John David & Abbie 8: Schrodinger No More, Baby Passenger Onboard

[twoandthrough]

6 hours ago, feministxtian said:

We lived in PHX for 2 years. I don't mind the heat until it gets above 110...then it's just horrid. We moved to Las Vegas and it doesn't quite get as hot as PHX. Days over 110 are not terribly common. 

I grew up in VA too and I'd rather take the heat than the humidity of VA...god that shit is horrible. If there is a hell, the weather is like a Hampton Roads summer. 

Don't tell me that! We're about to experience our very first Hampton Roads summer. We moved here last fall (military) from Florida, and I hoped we'd be getting a break. BUT it's already 95, soooo I don't doubt you at all. 

[feministxtian]

1 hour ago, twoandthrough said:

Don't tell me that! We're about to experience our very first Hampton Roads summer. We moved here last fall (military) from Florida, and I hoped we'd be getting a break. BUT it's already 95, soooo I don't doubt you at all. 

Trust me, you REALLY don't want to do that. Here's how to prepare...get a blanket...it has to be wool. Soak it in hot water. Wrap it around yourself until you start sweating. Realize you will sweat all summer and it will never, ever evaporate to cool you off. Remember the summer weather forecast...hazy, hot and humid with a chance of hurricanes. You don't have to bother consulting the TV weather or anything else. This will be the weather from late May/early June until sometime in October. For 2 months life will be grand and the weather will be gorgeous. Then there's December-March. Grey, humid, cold, rainy, depressing as fuck. Then April comes with nice weather that will linger into May. There WILL be thunderstorms on Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. 

I lived in Hampton Roads from 1973-1989 and from 1997-2012. 

[Smee]

Friends of ours moved from Australia to a city in Siberia, in Russia. They moved right around Christmas and after a few days there she posted a picture on Facebook of the side-by-side weather forecasts. Our home was 34 degrees C and their new home was -34 degrees C. No chance to acclimatise there!

[Smash!]

I‘m in central Europe and the heat wave is in full swing. It‘s a gorgeous 33C sunny day and it couldn‘t be better. But my flat has started to heat up was well and the only comfortable hours are early in the morning and evening. I have refused to buy a fan so far but I might getting one next week. It‘s just so surreal needing a fan here.
It‘s true that infrastructure is built to resist cold temperatures and this is why last week some train connections were canceled because the railroads were damaged by the heat.
I talked to a friend who is a meteorologist at the federal meteorological agency. He told me what makes this heat wave unusual is that it‘s so hot on 1500m and above, which is concerning as it will accelerate the melting of our glaciers even more.

[Carm_88]

I can't imagine finding 10-11 degrees C cold. I am wearing shorts and dresses with no tights in that weather! Newfoundland Summer, Fall, Winter, and Still winter as far as seasons. I wouldn't classify what we have between winter and summer as Spring because my flight was nearly cancelled at the end of April due to freezing rain. It snowed last year around this time, there was like 10cm on the ground. Seasons be shagged. 

I was born in November and in 2014 on my birthday it was 24C. 

[GuineaPigCourtship]

@Scrabblemaster I used to take a slab of rock (or marble) and keep it in the fridge and put it in the cage for my guinea pigs when it was hot.  They could lay on it if they were feeling overheated.  I have also put ice packs on top of their houses, but I imagine a hamster would chew that right away.

[Someone Out There]

7 hours ago, Carm_88 said:

I can't imagine finding 10-11 degrees C cold. I am wearing shorts and dresses with no tights in that weather! Newfoundland Summer, Fall, Winter, and Still winter as far as seasons. I wouldn't classify what we have between winter and summer as Spring because my flight was nearly cancelled at the end of April due to freezing rain. It snowed last year around this time, there was like 10cm on the ground. Seasons be shagged. 

I was born in November and in 2014 on my birthday it was 24C. 

