99 in the shade

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We had record-breaking temps of 102 here in Seattle yesterday. The previous record was set in 1994 at 100 at SeaTac International Airport, where our official Seattle area temp gage is located. My husband said, though, that yesterday when he was downtown where we live (about an hour North of Seattle), the temp thing on one of the buildings read 107!

WOW! That’s all I can say . . . just wow.

Well, that and . . . it was TOO DAMN HOT!

We had all the fans going, the curtains closed, windows open and lots of ice water! I am hoping today is cooler. Of course, at this point, even 95 would be cooler. Right now – at 10:30 am – it is a little cloudy but it’s 82. That’s just not normal. Usually it’s only 70-ish by this hour, if even that.

My poor little fella, The Short Dude, woke up with a bloody nose early this morning. He is just like his mommy – he doesn’t do well in heat. It’s a good thing The Teenager is over on the Coast camping with her friends family this week where it’s a little cooler. She gets heat stroke very easily and totally would not do well in 100 +/- temps.

Speaking of The Teenager – I talked to her last night on the phone for about 15 minutes. Now, you have to understand it’s RARE for this child to talk on the phone. She just doesn’t – she usually texts people. So she called me and we talked and at the end of our conversation I said “I love you, sweetie pie” and I was totally surprised when she said “I love you, too, mom.” It’s been so L O N G since I’ve heard those words from her and it just made my day!

So, a couple of tips to help you stay cool:

I’ve also found that placing a damp, cool wash cloth on the back of my neck or stomach is helpful. Just get a wash cloth wet, wring it out a little (you just want it to be damp) and place it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

And recently I heard that you can take damp towels and hang them in open windows (just make sure the curtains are closed) and that helps cool things down. Of course, I suppose it probably works well only when there’s a breeze coming in.

Please stay cool if you’re experiencing high heat in your area like we are here in Seattle. It’s important to keep an eye for heat stroke or heat exhaustion symptoms as well.

Post any tips you have for keeping cool in the comments below. I’d love to hear them!

In the arena,

Use common sense. Schedule your outdoor activities to avoid the hottest parts of the day, and use a buddy system if necessary to keep watch on those at high risk. You can also cool off at the library or the mall if you don’t have air conditioning or fans to cool down. Keep an eye on kids and the elderly especially as well as those with high blood pressure. Call 911 immediately if you suspect someone has heat stroke!

Annie Anderson is a freelance copywriter and graphic designer specializing in the small business and real estate markets. Her tagline “Making your business, my business” means that she’ll take the utmost care when creating words and images for your business – just as if it were her own.