Dear God, it is hot. Just a week or so ago I needed a blanket on the couch and we were running the heat for an hour in the mornings. Now, after just a few days of a happy medium, I can't stay cool. As I understand it, cooler temperatures will return, but yesterday when I checked in the afternoon it was about 92º F (or 33º C). I realize that's pretty typical for some of you in summer, but for May in the UK it's unheard of. Remember that no one in this country (including us) has air conditioning!
So I stayed pretty quiet yesterday, mostly reading "The Hunting Party," taking pictures in the garden and watering our poor parched plants. I walked down to the high street in the late morning to get some watermelon -- it seemed like a perfect day for a summery treat. Dave and I sat out on the garden bench and ate it in the afternoon.
Like everyone, we have a drawer in the kitchen that's full of random utensils like a garlic press, a pie server, a can opener, peelers and slicers and that kind of thing. You know, that drawer. Well, the other day Dave pulled it open and part of it broke -- the front panel disconnected from the drawer itself on one side. Our cabinets are very old and this drawer has always been jankety, so this wasn't exactly a surprise.
I took it out onto the patio along with the super glue and managed to repair it. Now that I write it down, it seems like a small, insignificant thing, but at the time I felt pretty darn capable. I slid it back into the cabinetry and put only the most frequently used utensils inside so it wouldn't be as heavy. We stuck the others in the pantry. We probably could get rid of them and never notice, but you know the minute we give away the melon baller Dave will need it.
I'm trying to think of some place to go today that will be cooler. The Tate, maybe. I'm not thrilled about using the tube to get there, but at least I would be comfortable while I'm indoors.
(Top photo: Fallen maple seeds on our "stinking iris.")
I've never heard 'jankety' before - it's perfect.
ReplyDeleteLittle jobs often bring the greatest satisfaction, when the repaired item is in frequent use. Did you find yourself looking round for other small tasks?
Oh, there's always something to do around here!
DeleteThat's always happening to the drawer where I keep my sewing threads. Could you pop up here and fix it for me? It's much cooler up here ... only 21C yesterday 😉
ReplyDeleteYour cool temperatures might convince me to come up your way! LOL
DeleteThere is air con in quite a few places, but it is a con!
ReplyDeleteShutting windows and blinds on the hot side, opening them on the cool side. Letting hot air out where you can... One big problem is under insulated buildings.. Insulation is thought of as keeping heat in, but it works as well to keep heat out!
Mending things is satisfying. A job well done
Our insulation is quite good, generally, but the conservatory (which aside from having a lot of windows was also a later addition to the original house) is less well insulated and gets much warmer.
DeleteI’d be damned proud if I fixed that drawer. Don’t get rid of the melon baller. We have never owned one but seriously missed one. Once. Last year.
ReplyDeleteIt's so stupid that we have to hold onto these things so that we can use them three times in our lifetime.
DeleteI too had to look up Jankety, it's a great word, we have a drawer with a loose front on one side, at some point we will have to fix it, it's just a dry joint.
ReplyDeleteSuper glue is the answer!
DeleteNo one in the UK has air conditioning? After this summer I bet some will get it installed ready for next summer. And if you get Reverse Cycle it can be used to heat a room in the winter, which of course is quite costly.
ReplyDeleteWe have this in the conservatory.
DeleteI've heard of these units but aside from a few days a year we really don't need cooling. Not so far, anyway.
DeleteWhy not change the title of this blog to "Mr Grumble"? As for "Remember that no one in this country (including us) has air conditioning!" - this is a damnable lie which demeans we Britons. Every home in Yorkshire is fitted with an air conditioning unit and a whippet kennel.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you air condition your whippets?
DeleteTruth be told, I don't care for air conditioning. The extremes in temperature were uncomfortable to be near. A fan and a spray bottle filled with water to freshen my face and a damp kerchief kept in the fridge to put around my neck keeps me content. Was
ReplyDeleteI think it's all in what you're used to, as I mention in my subsequent post.
