Too durn hot

[pegkerr]

You know, when the temperature is reaching (almost) record-setting levels is not really the best time to be resuming an exercise program. Particularly when there is no fan or A/C in my office. It reached 102 F today, which is pretty hot for Minneapolis. They expect it to stay above 90 for eight days or so. It's still 92 F at 10:20 p.m.

But I did okay, doing a Sharon Mann light weight-lifting/interval cardio workout, 30 minutes. It's a fun and quite unique program because it incorporates balance challenges into the weightlifting, and it has a really cool exercise I've never seen on any other workout tape or DVD, which manages to target the obliques with weights. That you don't see very often! You stand on one leg and raise the other to the side (abductor engaged). You lift two weights from your hip that is abducting up in a diagonal motion over the opposite shoulder, over your head, as if you're raising an ax. Then open and lower the two weights from over your head to your hip level and cross them in a figure eight motion in front of your body as you squat and switch your weight to the other leg. Then you engage the abductor in the (newly) non-supporting leg, and repeat on the other side. The balance challenge makes it really difficult, and it targets the obliques amazingly well. And I did a 20 minute free Yoga podcast. Free Yogamazing classes at iTunes, oh joy. I felt the stiffness from Thursday's more strenuous weights workout, which I expected; the second day afterwards is always the worst.

Although I cannot be totally smug. Yes, I did work out, and yes, I did eat sensible, healthy meals with lots of vegetables.

But I did succumb to the last of the avocado ice cream tonight. Mmm.

Rob was working today. I took Delia to get her hair trimmed, and then we went to get her annual birthday portrait done. We've had the good luck to be working with an excellent photographer who has been doing our family since the girls were babies; he works at our local Proex. He has always done such good work, and it was, as usual, a very good shoot. I like his eye; he suggested a color for the background which wouldn't have occurred to me, and it worked really well. I'll get the pictures next week, and I'll update Delia's icon. She really is looking stunningly pretty these days.

Hot. Everyone on line is complaining about it tonight. Rob got the window A/C installed in our bedroom just in time, bless him.

I do believe I am going to go down and snabble a Luigi's Italian lemon ice from the freezer. The very best way to beat a heat wave.

What do you like to do to keep cool?

Comments

[liadan-m.livejournal.com]

I've been sitting in front of my fan, wishing that I'd gotten the a/c installed...cold showers/baths have helped. when it started to get really bad about noon I drew an ice cold bath and set the fan to blow over it.

In terms of food, the minneapolis farmers market has a stall that sells chocolate tortillas. fill with chilled fruit and/or ice cream, and eat rapidly. Oh, and the old standby of rootbeer floats.

Keeping cool

[redbird]

Air conditioning, in theory cool drinks but I've been drinking my usual scads of hot tea, and as few clothes as I can get away with.

I have no idea if any of these will be feasible while visiting cattitude's parents, with assorted sibs and niblings also along.

[slrose.livejournal.com]

Air conditioning is my friend.

When I was unfortunate enough to be living without it, in order to fall asleep I first took a bath and got chilled, then arranged a fan so that it was blowing in my face, and one of those gel packs that go in the freezer.

Fortunately I only had a week of really hot weather there. The rest of the time the fans and the high ceilings made it tolerable.

[sociofemme.livejournal.com]

sitting in front of the ac all day, lots of ice water (and orange soda). skimpy clothes. lots of complaining. the complaining is key. it's not any cooler, but it sure makes me feel better.

[cynthia1960.livejournal.com]

whumpdotcom made some of that avocado ice cream on the 3rd; it was yummy.

[tesla-aldrich.livejournal.com]

I did something completely uncharacteristic: I sunbathed. Laid out in my backyard with a big glass of ice water and read about how to cut mortises.

It didn't feel desperately hot at the time, and when I picked up my blanket and went inside I felt cool as the proverbial cucumber. (I don't have ac, but do have a nice old house which has a tendency to stay reasonably cool on these hot summer days.)

Weirdly, this heat wave isn't getting to me. They usually do. I'm sure that once I'm back to work in the ac during the day it'll start kicking my butt in the evenings, but without the contrast of ac, yesterday and today were just fine.

[jemyl.livejournal.com]

But, Peg, it only got up to about 94 here today. Tonight it is a delightful 75 on my front porch. It is a bit more humid than it has been lately. I expected it to be nearly 100 this weekend, but we've had some clouds and I think even some rain East of us. Besides, we usually only have about two or three weeks of triple digit daytime highs and that is usually in August. Yes, I live in Florida and it was hotter in Minnesota. What's wrong with this picture? I hope it cools off for you soon.

OH, yeah, to keep cool I set the central A/C to 79 degrees and drink icewater, i.e. water from the tap that I cool in the fridge in old bottled water bottles, with lemon and/or crystal light added and don't eat much. I also stay in until dusk when it cools to below 85 and do all of my shopping and stuff then, whenever possible. While I have central heat and air in the house, the air in neither vehicle works. The van never had air and the little truck never had air that cooled well. Now neither has it and one of the little truck windows does not open more than an inch. Yep, I stay home and drink water and sleep. LOL Peace, Ellen

[weaselmom.livejournal.com]

Thankfully, it rarely gets really hot here in Seattle. If it's above 85, all we do is sit around and talk about how hot it is. To stay cool, I like to read books about Antarctica, really dive into them. It's hard to feel too hot when reading about a place where a metal bar shatters because of the cold. I also like to watch a movie called "Cold Fever" which is set in Iceland and features a young Japanese businessman schlepping around the snowbound countryside in his wingtips.

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

Hot box yoga!

I like exercise in heat. It keeps my muscles soft or something.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

"What do you like to do to keep cool?"

Leave town.

B

[liadan-m.livejournal.com]

*giggles* Ok, that's one way to do it, though the effiency might be called into question. ;)

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Oh, it can be very effective. (Although, right now, in Barcelona, it's just as hot as where I left.)

B

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Well, not all of us have that luxury!

You also put on Bedouin headdresses, I suppose. And Ray-Bans.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

The next time I go to the Middle East, I am going to buy one of those white robes.

B

[mereilin.livejournal.com]

There's a lovely wading pool nearby with a fountain in the middle, surrounded by tall shady trees with grass and picnic tables. The pool is only about 2 feet deep, and there are lifeguards, so it's a really safe, cool, fun place to bring the kids on a hot day.

[loup_noir]

I live on the foggy northern California coast. A hot day here is seventy. I'm frequently cold when everyone else is hot. However, there are weeks where we don't see the sun at all and growing stone fruit or tomatoes - no way. Too cold. I have two drawers full of T-shirts that I rarely wear, because it's almost never warm enough to bare my arms.

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

What do you like to do to keep cool?

Pant.

[avengangle.livejournal.com]

Avocado ice cream? Sounds . . . interesting.

I sit under a fan. Seriously. We're loath to turn on the air conditioning, so we just don't do much. My temperature control is a little messed up, though, from working in a 66-degree-air building. (Seriously. If I wear sandals and short sleeves, I freeze and have goosebumps all day.)

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Here's the avocado ice cream recipe, if you're curious. It is soooo good. The velvety texture of the avocados makes it so smooth.

[castiron.livejournal.com]

Ice water, more ice water, and still more ice water.

And minimal cooking. And sitting in the shade. And keeping the blinds down while the sun's out.