Practicing in the Heat

June 3, 2007 at 9:47 PM

Okay, so I was wrong. Having a burnt out microwave isn't so bad.

No air-conditioning in SW Florida is much worse.

That's right. I live in the tropics, it's summer, humidity is something like 80% and our air conditioner died. Besides having to kiss the funds for my new violin goodbye, I have to sit in the stifling heat over the weekend with every window in the house open and every fan turned on high. Having the microwave broken only aggravates the problem, since we are forced to use highly exothermic methods of heating our food (oven, stove, etc.).

Try practicing in this blasted weather. It's horrible. I practiced about an hour with frozen, icey paper towels on the back of my neck, but it's hard to think about Bruch with ice melting and dripping down your back.

So I've abandoned that and decided to sit outside, under a fan, reading Beowulf and eating lots of ice-cream. Ah, the lazy, breezy days of summer, few though they may be for us musicians.

From Ruth Kuefler
Posted on June 3, 2007 at 10:04 PM

Poor Natasha!! I can sympathize a little . . . summer heat in KS is no joke either. Hope your air conditioner (and microwave!) work again soon. :)

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on June 3, 2007 at 11:19 PM

Greetings,
Just to cheer you up, the nutritionsist I work with call ice cream `i-scream.` The impact of that cold on your stomach in warm temperatues is -seriously- bad for you, causing what can only be described as traumau to the organs, especially the spleen as well as sending your body tempreture up.
Try eating cooling foods like cucumber and drinking room tempreture or warm teas.
Best of luck,
Buri

From Sydney Menees
Posted on June 3, 2007 at 11:55 PM

Ewww. That would be less than inspiring. Kansas is so nice right now! We have, like, ZERO humidity (which is practically unheard of). You should have come to SE ;-)

BTW, you narrowly evaded capture once again!!! I will not be foiled after this.

BBTW, check out my blog :-)

From Anne Horvath
Posted on June 4, 2007 at 12:57 AM

Oh my, this brings back memories of impoverished grad school days in Tallahassee...no AC (couldn't afford to run it!), temperatures well into the high 90s, and 100% humidity every day!

Besides drinking copious amounts of room temperature water, hot tea will somehow make you feel cooler. One of my Chinese friends mentioned that once, and it does work. So does running cool water over your wrists.

Also, for something a bit less caloric than ice cream (Mmm, ice cream...) frozen grapes are really good! We made them as kids, and called them "marbles".

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on June 4, 2007 at 1:25 AM

Greetings,
its the cold stuff that makes oyu hot. The body becomes confused and ups the thermostat,
Cheers,
Buri

From Yixi Zhang
Posted on June 4, 2007 at 2:32 AM

Warm shower, warm tea or water, room tempreture watermelon and a fan work wonder in hot weather.

Ever wondered why the cuisines from countries of hot climate are all hot and spicy?

From Emily Grossman
Posted on June 4, 2007 at 3:52 AM

Come on, Buri, ice cream headaches are a rush!

Ice cream is never confusing to an Eskimo.

From Linda Lerskier
Posted on June 4, 2007 at 6:34 PM

I can think of something much worse.

A non-functioning refrigerator. Then, you can kiss the ice cream goodbye.

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