TB Articles: The Summer Heat August 24, 2009

NOTE: I have decided that I am going to start writing “articles” so that my readers don’t get bored with the same posts over and over again. Not only that, it will help me develop better writing skills for when I go to college. If you need more information about the articles, refer to “TB Articles“. If you are interested in becoming a guest writer for Texas Banter, refer to this page.

The temperature is rising over 100*, the sun is burning down from the clouds, and you’re hot- very hot. You’re so hot, you DREAM of the day that cooler weather arrives. Having lived in Texas my whole life, I have become somewhat of an expert on trying to stay cool. While they might not work for everyone, it doesn’t hurt to give it a try, right?

If you’re inside and it seems like your house isn’t cooling as it should, think water. Gather up several plastic water bottles, fill them with water, and put them in the freezer. After 4 hours in the icebox, move them to the fridge and grab one for yourself. You now have cold water available for “on-the-go” and it’s a lot easier than trying to lug a gallon of cold water out of the fridge just to fill up a glass. It becomes so helpful, especially if you’re doing chores and you find yourself getting sweaty. You don’t want to become dehydrated even if you don’t feel hot because the symptoms can be fatigue, and many think that they are tired because of the chores. In most cases, it’s that they are dehydrated. Aside from keeping you hydrated, the cold water will cool your core temperature down a few degrees, and it help you from feeling physically hot.

Since our house doesn’t have insulation, it tends to get burning hot in the Summer and near-dead freezing in the Winter. In the Summer, when the temperature in the room is 83*, I like to use the shower. I don’t mean taking a shower. I mean getting my hair wet by bending over the edge of the tub with my head under the shower. I don’t panic if my clothes get wet because I know that eventually I will end up sitting in front of a fan or air conditioner, making me feel a lot cooler. I suggest that you don’t do it every hour or too frequently because you can end up with a heat rash. While they can be treated by topical baby rash cream, they are kinda painful. Also with that, you can actually get too chilled if your core temperature drops drastically low in such a short amount of time.

I’m sure that I don’t need to remind you what to do if you’re outside- it’s on the news all the time! You know the drill: drink plenty of water, take frequent breaks, if you get too hot, move to an air conditioned building, etc. It’s been ingrained in us since we were little. But another thing they don’t tell you is not to soak your whole body, including your clothes. This will bring on one mean heat rash that is extremely painful. Those are worse than the ones you received from “wetting your hair” too much. Also, the reflection of the sun can intensify the sun’s burning rays, making you sunburn a lot quicker and a lot worse than without the soaked clothes and skin.

Let’s face it- Summer is here for a few more weeks. If none of the suggestions haven’t worked, then maybe we should look to Summer’s best friend- ice cream! Now there’s an activity I can enjoy!