A lovely week of exploring Wales and other bits of London, and now I'm back at my desk.Sweltering in the +30 C sun.
I can't tell you how odd it is to write 'sweltering' in the UK, because we rarely get to 'warm' here, let alone 'swelter'. I am exaggerating... slightly. Winters are are relatively mild, and summers are much the same. Honestly, you can pretty much wear the same wardrobe all year round, and it's actually quite good writing weather. Who wants to go outside in the cold drizzle when you can wrap up all cozy and warm and watch others suffer from the comfort of your window?
So when the mercury rises above +25 C, all hell breaks loose. People strip off, exposing flabby white bits and mismatched sandals with yellowed toe-nails. The sun becomes an enemy and all the talk is of a summer dry spell, or even worse -- the dreaded hose-pipe ban (don't ask)!
I don't really care much about any of that. But I do care about getting my pesky edits done. And that's hard to do when the sun is shining in the window of my Victorian terrace home -- the large window, in fact, that doesn't actually open! And no, I don't have air conditioning. I don't know of anyone in the UK who does! I have all the other windows open, letting in the welcome sounds of the drilling, drilling, drilling next door, but I'm still sticking to the chair.
Please tell me: how do you stay cool enough to write in the summer? Should I just give up and go for Pimms?
(FYI - I'm well aware of the irony that I'm complaining about the sun, after months of complaining about the rain!)
Okay, I'm evil and have air conditioning. But I had a friend who survived one sweltering summer by keeping her bathtub filled with cold water. And when she couldn't take it anymore, she'd sit in the bathtub, clothes and all.
ReplyDeleteYOu may not stick to the chair, but you could get soggy in it!
Thanks, Lydia! I might actually resort to that today. Hopefully the temperature will be back to our usually frigid environs by tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteTalli, you are truly one of us now, we are the same here in Ireland, sweltering and giving out about it, how easy we forget the snow.
ReplyDeleteNot to worry your lovely head Talli! Tomorrow's forecast is a cool high of 17 degrees and by Friday it should be raining. That's according to the BBC!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I vote for PIMMS!!! Or Bloody Marys. :-)
WELCOME BACK!!!!! Good luck with your edits!!!!!
Take care
x
I'd say go for PIMMS and then come back to the writing in the evening when hopefully it will be cooler.
ReplyDeleteMason
Thoughts in Progress
I love this line: "People strip off, exposing flabby white bits and mismatched sandals with yellowed toe-nails." It made me laugh, something I truly appreciate on a Monday morning.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I don't have any advice on staying clool enough to write...I'm more likely to give up and go for Pimms. :)
it isn't a problem usually - here in misty moisty Nova Scotia. And, I live in a insulated concrete form house (ICF) which stays very cool in the warm weather and nice and warm in the cool. What grabs me off my chair is the opportunity to sink my hands into earth. oh, the gardening bug is bad...now, back to my wip.
ReplyDeleteHa! I love this. I remember when we first moved house to the UK, I panicked when I found out our house didn't have air conditioning, and I was soooo worried we'd melt away. But as it turns out, it hardly got warm enough to even wear shorts pretty much ever. But I can't tell you the number of times I've worn a jacket in the East Midlands to find men with their shirts off to enjoy the "warm" weather.
ReplyDeleteI'm so envious of your latest holiday! Wales and London? Doesn't get much better.
You truly are British now moaning about the weather! ;)
ReplyDeleteI say get out into the sunshine today because it won't last!!
ReplyDeleteKaren, I think you're right. I should enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteElle, hehe! I *am* truly a Brit now, for sure!
Carolina, I know, it's amazing how many people here think +5 is appropriate for summer clothing. Shocking!
Mason, j leigh, and Jan: I'm off for a Pimms soon!
I have to stay chained to my desk till 6 pm :( but after that it's Pimms all the way for me!
ReplyDeleteAir conditioning and lots of it! Don't even like to go outside here in the summer - too humid. Besides, if I go outside, it's to do yardwork, and I don't enjoy that either.
