Whiplash and Air-conditioning

I laughingly joked on Tuesday, with highs in the 60s, and lows in the 40s, about how out-of-towners should stick around and see real Minnesota weather. Even I didn't expect a swing of 60 degrees in 5 days. Yuck. Urgent Warning from the National Weather Service on Excessive Heat. Yeah, it's ugly out today. Only 91, but with the humidity, look for a Heat Index of 102. That's where they start telling you check on your neighbors, be careful, la-de-dah.

They are right. It is dangerous, particuliarly after an unusually wet and cool summer. We haven't built up our heat coping yet with a nice slow gradual warming starting in April. Shoot, this April we had 20 inches of snow on the ground. Which brings me to air-conditioning. I hate it. I swear it's the death of American community, as well as a cause of global warming. People no longer sit outside as the weather heats up. They no longer stroll around their neighborhood in the cool of the evening. Instead, everyone is holed up in their closed houses, with the air-conditioning running full blast. We don't chat with our neighbors, or anyone, anymore.

On days like today, I have no problem with that idea. But what of the 75 degree days? the 80 degree days? Even the 90 degree days? I pulled out the window unit this morning, and installed it in the back bedroom. We have an 18 year old cat named Sneaker, staying with us for a while, and I prefer not to take chances with someone else's pet (or grandma, or child). It's beastly hot, the guest cat should be fine in the cooled room, and as for the rest of our household, we'll just move slow, and lounge around a lot. We'll just follow Gracie's lead above.