In the hottest days without AC

本帖于 2024-09-10 01:09:45 时间, 由普通用户 暖冬cool夏 编辑

In the unprecedented record-breaking heatwave days in September, our AC was unbelievably down. It happened last Friday afternoon when we both worked from home.  What timing!

The first thing I did was turn the air-conditioner off and on, the way we handle computer crashes, in the hope that a restart will auto-correct the problem.  

No expected luck.

Sitting downstairs at a desk in front of a closed window with tightly drawn curtains, I still felt the strong blistering heat permeating the glass.

After a few futile hectic calls for technicians, my anxiety grew with the temperature.  “What’s next?” I asked myself. “Didn’t I go through much worse summers in China? Didn’t I survive my childhood dog days without even an electric fan? How could I no longer put up with the weather that I was so used to?”

He came downstairs for the dinner, half-naked with a wet tower hung from his neck.

“How was it upstairs?” I asked, knowingly aware that the temperature there was normally a few degrees higher, especially after the unsheltered roof and walls being exposed to a full day’s scorching sunbake.

“I am like a Wukong roasted in an alchemy furnace.” He teased himself, “But I am still earning bread inside.”

The next two days turned out to be more intolerable, as the heat wave reared its ugly head without any sign of retreat. In the early Saturday morning before the heat wave raged on, he squated down beside the machine and took off its cover, peering into a box that contained colored wires. An initial diagnosis of the broken capacitor was followed by a disappointment of its unavailability at Home Depot or any nearby store. An online order was placed in the end, and the quickest delivery was early next week.

Life goes on, whatsoever. With humidity hovering around 56% and temperature dropping to 80s, we were able to sleep with the help of non-stop whirring fans - - a bionaire window fan from the side and a hanging fan from the ceiling.

Saturday’s night dance was scheduled as usual,  absent the teacher was on her vacation to Europe. Only eight of us showed up. While they were cheered for being brave to step out of air-conditioned rooms, I was embracing a night getaway from the heated dome. In the open air, I whiled away my otherwise sweltering night, in the company of friends, the music, the crescent moon, and later night winds.

The heat would last at least five consecutive days.

On my way home after work on Monday (9/9), I saw plumes of smokes heavily darkening half the sky. It was wildfire again, rampaging through the land we humans don’t cherish.

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Very fluent English writing!Couldn't believe u r not an ABC! -妖妖灵- 给 妖妖灵 发送悄悄话 妖妖灵 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 08:38:46

I hope your AC works & weather cools ASAP! -妖妖灵- 给 妖妖灵 发送悄悄话 妖妖灵 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 08:40:03

Thanks,妖mm,for ur encouragement!It cools down today:)学习练习写英语 -暖冬cool夏- 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 08:49:02

Much to like! My admiration for Wukong goes thru the roof! -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 09:10:55

Same here:) You two are alike. Thanks 4 reading and comment! -暖冬cool夏- 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 09:14:46

Debugging the AC and winning bread in the furnace! -7grizzly- 给 7grizzly 发送悄悄话 7grizzly 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 09:16:21

Like u, he is good at debugging the computer.悟空can upend:) -暖冬cool夏- 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 09:45:20

A really nice writing turning ordinary life experiences into -godog- 给 godog 发送悄悄话 (327 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 12:01:27

谢谢Go兄指正!You know what,“heavily“ was added after the sent -暖冬cool夏- 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (186 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 12:38:40

暖冬is very good at writing. Enliy reading it. -天边一片白云- 给 天边一片白云 发送悄悄话 天边一片白云 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 14:06:14

Thank you,白云mm. Just practice:)) -暖冬cool夏- 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 15:14:45

我们家好多年前有一次空调也是在最热的时候坏了。如果找人修,开盖就要收钱,不管能不能修好。 -天边一片白云- 给 天边一片白云 发送悄悄话 天边一片白云 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 15:32:22

后来我们自己换了一个电容就好了。一般店里没有,在一个不起眼的小店里买的。那时网上购物不像现在那么普遍。 -天边一片白云- 给 天边一片白云 发送悄悄话 天边一片白云 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 15:36:16

希望你换上电容就好。 -天边一片白云- 给 天边一片白云 发送悄悄话 天边一片白云 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 15:36:51

谢谢白云mm!是的,还好那天没人愿意上门修,否则起步价就是100大洋。我们已经在亚马逊上买了电容,就寄到。天也已凉。 -暖冬cool夏- 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 16:37:37

“I am like a Wukong roasted in an alchemy furnace.” -妖妖灵- 给 妖妖灵 发送悄悄话 妖妖灵 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 15:35:23

“But I am still earning bread inside.” 哈哈哈哈哈,笑cry了:) -妖妖灵- 给 妖妖灵 发送悄悄话 妖妖灵 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 15:36:37

哈哈,能都妖mm“笑cry“了,开心:) 他喜欢开玩笑,脑筋里就装这些东西:)谢谢妖mm! -暖冬cool夏- 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 16:39:13

Spiritually speaking, you two must have consumed immortal -renqiulan- 给 renqiulan 发送悄悄话 renqiulan 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 16:44:47

peaches and elixir. That's probably why Wukong could survive -renqiulan- 给 renqiulan 发送悄悄话 renqiulan 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 16:45:58

the Brazier of Eight Trigrams. Even though the heat -renqiulan- 给 renqiulan 发送悄悄话 renqiulan 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 16:46:40

was intense, you two seemed to maintain your cool. If that's -renqiulan- 给 renqiulan 发送悄悄话 renqiulan 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 16:49:55

not a testament to your strong character, -renqiulan- 给 renqiulan 发送悄悄话 renqiulan 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 16:51:39

I don't know what is. Getting around the heat is beating it. -renqiulan- 给 renqiulan 发送悄悄话 renqiulan 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 16:53:50

Thanks, 秋兰,for your compliment. You and 蓝灵 set exemplary -暖冬cool夏- 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 18:19:05

roles and models for us to follow in English writing and中文诗词 -暖冬cool夏- 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 18:20:31

We're fortunate to have you as the company that uplifts us谢谢 -暖冬cool夏- 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 18:24:46

Very nice writing! Saw the news about wildfire in SoCal and -瓷善家- 给 瓷善家 发送悄悄话 瓷善家 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 17:37:22

you live there? Hope this is the last heatwave before fall -瓷善家- 给 瓷善家 发送悄悄话 瓷善家 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 17:39:53

arrives. -瓷善家- 给 瓷善家 发送悄悄话 瓷善家 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 17:40:19

Thank u 瓷mm for ur compliment! Yes, I live in SoCal几乎每年都有山火 -暖冬cool夏- 给 暖冬cool夏 发送悄悄话 暖冬cool夏 的博客首页 (0 bytes) () 09/10/2024 postreply 18:28:00

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