My Summer Adventure
On the June day when meteorologists announced the summer’s first heat advisory, my air-conditioner decided it was through with life. The machine just couldn’t cool the way it used to. And it was leaking…inside. I assessed the situation: Is the filter free of dust? Had the unit started leaning the wrong way? I did everything I could, but I just couldn’t figure out how to save it. I also couldn’t fathom how to move the hulking beast, which had been bolted into place by a previous tenant. So I did what any totally insane person would do: I turned on a fan.
Since then, I’ve lived A/C-free. I’m actually kind of proud and wish they sold shirts saying, “I survived New York’s second hottest day ever, without A/C!” But actually, that’s only half true since I spend at least nine hours a day in a too-cold office building. Still, I don’t know anyone else crazy—or lazy*—enough to do what I’ve done. And it hasn’t been all bad. I’ve slept better (really!), the electric bill went down by more than 30 bucks, and my skin doesn’t get nearly as dry. Sometimes, it’s downright dewy.
There were moments when I worried, “Could I end up on the news, one of the people who doesn’t survive the heat wave?” But I’ve always made sure to drink plenty of water, and I picked up a few other stay-cool tricks along the way: 1) Take a hot shower at night, and stagnant air, by contrast, will feel breezy. 2) Keep a water-filled spray bottle by the bedside table for intermittent misting. 3) Apply Burt’s Bee’s Beeswax Lip Balm; it’s like an instant trip to Antarctica. 4) Oscillating fans are idiotic. Aim the damn thing right at your face.
*Why didn’t I just buy a new unit? Because I live in a fourth floor walk-up, don’t plan to stay in this apartment for another summer, and did I mention the intense bolts? Plus, I had better things to do than go to Home Depot.