ReplyDeletePimms sounds good, never too early for Pimms (I think!!), get a fan, I have 3, it's like a damned inferno in our house! good luck with the edits! xx
ReplyDeleteTalli, I think we've switched weather patterns today. It's been raining and raining here. My sunroom is chilly and I'm tempted to turn on the heat. For heaven's sake, it's almost June.
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing those pictures of the castle, books stores, and B&B. Thanks!
Well, yesterday it was 93 (33C) where I live, with about 80% humidity... Mostly, I just sweat. Yup, I just sweat. And drink lots of water.
ReplyDeleteI actually just turned my air conditioner on in the house today, but I'm only leaving it on for a few hours to dispel some of the humidity in the place. I can get by with ceiling fans and the natural coolness of living in a basement apartment until the digits hit the upper 90's or cross into the hundreds.
But I feel for you!
It's because we're on our way to Dublin and Paris in a few days. My husband has visited England a bunch of times, and there's barely been a drop of rain spilled each time. Let's hope my theory is right!
ReplyDeleteStay cool! Today, it's hot here too and will be hotter tomorrow.
I'm not a fan of hot or humid. I much prefer the temp to be in the low 20s & high teens. Much more comfortable. Thankfully I have a basement - and a multitude of fans :)
ReplyDeleteLOL, I am a Brit in Cyprus. Lived through many hosepipe bans. Here we get drought conditions for months, never had a ban yet. I have sun and a vineyard breeze now...bliss. I do not miss the UK weather at all.
ReplyDeleteBet there's not as many flabby people there as here!
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a lovely week exploring Wales, Talli. It's a beautiful part of the world.
ReplyDeleteWe had a couple of red-faced people (from the weather) in work today. For once I had managed to stay out of the sun. Usually I am the one that has the oh-so-attractive-scorched look but not today!
Your weather sounds like the kind that I might enjoy. I'm not real excited about extremes of either hot or cold and I don't like too much humidity when it's hot.
ReplyDeleteHere in Los Angeles it's usually pretty nice. Sometimes during the summer I might have to put on the air conditioner, but usually an open window and my ceiling fan keeps me just right.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Hi Talli... the great thing about living in our climate is that the sun, blue sky and high temperatures are such rare occurances that it is perfect excuse to down tools and get out with Pimms and enjoy the rays! But if you want to be a good and dedicated writer - maybe a fan! Or adopt a Spanish routine and take Siesta from about 1 till 4 and work till 8!
ReplyDeleteWeather is an event in England, which is why it must be talked about! at all opportunity! I can't believe how hot it sounds, though. Tesco has air conditioning and Pimms, so...
ReplyDeleteI have no good writing advice for when the weather's good, sorry. then again, it should change in a few hours, right?
Weather is an event in England, which is why it must be talked about! at all opportunity! I can't believe how hot it sounds, though. Tesco has air conditioning and Pimms, so...
ReplyDeleteI have no good writing advice for when the weather's good, sorry. then again, it should change in a few hours, right?
Wow. I must be the true definition of an ignorant American, because I had no idea how the weather differs across the pond. I mean, I knew you guys got a lot of rain and have generally milder seasons, but no air conditioning? Just the thought of that makes me sweat. But you're probably used to it.
ReplyDeleteI can't write when I'm not comfortable, so I must be in a cool atmosphere in the summer. Do you have a fan you could use, maybe?
I write the best when the sun is out and the weather is warm. In fact, I don't function well without the sun. I say do both - enjoy the weather then settle in with the edits. Good luck :)
ReplyDeleteHahahaha. I have one air conditioning unit for my entire apartment, and so the hallway is always freezing, and the rest of the apartment is always really bloody hot. This is why I write at night :-P
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time writing when it's too hot and humid like it is right now. It's 90 degrees F with humidity and so the heat index is upwards into the three digits. I turned the a.c. on so I should be fine until it cools down. I was just being stubborn this weekend and not turning it on.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say, I don't put on much (or any) clothes on, keep the lights low, drink hot tea and eat freezies. Hot tea helps a LOT!
