Wilting

It's gotten pretty warm for the past few days, up to 80 degrees over the weekend. Today wasn't bad, only around 75 degrees, but our apartment still felt like a layer of hell. Ok, I exaggerate a little, but according to the instant read kitchen thermometer, the apartment was about 82 degrees around 2pm. The problem with the apartment is that we have zero shade from the trees outside and the sun roasts our 600 square feet like an Easy Bake Oven. Given that our windows are all on one wall, there is very little air circulation -- especially when we have to keep the shades drawn for a better part of the afternoon.

Today I finally got tired of standing right in front of our oscillating fan to cool off, so I went out and picked up a window fan to try and draw some of the cool outdoor air into the bedroom. It's on a trial run this afternoon to see if I will make the cut. I have to admit that it is cooler in the bedroom (78 degrees instead of 82) and the extra breeze is a nice touch. However, it would be awesome if it had a 4th fan setting for turbo jet to create a tornado effect. We'll run it tonight to see if it really makes a difference. I'm hoping that it does. Otherwise, I'll just hang out in the basement all summer where it's nice and cool.

Another side effect of the warmer temperatures is that I haven't really wanted to turn on the stove at all in the evenings. This means that Jesse has run out of granola and our dinners have been simple and at room temperature. Last night we had pasta with bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, olives and feta. Today, I picked up a loaf of bread from Ken's and we're going to make sandwiches.

I think I'll probably break my non-cooking streak tonight and do a little baking once the sun gets lower. Last week I baked peanut butter banana oatmeal cookies and would like to try them again. They were delicious. I think both Jesse and I loved them so much because they were pretty hearty and relatively healthy -- I have deemed them "magic cookies" for their restorative powers. We've had them around for snacks and both found out that a "magic cookie" and a glass of water make the perfect fuel before runs. I'm going to reduce the sugar this time by 1/4 cup and continue to use regular oats (I don't have the quick cook kind in the pantry). I think they will be a staple in the kitchen, sort of like a homemade power bar.