 3 houses with air conditioning: Florida & Kansas (including current house). Lived in 3 non-air-conditioned houses in Kansas, 1 in Albuquerque, 1 in Seattle, and several apartments in various parts of California.
Cop Car, I am seriously surprised at the amount of people in CA that don't have it. I get San Fran because it's like Seattle most days. But LA and south or inland? I don't get it. I mentioned to Rick's sister that most don't have it there and she lives in Orange County and she said everyone does where are you getting this info? Oh, just everyone else who lives there. I can't fathom being pregnant during a heatwave. You poor thing.
Our house is old so we only have a wall AC in the living room. My mom bought me this little personal AC thing and I've been carrying it to my bedroom and sewing room. It's like a fan with cold air, it's awesome!
I kind of laughed at the cooling off tricks since we've done a few of those over the years. If it is really hot I will take a wet towel and put it on my stomach when I go to bed.
I don't care if you get your AC "checked" every year, it could go out at any time. Usually when it's 100 degrees.
Julie, did that one too!! Funny.
Mike, yeah it never dies in winter - go figure. 😛 Sorry, just had to be a smart ass.
Thanks for thinking of us. Fortunately, we have A/C and so grateful that we do. I don't think we are going to get a break until next week. We are hot in Boise but it is bonkers in other places like Portland and Seattle. Even in Canada. We have done a number on the climate and now we have to deal with those consequences. Good luck with the packing.
Hey, remember me? LOL I'm with you about a/c. Even back when living in temperate So CA, close to the ocean. Now, in AZ, of course, it's a no brainer. And from June-September when I take a shower, I just let my hair air dry. Feels so good, even with air and fans in every room on. :)
I mind cold more than heat as a rule, but agree that it is nice to have heat when needed and AC when it is so hot and muggy. I just have a small window AC and many summers it stayed stored away, but lately it is good to have for sleeping. Packing without AC in this heat wave would be a nightmare!!
Mr. Shife - glad to hear you have AC. So wishing me good luck with the packing means you're not coming to help? Gee thanks.
Silver - of curse I do - where did your blog go? I wish I could do that with my hair - I have hair envy!
Olga, When I spent my summers in Vermont, southern VT, but Vermont, the nights were cool enough that we didn't need air conditioning. But I'm sure like the rest of the planet it's warmer up there now too. And yes packing with AC hasn't been fun. I ran up and down 3 flights of stairs for an hour and was already dripping wet. I had many more hours to go. If you never hated steps before after this everyone would. Like I said, I can do them with no issue, but I don't like to do them, let alone carrying things. Doesn't that sound nice and spoiled?
When I had an apartment in Schenectady, NY, it was directly above the laundry room, so it was always hot. And it only had one window AC unit. The place was laid out like squared-off "U". The living room was long and the unit was on the end wall (visually, the top of the left prong of the "U".) The cool air had to go the long way through the living room, then hang a left through the door, and into the bedroom that lied adjacent to the living room. It never really made it, so I had to rely on electric fans.
And at the time, I didn't have any furniture larger than a loveseat, so I couldn't just bunk on a couch in the living room. Those were the days...
In San Antonio everyone has A/C.....but I did have a Toyota Tercel with no a/c ~ it was a bare bones car, it didn't even have carpet. I hated that car by the end of August. :-) I do feel so badly for the NW, although now it looks like they are getting some relief. We had no air in Corvallis Oregon when we lived there, but then again we didn't have temps in the high 90s much less over 100.
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