I had one of those Mom moments today that no one ever tells you about. What it is like to put a kid on a bus and send them off to camp. For a week. Egads, I thought my heart was being ripped from my chest as I watched that big bus roll away from the school. He’s been off to sleepovers, stays with his Grame for as long as he can finagle, but this?! Goodness, I don’t know if I can make it until he sends me a postcard and lets me know he is doing well. I’ve already sent him a postcard—reminding him to brush his teeth.
Well, there are some things you just can’t let go of.
In the meantime, I am home with the little guy and we are sweltering in our Seattle heatwave, which is supposed to creep close to a hundred this week. Like nearly everyone in Seattle, we don’t have AC. The pioneer spirit prevails this week as everyone discusses their strategies for keeping cool. I am trying to convince the DH to pitch the tent in the backyard and have a camp out, but he is too much of a city boy for something that hokey. He may have no choice when I drag our mattress out on the deck—it is really heavenly out there in the evening when the house is still stifling.
I remember the first time my father-in-law came to visit and it was July and hot, and he kept asking that we turn on the AC. And we kept explaining that we didn’t have AC. Well, of course you have AC, he insisted. He decided that we were too inexperienced as homeowners to know how to turn it on, so he spent a good forty five minutes hunting around the furnace, hot water heater and electrical panel looking for the on switch to our AC. When he finally admitted defeat, that we indeed did not have AC, he asked us what we were thinking buying a house without AC? We had a heck of a time explaining that there are hardly any houses in Seattle with AC. It’s a hard argument to make that you don’t need it when it is 90 outside and the house is over 80.
But this week it would be nice if I could go downstairs, root around the very quiet furnace and find that by some miracle we actually do have AC. Especially because I made the mistake of baking this chocolate zucchini cake this morning, which resulted in heating the kitchen up—well before the blistering sun outside did it for me. Why is it that my zucchini plants have decided to bring it on when I really don’t want to do a baking marathon? They just seem to be puking out zukes at an alarming rate right now (I think that Zoo Doo I won is doing wonders) but in the meantime, I need to find some way to use them up— I think the food bank is about to get a visit from the zucchini fairy. Any ideas?
Ugh – this heat is horrible, isn’t it!! And the AC part of your blog cracked me up!! Yes, on days like these, AC would be a blessing. But for most of the summer, a box fan will do. And for a good chunk of the year, a fire and/or heater is a must. Can you imagine someone in southern AZ having need of a heater for most of the year, lol. I know me & my hubby didn’t when we lived there 🙂
And I know nothing about zucchini, so I’m no help there!
Good luck beating the heat! My advice is either find a friend with AC (I’m invading the in-law’s AC’ed house tomorrow, lol) and/or go swimming. I’ve been out swimming for the last three days straight, and I think that’s the only reason I haven’t had a heat stroke, lol 🙂
Hugs from a fellow Washingtonian (Vancouver)!
XOXO! ~Jen
Dear Elizabeth,
I’m so glad to see you’re feeling well enough to bake!
Here’s a tip: Grate the zucchini and freeze it in plastic bags. Put them in soups, cake, etc. once the weather cools.
We do this with peaches and tomatoes too(not grating them, just freezing them whole – the skins slip off beautifully when you bring them out of the freezer again and just quickly run them one at a time under water).
Lynne,
who lives in the Midwest without A/C – truly a miserable experience 9 years out of 10! – and has learned to cope over the years
PS you can also make freezer pickles quickly and easily if you have cukes — call your local cooperative extension service for tips and recipes. They’re in every county of every state in the US and always happy to help, plus they’re funded by your tax dollars and helping with home, family, nutrition, and agriculture is their charge
Writing you from my un-AC’d 94-degree office right now. Ugh. Just Ugh. Stick a fork in me, I’m done.
Sending cooling sympathy thoughts your way. No idea what to do with the zucchini either. Sorry. Maybe freeze them and use them for ice packs for the next few days???
It’s cold in Australia! I put another quilt on the bed.
But in the December you have to have AC, it very HOT, even in Canberra which is cooler than the rest of Oz. The homeownes put in an evaporative cooler (aka Swampy) instead of real AC and it can’t keep up when the heat is pumping out.
It’s been pouring here in Toronto. We haven’t had 2 days straight without any rain for the last 2 or 3 weeks. The temperature hasn’t been great either, our highs are only in the mid-20C (or low 70Fs) with the nights dropping to 15-17C (or mid 60s)….my poor veggies are so very small!
Interesting about Seattle houses lacking AC.