OK, who else is sick of life being dictated by the freakin’ weather? Am I the only one who is exhausted by the fact that it is so ungodly humid outside that every morning for the past week, I’ve woken up with the most monumental of sinus headaches? I’ve been popping Tylenol like Skittles and I still suffer from chronic throbbing between the eyes. I don’t have a sinus infection, and I’m fairly certain I’m not growing a brain tumour. A friend took pity on me recently and gave me a bottle of this Chinese White Flower Analgesic Balm you’re supposed to rub on your top lip so you can breathe it in to clear your sinuses. I’d rather snort raw, grated horseradish to be totally honest. This stuff is nothing but methyl salicylate, eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, and camphor. Hello? Vicks Vapo Rub?
So between the sweating and the sinus headaches, I’m grumpy beyond belief. I really wanted to tackle the rest of those “Humiecki and Dafts”, but I would literally be endangering my life by popping open those vials at this point. And I’m dying for some new sniffage in the worst way. I love/hate this time of year because August is the harbinger month that signals the end of summer, the beginning of school, and the end of yet another year. But I do look forward to the fat magazines, fall clothes and the promise of warm cuddly scents to come. Summer has gone by in a literal blink this year; I’ve done nothing but stare at my laptop, stare at my cat, and write. A solitary existence to say the least. Thank God for air conditioning.
Here’s your assignment: Where do you think would be the ideal place to live? Someplace where there’s no wild fluctuations in temperature, no freakish mountains of snow, or violent thunderstorms; just moderation. I’m thinking a lovely home in San Diego, or an igloo on a glacier in Antarctica. What about you?
I live in Sonoma,Ca the ORIGINAL wine country capital of CA and it is gorgeous!
The weather here is cool-mornings,warm-midday,cool evenings.The surrounding area is always a green and clean feast for the eyes! We are within a 45 minute drive to any of the surrounding magnificant beaches to clear the sinuses with fresh,cool and salty ocean breezes. Although this has been the coldest summer I can remember ever,thanks to El Nino weather pattern I would not live anywhere else(maybe Hawaii).
Where I am right now is a great place to live! Island in the middle of Adriatic coast. Never too freaking cold; when it is hot – it is bearable.
However, I feel living in this paradise is never relaxing – because it looks like you are always on vacation but you never are :)
A bit late to this thread, but I’ll agree with Odonata above that coastal Southern California really is pretty much perfect… as much as we like to b*tch about things.
Santa Barbara here, where the average temp year-round is 70F. I’ve been complaining all summer because the daily temps have barely reached 70F this year, which is unusual. It’s gotten a little warmer the last couple days, but I realize how good we have it. There are a few “heat waves” every year where we approach 90F or above, but it’s probably a total of 15 days — randomly distributed — of that kind of weather. And it never really gets below 38F at night on the coldest winter nights. Average winter low is probably about 42F. And in almost twenty years, I only had to evacuate for fires twice, just last year; they’re really only a problem in the foothills, not in town.
Oh, but you’ll need a trust find or major lifestyle adjustment to afford it.
Er.. that’s “trust fund” of course.
Nava,sweetie….Thought I was DYING FROM A BRAIN TUMOR,or somthing.as I’ve also have the killer headache,and have tried yoga poses(one used to drain my sinuses beautiully),accupressure points,OTC meds(last choice,as I hate them),and have now gone to meds that are ‘a tad bit heavier’….I had 3 kiddos with NOTHING….go figure…..I’m voting for the SE Tenn….at least I could afford it,and it’s a lovely area.
Nava, ibuprofen/Advil/Motrin would probably help more than Tylenol, if you’re able to tolerate it.
As for weather, I am one who is bored with the lack of seasons in SoCal, and love the mountains of the South, though the humidity does get bad at times; this year has been dreadful for everyone but us in the LA area, I think.
The mediterranean coast awaits you, Nava. Winter lows hit 10 degrees C at worst, and storms are always interspersed with the odd sunny day. Summer highs hit 35 degrees Celsius, with balmy winds and clear skies.
