Friday, July 22, 2005

I give up

My mood is hot-and-grumpy!!!  But AOL doesn't give me that option.

Cliff and I have never had air conditioning, and it's been rather a point of pride with us.  Let the sissies rant on, wiping sweat and whining.  We were tough.  After all, our grandparents had to suffer the heat, and they made it just fine.

I've canned green beans and tomatoes on 100 degree days, which made the house temperature at least 110.  Oh yes, I was tough.

My mother told me, back around 1980, "When you get older, you'll find out you can't take the heat."

Yeah, right Mother.  Grandma didn't have A/C, you know, and she lived to be almost 80.  You always tended to be a negative thinker.  You told me I'd be laid up for several days a month when I started my period, and that I'd be in labor for days when I had my children.  It didn't happen.

Tony, across the road, gave us a big old window-unit air conditioner several years ago; and two years ago, we decided to use it during an especially hot spell.  It led to one of the biggest quarrels we ever had, and after a couple of weeks Cliff took it back to a shed in the pasture.  Don't ask me what the fuss was about:  All I know is I was right and he was wrong and he refused to listen to my side of the argument.

It reached 100 today, with a heat index of, I believe, 110.  I'm babysitting my daughter's two girls, and after spending their mornings at vacation Bible school, they've been retreating to my little bedroom to watch TV (we bought a cheap window unit for the bedroom at Sam's Club a couple of weeks ago).

Never in my life have I felt so grouchy, tired, hot and sick.  Yes, sick.  What happened to that toughness I always bragged about?  Could my mother have been right for once?  Did my age finally make me a wimp?

I got through today by thinking that it couldn't last long... that there'd be a cooling trend next week, and everything would be fine.

Then I looked at the long-range forecast.

Do you think if I made Cliff spaghetti for lunch tomorrow, he'd forgive me for making him take that air conditioner out, two years ago?

My mother was right.  Man, that's hard to admit.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is going to be a long hot summer..don't suffer use the air conditioner..

Anonymous said...

This has been one unusualy hot summer and I need air conditioning I must admit... I don't like it but I can't stand the heat either... can't wait until it cools down and we at least have nights into the 60's again... air conditioning isn't as nice as fresh air but what can you do... my feet swell. Never used to when we didn't have it and I had 7 kids running around. ~ LOL  (the spagetti sounds good)  Sandra

Anonymous said...

ROFL re your mom being right.  I know how bad that hurts.  But not laughing one bit at your suffering the heat.  This is no joking matter.  I sure pray Cliff heads out to wherever and retrieves that a/c unit.  If you guys need any help with charge, etc., my son Mike does that kind of stuff  Meantime, you stay in my prayers.  And P.S., I think you're plenty tough, with or without a/c.  lol  Joyce

Anonymous said...

Please Mosie...get Cliff to go get the air conditioner! This weather is awfully hot and you don't need to suffer when you could be in a cool place.
Take care
Carlene

Anonymous said...

So get the damn air conditioner...your not a wimp just a little hard headed lol lol
Donna In TEXAS

Anonymous said...

I admit it, I am a wimp. I grew up without even a fan but I don't think I could make it without our central A/C now. Paula

Anonymous said...

I believe the summers are more hot than they used to be. As I am getting older I can hardly breathe when outside in the heat. I don't know if your mother was right about the heat and age or if the summers actually are more hot. Ken felt so sorry for some construction workers yesterday near here who were working on a bridge and some of them were holding up the traffic sign while standing out in the heat on that hot asphalt. Helen

Anonymous said...

Well ,  I agree that in the old days there was no air and we did fine. I am now 64 years old and some times thinking back about the old days, they seem like the "good old days" . I would have a hard time doing without the air conditioner. My Mother is 87 and still refuses to have one. I would look at it same as having an automobile and a tractor. If I were you I would give in and hook up an air conditioner.      Richard

Anonymous said...

Hot IS hot......A/C or not.  When it comes to comfort, I'm a wimp.  Hot and Grumpy??  HA!  Get me overheated and I'll show you hot and grumpy....LOL

I don't know how you do it.  :o)

Anonymous said...

You are still tough.  Tough is an attitude, a creed, a mental and spiritual determination.  But wisdom comes with age.  Taking care of your body does not mean you are not tough...it just means you are WISE.  Sometimes you have to be tough to use that wisdom.

Anonymous said...

I feel much better with a little a/c going.  At work our a/c gets so cold sometime though that I have to turn my little heater on.  I get a lot of grief over my heater going in the summer time.  I goes year round.  LOL>