Living in San Francisco, we get to enjoy what is called nature’s air conditioning: during the Summer month it stays in the 60s almost all the time. Of course, we expect the few days of high temperatures to give us a good sear once in a while, and this past weekend was unfortunately such a time. The sun was blazing and the weather was in the upper 90s for much of Friday and Saturday. Sunday was thankfully a bit cooler, but it brought on another rare anomaly: thunderstorms. Indeed it was rather weird to open up the blinds in the morning to a darkened grey sky and random thunder strikes.
It was as if someone brought tropical weather to San Francisco. I joked with my friend in Hawaii that we needn’t to come visit her any longer: Hawaii came to us.
Suffice it to say, for a city famous for its mild weather, we are never prepared for mid 90s, no matter the fact these few days of high temperature happens every year like clockwork. I get it: it’s not economical to outfit air-con to buildings for only a small percentage of days out of a whole year. It seems we rather suffer through them than spend the money for central climate control. Thankfully, my friend who lives just south of San Francisco (but not in South San Francisco) outfitted his home with the sweet nectar of air conditioning, and it was there I went this past weekend to escape the brunt of the afternoon heat.
I won’t have to do that for future heatwaves, however: I finally purchased a portable air conditioning unit. I’ve been saying for years that I would get one of these things, but for whatever reason I never clicked the checkout button. What changed this time? It’s not like this particular hot weather pattern was worse than the previous ones - temperatures didn’t even reach over 100! I think the COVID situation finally pushed me over: if I’m going to be stuck at home for work, I would greatly prefer a chilled room in order to concentrate fully. Secondary benefit: I’d get a better night’s sleep.
The portable AC won’t arrive in time for the remainder of this hot weather, but for sure there will be plenty more to come. In the immortal words of John Snow: I’m ready.
Nice.