When you're used to 30C then 10-11 is cold.  People in Darwin feel 18C is cold (Darwin is a tropical climate in Australia and is usually 32C and humid during the day).  I remember one heatwave in Adelaide where it got to 45C and a few days later 38C felt relatively cool.  Or when the cool change came in for another heat wave where it had been 38C for several days in a row, it was 38C and lunch, and 19C when I was going home.  Needless to say I felt cold.

[adidas]

@Someone Out There exactly. I love, adore, wet my pants with excitement, thrive in 45°c weather (humidity too) but that doesn’t mean I think it’s ridiculous when people complain in heatwaves where it’s ‘only’ 30°c. Clearly they’re not used to it. And it’s likely that their housing has a huge impact. My parents live in a place where the climate is massively hotter than where I live, yet I freeze my toes off when I visit them in winter. My in-laws live in Qld for crying out loud, and I take extra blankets for the bed - because my house is built for cold weather and it’s comfortable in sub zero temperatures. Their houses are different. No doubt it’s the same for people in situations opposite to me.

As for the whole idea of ‘its science, try it’ with regard to axial tilt and seasons - I’ve been debating about whether to post this for days, but it is still really bugging me. I think because it totally dismisses the Indigenous Peoples of the world who have based their seasons on (gasp) the weather for millennia. And they still do.

In all of this discussion, I think climate change could be a better focus. Our world is in a pretty desperate state. We personally are in one of the worst droughts in history (100% of my state - NSW- is drought affected and it takes around 17 hours to drive from top to bottom - that a lot of parched land. So far, eighteen thousand jobs have been lost in my state and our population is only 7.5 million). I know that the northern hemisphere has just endured a very long, brutal winter. Does the word ‘season’ or it’s scientific definition really mean that much when our world is screaming out for help?

Help me down off my soapbox please, I stood on top of a high horse to get up here.

[Mavis]

On 6/27/2019 at 9:30 PM, Someone Out There said:

Its a combination of

1) Not used to the temperatures

2) Not having air conditioning

3) Not sure about other locations, but the UK it will be 30C with a lot of humidity, so think say Darwin/Cairns with no air con.

Also as the houses are designed to retain heat (which also helps with keeping them cool longer BTW), after a few days of heat then they are basically hot boxes.  I lived in a place in Adelaide where the heat was retained in the walls for a few days after it cooled outside.

 

I think it's mostly due your first point-- the lack of acclimatisation. I grew up in Brisbane and we never had air-con and most other people didn't have it, either. I've read that most people have air con in Australia now, but I find it interesting because I haven't really met those people. I still think of it as a luxury. 

When I lived in Thailand I started getting cold at 29 degrees C and wanted to wear a cardigan, and that's when I knew I was starting to acclimatise. 

[jillsdopplerofdoom]

13 hours ago, GuineaPigCourtship said:

@Scrabblemaster I used to take a slab of rock (or marble) and keep it in the fridge and put it in the cage for my guinea pigs when it was hot.  They could lay on it if they were feeling overheated.  I have also put ice packs on top of their houses, but I imagine a hamster would chew that right away.

You can give hamsters Ice cubes if you make sure they're too big to fit in their pouches. A lot of hamster owners do it 

[twoandthrough]

On 6/28/2019 at 9:22 PM, feministxtian said:

Trust me, you REALLY don't want to do that. Here's how to prepare...get a blanket...it has to be wool. Soak it in hot water. Wrap it around yourself until you start sweating. Realize you will sweat all summer and it will never, ever evaporate to cool you off. Remember the summer weather forecast...hazy, hot and humid with a chance of hurricanes. You don't have to bother consulting the TV weather or anything else. This will be the weather from late May/early June until sometime in October. For 2 months life will be grand and the weather will be gorgeous. Then there's December-March. Grey, humid, cold, rainy, depressing as fuck. Then April comes with nice weather that will linger into May. There WILL be thunderstorms on Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. 

I lived in Hampton Roads from 1973-1989 and from 1997-2012. 

