On a family vacation when I was young, I recall a Colorado boy asking me if I had ever seen grass before. (I know what you're thinking--instead of mowing their grass, they smoke it.) But this kid assumed we had year round winter and snow in Minnesota. Many southerners believe this. Our governor at the time of Katrina was one of the first to offer free digs, clothing and food for anyone down in the bayou affected by the hurricane. Know how many came? Zero.
We certainly have winter, but summer always arrives. Just ask our son, Ryan, and his family who have no air conditioning in their 100 year old home. We also had none as kids, and my sister and I slept in the upstairs humidor that had the fan that supposedly sucked the sweltering air out of the house. Our sisters on the other side of the hall got the fan drawing in the cool, night breezes--which stopped abruptly at their doorway. It never occurred to us to switch the fans, so we sweated and fumed about the bad pick we had made in the room lottery. "Bathed in sweat?" Yes, I've been there.
Steve, Ryan and I lived in an older home that had only a very old window air conditioner in the office. Some steaming nights we all slept in there cursing the clunking, sluggishly poor unit. Around that time, Steve and I were watching a movie made in the early 1960's, including a scene with the SAME air conditioner and THEY were complaining about it. One actor said, "Have you put any Freon in it, Ralph?" Simultaneously we shouted, "We need FREON!!!"
A July day nearing 100 degrees with the hottest dew point on Earth makes winter seems as if it could not possibly ever happen. Inevitably it does.
©7/2011 Jana B Patrick
©7/2011 Jana B Patrick
Good reminder that we always somehow get through these rough times AND winter always comes... I love your walk down memory lane! jl
ReplyDeleteFunny story. I remember sleeping in the basement on the very hot humid nights. That is until I woke up in the middle of the night and saw water bugs crawling on Bridget's face!!! I quickly decided being sweaty was better than being buggie!!!!
ReplyDeleteBetsy
Jana, One of my favorites!!! CA
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard those stories before. good one mom!
ReplyDeleteA friend wrote on his facebbok page..darn I slid my car off the driveway on the ice and his sniwblower broke down.....Hahahaha
ReplyDeleteWeather....it's all a matter of perspective
Nice story Jana!!
And I remember the movie and the scene….it was Peter Sellers at the army base in “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.”
ReplyDeleteSP