Defeat the heat

Surely you’ve heard by now that the next couple of days will be ridiculously hot. That means discomfort will skyrocket with the temperatures, since most of us don’t have air conditioning and just aren’t acclimated to 90-plus degrees. But we don’t all have to pack ourselves onto the sands of Alki to stay cool. We thought it would be worth discussing alternatives in advance; for starters, we managed to cope with the last megahot spell by taking a late-afternoon walk through Schmitz Park (photo @ right). The trees of Lincoln Park, Camp Long, and other green zones in WS can do the same trick. (You can follow up a walk through LP with a dip in Colman Pool, which is open through the peak of the heat, till 7 pm.) Got a heat-beating tip to share with the rest of WSB-land?

The Weatherman » Blog Archive » A Warm One Coming! July 9, 2007 (9:34 pm)

[…] Yep, it’s going to get hot…mid 90s for all over the next 3 days with a very slow cool down (now they are saying the cool down will be as big as expected with another warm up next week).Ã‚Â The scariest part is the low at night…forecast to be around 66 degrees.Ã‚Â Ouch!Ã‚Â Not much relief especially since most around do not have AC.Ã‚Â Check out Defeat the Heat at WSB for some ideas on cooling off. […]

MargL July 9, 2007 (10:24 pm)

We broke down and got an AC unit at Costco during the last ridiculously hot heat wave. The hubby got it all set up this evening so me and the baby will be camped out in front of it for the next 3 days. Ugh!

SamanthaBrite July 9, 2007 (11:07 pm)

The Burien library has a fun event tomorrow:
Spin, Spider, Spin
Event Type: Children’s Summer Reading Programs
Date: Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Time: 10:30 AM
Branch: Burien Library
Description: All ages welcome
Sing songs about animals, bugs and birds. You might even be able to find these friendly critters in your own backyard.
Age(s): Children & Families
Other Information: Sponsored by the Burien Library Guild.

Perhaps the newly refurnished libraries on 35th & Delridge (two on 35th & one of Delridge) have stuff going on as well.

http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=home

http://www.kcls.org/

Jan July 10, 2007 (12:17 am)

hey? how about an ice cube massage? (yes, I’m a massage therapist – hehe)

ms_f July 10, 2007 (12:36 am)

Our usual relief is a matinÃƒÂ©e at the Admiral, or a cool drink at Starbucks. Whatever opinions you may have about Starbucks, you’d have to admit they always have the best air conditioning.

MargL July 10, 2007 (6:27 am)

Southcenter is a pretty good option too. They have some food (not so much now that the food court is gone) a library and last time I was there a Comcast booth with some comfy chairs. Most importantly – wireless internet and AC.

Steph July 10, 2007 (7:14 am)

While it costs $$, if you really can’t stand the heat, check into a hotel.

Robert July 10, 2007 (7:43 am)

Have two homes in West Seattle – one on a western slope so you don’t get the sun until 10 AM, and then one on an eastern slope that doesn’t get sun after 3 PM… :-)

Robert July 10, 2007 (8:58 am)

Or alternatively, dive into the Elliott Bay – you’ll immeidately appreciate the heat when you get out.

Sue July 10, 2007 (9:28 am)

This is when I’m grateful that the house I just started renting in May has two air conditioners in it. Otherwise, I think I would’ve broken down and bought one finally. It’s been hard to justify buying one when there are only usually 5 days a year you wish you had one.

SchoonerExact July 10, 2007 (11:28 am)

Head on over to West5 and get yourself a frosty pint of Schooner Exact 3 Grid IPA! :)

Flowerpetal July 10, 2007 (12:38 pm)

I’d typically be there for the IPA, but this level of heat deserves a mint julep, just like those we enjoyed on the porch during the evening in the deep south. Where hot and humid is the way of summer.

MINT JULEP
Heat 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to boil. Boil 5 minutes; cool. Place 2 cups fresh mint leaves in 1 quart container. Pour sugar/water mixture over mint leaves. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 12 hours but no longer than 24 hours. For each Mint Julep fill a 12 ounce glass with crushed ice. Add 1 1/2 teaspoon mint mixture with 2 ounce bourbon. Stir with long handled spoon until frost forms on outside of glass. Serve with a long straw and a sprig of fresh mint.

jessiesk July 11, 2007 (4:29 pm)

Skylark CafÃƒÂ© now has air conditioning…and happy hour prices all day through Labor Day. 12 beers on tap for $2.50 each. ;)

Aaron May 15, 2008 (2:53 pm)

The following usually helps our house on a hot day, which has eastern, southern, and western exposure throughout the day.

1) Open windows at night and early morning to allow cool air in

2) As tempting as it may be, keep blinds closed and windows shut during the day

3) For low-fi AC, the following trick works well: Cover your cold air return (upstairs) with a mat, rug, scrap of carpet, whatever, so no air can be sucked in. Remove the filter from the heater in the basement (this now becomes the cold air return) and turn on the fan option (our old beast has a “summer fan” switch). This pulls the cool air from the basement and forces it out the heater vents in the main portion of the house. If you keep your windows shut, it should drop the temp by about 10 degrees or so.

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