Oh man, haha. We got here last October, and it was great, but I was super sad we didn't get ANY snow at all over the winter. It rained basically all of April and May and then went straight to hot hot hot

[Snarkasarus Rex]

18 minutes ago, twoandthrough said:

Oh man, haha. We got here last October, and it was great, but I was super sad we didn't get ANY snow at all over the winter. It rained basically all of April and May and then went straight to hot hot hot

Yes, last winter was an anomaly that we only got a dusting of snow.  But the previous two winters we've had a storm with 10+ inches snowfall.  Right after the Jan '18 storm, the temp did not get above freezing for 8 days straight, which was very unusual.  Kids lost six days of school because they only plow the main roads and rely on melt to clear the rest.  But yeah, that shit didn't melt.  

I love living here, but the freaking out that happens each time it snows significantly makes me laugh. I grew up in upstate NY.  My sisters live in central NC, and it's even worse there...lol.

[twoandthrough]

12 minutes ago, Snarkasarus Rex said:

Yes, last winter was an anomaly that we only got a dusting of snow.  But the previous two winters we've had a storm with 10+ inches snowfall.  Right after the Jan '18 storm, the temp did not get above freezing for 8 days straight, which was very unusual.  Kids lost six days of school because they only plow the main roads and rely on melt to clear the rest.  But yeah, that shit didn't melt.  

I love living here, but the freaking out that happens each time it snows significantly makes me laugh. I grew up in upstate NY.  My sisters live in central NC, and it's even worse there...lol.

I had heard it snowed a lot the previous few years! I was so bummed because my two daughters have never played in snow. They're 1.5 and almost 4, and we have lived in Texas and Florida their entire lives until now, and I was SO stoked. I grew up in Missouri, so we always had PLENTY of snow to play in during the winter! I loved it. 

We do really enjoy it here. I think it's our favorite place to be stationed so far aside from Colorado. We already talk about not wanting to leave in 2.5 years for his next assignment.

[Jana814]

1 hour ago, Snarkasarus Rex said:

 I love living here, but the freaking out that happens each time it snows significantly makes me laugh. I grew up in upstate NY.  My sisters live in central NC, and it's even worse there...lol.

I have a friend from college who now lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia. A few years ago it snowed in her area. The whole area shut down for a week. She found it humorous because she’s from New York which still functions even with a little bit of snow. 

[feministxtian]

1 hour ago, twoandthrough said:

I had heard it snowed a lot the previous few years! I was so bummed because my two daughters have never played in snow. They're 1.5 and almost 4, and we have lived in Texas and Florida their entire lives until now, and I was SO stoked. I grew up in Missouri, so we always had PLENTY of snow to play in during the winter! I loved it. 

We do really enjoy it here. I think it's our favorite place to be stationed so far aside from Colorado. We already talk about not wanting to leave in 2.5 years for his next assignment.

You've obviously never been stuck in traffic at the HRBT, or the downtown tunnel, or the midtown tunnel or the M&M or tried to navigate Jefferson Ave in Bad News at Christmas. You couldn't pay me enough money to go back. 

[twoandthrough]

9 hours ago, feministxtian said:

You've obviously never been stuck in traffic at the HRBT, or the downtown tunnel, or the midtown tunnel or the M&M or tried to navigate Jefferson Ave in Bad News at Christmas. You couldn't pay me enough money to go back. 

Oh, I totally get that! We have been stuck only once in the tunnel from Hampton to Norfolk (I still can't keep the names straight), but there is just SO MUCH TO DO HERE with our toddlers that our previous base was lacking, so I am just so incredibly happy to be able to get out of the house and do affordable or even free activities with them. I am a city girl at heart, so it's not too bad for me, but the kids do dislike being in the car, so getting stuck in traffic is not ideal.

