“It was luxuries like air conditioning that brought down the Roman Empire. With air conditioning their windows were shut, they couldn’t hear the barbarians coming.”
The air conditioner was turned off for a bit this morning so the house could have some fresh air, but the AC is back on as it didn’t take long for the house to get hot. I am spoiled now with central air. I think back to when I was a kid, and we had only one fan. It was moved from room to room. In the evening it was in the living room always facing my father. He and fans had quite a history. Once he was trying to clear off the fan blades while the fan was on. He cut all the fingers on the one hand. It was not a surprise to us given my father’s abilities with anything electric. My bedroom was always hot, and I think I sweated myself to sleep every night. Nobody had air conditioners in those days. Even after we moved to the cape, we still had that one traveling fan. While I was in Ghana my parents moved. The fan went with them and at night took up its customary place in the living room facing my father.
When air conditioning was common, my parents bought three: one for each of the two bedrooms and one for the living room. My dad then had one of his brilliant ideas. He tacked a sheet over the molding on the archway between the living room and the hall. Its purpose was keep all the cold air in the living room. It looked silly but it did keep the living room cooler.
When I bought my own house, I bought a couple of those famous move from room to room fans, and I had another put on the ceiling of the guest room, not so much to cool my guests but more so I could keep my own fans. When it got really hot, I slept downstairs on the sofa bed with the back door open and the fans whirling away the whole night. I finally bought an air conditioner for my bedroom as I seldom spent a summer night sleeping in my bed.
Putting in central air was one of the best decisions I ever made, electricity bill be damned. I am now into creature comforts and being cool on a sweltering summer day is a prime comfort. I deserve it.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: air conditioners, air-conditioning, central air, cutting fingers, fans, fresh air, moving fans, whirling fans, window AC
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
August 31, 2015 at 1:02 pm
So from Detroit to Austin Texas, im6 and I joined hands and celebrated the 70th birthday of Van Morrison. Through the wonders of all this modern stuff, we were able to listen to Radio Ulster and hear Van’s first show in it entirety from Cyprus Avenue. It was bluesy, eclectic and the great man was in good spirits. From Motherless Child to In the Garden, there was something of interest
The band has just started the second set, which will be broadcast on Friday night on BBC One TV at 10.35 pm. I am working on finding a chum to do a DVD for me.
August 31, 2015 at 4:01 pm
My Dear Hedley,
I wish I could be sitting right here watching come Friday night, but I do not have BBC One TV.
My mother loved to say how small the world had become, and she was taking distance, didn’t even know technology.
It is good that the man welcomed 70 so well.
August 31, 2015 at 4:25 pm
Nice concert!
Kat, the audio stream is already available (and online for 29 days), I’m just listening.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0681pb7
August 31, 2015 at 4:43 pm
Thanks, Birgit
I have it up so I can listen later tonight
September 3, 2015 at 9:11 am
Addendum: You can download Morrison’s Cyprus Avenue birthday concert (audio) now at BigO:
http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=2496
September 3, 2015 at 11:12 am
Thanks, Birgit!
August 31, 2015 at 1:40 pm
Foggy here in the village this morning and cloudy everywhere else. Sort of warmish too so it was not too bad at work where it always is warm. It is a perfect place to work in winters but during summers it can be quite nasty.
I canm’t remember anyone having fans when I grew up, strange some must have had fans but I just can’t remember any. Byút when the ceiling fans cxame lots of people got them. I would like one upstairs but the ceiling is so low that it would chop my head of as soon as I sat up in my bed 🙂 🙂
I’m not sure how common central air is here either, I don’t know anyone having it. Air heat pumps however, that also can work as an AC unit are quite popular now though but most people never use them as ac units since it costs soo much to keep them working. I would use mine as an ac if I had one, I could always stop spending money on something else during the summer 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
August 31, 2015 at 4:30 pm
Christer,
My sister in Colorado had what is called a swamp cooler. It cooled the house using cold moist air. We couldn’t use it here as the whole house would become mildewy. Now, though, she has central air.
I didn’t know many people with fans back when I was a kid. I think we all just accepted that in summer you would be hot and sweaty.
AC is becoming common here. My neighbors across the street also have it. My friends wish they had it but their heat is hot water driven, and they would have to add new pipes so it is too expensive.
August 31, 2015 at 2:13 pm
Hi Kat,
I didn’t get AC for my room until maybe 10 years ago. I sweated it out all summer. Sometimes I gave up trying to sleep in my room and slept on the loveseat on the screened front porch. AC in the bedroom was wonderful. It got really cold in there. I think I lived in that room in summer. 🙂
Now I have AC for the downstairs, too. Central air would be wonderful but there are too many other things that need to be done first.
The fan in the living room is on but not the AC. So far the house is okay but I will probably have to turn the AC on soon. The sun comes over the west side of the house and it heats up fast.
Enjoy the day. Meteorological fall starts tomorrow. Heh.
August 31, 2015 at 4:34 pm
HI Caryn,
My bedroom is on the third floor and has a west window so the heat just stays there. Downstairs is so much cooler you can feel the difference as you walk down the stairs in the house.
The central air wasn’t as expensive as I thought it would be so I figured what the heck. We put it in my mother’s house before we sold it, and that was a huge selling point.
My house went from 69˚ to 75˚ in such a short time I knew it was time for the AC.
Hope you have a great evening!
August 31, 2015 at 10:45 pm
Here in NJ it it the lower 90s. I guess I brought the hot weather here from Arizona where it was in triple digits last week.
When we first moved to Dallas in 1953 the local area was suffering from a drought and some of the hottest summers in years. We lived in a two story apartment. My dad bought a window AC that he installed down stairs. My mother hung a sheet to cover the stairwell and we all slept down stairs in the living room. It’s really hot when the low temperature in the morning is in the lower 90s.
Over the years central AC is common everywhere, even in New England.
September 1, 2015 at 10:35 am
Bob,
Boston hit 90˚ yesterday so you can feel blameless about bringing the heat.
I guess sheets should have been sold with air conditioners in the way back days.
All the stores have Ac here. It is a must. The few that don’t are grain stores and feed stores which have wide open doors. Most houses have window air conditioners. Central air hasn’t enough of a toe hold for individuals. I’m the only one among my friends who has it.