DeleteI'm much happier without air conditioning, I find that chilled air makes me feel really ill after a while. It was like the arctic in our local Sainsbury's the other day. Nice for a quick cool down, but after ten minutes you start to wish you had brought your jacket.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a drawer for all those 'things that you will need one day', but I do have two small baskets on the shelf beneath my combi-boiler. When my boiler broke last year and one of the baskets was flooded with dirty water, I just threw all the contents away. Happily I haven't missed anything ...yet!
Grocery stores are especially chilly because they're trying to keep all the food cold. Funny that you've missed none of what was in that basket -- a lesson for all of us!
DeleteLike Janice, "jankety" caught my attention - it's a gread word, very descriptive.
ReplyDeleteNot many people in Germany have A/C at their homes (including me) or even the office buildings (ours is from the early 1990s where nobody thought of installing A/C since we rarely had really long, hot summers until 2003). Personally, I'm not keen on it; it feels just so unnatural and unhealthy to come into a building that's much, much colder than the outside world. Usually I'm happy with the temperature in my flat on very hot days when I make sure the blinds are down and the windows shut by 8:00 in the morning, or even earlier. Only when we have what the weather people call "tropical nights" with temps not going lower than 25C I find it difficult to let air circulate and get sleep, but thankfully, we're not (yet) at that stage.
It's the same here in office buildings and department stores, the setting is way too cool. In homes people set for a comfortable temperature, whether heating or cooling. There are months at a time when I don't use my AC at all.
DeleteThere's nothing worse than trying to sleep on a hot night. I actually LOVE the blast of cold air that comes with walking into an air-conditioned building. It may be unnatural but it feels amazing!
DeleteWe had a heat spell last week, but since Friday it's been nothing but rain and more rain ... continuing today.
ReplyDeleteI'm envious! We're still way behind on rain.
DeleteHaving grown up in toasty Florida, as you did, is no help. In fact, having that history is probably worse since you know well the relief of air conditioning.
ReplyDeleteBut hey, at least your flat is on the bottom floor.
That's true --- it's probably warmer upstairs!
DeleteAfter experiencing one of London's "once in a hundred years" hot spells that seem to now be happening every third year, I insist that the hotel HAS TO HAVE air conditioning.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think going without a/c in a hotel is pretty risky in summer.
DeleteI think you've adapted to the cooler UK climate. Here I don't feel the need for the AC at less than 95°f. When we had our recent heatwave, up to "feels like100°f" I ran it for a while in the late afternoon. It's all about what you're used to, I guess.
ReplyDeleteYou don't put your air on until it hits 95º?!?! Are you mad?!?! I'd have it on at least ten degrees cooler than that.
DeleteI mean this in a light-hearted way, of course. :)
DeleteYeah, I could hear how you said it! In my living room it's at least 15 degrees cooler than outside ( three storey townhouse) so it's around 80 when it's 95 outside. That's about where I keep the setting.
DeleteI don't know how you stand it in London, apart from the heat, ALL those people crowding round King's Cross for a start, mind you the football fans stood out like bright orange poppies amongst the summer clothes.
ReplyDeleteI don't love the crowds on a hot day, especially in the tube.
DeleteThat second drawer down is full of stuffs that will be needed, one day, for some reason. While there is an icecream scoop within, it seems we need an old fashioned scoop with a mechanism to remove the icecream from the scoop. Are libraries cooled?
ReplyDeleteYou know, I'm not sure whether our local library has a/c or not. I'll have to check!
DeleteBe cool Steve. It's always satisfying to fix something and have it work again. Well done.
ReplyDeleteIt does give a sense of satisfaction!
DeleteWell done you for fixing the drawer. It's getting warm here, too, but I put the A/C on for a bit - not too cold - just a bit to cool off the upstairs bedrooms.
ReplyDeleteCooling off the bedrooms is essential. No one wants to sleep in a hot room.
DeleteThat IS hot, especially without air conditioning! Oof. I'm proud of you for fixing the drawer - and realizing that we should go through ours to get rid of (or move) the things we rarely or never use.
ReplyDeleteIt does help to lighten the load in the drawer and put rarely-used stuff in a box or cupboard.
