July 18, 2006
it is so hot here that all anyone can talk about is how hot it is here
Dear god I am so tired. So hot and so tired. I’m tired of pirates and superheroes, I’m tired of peanut butter and honey sandwiches, I’m tired of Mama can you wipe my bottom? and Mom can I have some milk? I’m tired of Clifford and Dragon Tales and Candyland and Chutes and Ladders. I’m tired of our yard and our house, both of which are so very hot.
I’m tired of weathermen who happily announce, “Today is going to be another scorcher!” and then say that a cool front is coming and temperatures will drop into the 90s, which is NOT COOL. I’m tired of having to keep a sweater in my bag because every place we go–the grocery, the bookstore, the mall–is freezing cold after the scorching outside. I’m tired of only having three things to wear because it’s too hot for most of the clothes in my closet.
I’m tired of children who refuse to play outside in the MORNING, when it is relatively cool, and instead wait until 5:00, when it is the HOTTEST it will be ALL FREAKING DAY and THEN announce, “Let’s go outside!” I’m tired of hot sweaty boys who cry when I won’t come outside with them and cry when I suggest they come in and cry when they DO come in because, “I’m all HOT and SWEATY!”
I’m tired of having the exact same conversation every single night with my husband, the one about how hot it is in our house and how despite our best efforts we cannot keep the damn house cool and oh my god Henry is going to die in his sleep because his room is so HOT and he won’t let us move the fan and should we call the heating and cooling people about putting some more freon in the AC unit and it’s so hot in here did you know that it’s 106 degrees outside are you serious my god it is so damn HOT. I am so very tired of that conversation.
This is the point, every summer, when I start to wonder how much more I can take. School is SO CLOSE, but slogging through this HEAT to get there just may kill me. The kids are sick of me, we’re out of things to do, and we’re HOT. Did I mention how hot we are?
This morning I counted down to the first day of school: 28 days. In 28 days, my first baby will start kindergarden, and my last baby will start preschool. I am looking forward to five full child-free days a week, days without peanut butter or pirates or butt-wiping. I am looking forward to getting work done and getting my nails done and getting laundry done. I am nervous about my children starting new schools; I am nervous about meeting new parents; I am nervous about this new phase in our life. Mostly, though, I am just ready to stop being hot and tired.
This summer, this one summer before we start the Rest of Our Lives, before we all get caught up in what comes next, I feel like we should be revelling in these last few weeks of summer, these last twenty-eight days. I feel like we should be playing at the park and the pool and in the yard; I feel like we should be hanging out with our friends and enjoying the chance to have playdates that go on all day. Soon we will be busy all the time with school and work and life and there won’t be time to talk about the weather. But right now, I’m tired of talking about the weather and I just want to get to what comes next.
Posted by Susan @ 7:38 pm • Uncategorized
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July 18th, 2006 at 7:55 pm, Tara Says:
Tonight I told my husband, AGAIN, that we need to move further away from the equator than we already are because one more day of dizzy, heat induced lethargy, locked up in a third floor apartment with a five year old, may do me in. I won’t even get into the rather graphic ways in which a women of advanced age(41) can perspire. If I could just find a large enough refrigerator to crawl into!!!
July 18th, 2006 at 8:01 pm, Susan Says:
Tara, yesterday I stuck my head in the freezer. Charlie came into the kitchen and said, “Can I do that?” and I realized that I had completely lost my mind.
I feel for you.
July 18th, 2006 at 8:32 pm, Jenorama Says:
Well, it’s like the last month of pregnancy. You should enjoy your last month of freedom, your last month of not being a parent yet.
But HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU????
It is so very hot here as well.
I cannot stop thinking about your cute hair. I may just do it.
July 18th, 2006 at 8:46 pm, Julie Says:
Me too, on all counts! I really don’t care that our electric bills run $400+ in the summer, or that there’s a leak in the A/C ductwork in the attic… I am sick to death of being hot. Excellent post — you took the words right out of my mouth!
July 18th, 2006 at 9:17 pm, MamaChristy Says:
Good lord! Did you know that your air conditioner is only designed to keep you house 20 degrees cooler than it is outside? It’s true. So if it’s 106 outside your AC has to run almost constantly just to keep you house below 86. 86 is still too damn hot and we aren’t even to the worst of the summer yet. tomorrow is only supposed to be 98 here instead of, you know, the 102 it’s been for the past couple days. Better get out that sweater for when you step outside, too!
July 18th, 2006 at 9:39 pm, nina Says:
I am in Los Angeles which is supposed to have to have nice, mild weather but it was high 90s yesterday and low 90s today here. And I’m actually in Santa Monica about 10 blocks from the beach so you’d think I would have some cool breezes, but large buildings block my breeze and there is no cool air to be had and I have no AC and me and the baby are sweating bullets all day and I, like you, don’t know how much I can take.
