Coming Up for Air

Too cold to be in the water

Yesterday's Memorial Day temperatures reached nearly 90 degrees. After I climbed the stairs from the beach, left the cool breezes blowing off Lake Michigan and returned to the oppressive hot air of home, I realized it was time to finally flip the switch to COOL. We have a slow leak in our system and my fear was again a reality this year--we were low on freon, or whatever it is called. The husband  put in a call to our wonderful furnace guy, Mike, who came late this evening to add a shot of "juice" to the system; thus, as I write this, I am once again deliciously cool.

Too hot to build a fire

The humidity and an atmosphere of impending storminess so overwhelmed me today that I actually collapsed on the sofa in the late afternoon, a bit dehydrated and with my heart beating a little too fast. I had been out mowing the grass, which would not wait another day. Maybe my red blood cells have not sufficiently replenished from last week's donation of a pint, but I never do well with combined heat and humidity--never have, never will. The air-conditioning was on, but not really keeping up.

Nephew's dog digs down 

As much as I enjoy my time outdoors, when I am inside I like to stay cool and dry. The added benefit of  closed windows and the use of inside "air" in the summertime, is moisture-control. Every May the basement begins to smell a bit dank and the tank on the toilet begins to sweat, but regular use of air-conditioning quickly eliminates the issue. Additionally, it cleans the air of some of the pollens and pollutants.

We live in a modest house with a modest, if not frugal lifestyle, but justify the use of ample winter heat and summer cool, maintaining optimum levels for creature comfort. It is a priority, something we are willing to pay.

 I have previously confessed that I am a bit of a princess when it comes to comfort; for example, no sleeping in tents, no freezing winter nights in bed, no scratchy wool sweaters, as much quality cotton and April-fresh Downy fabric softener as I can get away with, and a constant temperature in a range of about 71.5 to 72!

I have been spending more time outside--and not downstairs--since good weather has broken this spring. If we have a steamy summer, I will probably again venture down into that cool air-conditioned basement morass to clean and sort and find something more to blog about down there.

(I looked up morass just to see if that word was actually appropriate for my basement. Morass has that first meaning--a swampy, low-lying, soggy, boggy ground. It has origins from the Dutch, which also makes sense if you know anything about Holland. Hopefully, with the air on, there will be none of that. Secondly, it means disordered, muddled, something that hinders, engulfs or overwhelms).

 Yes, I have a morass! And don't you be thinking up any double-entendres!

Or--maybe I'll be back on the beach. Or even in the water, if it stays hot this summer. Sometimes Lake Michigan warms up to a comfortable temperature by late summer, a rare and wonderful treat.