Jul 2, 2012

My Love Affair with AC (and break-up with NYC)


I just love air conditioning so much.  Such a gift. 

When I lived in New York City one summer, I sublet a room in a charming West Village walkup from an older girl who graduated the year ahead of me at Georgia.  NYC was experiencing a heat wave like the current one, and the darling little place did not have any air conditioning whatsoever.  Even worse?  I had a completely interior room, with nary a window.  It was like sleeping in a sauna.  I ended up sleeping on the couch with open windows in a wrung out nightie that I soaked in cold water before attempting to sleep.  My lucky roommates absconded to boyfriends' places, but I was a penniless intern with no boyfriend in sight.  I longed for a pool, a beach, a lake.  Hell, I would have settled for a bag of Sonic ice and a baby pool!

This is likely why I detested living in New York.  I needed my AC, some shady trees, and a river.   I used to listen to Dixie on My Mind over and over on my daily subway ride home from my boring internship.  I also packed on the pounds despite my walking and gym membership due to comfort eating of Ben and Jerry's.  Needless to say, it was not my favorite summer (for the record, favorite summer is tied between living in Charleston, and one when I lived in Knoxville, nannied, and waterskied every single day).



The passage of time is a strange thing.  Those 2 and a 1/2 months spent in NYC at 21 years old seemed to drag on forever, but the last 2 months spent renovating our house have flown by at age 30.

We are now settling back in our little stone ranch house.  It's amazing, but Dell Harper has spent pratically half of her life living at her grandparents.  It was such a blessing- I was able to help Mama with cooking and such after her thumb surgery, and always had a willing grandparent to hold that little girl.  Even better, my parents got to really know their granddaughter- her cries, her schedule, her faces.  It was so amazing to see her recognition and love of them grow daily.  I'm so happy to be home, but thankful that the last two months were so delightful!

Please note- I am not a philistine- I adore visting New York.  Just not living there.  Especially in the summer.

6 comments:

  1. I hail from San Antonio TX, and I totally agree that NYC can be a miserable place in the summer. I'm used to 110 degree temps for 3 months on end - but EVERYWHERE I go has AC. When NYC is hot, even like 95 hot, it feels like you're a hotdog on one of those rollers at the gas station. Not into it.

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  2. My NYC sister's AC just broke last week during this huge heat wave. NO THANKS.

    I could be in the most glorious and luxurious apartment in Paris and still having a mediocre time due to lack of A/C.

    I hate admitting it, but it's true!

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  3. I spent a summer in Italy with no AC and it was HOT. Thankfully we had a window, but holy moly- all I wanted when I got home was a giant bowl of ice and to sit underneath the vent :)

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  4. Funny. I recently posted about my love for AC. Love your blog!

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  5. I grew up in MA (now living in SC) and was just reminiscing with my mom about the summer days where I would play in the basement in just my underwear because it was the coolest part of the house. When my parents finally got a window unit it was heaven on earth!

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  6. That's so funny because we did the exact same thing. Lived with my parents while we were in Nashville for the summer, then back to SC for T to finish school. It was bitter sweet but you will get into your whole new routine and love it. Plus I'm sure your folks will be visiting often!

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