I realize I've been neglecting this blog. It's funny, for almost 3 years, when I read blogs that said "Sorry I haven't been here in so long" I would think "How could anyone neglect their blog like that?" But alas, I have become one. Have you ever noticed that sometimes when we are judgmental of something, we will end up becoming it? I think God laughs at that.
Most of my writing lately has gone into Communitas Collective. I would love to see all of you over there from time to time, because we have amazing authors and a lot of great insight.
Here's what else is new!
As many of you know, I'm captaining a relay team, and this has taken a lot more time than I thought. That's not a bad thing, because I haven't loved something so much in a very long time. I have an amazing group of 11 women (plus me) and we will be participating in the Portland to Coast relay at the end of August. Managing all the team business, including making our own t-shirts, plus my own training, encapsulates many hours. However, I'm really looking forward to the payoff, and anticipate having the time of my life come race weekend.
I'm going crazy having the kids home. They are of the age where everything is an argument, mostly with each other. I told them today that I'm going to charge them every time they are mean to each other. We'll see...however, with perfect timing, my kids are going on vacation with their grandparents for 5 days, so the house will be pretty quiet, but also will it be CLEAN!
I'm looking forward to Ché coming for a visit...she gets here on Saturday!
My 20 year high school reunion is Friday...boy am I ever uncertain about that...I'll let you know if I go and how it was. Social bravery is not my strong suit.
I realized I never completed my series on Fear and Honesty. I have one more post almost written, I hope to get that up soon.
In case you hadn't heard, we have had a serious heat wave this week. We missed our all time high record of 107 by one degree, two days in a row. We have had a stretch of near or over 100 degrees for 6 days running. This is very unusual in the Pacific NW. Yes, to some of you this may not seem like much of a big deal...I would ask what percentage of people have air conditioning in their homes where you live? Because here, it's not many.
We have hundreds of thousands of people whose homes are 120-130 on the inside. This is dangerous for so many people. Just as we aren't prepared for major snow in the winter, neither are we prepared for this kind of heat in the summer.
On top of all that, the one thing we NWerners have always relied on has not been available to us. Usually when we have this kind of heat, our low temperatures at night still drop down to 60-65, meaning people without a/c can open their windows and expect some relief. This week, we have set a number of all time record HIGH overnight lows, with two nights remaining at 76 degrees.
I'm not complaining for complaining's sake, I'm really just sharing my concern for those people who have found this week to be entirely miserable, if not dangerous to their health. Fortunately, our community rallies during adverse weather, and around here, hundreds of churches, libraries, businesses and other places that have air conditioning have opened their doors to the general public during extended hours as cooling stations. As well, the City of Portland did something exceptional, leaving several of our public fountains on late into the night so that people could cool off.
It seems we have survived, as tomorrow we begin a slow downward trend towards our normal highs around 80 next week.
I guess that's all for now.
How are you?
Most of my writing lately has gone into Communitas Collective. I would love to see all of you over there from time to time, because we have amazing authors and a lot of great insight.
Here's what else is new!
As many of you know, I'm captaining a relay team, and this has taken a lot more time than I thought. That's not a bad thing, because I haven't loved something so much in a very long time. I have an amazing group of 11 women (plus me) and we will be participating in the Portland to Coast relay at the end of August. Managing all the team business, including making our own t-shirts, plus my own training, encapsulates many hours. However, I'm really looking forward to the payoff, and anticipate having the time of my life come race weekend.
I'm going crazy having the kids home. They are of the age where everything is an argument, mostly with each other. I told them today that I'm going to charge them every time they are mean to each other. We'll see...however, with perfect timing, my kids are going on vacation with their grandparents for 5 days, so the house will be pretty quiet, but also will it be CLEAN!
I'm looking forward to Ché coming for a visit...she gets here on Saturday!
My 20 year high school reunion is Friday...boy am I ever uncertain about that...I'll let you know if I go and how it was. Social bravery is not my strong suit.
I realized I never completed my series on Fear and Honesty. I have one more post almost written, I hope to get that up soon.
In case you hadn't heard, we have had a serious heat wave this week. We missed our all time high record of 107 by one degree, two days in a row. We have had a stretch of near or over 100 degrees for 6 days running. This is very unusual in the Pacific NW. Yes, to some of you this may not seem like much of a big deal...I would ask what percentage of people have air conditioning in their homes where you live? Because here, it's not many.