Stay cool, Talli!
As a fellow sun sweltering sufferer, I share your pain. Over the weekend I did edits too - and feedback for my CP - sweating while I typed.
ReplyDeleteI don't function well in cold, or exteme heat. I'm the Goldilocks of temperature. It has to be just right :)
Wow - the same wardrobe all year round? I wouldn't know how to deal with that. I pretty much lived in Wisconsin all my life - which, if you're not aware, has super harsh winters and not very forgiving summers. The summers don't bother me. I LOVE hot weather. I HATE the winter. I don't think I'd like a super rainy place either, but I would still prefer it over sub-zero (farenheit) temps and insane snowfalls.
ReplyDeleteI say that if the sunshine is rare in the UK then get off your sweaty duff and go enjoy it!!! You can always do your edits tonight when the temps have gone down and the sun is once again gone. ;) Go play, girl!!
Well, in summer we have 100 degree weather and I don't use my air conditioning. Monster Baby is allergic to it. (Well, not allergic, but it does something nasty to her sinuses so we can't use it.) I sweat, drink plenty of water, and use fans. I also go outside and sit in her paddling pool or under the sprinkler. Better than sweating in the house.
ReplyDeleteAnd who ever heard of a Brit complaining about sunny weather?
I find that drawing the blinds or curtains against the sun as it moves across the sky really helps keep the heat out. And fans, of any kind! Stay cool :)
ReplyDeleteLooks like france got about the same weather today. It was HOT! I know how you feel. I was going to say 'write naked'?:)=
ReplyDeleteUm yeah, just give up (I'm not much help, haha).
ReplyDeleteahaha you and your Celsius degree! it makes me laugh. I've never talked to someone who does not read degrees in Fahrenheit, I think that's cool about meeting new people though. You learn what other people do in other parts of the world.
ReplyDeleteCRAP! I'm rambling about temperature when I have a blog award for you! You are just burning up my blogosphere girlfriend! ha i'm corny.. it's cool.
I'm so glad there are others sharing my agony - I'm evil like that!
ReplyDeleteTJ - thanks! :) I'll pop over in a sec!
After six months of winter...I'm so happy to have a few hot days. In Iowa (US) it doesn't get to a 100 too often and if it does it's late July Early August, so today's high of 90F is quite a surprise. (I expect that means we'll have storms tonight...UGH)
ReplyDeleteI lived my whole life without central air, until moving to Georgia. Here in the deep South, the heat and humidity make for miserable conditions eight months out of the year. My heart goes out to you, with no A/C when the mercury rises!
ReplyDeleteHave you tried writing naked? *grins*
Stay hydrated, sista!
Never come to San Antonio in the summer. The A/C is fantastic, but outside is brutally hot in July and August. We have 85F today - about your 30C - and I thought it wasn't bad out.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain!! My building doesn't have AC, but I bought a little desk fan to blast throughout my bedroom. Also, iced coffee and minimal clothing help, haha.
ReplyDelete30+ hot?
ReplyDeleteThirty is just about nice.
40+ is hot down this way :-)
That's it - I'm going to try writing naked!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of naked. 95% of the time I am naked when I'm at home in the summer...no surprise visits please.
ReplyDeleteI live in Texas, and the summer here is also so terrible I don't think I can survive without air conditioning. I'd recommend buying a small desk fan and drinking lots of cold water.
ReplyDeleteI have air conditioning, I don't think I could survive in St. Louis without it (though I know people do it.) But we have to have the air conditioning guy come out every year the first time we turn it on because it won't start up on its own - he's here right now. The problem is, it got hot enough to need it yesterday (Sunday) and he couldn't come until now (late Monday afternoon) so I'm pretty much all wilted by now. I'm so thankful he's here now, though, so I'll stop complaining!
