Was an Art Dump Now Its Just a Dump

This one is for you.

Where I live 108°F with 80% humidity with no wind is normal.

Pacific North West is dealing historic best waves 35-40°C or 95-105°F.

First of all. Don't make fun of them for bitching about the heat. Just like Texas isn't built for a freeze and our pipes burst, Pacific North West isn't built for heat and a lot of their homes don't have AC.

If you live somewhere with a high humidity like 80+ HUMIDITY IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. The "humidity makes it feel cooler" is a lie once it gets beyond a point.

If you live somewhere with a lower humidity, misters are nice to cool off outside.

Once you get over 90°F (32°C) a fan will not help you. It's just pushing around hot air. (I mean if you can't afford a small AC unit because they're expensive as hell, by all means a fan is better than nothing).

Window AC units will let mosquitoes or other small bugs in. Sucks, but that's life.

Now is not the time to me modest. If you have to cover for religious reasons, by all means. If you don't, I've seen people wear short shorts and a swim top. It's not trashy if it keeps you from getting heat stroke.

If you do have to cover up for religious reasons, look for elephant pants or something similar. They're made with a breathable material.

Shade is better than no shade, but that shit it just diet sun after some point. Don't think shade will save you from heat stroke.

I know the "drink your water" is a fun meme now, but if you're sweating excessively you need electrolytes. Drink Gatorade, Powerade, or Pedialite PLEASE. I don't care if you're fucking sitting in one spot all day. That shit WILL save you from heat stroke.

Most importantly. RESEARCH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAT STROKE AND HEAT EXHAUSTION PLEASE!

If you're diabetic and can't drink Gatorade, mix water, fruit juice, and either lite salt or pink salt

If you can afford it, cover windows with thick curtains to insulate the house

If you have tile floors, lay on them with skin to tile contact. If you don't, laying your head on cool counters works too.

If the temperature where you're at is hotter than your body temperature, don't wear heat wicking clothing. Moisture wicking is safe though.

Check your medication labels. Many make you more susceptible to sun and heat

-Room temperature water will get into your body faster. This is something I learned doing marching band in high summer in Georgia, and it saved all of our asses. Sip it, don't gulp it, especially if you're getting into the red; same goes for whatever fluid you're drinking. And just in general drink during the day.

-If you are moving from an air conditioned space to an un-air conditioned space, if at all possible try to make the shift gradual. When my dad and I were working outside and in un-ac houses a few years ago, he'd turn the air down to low in the truck about ten-fifteen minutes before we got where we were going. This way your body doesn't go from low low temps to high temps. S'bad for you.

-If you can, keep your lights off during the day. Light bulbs may not generate a lot of heat, but the difference is noticeable when it gets hot enough. I literally only turn my bedroom light on in the evening when it gets too dark.

Don't be afraid to just like... pour water on yourself if you need to. The evaporation will cool you off.

Put your hand to the cement for 15 seconds. If you can't handle the heat, it'll burn your dog's paws. Don't let them walk on it.

Dogs with flat faces are more prone to heat stroke. Don't leave them out unsupervised.

Frozen fruit is delicious in water.

Wet/Cold hat/handkerchief on your head/neck will help you stay cool.

Pickle juice is great for electrolytes! You can even make pickle juice Popsicles!

Heat exhaustion is more, "drink water and get you cooled off." Heat stroke is more "Oh my god call 911."

Image Description provided by @loveize

[Image description: an infographic showing the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The graphic is labeled "Heat Dangers: First Warning." Signs of heat exhaustion: faint or dizzy, excessive sweating, cool, pale, clammy skin, rapid, weak pulse, muscle cramps. If you think you or someone else may be experiencing heat exhaustion, get to a cool, air-conditioned place, drink water if conscious, and take a cool shower or use cold compress. Signs of heat stroke: throbbing headache, no sweating, red, hot, dry skin, rapid, strong pulse, may lose consciousness. If you think you or someone else may be experiencing heat stroke, call 911. End description]

Be safe.

Stay out of the sun! It’s that simple.

If you have to be out in the sun, wear sunscreen. Don’t get skin cancer

If you are still prone to sunburn after putting on sunscreen, or can’t wear it because of a skin reaction, modest clothes can help. Clothes that are light colored and lightweight can still be appropriate for hot days. Look for linen, thin cotton, or moisture wicking athletic wear.

If you have thin hair, your scalp will burn. Sunscreen can be applied to your scalp, but a hat will be more effective.

If you are overheating, try placing a cool, damp cloth over your head or the back of your neck. (I don’t know the science behind this one, just that it helps.)

If you are prone to overheating and need to leave the house, have someone accompany you or stay in populated areas in case you need medical attention.

Even if you are drinking electrolytes, you still need to drink water. Water is for before you sweat, electrolytes are for during and after.

Cut down on consuming dairy products when you’re going to be outside. That glass of milk in the morning will not sit well on your stomach. You may experience discomfort and nausea, or even vomiting.

Raw fruits and vegetables hold a lot of natural water. If you have a hard time drinking enough water try adding cucumber, tomatoes, watermelon, or any other vegetable to help

If you are diabetic, the way your body reacts to high temperatures can affect your blood sugar. I’m not diabetic and don’t know the specifics but I know it’s a possibility to look into

This post I wrote a few years ago is going around again because it's summer and every time it goes around people correct me on 2 things.

1) Portable AC units don't give off CO2 exhaust. My mom's friend was using one and they're dog chewed through the exhaust output and their animals died. But when I was trying to understand why this happened, I wasn't given a full explanation beyond "because it's the exhaust output". So my logic was "that's a machine. Exhaust means Co2. Must be Co2 exhaust". I've since had to use one myself. The issue is the exhaust is a hot air exhaust. So it just gets hot as shit if the hot air isn't leaving the house/room. That's my mistake.

2) Diabetic people can have sugary drinks. And fruit juice has sugar in it. (I mean by fruit juice I meant 100% lemon juice or 100% cranberry juice or something). Again I don't even know how I fucked this one up. I had a roommate with type 1 diabetes and I shared muffins with her! When I wrote it I remember watching this story of a Diabetic YouTuber that was like talking about how when she was a kid the moms brought all the other kids cookies except her because she was Diabetic like over a decade ago. But she didn't explain "they just assumed I couldn't have any! How rude!" So my brain was like "They didn't even try to accommodate me! How rude!" Which was actually a really dumb jump in logic because my roommate (also my best friend in college) explained to me "Oh I can totally have some. I just need to insulin for the sugar!" (Because I wanted to make sure it wasn't rude for me to offer stuff.) So... dunno. I had a brain fart. My mistake.

The type of sh!t I make when I’m stressed out part 2 I guess…

Moonlight kiss.

Evening coffee ☕🌌