Sticky

Our winter in the northeast this year was pretty mild.  We had very little snow accumulation and an early spring.  April showers were rare and everything bloomed much earlier than usual.  I liked it.  It was nice to have relatively few frozen schleps to work.  With so few storms I had less weather-related aches and pains.  One could get used to this.  In fact, I did once.  I lived in Utah for ten years.  I especially enjoyed the lack of humidity in the summertime.  Our dry spring was almost like being out there.

Then came May.  We're making up our rain deficit now.  For the past two weeks most days have been damp and dreary.  My knees and fingers are achy.  It's been warm and sticky, especially at the gym.

Certain adaptations are needed for either climate.  In hot, humid weather salt clumps up in the salt shakers.  My mom always put some dry rice in her salt shakers to combat this problem.  Crispy foods like chips and crackers must be sealed well so they don't get soggy.  Bread gets moldy unless you keep it in the fridge. In Utah chips and crackers stay nice and crisp but bread gets stale very quickly.  Lawn watering is mandatory in many municipalities out west because grass won't grow unless irrigated.  In the east most lawns don't require routine watering.  In fact, during drought years communities often prohibit lawn-watering and car-washing.  

 Air conditioning in arid regions is more likely to be done with evaporative coolers.  I had a friend who made one out of a window fan, a furnace filter and some copper tubing.  She dripped water from the tubing onto the furnace filter which was suspended in front of the fan.  The water was collected in a tray under the fan and was then piped to her garden.  This worked surprisingly well.  When moisture was added to the room by the fan it left you feeling cooler when the dry air absorbed it.  In damp regions this would not work at all.  The air is already saturated with moisture so nothing else gets absorbed.  The wetness just sticks to you and your clothes.  Many homes need a dehumidifier to combat mold and mildew.

I started thinking about all this tonight at the gym.  The dampness caused clouds of condensation on the windows from all the sweating going on inside.  The air was redolent with the scent of "eau de armpit".  I kept thinking about how much I hate sweating.  I don't like touching sweaty people.  Even worse is getting dripped on by someone else's perspiration.  I don't enjoy my body parts sticking to each other without my permission.

On the other hand, my hair curls better in the humidity.  If I'd stayed permanently in someplace arid I might be more wrinkled by now.   I'd choose curly hair and less wrinkles over crispy chips any time.

Love to all,
Marlena of Mohegan