With all the shovelling you're all having to do, you will be so fit by summer!
We've got the hottest week on record happening here this week. Seven days in a row with temperatures over 30 C (86 F). That's in the heart of Sydney near the Harbour, where it's cooler. The western areas of Sydney will be over 40 C (104 F) each day.
It was a stinking hot day today. I went out early to visit a friend briefly. I used my mobility scooter; I've draped my beach towel over the black vinyl seat because it gets so painfully hot if it's in the sun. It burns. After I saw my friend, I stopped at the wharf to go for a swim. There is a little sandy beach there, the water was that beautiful turquoise blue you see in Barrier Reef brochures. And warm! I only stayed there about half an hour, the sun was too fierce and i need to avoid sunburn. I'm already very tanned but carefully. Skin cancer is a huge problem here. I've found for me that the best protection is a careful no-burn tan laid down over months.
Went home. Had a cold drink. Lay under the ceiling fan. Got lunch for me and difficult child 3 (which included ham and fresh pineapple). Got a phone call from friend. "I'm overheated, let's go for a swim." So down to the beach again. I wrapped my upper body in my sarong, my arms have had enough sun but my legs could do with more. We soaked in the sea for an hour, then back home. I finally persuaded difficult child 3 to come to the beach. I can't understand why he was reluctant. I promised him that if he wanted, we would leave immediately he went in and got wet. But when the temperatures are over body heat, you need to cool your core and a dunking in the sea is a fast way of doing it. I splashed around on the edge but didn't go in so we could make a quick getaway. difficult child 3 stayed a lot longer than I thought he would. Good. Then we came home and he went and had a shower without being asked. A cold shower - we only take the worst chill off the water after a beach swim.
husband got home an hour later and got changed to go have a swim. It was right on sunset by this time and without the sun, a swim cooled us off more than earlier. But it was what we needed. So I had four beach visits today!
The beach was moderately full, mostly others having a swim after work, or still there with kids after school.
We headed home, showered quickly then went to mother in law's to make dinner. She's got air conditioning but complaining about the lack of breeze. "At least your house is cool!" we've told her.
Tomorrow will only be a degree or so cooler. When you go outside in the middle of the day, it's like standing in front of a open oven door. The glare and heat reflected off the ground is breathtakingly hot.
At night we're sleeping under a ceiling fan, windows and doors open, no sheet and sometimes I get up and spray myself down with water before going back to bed. I have a special wet neck cloth a finger wide. It's loaded with water crystals, you soak it in cold water for half an hour and it stays wet and cool for days. I'm going to wear that to bed tonight. Like Marilyn Monroe when asked, "What do you have on in bed?"
A: "The radio..."
Oh, and I found tonight - despite wrapping myself in a sarong, I did get more sun this afternoon than I realised. Time to cut some more aloe vera...
Enjoy your Tuesday.
Marg
:coffee2:,
I think your wish will come true too - Hope your day off tomorrow is a good one...
Too bad you couldn't send a bit of warmth our way and we could send a bit of cooler air your way, lol... LOL about the neck cloth.., just hope you don't need to use it much longer!!!