I’ve been in San Diego for the past 15 years and the weather here is booooring – I’m moving to Quebec in 2012 when I have enough money saved up. I like seasons, especially winter and summer extremes. I love the heat and humidity of the summer, the thunderstorms, the brilliant colored foliage, the icy winter cold. To each her own!
Orcas Island, WA, Vancouver, Scotland (Edinburgh or Borders. Which reminds to to goad my friend to move into her house on Orcas so I can visit again.
Just back from a blisteringly hot day in Chicago – nyet on my old hometown.
States: Santa Barbara. Good enough for Julia Child, good enough for me. Plus the food is good and I can get to LA (Roscoe’s and the Santa Monica Fruit Stand) or SF (too many to count) with relative ease.
Europe: Monaco (yeah, yeah – me and my yacht) or Lido, which I absolutely adore – maybe it will stay above water long enough for me to live there. I love the Adriatic and the weather isn’t nearly as horrible as it can be in Venice.
until then, 3:-o town is my home.
xoxo >-)
Hi….. [Waving from Santa Barbara].
As for Europe: I would live in Barcelona any day. ANY day!
Hi Nava, how are you? I feel your pain, climate-wise. We like the Gulf Coast of Florida (Destin, Panama City Beach, etc.) because at least you usually get a breeze off the ocean. But after my son’s near-tragic accident there earlier this summer, that’s definitely out now. But I do love San Francisco in the summer: no humidity and those lovely temps dipping down into the 50s at night. Ahhh …
Ann,
I hope your son is okay! El O loves Panama City Beach. I’m a Miami and Keys girl, myself. I love the SF area but not SF itself (I used to adore it but I realized it’s almost all pissy concrete! 😕 And it can get chilly in the summer, which is really unnerving to me. Just across the bridge, though, lies my love, Mill Valley.
xo >-)
Hi Musette, thanks for asking, my son looks to make a full recovery; he’s in rehab right now and walking pretty well with someone behind him holding onto him with a gate belt. If I ever get out to the West Coast again, I will check out Mill Valley. And of course, I will splurge on Recchuiti (sp?) Chocolates, and some will have your name on them.
Stockholm has a moderate climate too, quite dry, not so humide.
I like it here, especially in summer.
I love the Pacific Northwest where I live now, but I understand that Tasmania is lovely and has a moderate climate. No, I am not kidding. Also Cornwall in the British Isles, land of my ancestors has a very mild climate all year round; someday I hope to go there. I don’t mind fog and cool weather at all, I just don’t like freezing winters and baking summers. Spring and fall are my favorite seasons!
I just returned to Orlando (bleah, way too hot) from a trip to Asheville, NC – it really is cooler there, plenty of sun, and just LOVED the mist in the mountains…
I live in south Brazil and the weather here is really nice, if I would trade here to any place would be Tuscan in Italy, just unbelievable the beauty there.
I feel your pain (and second the recommendation for lavedar oil). We’re on our 14th straight day of 100+ temps here in Dallas, so I’m thinking…Pacific Northweat maybe. Then again, we visited hawaii last month and it was lovely. I do enjoy seasonal change though…So maybe not there. Anywhere but here right now, I’d say!
If I had to endure 14 straight days of 100+ degree temperatures, my next stop surely would be Antarctica. Storms be damned!
Living in San Diego for the past 10 years, I can tell you that the weather here is pretty darn perfect, although the locals will always find something to complain about, being so spoiled as they are. And don’t be fooled – it is not 80 and sunny every day, as I thought it was when I first visited! We do have 2 seasons – winter (slightly cool and it rains occasionally) & summer (warm and dry), and if you’re in coastal SD, you will probably not have need for heat or A/C. That said, I’m originally from the DC area and while I don’t miss those winters and summers, I do miss a little drama in the weather (no thunderstorms here) and the things the humidity/rain do for the environment (trees, grass, forests, rivers, lakes).
