Usually we don’t get our yearly allocation of two days in the 90s until at least August, but this time they’re hitting early. The supercomputers in the CDNews weather center are currently registering 83 92 degrees outside and a rapidly rising 75 83 indoors (updated at 4:33pm). And since our 107 year old house lacks air conditioning, we’ve got to get creative about how to cool down. Here’s what we’ve come up with so far:
1. Take a dip: There’s a huge body of chilly water just over the hill from us, so pack up the dog and the kids and head east to Madrona beach and cool off in the 63 degree water of Lake Washington. Be sure to take your $1.50 in change to grab the #2 bus and avoid the hot uphill walk back home.
2. Enjoy the art of the totally free Frye Art Museum and their stable environment of 72 degree air. Just go west on Columbia, through Seattle U and the Swedish Campus, to just the other side of Boren. They’ve got some great paintings in their collection, comfy places to sit, and a lot of peace, quiet, and cool.
3. Get an iced latte and read a book at the 23rd & Jackson Starbucks. Sure, they’re just a big heartless corporation, but they’ve got enough capital to have air conditioning in their stores and a lack of environmental awareness to care about how much energy it requires. Use it to your advantage.
4. See a movie at the air conditioned Columbia City Cinema. They’re showing Wall-E, which is totally worth seeing, and it’s an easy ride south on the #48 bus.
5. Unafraid of hospitals? Check out the Providence ER waiting room at 16th & Cherry. They’ve got A/C, flattering florescent lighting, free WIFI, and a 19 in. TV tuned to “Scrubs”
Got your own stay-cool tips? Leave a suggestion below:
Better late than never….Don’t forget the libraries! While they may not have the air conditioning cranked up to “ice age” temperatures, they do have some AC to keep you cool. Plus they’ve got all those free books, newspapers, magazines, wi-fi and the 30 or so computers they have for you to access the internet while you’re there.