This post is inspired by the "Heat Wave of 2010" that New York has been experiencing for the last 4 days. I guess most places in the country are pretty warm right now too, it is summer after all, but summer in the city is different from anywhere else and I don't wish it on anyone. If you don't believe me...continue reading.
When it gets this hot and everyone starts running their AC to the max, blackouts are bound to happen, ie NYC Blackout 2003 (and it wasn't as hot then as it is now). So, now everyone is on high alert and trying to conserve as much energy as possible by turning off computers at the end of the work day, not turning on lights when you don't need them and only cooling one room in your apt. instead of the whole place. Whether it was an effort to conserve energy, or just a lapse in upkeep, our buildings elevators went out last night. This wouldn't be a big deal if you were a few floors up, but we live on the 34th floor. Thankfully by the time I had to take my two furry kids outside, everything was up and running again because I was going to start potty training lessons. Can I get a "Summer in the City" (at least my butt is a little bit tighter this morning.)
This morning I took my usual 15 min. walk to the subway. I debated jumping on the bus, but thought that if I just walked a little bit slower than normal, I shouldn't be too sweaty by the time I got there. Think again. By the time I hit the subway platform, which is a good 30 degrees warmer than it is outside, I was dripping with sweat. The back of my shirt was stuck to me, my whole face and neck were pouring like a fountain and my legs had streams of water running off of them. For some reason, today of all days, one of the trains was stuck on the track, so there were hundreds of people waiting to get on the one already crowded train when it finally pulled up. So, I shoved my way onto the car and played sardines with all of my fellow commuters. Of course, I hadn't stopped sweating, so now I'm arm to arm on all sides and I'm the only one sweating. I had sweat dripping off my chin, my sandals had pools of water in them from the streams flowing off my legs, the neck line of my shirt is a big ring and my shirt is more akin to a body suit than the flowy number it started off as. People were staring and trying not to get too close because if I touched their arm or their purse, I would rub off. I'm pretty sure a few of the gawkers thought I was having a heart attack...luckily no one pulled the emergency brake to signal the ambulance. Hot mess, I tell you. Summer in the City.
It's days like these that I dream of walking out of my two story house at the end of a col-de-sac, getting into my air conditioned car and driving to my office. Life would be so much easier (and the dry cleaning bill for my body suit, so much cheaper).
On a lighter note...a joke about crowded subways:
The subway car was packed. It was rush hour, and many people were forced to stand. One particularly cramped woman turned to the man behind her and said, "Sir, if you don't stop poking me with your thing, I'm going to the cops!"
"I don't know what you're talking about miss - that's just my pay check in my pocket."
"Oh really," she spat. "Then you must have some job, because that's the fifth raise you've had in the last half hour!"
When it gets this hot and everyone starts running their AC to the max, blackouts are bound to happen, ie NYC Blackout 2003 (and it wasn't as hot then as it is now). So, now everyone is on high alert and trying to conserve as much energy as possible by turning off computers at the end of the work day, not turning on lights when you don't need them and only cooling one room in your apt. instead of the whole place. Whether it was an effort to conserve energy, or just a lapse in upkeep, our buildings elevators went out last night. This wouldn't be a big deal if you were a few floors up, but we live on the 34th floor. Thankfully by the time I had to take my two furry kids outside, everything was up and running again because I was going to start potty training lessons. Can I get a "Summer in the City" (at least my butt is a little bit tighter this morning.)
This morning I took my usual 15 min. walk to the subway. I debated jumping on the bus, but thought that if I just walked a little bit slower than normal, I shouldn't be too sweaty by the time I got there. Think again. By the time I hit the subway platform, which is a good 30 degrees warmer than it is outside, I was dripping with sweat. The back of my shirt was stuck to me, my whole face and neck were pouring like a fountain and my legs had streams of water running off of them. For some reason, today of all days, one of the trains was stuck on the track, so there were hundreds of people waiting to get on the one already crowded train when it finally pulled up. So, I shoved my way onto the car and played sardines with all of my fellow commuters. Of course, I hadn't stopped sweating, so now I'm arm to arm on all sides and I'm the only one sweating. I had sweat dripping off my chin, my sandals had pools of water in them from the streams flowing off my legs, the neck line of my shirt is a big ring and my shirt is more akin to a body suit than the flowy number it started off as. People were staring and trying not to get too close because if I touched their arm or their purse, I would rub off. I'm pretty sure a few of the gawkers thought I was having a heart attack...luckily no one pulled the emergency brake to signal the ambulance. Hot mess, I tell you. Summer in the City.
It's days like these that I dream of walking out of my two story house at the end of a col-de-sac, getting into my air conditioned car and driving to my office. Life would be so much easier (and the dry cleaning bill for my body suit, so much cheaper).
On a lighter note...a joke about crowded subways:
The subway car was packed. It was rush hour, and many people were forced to stand. One particularly cramped woman turned to the man behind her and said, "Sir, if you don't stop poking me with your thing, I'm going to the cops!"
"I don't know what you're talking about miss - that's just my pay check in my pocket."
"Oh really," she spat. "Then you must have some job, because that's the fifth raise you've had in the last half hour!"
I think your hot is just unhygienic, and my hot is just hot. I hope you have some GermX.
ReplyDeleteThis post made me feel hot. Although I wish I could say, "I was going to take my usual walk to the subway but then considered taking the bus..."
ReplyDeleteSounds so fast lane.