I keep stripping the baby down to his diaper to keep him cool, but he’s figured out how to take off the straps and basically remove his diaper which is no good at all.
So yeah, just saying that I totally feel you. Hot sucks. Hot needs to go away. Soon.
July 18th, 2006 at 9:53 pm, Kristen Says:
Um, yes. Yes and yes. You know that I know what you’re saying.
July 18th, 2006 at 10:44 pm, lildb Says:
god bless global warming, eh?
July 18th, 2006 at 11:33 pm, Melissa Says:
Oh, Susan, I think we really need to have a playdate to combat the burnout. You can come here, it’s already in the 90s WITHOUT the cold front. Perfect!
It’s like a 5 hour plane ride with a 1 hour layover. Taking into account security checks, late flights, and kids running off (wait, my kids are the only ones who do that? Drat!), you could be here in like 19 hours, having missed a full night’s sleep!
What are you waiting for?
July 18th, 2006 at 11:35 pm, wordgirl Says:
I feel your pain, kiddo. I’ve been there. I’m certainly not downplaying the exhausting place where you now sit. Those days made me want to weep. Come read my last two posts…and maybe you’ll feel just the tiniest bit better about where you are. Maybe. All I know is…it’s weird where I am as well. Come visit.
July 19th, 2006 at 1:08 am, Granny Says:
All I seem to be talking about is heat and misery and another day of 106° with no end in sight.
I think I’m counting down 28 days too. Sounds about right. We’ve added one more swamp cooler which helps until I go from the house to the car (which I’m doing as little as possible).
I agree with every word you wrote. It’s the worst summer I can remember.
July 19th, 2006 at 5:50 am, Arwen Says:
Slip and slide has helped quite a bit here (the ground water is still cold). Complete denial has helped too.
July 19th, 2006 at 6:22 am, Mary P. Says:
Oh, sweetie. I could so have written this post! In fact, I may go write my own…
I’m tired, tired, tired of the heat, of the crowding, of the dust, of the noise. It was 110 yesterday. I’m tired of there not being a single spare inch of space in our small house, with the five stepchildren, my three (my oldest is here at the moment), and all those daycare tots.
The crowding! The clutter! The heat of all those bodies! (Did I mention we have no AC?)
Oh. And my ex. put a stop on the child-support cheque this month, because there just isn’t enough stress already, what with the heat and the crowding and the clutter and the constant feeding of all those bodies.
But today? Today I woke up, and it was only 60. So maybe I will be all right…
July 19th, 2006 at 6:46 am, Mir Says:
*hugs* Welcome to the human condition, Susan. It’s not fabulous, but it’s all most of us have.
July 19th, 2006 at 8:27 am, Molly Says:
Oh, dear, I do know what you’re talking about. It was during that kind of a summer that we decided to pack up and move from OKC to St. Louis, which we both HATED and wasn’t really any cooler than Oklahoma.
Hang in there. The August cold snap will be there soon. That’s those two days in mid-August, right before school starts, when a cold front comes through and you have highs in the upper 70s before it bounces back up into the 90s again… but at that point, summer’s back is broken and you remember that fall is, in fact, on the way.
July 19th, 2006 at 8:42 am, Velma Says:
I always find myself racheting my anxiety and stress levels up about what I SHOULD be doing, especially with change looming ahead of me. And you know what? I’m always wrong! I don’t know anything! I’m an idiot! I always forget that I have 12 more years of summer vacations to get through, and untold challenges that I have yet to even imagine. And that sometimes it’s just enough to hang on until the weather changes.
July 19th, 2006 at 9:01 am, Candace Says:
You only have 28 days left? We have 35. Not that I’m counting.
I wrote a post eerily similar to yours yesterday, only I couldn’t get it to come together so I posted something else instead.
But I’m totally feeling it too.
July 19th, 2006 at 10:15 am, Suburban Turmoil Says:
Girl, I saw the forecast in OK City and thought of you. I am so sorry. It’s only 98 here and I feel like I’m falling to pieces.
I don’t think any house can stay adequately cool when it’s 106 outside. Our upstairs has just remained 78 degrees every day this week because of the heat. We just stay downstairs!
Hope you cool off soon.
July 19th, 2006 at 12:55 pm, Karyn Says:
………are you actually ME?
If not, I cannot tell you what a relief it was to see someone else post these thoughts.
July 19th, 2006 at 1:13 pm, Kelli in the Mirror Says:
My electric bill was $519 this month and it’s still hot as fire in my house. Can’t wait for August…