ReplyDeleteI'm an Aussie girl, 30 is fine. 36+ is getting to the point where I might consider the air-con but I think this last summer I used the air-con twice and one of those days I was burning up with fever and the other it hit 39 inside the house.
ReplyDeleteBest tip for beating heat, don't even mention it. Just sit as still as possible and get on with what you are doing. Eventually you stop noticing. Getting sunburnt - sure reminder of just how hot it was.
AC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd stop throwing celcius at me and forcing me to google what it is in farenheit! :)
Today in Mexico, it hit +40 and I tell you, without AC, it's impossible to write or think or breathe. But, sometimes I get up early, when the temperature goes down and write then.
ReplyDeleteCD
When I was young my brothers and I would all stand in the bathtub with our cloths on while our dad dumped buckets of water on us. It was fun and kept us cool for hours. I can't imagine doing it as an adult though. I would just quit writing and go to the movies instead.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw 30 I thought of 2 degrees below freezing, but that's Fahrenheit. Obviously, it's very hot. And you know what that means?
ReplyDeleteWatch old episodes of ICE ROAD TRUCKERS.
Get some ice cream!
Think cool! :)
Air conditioning is a life saver, especially when it gets up to 105+. Crazy. Not looking forward to that at all! :)
ReplyDeleteHope you had fun and have a great Monday!
Hi Talli, am enjoying watching everyone dress down in the parks! I say, try a fan - desk or floor, write madly for a few hours, and then go for the Pimms! ;)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful trip. I enjoy writing in the cool of a good shade tree. Fortunately there are several that we can enjoy on our yard. I particularly like our sycamore tree.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in South Florida, so summers elsewhere seem pretty mild - or at least gloriously short-lived. For the really nasty days, the air conditioner stays cranked down. You could always move your desk in front of your refrigerator and keep the door open, I suppose ;-)
ReplyDeleteTalli, I have an award for you over at my blog. :)
ReplyDeleteMismatched sandals + yellow toe nails LOL
ReplyDelete"Flabby white bits" made me giggle. Great image.
ReplyDeleteOur entire condo is on the second floor and we don't have central air, so we use AC window units. It's set to "Megacool" all summer.
one of the houses I grew up in had no air conditioning. We survived with fans in the windows mostly, sucking in as much air as we could.
ReplyDeleteI've been told my parents used to buy a big block of ice and put it on a tray in front of a fan or they would hang damp sheets in the windows and when the wind blew through, it cooled things down.
This is a freakin' cool blog! I especially love the photos.
ReplyDeleteAs for the question you posed: summer is the time for eating ice.
Talli, you always make me grin. Do have a car with air-conditioning? Or a grocery store near by? Maybe you can write sitting cool in your running a/c car, or park your desk by the freezer section at the local shop. :) Have a great week and thanks for sharing your photos!
ReplyDeleteFortunately, in Chicago it's cold for most of the year; in fact, for the first part of May everyone was still wearing coats and sweatshirts. So like you said, it's much easier to discipline myself to work when the weather is bad outside. Yesterday I resolved to work on a story, but it was so nice that I went on a long walk instead. And I'm not sorry I did. :)
ReplyDeleteDon't you DARE complain about the sun and the heat you bad girl! See you tonight, yay!
ReplyDeleteI find it incredibly difficult to concentate when the weather's like this too Talli! I took my dog for a walk through the cool woods then went for a paddle in the river. That helped!
ReplyDeleteThe work life balance is so hard to get right. It's probably too late now but next time you have editing to do and the weather is nice you could take your lap top to one of those nice cafes where the front windows open out completely. That way you'll get the cool breeze, a bit of sun, and access to loads of coffee.
ReplyDeleteI also like sitting in the park with a notebook but for some reason frisbees and footballs seem drawn towards the head of anyone trying to work.
Don't worry Talli you live in the Uk, it won't last so just make the most of it :)
ReplyDelete