It's that time of year again...

Staying cool... Pool Side
Polynesian Resort, Walt Disney World
by Katy 2008

... Summer. It may not officially be summer just yet, but today our high is suppose to be 90 and that is hot enough for me to start thinking about staying cool. Last year I went all summer with my A/C set to 80. This year I am bumping it up to 83. I would turn it off entirely, but I have a dog that stays home all day and daughter that I love dearly and I don't want either of them to have a heat stroke.

So how do I stay cool? Last year I basically just keep the fans going (thank God for old apartments and lots of ceiling fans). This year I am adding a new technique I read over on No Impact Man's blog. That is keeping my windows and blinds closed during the day to keep the heat from the sun out. Sound odd doesn't it? But in the name of staying cool I am willing to give almost anything a try. So this week I have been keeping the blinds closed during the day (I used to crack them open to give my dog some light). I can honestly say that I have noticed a difference. NIM probably doesn't do this, but I still keep one ceiling fan going during the day. Houston is so humid that the air in any space can get heavy and gross when there isn't any circulation going.

My hope is the A/C won't kick on until at least July. Let's see how well we do...