We have hundreds of thousands of people whose homes are 120-130 on the inside. This is dangerous for so many people. Just as we aren't prepared for major snow in the winter, neither are we prepared for this kind of heat in the summer.
On top of all that, the one thing we NWerners have always relied on has not been available to us. Usually when we have this kind of heat, our low temperatures at night still drop down to 60-65, meaning people without a/c can open their windows and expect some relief. This week, we have set a number of all time record HIGH overnight lows, with two nights remaining at 76 degrees.
I'm not complaining for complaining's sake, I'm really just sharing my concern for those people who have found this week to be entirely miserable, if not dangerous to their health. Fortunately, our community rallies during adverse weather, and around here, hundreds of churches, libraries, businesses and other places that have air conditioning have opened their doors to the general public during extended hours as cooling stations. As well, the City of Portland did something exceptional, leaving several of our public fountains on late into the night so that people could cool off.
It seems we have survived, as tomorrow we begin a slow downward trend towards our normal highs around 80 next week.
I guess that's all for now.
How are you?
I don't think you're complaining for complaining's sake about the weather. Six days over 100 is pretty darn hot, especially if you're not used to it.
ReplyDeleteSo, do you believe in climate change? :)
yes that is very hot. the big difference is that in places where it's regularly hot, folks have a plan on how to deal with it if they don't have a/c etc. so I can see how it's so scary when it only occurs rarely.
ReplyDeleteI don't EVEN want to hear it, rainy Portland woman! 105-108 is NORMAL here for the next month!!! It rained today so it was only like in the high 90's.
ReplyDeleteWow. I was complaining this week that it has not been warm enough here for us to use our pool membership! We've been a couple of times, but my kids shiver and my littlest cries and is so cold he's miserable!!!
ReplyDeleteBut, I did grow up in Texas - south texas, the Rio Grande Valley, to be precise - where it pretty much stays in the 100s for about 4-5 months of the year. People die without air conditioning. It's pretty serious. And when it rains, people watch it like a movie. I could never comfortably live there again. Being hot makes me very very irritable!! I am feeling for you! I cannot imagine not having AC and being that hot!!
Your relay sounds so awesome! Is this what you did last year? I remember some pictures! I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing about it this year :)
Sue - Yes I believe in climate change, if this last year has had anything to say about it. What I'm not certain of is if climate change is simply part of the earth's natural life cycle, or if it is human's fault.
ReplyDeleteYou're right Cindy, about needing a plan to deal with it. I mean, people here, when it's this hot, they flock to the malls, the movie theaters, etc. And it works, as long as it's only temporary. We have set a record this week of the longest stretch ever over 90 degrees.
ReplyDeleteHow many people where you live, Tyler, have a/c in their homes? Because here it's a small few...and those kinds of temps, when it's 120 inside your house, it's a problem.
ReplyDeleteI know this kind of heat isn't an anomaly everywhere, Kari. It's strange to me to think about, but then again, in some places I hear life comes to a halt when it rains. Here, there are two seasons, summer, and rainy. We deal with it.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess it just depends what you're used to.
Yes, this is the same relay I did last year. I wrote about the whole thing here.
Most people do, because we are in Texas. People die here often due to heat stroke. Sorry if I made you angry with the comment. It was a joke, and I had accidentally skipped over your paragraph about how hot it was inside the houses. Please know that I am not that callous.
ReplyDeleteYou're fine, Tyler...and of course I know you're not callous about it.
ReplyDeleteIt's just that when we complain about the heat here, people in warmer climates often don't get it...until we tell them most people here don't have a/c.
This is the problem with a generally mild climate...we can't cope with heat or snow! LOL!
Here in Hotlanta, we thank you for taking the heat. For the all of august it normally is not below 90 degrees for a high, with a few hundreds thrown in. We have been blessed with low to mid eighties. It has been the coolest summer we have spent in our nine years here. But I certainly understand the hatred of the heat. But it is good to hear from you here again.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have enjoyed a cooler summer, Nate. We really have had a nice one, even with the incredible heat. Sometimes it's nice to see some extremes in such a moderate climate.
ReplyDelete