I’m a little worried about Seattle
We’re in the–what is it now?–fourth or fifth day of the heat wave? Or is it ten or twelve? I know it hasn’t rained properly for three months. Yesterday it was at least 97 degrees, if not higher in some places. My household has been camping out in the basement at night. The dogs go on shorter walks, much earlier in the morning. Lots of ice cubes in their water dishes. And still–it’s way too hot.
I have relatives in Arizona, and I wonder if they would laugh at this. 97 degrees?! That’s spring weather, right? And my relatives in Minnesota would point out that they have 90-degree weather at some point every summer, and lots of humidity to boot.
I don’t care. It’s really hard for Seattlites to handle extreme weather. We don’t have enough air conditioners, or snow plows. Most of us moved here because we enjoy temperate weather. And if you think we’re wimps, I would only introduce you to Arizonans and Minnesotans who can’t endure the Seattle rain. It’s always hard to deal with something that’s both uncomfortable and unfamiliar.
On top of the weather–or is it because of the weather?–there seem to have been a few more crime stories in the last few days. Three murders, one of them about a mile from my house. And a disturbing story of cruelty that really threw me. I’m not the type to panic when a string of stories like these come out, and I know that awful things happen when the weather is nice. But I do have a sense that the city is really feeling strung out right now. Tempers are short, and it really, really is *hot*.
All of which leads to this advice: don’t push yourself too hard this week. Take the weather seriously. If you don’t live in air-conditioning, take advantage of it whenever you can. Wear lots of sunscreen. And above all, drink lots of water! For Seattlites, 97 degrees is really awful. It’s something that can lead to injury–even tragedy. Be careful out there!
P.S. My office is air-conditioned! Come on in for a session! 
