AC love

It was great seeing Karl return.

After about 3 days of LA like 80’s (and upper 70’s), I spotted Karl yesterday, lurking about, during my 5:00 p.m. dog walk. I was so over it this week. We finally hooked up the mobile air conditioning unit purchased after the last round of hot spells.

Garry is actually fine with 80 degrees, 90 and up would be a bit much for him. I run warm. I always prefer cool. I don’t like 75 or above. Don’t ask me how I managed 30 years of seasons in New York City. It seems like a lifetime ago. I guess your body has a weather ‘type’ and mine is cool.

Anyway the AC unit is a dream come true and I used it for a couple of glorious hours until Karl the fog returned. It took us about 20 minutes to set-up. It’s a big standing box with tubes (think Robbie the Robot arms) that go to the window. We preferred this over the box on the window so we can remove it easier. It will stay up until mid to late September.

The unit makes a familiar noise. It sounds like August in New York. I can close my eyes and make believe I’ve come home from a particularly sticky walk and can feel the coolness in the air as I get closer to the AC. I love that first rush of coolness, when your body first feels it. It’s August on a sweltering subway platform and the train comes in and you get in a car (where you notice all the windows are closed) and you feel that onslaught of coolness. I get it, some would call it cold. It’s subjective. 

There was a place I remember on 14th street called Western Beef. They sold meat. I used to enjoy walking in there during the hot NYC months, even if I wasn’t shopping. The entire store was a meat freezer. It was delightful. A quick cold hit on the way somewhere.

That whirring sound was immediately white noise for me as it was so many years ago. I truly only noticed it was there when someone video called me.

“What’s that noise?” 

“An air-conditioner,” I said proudly. 

“An air-conditioner in San Francisco?”

“Damn paparazzi, ” I countered.

Anyway, it was a great excuse to use my noise canceling headphones.