06 August 2013

Slow burn

It's that time of year here in the deep south. August.

It's not unusual for the temperature to hover in the 100-110F range, with heat indexes parked in the 115-120F (or higher) range.

Time slows down in the deep south. The days seem to drag on while the world bakes itself into a dry, dusty, colorless state. The trees droop, the vines sag, the flowers wilt; the only thing standing tall is the mercury in the thermometer.

Air conditioning units run nonstop, and parked cars become kilns. The smells of sour sweat and dust fill the heavy air and linger in the stillness.

The skies have gone from the azure hues of spring to a sun-bleached blue-white. The plants and trees have gone from April's emerald tones to an almost yellow shade of green. The grass has turned the same shade of grey as the Spanish moss.

Night brings no relief. 80 is the overnight low. Even the thinnest of cotton sheets feels like too much weight. Sleep becomes more like exercise, tossing and turning, trying to find a cool spot on the mattress and pillow.

This is our normal state for the next 8 weeks or more. The last thing I want to see is an email from Cusp telling me how to wear leather now; they've obviously never smelled leather coated in human sweat. It won't be long before these asshole retailers will be displaying Christmas themed merchandise and ugly Christmas sweaters, even before the Halloween crap goes on display.

Fuck Christmas. I'm trying to figure out how the hell to keep from sweating as I vacuum my floor. The best I can do is go sit in the deep-freezer and cool off afterwards.

12 comments:

  1. Why are you not writing? I mean writing-writing a memoir or something. This is yummy, even if it is way too melty hot. <3

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    1. I have no good answer for this question. Perhaps I don't WRITE because I don't want to feel like I HAVE to write?

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  2. Ugh. I hate it, we aren't as deep south as you, but when it's hot like that it's hellish.

    Hope you find ways to cool down!

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    1. I'm trying real hard to avoid getting hot in the first place, namely by staying my ass in the house. ;-)

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  3. This was beautifully written Cindy. I could "see" the south and "feel" the heat in your words.

    Hope it cools down soon!

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    1. Sometime next week, it's supposed to cool down to 90-92 ish. ugh.

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    2. Yikes! Not much of a cool down =(

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  4. We've had 10 days of hot. . .the rest of the summer it's been almost too cool to go swimming. I know it's wrong that I'm jealous, but. . .I'm jealous. We should totally trade houses, except for the whole I can't imagine what would happen to the Magic Bus with my 3 kids in it.

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    1. Hot is relative. It's been 90 or above for 2 months now, and it will be 80 or better on Halloween. We've had short sleeve Christmas around here. I'm just grateful we have had a mild year thus far (meaning we didn't hit 100 in April or may like we usually do).

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  5. It is all melty-hot down here, too. We went to Disney for Katarina's birthday last week, and I thought I would melt into a Tracie puddle right on the middle of main street. I didn't, but it was close. I can't not wait for the temperature to fall - I don't do well with heat.

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