Sunday, March 15, 2015

Entering The Season Of Heat And Noise

You might think that a teacher would look forward to spring and summer.  After all, summer means recharging after a long battle each year.  And I do like that, but spring and summer are not my favorite parts of the year.
The number one reason is the heat.  I have never tolerated heat well.  I flush, my hands and feet swell, and I can't sleep.  When it's cold, I can add another layer of clothing or another blanket to the bed, but when it's hot, there's only so much I can take off -- as scraping off layers of skin will just create a different set of problems.  When it's hot, I can't sleep and I'm grumpy all the time.  I have headaches and aching joints.  I hate it.
Summer in Utah is hot.  I'm fine until it hits 80, then tolerably patient until 90.  After that, I'm miserable.  And since July can often bring many days in the triple digits, I spend weeks longing for cooler temperatures.  The vents in the house are such that A/C could only be installed in about three rooms, and the cost of installation and of using it is just not worth it.  I have a swamp cooler, but on days where the heat is over 100, a swamp cooler only blows the hot air around.  Ugh.
The second reason is the light.  The days are long in the summer.  Dozens of birds love one particular bush right by my window, and they gather to sing the sun as it begins to glimmer over the mountains.  This would be sweet, but it happens at about 3:30 AM.  And, after a hot night, 3:30 is about when it's finally cool enough for me to doze off.
Also, because evenings are long and nights are warm, my third problem arises: noise.
Only about 3 houses on my street don't have dogs, and most of the others for blocks around have multiple dogs.  The owners, naturally, don't give a &^%$# about anyone else, so they leave their dogs outside 90% of the time once the temperature hits about 68.  There is no room in my house where I cannot hear dogs barking -- even with all windows closed -- once the weather warms up.  And since most of these lovely people leave their dogs out all night, no hour of the day is safe.
Also, when it's warm people stay outside more.  Little kids scream and scream as they run and play.  Teenagers congregate in large groups, shouting at each other, skateboarding, and thumping basketballs -- often all night long.  Adults talk on their cell phones outside, play music while in their yards or while washing their cars, have outdoor parties, and leave their windows open so all conversations can be heard.  And, to hear each other over the sounds of air conditioning units, cars, and other neighbors' parties/kids/dogs, each person gets louder and louder and louder.  This usually goes on until the birds arrive and start chirping.
Yes, I own earplugs, but it hurts to wear them longer than about an hour.  I also own silencing earmuffs, but they make me sweat in the heat, and I cannot sleep in them.
Thus, I spend my summer months hot, in pain, sleepless, and with my nerves on edge most of the time.
Is it any wonder I prefer autumn and even winter over this?  At least I can sleep and find a little peace!

1 comment:

  1. It sounds like you were bred to live in Scotland -- in a castle. :)

    ReplyDelete