Now that I’ve been here awhile, I’m spoiled too but not totally happy with the climate – for me, I think mid-south would be ideal. Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, etc. Still some seasons and green-ness, but not unberarable winters/summers.
There’s something about the Pacific coast that can eradicate all wishes for humidity; especially the way I feel right now!
I must tell you, North Carolina has been like Hades this summer!
I’ve lived here for many years and while the fall is usually beautiful, as is spring, and winters are moderate, the summers (think May through September) are always hot, humid, and totally enervating.
This summer has been truly unbearable – people scurry from their air conditioned houses to their air conditioned cars to their air conditioned jobs. Everyone is depressed and suffering from cabin fever, because although North Carolina is beautiful, you just can’t be outdoors here in the summer, unless you’re at the coast or in the mountains.
The only 2 places I’ve ever lived are upstate NY and Northern Virginia and of the 2 of them, I prefer NY. I’m so sick of the overcast silver-y cloud cover of Va I could scream. I want blue skies! When the weather IS nice here, it can be beautiful, but it’s so rare. Spring is probably the best time, when it’s warm and all the color comes in. Winter is damp, summer is damp. Fall is okay, but not as pretty as in other climes.
Oregon is a great place for variety of climate. I would have a place in the middle of the state (around Sisters), and also one on the coast, near Bandon.
I remember driving through the Shenandoah Valley in late November a few years ago and thinking how beautiful it looked, even on a cloudy gray day. I did like spring best in Northern VA. It was wonderful.
Virginia is very beautiful, but the weather isn’t always. A few weeks before I got married, 25 years ago this November, we drove thru the Blue Ridge. The skies were gray and the trees looked like tongues of flame against the sky. I was so happy. We found a park with a wooden swing hanging from a tree, and I got to swing to my heart’s content. Then we had pancakes. It was a great day. Thanks for jogging that memory loose.
Wan’t to time-share places in Sisters/Bend and the Coast? ; )
Claudia: you can never live in Western Michigan. We think it’s pretty bright here. LOL!
I am just getting ready to go back to the doctor in a few minutes to have the splints taken out of my nose from sinus surgery. The cleaned me out & straightened my septum. It’s supposed to help me cope better with our coastal Alabama weather, which SUCKS right now. Needless to say the week has been unpleasant with foreign objects up my nose but I’m hopeful for the future. We’ll see! I SO feel your pain. Some days NOTHING will help. It just has to run its course. I actually took a Demerol one day when I couldn’t cope any longer. That’s when I decided surgery might be better than hard core drugs. :d Good Luck!!
To you as well. I hope the surgery helps. Please check in to let us know how you’re doing. 🙂
We’re holding our own in East Jesus (to quote March) – we seem to have overall better luck with keeping power and trees on this side of the beltway. But we moved to Fairfax as it’s close to my husband’s job (I work out of my house, so it’s irrelevant). But my choice would be Oregon or even Seattle. Generally more even and I don’t mind gray skies. Am REALLY looking forward to fall.
The apartment complex I lived in in Fairfax was only 9 years old, so there weren’t any power issues to speak of. But the weather didn’t seem as brutal on that side of the Beltway. Thanks for confirming that, Kitty. 🙂
I think that we definitely had milder weather than MD and DC over the past couple of days. The result could also be due to the unofficial motto of Fairfax County – “Let no tree stand” This is the county where we name the streets after the trees we have cut down to make the roads….
Having said all this, I would never do another winter in Chicago if I possibly can avoid it. Love that town, but the Mid-Atlantic has a far better winter.
Well, we’ve had more rain this week than in May, June and July combined. Typical British summer.
But hey, I’m off to Lisbon tomorrow. And Sintra – inland a little, uphill a little – might have my ideal climate. Love it there.
With or without your horn rims? Have a wonderful time. 😡
I’ve seen pictures of Sintra – looks amazing! My Dad’s family is originally from Portugal way in the way back, but I’ve never been. It’s on my list of places to go – def. Lisbon, Sintra, and Madeira (where my family is from). Have a lovely holiday!
