Friday, July 22, 2011
It's the heat, heck with the humidity.
Weather Channel has 108 in Elizabeth. I can't recall any date this hot, although above 100 I doubt one would notice. Probably broke all--time record for this city. The all-time record in New Jersey is 110.
My a/c, about 2000 btu's too small for the space, cranks along, never switching into fan mode. No longer cool in here, but acceptably warm. There are people in this building with no a/c. Landlords should be required to supply a/c for seniors on the senior housing waiting list; those older tenants were placed here by the city. As for the others. it's their choice. I have a fair tolerance for heat during the day, but I do not like it at night. I remember laying in bed as a kid - I wasn't an easy fall-asleeper - the old swivel fan delivering a wisp of breeze every 20 seconds, at least it covered my brothers' annoying sleep noises, my parents dreaming in air-conditioned comfort down the hall. The only relief, a big Jersey boomer t-storm, scared the bejesus outta me, going through the process of hearing it far off, first the low rumbles, then the faint flashes, the thunder becoming louder, the lightning more intense. I wanted to crawl under the bed. I'd pull the covers over my head & I was even more uncomfortable.
The only comfort during a t storm, once I'd been sensibly banned from my parents bed at around age 4, was that mom would get up, walk though the house in total darkness, her path lit by her cigarette, & close every window on the side of the approaching storm, which was never my room. It had an uncanny quality, like she was part-sleepwalking. On her return journey from downstairs she'd peek into my sister's room, then my room, checking for what I don't know, maybe that Peter Pan hadn't taken us, then go back to bed.
***
Gene Rains was the third of the big three of cocktail exotica, along with Martin Denny & Arthur Lyman. While Denny & Lyman albums are readily available, Rains' four albums are sadly out-of-print. I don't know if they were ever released on CD. Performing in a little group like this - only a quartet & everyone plays more than one instrument - has long been one of my musical fantasies. At one time I had all the necessary instruments in one room, for other reasons, but it didn't occur to me to ask a few musicians over to give exotica a try.
My a/c, about 2000 btu's too small for the space, cranks along, never switching into fan mode. No longer cool in here, but acceptably warm. There are people in this building with no a/c. Landlords should be required to supply a/c for seniors on the senior housing waiting list; those older tenants were placed here by the city. As for the others. it's their choice. I have a fair tolerance for heat during the day, but I do not like it at night. I remember laying in bed as a kid - I wasn't an easy fall-asleeper - the old swivel fan delivering a wisp of breeze every 20 seconds, at least it covered my brothers' annoying sleep noises, my parents dreaming in air-conditioned comfort down the hall. The only relief, a big Jersey boomer t-storm, scared the bejesus outta me, going through the process of hearing it far off, first the low rumbles, then the faint flashes, the thunder becoming louder, the lightning more intense. I wanted to crawl under the bed. I'd pull the covers over my head & I was even more uncomfortable.
The only comfort during a t storm, once I'd been sensibly banned from my parents bed at around age 4, was that mom would get up, walk though the house in total darkness, her path lit by her cigarette, & close every window on the side of the approaching storm, which was never my room. It had an uncanny quality, like she was part-sleepwalking. On her return journey from downstairs she'd peek into my sister's room, then my room, checking for what I don't know, maybe that Peter Pan hadn't taken us, then go back to bed.
***
Gene Rains was the third of the big three of cocktail exotica, along with Martin Denny & Arthur Lyman. While Denny & Lyman albums are readily available, Rains' four albums are sadly out-of-print. I don't know if they were ever released on CD. Performing in a little group like this - only a quartet & everyone plays more than one instrument - has long been one of my musical fantasies. At one time I had all the necessary instruments in one room, for other reasons, but it didn't occur to me to ask a few musicians over to give exotica a try.
Labels: growing up, music, weather
Comments:
<< Home
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
My landlord just replaced my six year old air conditioner for a newer, more compact one, but still about 10,000 to 12,000 BTU's. It can definitely make the house COLD when it's hot outside. I also have a 5,000 BTU air conditioner in the one bedroom clear on the opposite end of the apartment, but I am going to have to replace it soon, as it is six years old and now it smells bad when I run it, which can't be a good thing!
We haven't had any heat wave of any consequence thus far this year. It's only July, though, and we tend to have the heat in September, October and November, so we shall see.
I feel bad for Zaire who's stuck in the Chicago heat and humidity. He's never been in any living conditions of that sort.
Post a Comment
We haven't had any heat wave of any consequence thus far this year. It's only July, though, and we tend to have the heat in September, October and November, so we shall see.
I feel bad for Zaire who's stuck in the Chicago heat and humidity. He's never been in any living conditions of that sort.
<< Home
