"It's Too Darn Hot"

That seems to be true for millions and millions of people, and most of them are in my own family. Moaning and groaning any time the outside temperature goes above 70 F. They lay about looking for all the world as if they were in the last stages of a long lingering illness. Sweat pouring from their pores, even though the most strenuous thing they have done all day was to turn down the thermostat to make the house or office settle into the atmosphere of an igloo!

I try to be sympathetic, really I do, but when you've heard lamentations about how hot is is from April though October every year for the last 40+ years, its hard to maintain that sympathy. Its especially difficult when I'm shivering in my long pants, socks, long-sleeved shirt, and a sweater inside my own home in the middle of July! I have often said that people with vastly different internal thermostats should not be allowed to marry each other. It will prevent a lot of marital strife. Truly!

Not to be mean, but have you ever noticed that its usually the truly overweight people who complain most often of being hot? Well, that is fixable. Lose weight and cool off! Seems like a great incentive to me. My fellow sufferers and I are more often than not THIN! Or at leaster, thinner. Sorry, but I just don't gain weight. My metabolism isn't geared that way. Not my fault, blame it on my genes.

I understand that I am the anomaly. I like it warm! I cannot stand being cold, ever! Global warming sounds like a great idea to me! Ice and snow are my enemies! I was born and lived in Chicago for many years (shiver, shiver), but I mostly grew up in Florida, lived in California, and now I live in Austin, TX, a town that frequently surpasses the 100 F. mark for several months in the summer. I love it, truly I do. Now its not that I don't understand that it is hot -- but for me, hot is great. When my house feels like the aforementioned igloo, I have to go outside or stand in my (uncooled) garage just to thaw out. As soon as I am alone in my house for more than 15 minutes, the thermostat is pumped up to a temperature which allows my blood to unfreeze so that I can function rather than huddle under a blanket in misery.

Now the sad thing is that as I "mature" (ahem), I find my comfort zone getting narrower. I get cold easier (who knew that was even possible??) and those over 100 F. days are not quite as survivable as they once were. Still, the midpoint remains higher than 99% of the population.

My Little Sis lives in Phoenix. She is part of the cool-seeking majority, just like the rest of my family. The temperature in Phoenix one day last week was 114 F. Yikes! When I visited there a few years ago, the temperature climbed to 121 F. I couldn't breathe. Good God! Had I arrived in Hell? That's not hot, that's a blast furnace! I don't know how she stands it. What it proves to me though, is that heat is, indeed, survivable and all those folks who complain endlessly that it's too darn hot, need to just suck it up and get over it! Before long winter will be back, temperatures will plummet and it will be my turn to complain!