Haha I’ll stay here in Terror-onto anyway, sweating through my shirt. That TTC anagram map was right… ‘a warmer soupy butt’ indeed. Can you tell I’ll be taking transit today? lol
I was just at St. Clair and Avenue Road, and when I was stopped at the traffic light next to a streetcar with all its windows open, I said, “Thank God I’m in my air conditioned car!”
I was on the Dundas streetcar hoping for a breeze. All I got was almost faceplanting when it stopped. It was classy! LOL
I went to Kensington market -which is located on the surface of the sun- found two 50s dresses I loved, but neither fit. Boo.
I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not really the weather that bothers me about a place–I can always add or remove clothes and bring extra water to cope. Honestly, I’m happy here in DC: lots of cultural/historical activities on the cheap, woods within an acorn’s throw from my house, and all the extracurricular activities I can stand. It’s those things that really draw me to the area, and make me forget about whatever craziness is happening outside.
That is certainly true about the DC area, as it is about New York.
I can honestly say, the two places where I found the weather absolutely unbearable where the Florida Keys in June and Las Vegas in August. No amount of water or air conditioning could ever compensate for how uncomfortable both places were during the times I visited them.
Phoenix is brutal in the summer.
So sorry you’re feeling like this! We’re having rollicking weather down here still, lots of thunderstorms knocking out power, trees down, floods etc. If you go on WashPost.com you can look at photos.
A story about the guy who hopped out of his Dodge Caravan and clung to a tree to watch it get washed away was in my newsfeed this morning…when I read it, I was thinking, hey, didn’t March or Louise talk about that route on the Posse sometime this year??? Impressive stuff.
Phoenix *is* brutal, and Texas, and New Orleans. New Orleans is like DC, squared. Ah was fixin’ to expiiiah!
Yeah but this WEATHER. My neighbors are out of power again and again… so glad I’m not on their grid. And they’re still working to get power restored to the traffic lights in our area.
It’s all my fault isn’t it? All this has happened since I left!! 8-|
Humorously, I am comforted by the smell of Vick’s Vapo rub. My mom used to use both the direct application and the kerchief methods–my choice–and not only did it actually help during certain points in the congestion curve, I also came to associate it with being tended to.
As far as horseradish, ick, got your message. But there is a family recipe for cough syrup that involves pressing onion slices between a couple of plates…
No go on the game. I’m too much believing some of the “perfect place” lies in solving the tension between ideal and what have. That said, in my perfect world, I have a city abode and a lake cottage, near the 42nd and 45th parallels, and an ample budget for travel. :)
Actually, I would love a good sushi outing right about now; a few hits of wasabi would probably do the trick.
Vapo Rub is just unspeakably…I don’t like it, even though it certainly does work.
I agree with your “perfect place”. One day…
I have to say, Judgement City sounds pretty good, too. ;)
As a girl raised and currently living in southwest Florida who did not see snow until age 21, I’m only happy if it’s warm enough to go outside in a bikini. Cold weather and I do not agree… 72 degrees is about as low as I can comfortably go.
That being said, I would rather die than live in a Florida with no air conditioning.
I guess you won’t ever be visiting me here in Canada in January? :d
I agree with you that August is my least favorite month of the year..Summer’s over. school starts…UGH..although I do love fall and the lovely colors.
I guess maybe Hawaii, its about 80 all the time…that would be nice…
I used to hate the month of March most of all, but it’s definitely true that the older you get, the faster time goes. Now, they all fly by too quickly.
So, you… didn’t like the Chinese balm thing? (It actually sounds kind of nice to me, but then I like those medicinal type smells.)
No matter where I moved, I’d be disappointed in the weather at some point; it can’t stay perfect for ever. I love my seasons, and whatever bad weather we get in SW VA, it seems like somewhere else is getting the same thing, only worse… summer whining notwithstanding, here is actually pretty good.