[feministxtian]

2 hours ago, twoandthrough said:

Oh, I totally get that! We have been stuck only once in the tunnel from Hampton to Norfolk (I still can't keep the names straight), but there is just SO MUCH TO DO HERE with our toddlers that our previous base was lacking, so I am just so incredibly happy to be able to get out of the house and do affordable or even free activities with them. I am a city girl at heart, so it's not too bad for me, but the kids do dislike being in the car, so getting stuck in traffic is not ideal.

I don't know if you live on the peninsula or southside but if you're on the peninsula, check out the Virginia Nature & Science Museum just off J Clyde and the Virginia Air and Space Museum in downtown Hampton. Southside I'm not as familiar with as I lived on the Peninsula. Then there's the old standby of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown (the battlefields are great places to let kids run free). 

 

[Markie]

A couple of years ago I was on holiday. When I left Perth Australia it was 35* and I had been there for about a month. When I arrived in Toronto it was -35*! We had changed Seventy Degrees in about a day. I was glad my friend brought my parka and boots into the airport for me when she picked me up! That’s 95 to -31 degrees Fahrenheit for my American friends! 

Edited July 1, 2019 by Markie

[Snarkasarus Rex]

10 hours ago, twoandthrough said:

Oh, I totally get that! We have been stuck only once in the tunnel from Hampton to Norfolk (I still can't keep the names straight), but there is just SO MUCH TO DO HERE with our toddlers that our previous base was lacking, so I am just so incredibly happy to be able to get out of the house and do affordable or even free activities with them. I am a city girl at heart, so it's not too bad for me, but the kids do dislike being in the car, so getting stuck in traffic is not ideal.

Like @feministxtiansaid, if you are a Peninsula dweller, you totally need a membership here:  https://thevlm.org/.  At your kids' ages, you will definitely get your money's worth!  They offer a military discount on memberships.  We had one for several years until my kids grew out of it.

If you are Southside, this is a great option:  https://childrensmuseumvirginia.com

If you're ever in Raleigh: https://www.marbleskidsmuseum.org

[feministxtian]

4 hours ago, Snarkasarus Rex said:

Like @feministxtiansaid, if you are a Peninsula dweller, you totally need a membership here:  https://thevlm.org/.  At your kids' ages, you will definitely get your money's worth!  They offer a military discount on memberships.  We had one for several years until my kids grew out of it.

If you are Southside, this is a great option:  https://childrensmuseumvirginia.com

If you're ever in Raleigh: https://www.marbleskidsmuseum.org

The Nature and Science Center is right next to Deer Park. Another great place to let kids run free. You can go all the way down to Lake Maury and just enjoy nature. (disclosure: I grew up near Deer Park). 

I forget what else they have that's kid friendly. The Mariner's Museum is cool but is geared to an older crowd (maybe early teens?). JLabs has an open house every other year. NASA Langley has occasional open houses. To take the kids to the beach, head to Yorktown. It's quieter and cleaner than Buckroe and a helluva lot closer than VA beach. Stay away from Huntington Park beach. The James River is NASTY. The War Memorial Museum is cool though. 

For directions to any of these places, let me know. 

I grew up in Beaconsdale (near Deer Park), lived in Courthouse Green, Willow Green and Village Green. Went to Deer Park Elementary for 1 year, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and then graduated from Peninsula Catholic HS (the old one on 34th street, not the new one on Harpersville). My parents are buried at Parkland Cemetery on the corner of Hampton Roads Center Pkwy and Armistead Rd. 

Edited July 2, 2019 by feministxtian

[twoandthrough]

21 hours ago, feministxtian said:

I don't know if you live on the peninsula or southside but if you're on the peninsula, check out the Virginia Nature & Science Museum just off J Clyde and the Virginia Air and Space Museum in downtown Hampton. Southside I'm not as familiar with as I lived on the Peninsula. Then there's the old standby of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown (the battlefields are great places to let kids run free). 

 

Thank you! Peninsula here! We have a membership to the Living Museum, which is amazing for our two kids. 

