decided that under any conditions, I prefer zero to 100.
It hasnât been 100 yet where I write, but itâs been too close for comfort and I hate it. Thereâs no limit to the clothes you can bundle up in when itâs cold outside, but there is a limit to how many clothes you can take off to stay cool. Naked doesnât help. Even sleeping without pajamas is no comfort. No pajamas only makes things worse; you stick to yourself instead of to them.
Air-conditioning was a great invention and a relatively new one. (I think of anything that came along in my lifetime as recent.) We never had it when I was growing up, and even now, thereâs no central air-conditioning in our good old house. We make out with a few unattractive air-conditioning machines hanging out the windows, whirring away all night. The furnace that warms the house is a far
more satisfactory piece of equipment than the air conditioners. Air conditioners are intrusive. Youâre always aware of their presence. Radiators donât make a sound or blow anything at you; they quietly exude warmth.
I even recall with affection some of the cold weather clothes I had as a kid. My mother bought me a three-quarter-length sheepskin coat that kept me warm for five years, and I had a wool hat with flaps that covered my ears when they buttoned under my chin. I donât remember anything special I wore in hot weather.
On these hot days of summer, I find myself driving somewhere that I donât really have to go because the air-conditioning in my car is concentrated and a relief to be in. The system works well because the interior of the car is a small, closed space that cools readily.
One of the great pleasures of cold weather is a fireplace. Not many fireplaces are being built into new homes, and most of those are more decorative than functional. A gas-burning fireplace is not a real fireplace but a real one is a lot of work.
Swimming pools, lakes and ocean beaches are pleasant places in summer, but no warm weather pleasure compares to the healthy fun kids can have playing in the snow. Iâve always felt sorry for people who raise children in the parts of our country that donât get any. Iâd rather have snow than oranges.
Nothing brings a community together like a heavy snow. Youâre all in it together, and a bonding takes place. The âgood morningsâ exchanged are more genuine after a snowstorm. On hot days, the âgood morningsâ are what Iâd call desultory.
Iâve never wanted summer to end because Iâve always been on vacation, but I wish there was some way I could have my summer vacation with some snow instead of oppressive heat.
It occurs to me, I donât even write well when itâs hot.
SIZING THINGS UP
The size of something is of first importance to whatever it is. Some things are too big and others are too small. Itâs a pleasure to get something thatâs just the right size, but it doesnât happen often.
Size is a big problem when it comes to clothes and shoes. I have trouble with shoes because I have wide feet. Itâs easy to get the right length, but few companies that make menâs shoes give you a choice of width. There must be a lot of people walking around in shoes that donât fit. Womenâs shoes bear no resemblance to the size of their feet.
Some of the manufacturers who make socks have given up on sizes. Socks that say, âFits size five to twelveâ are too long for a size 8 and too short for a size 10. A lot of them say, âOne size fits all,â but it has been my experience that if the label says, âOne size fits all,â whatever the size is, the socks donât really fit anyone.
Most hats donât fit my head, so I donât wear hats. I have a big neck but short arms, so shirts that fit are hard to find. The shirts with big necks have the longest sleeves.
Iâm always irritated with sizes in a grocery store when I buy
It hasnât been 100 yet where I write, but itâs been too close for comfort and I hate it. Thereâs no limit to the clothes you can bundle up in when itâs cold outside, but there is a limit to how many clothes you can take off to stay cool. Naked doesnât help. Even sleeping without pajamas is no comfort. No pajamas only makes things worse; you stick to yourself instead of to them.
Air-conditioning was a great invention and a relatively new one. (I think of anything that came along in my lifetime as recent.) We never had it when I was growing up, and even now, thereâs no central air-conditioning in our good old house. We make out with a few unattractive air-conditioning machines hanging out the windows, whirring away all night. The furnace that warms the house is a far
more satisfactory piece of equipment than the air conditioners. Air conditioners are intrusive. Youâre always aware of their presence. Radiators donât make a sound or blow anything at you; they quietly exude warmth.
I even recall with affection some of the cold weather clothes I had as a kid. My mother bought me a three-quarter-length sheepskin coat that kept me warm for five years, and I had a wool hat with flaps that covered my ears when they buttoned under my chin. I donât remember anything special I wore in hot weather.
On these hot days of summer, I find myself driving somewhere that I donât really have to go because the air-conditioning in my car is concentrated and a relief to be in. The system works well because the interior of the car is a small, closed space that cools readily.
One of the great pleasures of cold weather is a fireplace. Not many fireplaces are being built into new homes, and most of those are more decorative than functional. A gas-burning fireplace is not a real fireplace but a real one is a lot of work.
Swimming pools, lakes and ocean beaches are pleasant places in summer, but no warm weather pleasure compares to the healthy fun kids can have playing in the snow. Iâve always felt sorry for people who raise children in the parts of our country that donât get any. Iâd rather have snow than oranges.
Nothing brings a community together like a heavy snow. Youâre all in it together, and a bonding takes place. The âgood morningsâ exchanged are more genuine after a snowstorm. On hot days, the âgood morningsâ are what Iâd call desultory.
Iâve never wanted summer to end because Iâve always been on vacation, but I wish there was some way I could have my summer vacation with some snow instead of oppressive heat.
It occurs to me, I donât even write well when itâs hot.
SIZING THINGS UP
The size of something is of first importance to whatever it is. Some things are too big and others are too small. Itâs a pleasure to get something thatâs just the right size, but it doesnât happen often.
Size is a big problem when it comes to clothes and shoes. I have trouble with shoes because I have wide feet. Itâs easy to get the right length, but few companies that make menâs shoes give you a choice of width. There must be a lot of people walking around in shoes that donât fit. Womenâs shoes bear no resemblance to the size of their feet.
Some of the manufacturers who make socks have given up on sizes. Socks that say, âFits size five to twelveâ are too long for a size 8 and too short for a size 10. A lot of them say, âOne size fits all,â but it has been my experience that if the label says, âOne size fits all,â whatever the size is, the socks donât really fit anyone.
Most hats donât fit my head, so I donât wear hats. I have a big neck but short arms, so shirts that fit are hard to find. The shirts with big necks have the longest sleeves.
Iâm always irritated with sizes in a grocery store when I buy
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