DeleteGreat that you fixed the drawer. You seem to be a big fan of superglue while I am not. I don't think the stuff works that well. We took a class in Portland one year staying at a little motel which did not have air conditioning, as most people don't in Portland, and they were having a heat wave. Couldn't even get the window open more than about 6".
ReplyDeleteMaybe it depends on the brand? I'm using Gorilla Glue, I think. It's worked pretty well for me! Oregon and Washington have a climate very similar to ours and yeah, they have the same issues with lack of air con.
DeleteAccording to our current weather forecast, we're supposed to stay in the high eighties with chances of rain for a week. Now what is predicted and what actually happens are two different things. 92 degrees is indeed hot. And how is the humidity? Is that bearable? I have to say I'm amused at all the commenters here saying air conditioning is not something they like. All I can say to them is- try functioning when it's in the upper 90's day after day and the humidity is over 80% the entire time. Not one or two days of that but all summer and then get back to me about AC.
ReplyDeleteHave you read any of Tana French's books? I actually prefer them to Lucy Foley's. They are meatier. In my opinion. There is an order to some of them in a series.
I've always said "janky" rather than "jankety." I see they can be used interchangeably.
Stay cool.
The humidity is much better here than in Florida, thank God! That does make a huge difference. If we had 80 percent humidity here the country would be building a/c like there's no tomorrow. Yes, I have read Tana French and I like her books a lot!
DeleteMuseums and movie theatres are good spots for a hot day. Well done on the drawer. I would feel accomplished too. It was about 84 here yesterday -- warm for May but welcome after so much cold and wet. We actually ate outside. 92 to way too much! I don't have aircon here either and rarely need it. Maybe about five days out of the summer I'd use it if I had it. Most of the time a fan works OK. But when it's sticky AND hot -- I look for a place to be!
ReplyDeleteI don't mind temps in the low '80s. That's warm but not too uncomfortable, and like you said, a blessing after lots of cold and wet!
Delete90 degrees is almost unheard of in England.
ReplyDeleteI love my Mitsubishi mini-split heat pumps for both cooling and supplemental heat in the winter. They are quickly installed, energy efficient and cost effective.
With the summer getting warmer (last year MA hit 90-100+ degrees F for weeks at a time) the cooling from the mini-splits is wonderful. Both heating and cooling settings run silently and can be set to whatever temperature you want.
With oil prices skyrocketing, you can bet I'll use the heat pumps to cut the cost of heating oil during the winter months.
The coolness of the museum or theater sounds like a great idea for today.
I'll have to look into this heat pump thing. I wonder if those are available here?! I don't even know.
DeleteWhen you mentioned the temps yesterday, I thought that was pretty strange. London in May is never that hot. Mother earth is trying to tell us something and it seems like only a few of us are listening.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could go to the Tate with you! I love that museum. Stay cool!
It's not quite as weird as the April day a couple of years ago when we went over 100º F! Now THAT was strange.
DeleteThat is an unbelievable temperature, especially for May! Many homes in my area have no a/c either; several years ago, after a hot spell in the summer, I got a heat pump. (which I love) New construction is generally built with heat pumps but retrofitting one to a pre-existing house is EXPENSIVE. Hope you can stay cool!
ReplyDeleteI remember you talking about that heat pump and how much you like it. We might look into something like that if we owned our place but I'm sure not installing a heat pump in a house I don't own!
DeleteAlthough 92 is just getting started here in the summer, it would be unusual for May!
ReplyDeleteIn a lot of drawer construction, the piece that fell off is screwed in place from the inside of the drawer. I've seen those screws work themselves loose with time. But they can be glued on as well though with the glues I use, it is never the glue that breaks, it is always the wood.
This drawer had a plastic bracket that broke. Hard to explain. Just old plastic.
DeleteI recently cleaned out "that drawer" at our house. I got rid of a lot, but could probably cull more. I can't remember if I kept the melon baller or not.
ReplyDeleteThe minute you get rid of it, you'll need it! LOL
DeleteIt definitely is too hot!
ReplyDeleteStay as cool as possible and keep hydrated.
All the best Jan
Hydration is key!
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