13 hours ago, Snarkasarus Rex said:

Like @feministxtiansaid, if you are a Peninsula dweller, you totally need a membership here:  https://thevlm.org/.  At your kids' ages, you will definitely get your money's worth!  They offer a military discount on memberships.  We had one for several years until my kids grew out of it.

If you are Southside, this is a great option:  https://childrensmuseumvirginia.com

If you're ever in Raleigh: https://www.marbleskidsmuseum.org

Thank you! We do have a VLM membership and LOVE it! We go weekly at least! I have been wanting to check out the Children's Museum but don't make it over there too often. 

[twoandthrough]

8 hours ago, feministxtian said:

The Nature and Science Center is right next to Deer Park. Another great place to let kids run free. You can go all the way down to Lake Maury and just enjoy nature. (disclosure: I grew up near Deer Park). 

I forget what else they have that's kid friendly. The Mariner's Museum is cool but is geared to an older crowd (maybe early teens?). JLabs has an open house every other year. NASA Langley has occasional open houses. To take the kids to the beach, head to Yorktown. It's quieter and cleaner than Buckroe and a helluva lot closer than VA beach. Stay away from Huntington Park beach. The James River is NASTY. The War Memorial Museum is cool though. 

For directions to any of these places, let me know. 

I grew up in Beaconsdale (near Deer Park), lived in Courthouse Green, Willow Green and Village Green. Went to Deer Park Elementary for 1 year, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and then graduated from Peninsula Catholic HS (the old one on 34th street, not the new one on Harpersville). My parents are buried at Parkland Cemetery on the corner of Hampton Roads Center Pkwy and Armistead Rd. 

I know most of the things you mentioned - we do live close to many of these! I drive by most of these places on a regular basis. We did like the Mariner's Museum as a one time thing. Our kids wouldn't enjoy it more than once, but it was only $1 for admission, so we went!

[feministxtian]

3 hours ago, twoandthrough said:

I know most of the things you mentioned - we do live close to many of these! I drive by most of these places on a regular basis. We did like the Mariner's Museum as a one time thing. Our kids wouldn't enjoy it more than once, but it was only $1 for admission, so we went!

Ahhh....Peninsula dweller(s). If you're looking for a good seafood restaurant, the one right there near the James River Bridge is EXCELLENT!!! There's also one in downtown Hampton but I forget where it is. Those are not kid-friendly though. Now I almost wish I still lived there...I'd babysit for y'all. 

[twoandthrough]

1 hour ago, feministxtian said:

Ahhh....Peninsula dweller(s). If you're looking for a good seafood restaurant, the one right there near the James River Bridge is EXCELLENT!!! There's also one in downtown Hampton but I forget where it is. Those are not kid-friendly though. Now I almost wish I still lived there...I'd babysit for y'all. 

I actually hate seafood, but my husband loves it, so I'll look those up... though I think we actually already went to the one by the James River Bridge when my mom was in town since she LOVES seafood. 

[Cheetah]

On 6/28/2019 at 5:53 AM, lumpentheologie said:

Opening windows as the main method of ventilation just isn't something we really have in the US.

Uh, speak for your own part of the US :-). 

Where I live (SF Bay Area) most people don't have AC, which is becoming a problem a bit with global warming (used to be you'd want AC about 4-5 days a year, now it's more like 2 weeks or more).  We have it upstairs where 3 of 4 bedrooms are but not downstairs.  We only need the AC a few weeks a year and the rest of the time from about March through early November we have windows open.  

(I could digress here into a) airport noise from the long-haul trans-Pacific jets that take off at SFO late at night where the back-blast goes toward my house; b) the fricking crows that I've managed to scare away from my own yard but still make a ruckus from half a block away at 6am; c) the street sweeper that isn't supposed to be in the residential neighborhood before 6am but tries to get away with it sometimes; d) dogs; e) trains; f) my husband snoring, although he does that even when the windows are closed ? ... etc.)  I do actually like the fresh air and I'm mostly just kidding around - you get used to the little urban noises for the most part, except for the damn crows.