Weather Complaint
BREAKING NEWS:
It's the middle of July and it's hot outside. But seriously, at least here in the city, it feels like we're living inside of a dog's mouth.
I never really had a problem with the heat when I was younger, and as someone who is perpetually cold (or so I thought), summers were a welcome respite from my layers upon layers of sweaters and jackets. But suddenly (or not so suddenly) now I'm old, and living in New York City where you (or rather, I) don't have the luxury of bouncing from air-conditioned house, to car, to office and back.
Instead I am living in an apartment without AC, temporarily so there is no point to me even thinking of buying a window unit until things are more settled. I haven't started my new job yet, so there is no freezing office to escape to, and the subway stations are stagnant cesspools that feel like you're walking into an even hotter mouth within that original disgusting mouth.
That's how hot.
While I'm certainly no expert, I have found a few things to help me make it through this heat wave, and summer in general:
Shorts
As I discovered during the winter (oh what I wouldn't give to relive this day right now), it's all about appropriate clothing. Before I moved, I was adamantly against shorts. They're strictly for models and children, I thought, and my ankles were the only part of my legs that ever saw the light of day. This philosophy quickly dissipated, however on July 4th.
After walking around all day in my rolled up jeans, I grabbed a pair of scissors and made one of the best decisions of my life. I am now the proud owner of two pairs of shorts (my cutoffs and one legit pair that I've since purchased) and much like the hat before them, they've changed my life. Sure my legs are white as a fresh snowfall (ahhhhhh), but not having to drag around that sweaty, heavy denim below my knees is totally priceless.
I'm also trying to be more of a dress and skirt person (maybe even sans leggings— baby steps), and H&M is certainly helping me out by putting cat faces on everything so that I have to buy them. Are cat face-print dresses and skirts considered business casual?
I'm asking for a friend.
Iced Coffee
Sure, sure I've read the reports that say you're supposed to drink hot beverages and eat chili peppers to cool yourself down. But there's no amount of science that can convince me to walk around the city carrying a huge hot coffee while everyone else prances by me sipping their icy, sweating, totally delicious and refreshing iced versions.
I've actually become quite obsessed with iced lattes from Dunkin' Donuts, which is probably horrific to the cold brew coffee snobs, but who cares. There's a DD on practically every corner (and right near my subway stop) and they're about half the price of a similar drink from Starbucks. Although I did splurge on an iced latte from the Doughnut Plant the other day, and I have to admit it was one of the best (and most expensive ones) I've had.
Water Bottle
One of the first things I bought upon arriving in the city in the middle of a heat wave, was a water bottle. I originally wanted a glass one, but decided on this aluminum model that I picked up at Whole Foods. It's incredibly lightweight (at least when it's empty), and seals completely without spilling a drop.
I figure I'm saving at least $2 a day by not impulse-buying Snapples at every street cart I pass, so it's definitely worth the investment. There are enough water fountains throughout the city that it's easy to keep filled, and New York City tap water is famously tasty so it's not that much of a sacrifice.
Movie Theaters
Going to see a movie for the AC is certainly not a new concept, but one for which I've definitely developed a newfound appreciation. So far I've done a double-feature of The Heat (seriously hilarious) and Despicable Me 2 (the first one's better), and yesterday I saw The Bling Ring (wait for it to come to Netflix).
Tomorrow I'm planning on trying to squeeze in another double-feature, this time with Girl Most Likely (Kristen Wiig AND Annette Bening??) and The Way, Way Back (Steve Carrell is a fox, and I can't resist a coming-of-age story). Would you judge me if I said that by "double-feature" what I really mean is "pay for one, sneak into the other?" What about if I told you that it cost $14 to see a movie and some theaters don't even have a matinee option (and if they do, it's usually only before noon)??
No judgment, it's too hot for that.