My husband and I have occasionally discussed picking up and moving to New Zealand, where he did his master’s degree. We probably won’t do it – family is here, and there’s that whole bit about moving halfway across the world – but it’s fun to think about. I liked Wellington very much, but he says it’s too windy there. Now we’re thinking Te Awamutu, which is north and west of Wellington. (It won’t happen. But IF we ever move, I’ll push for NZ.)
No, not a big fan of medicinal smells, unless we’re talking Serge.
I would LOVE to visit AU and NZ one of these days. I have such a fascination with that part of the world. I don’t think I’ll believe Sydney Harbour actually exists until I see it in person. It looks so breathtaking.
Tell me something: do toilets actually flush counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere?? :d
Sydney Harbour is stunning. Depending on which way you’re looking at it, the Opera House looks like sails, seashells, or mermaid tails. The Bridge is very attractive. And if you start at Australia Square (which is round) and go to Circular Quay (which is rectangular), you can take the ferry to Manly for about $3 and get a nice, relaxing half-hour ride out to one of the prettiest beaches I’ve ever seen.
That said, I really felt more at home in NZ. It’s very green.
The toilets have the water-saving option of half-flush (for liquids only) or full-flush, which is pretty cool, but I didn’t actually notice which way they drain out…
Fun fact: Toilets flush in the direction of the jets in the bowl!
LOL, Bunny! You know, this myth was a tough one to bust in my head; I loved it SOOoo much…what *is* the attraction in that???
People like swirly water? lol I don’t know… Maybe because it was on the Simpsons and it crept into everyone’s head and never left.
It’s been rolling around in my head since way before The Simpsons!
Oh, good to know. And makes sense.
New Zealand is mild – 30 degrees C is exceptionally hot and generally only the lower south island gets snow in lowland areas. The weather is quite changeable but I like it. Wellington is my favourite (“you can’t beat Wellington on a good day”) but we now live in Hamilton and it’s not too bad aside from less cultural. I love snow but just to visit. The same with anywhere over 30 degrees C. But it’s much harder to get a perfume fix!
Heaven?
See my response above about the Albert Brooks movie “Defending Your Life”.
Nava:
While the stuff your friend gave you will work in a sledge hammer kind of way, try a good quality lavender essential oil. A few drops on each temple and rubbed across your sinus passages will work wonders – both for decongesting and for the pain. I usually wouldn’t recommend using essential oils neat, but even with my super sensitive skin, lavender is fine and works great.
I live in the Bluegrass region of central Ky. and extremes-of-weather-R-us! I remember a winter with an actual temp. of -20 F. with winds of 35mph. and summers of over 100 degrees with matching humidity. Oh yeah, and did I mention the tornados? But it all makes our beautiful springs and falls all the more precious.
Thanks for the tip. I love the smell of a good lavender oil, and that actually sounds very soothing. That White Flower stuff is truly vile. 😮
I’ve never actually seen a tornado in person, but I think I would not do well living in a region where they are a threat. And surprisingly, there are parts of southern Ontario that seem to be getting them now fairly regularly!
I think you need a little change to appreciate what you have. (Then again, I’ve never been to Hawaii.) Close to the same temperatures all year is one of the many reasons I would not want to live in Miami. I like having some seasons, so the mid south (Virginia, North Carolina) or parts of Britain (southern England, Coastal Scotland)are possibilities.
Hey, Miami has seasons, the Dry Season and the Wet Season! ;-) Or you can divvy it up as the Hot Season and the Very, Very Hot Season.
No offence, but you couldn’t pay me to go to Miami this time of year!
Suburban DC Virginia is a definite “no”. But southern England and coastal Scotland…maybe. 🙂
I’d find something to complain about no matter where I lived!
I’m afraid I probably would, too. :d
I used to feel the DC weather was not bad, except the “somewhat” excessive summer heat-which has lingered in the high 80s and low 90s for many years. I’ve always enjoyed the general sunniness after my Oregon youth. The winters have had the occasional snow-but not so much that I didn’t just enjoy the beauty of it. Of course, this year has been really rough-brutal winter, brutal summer. And yesterday-two horrifying storms in one day. Horrors-I got trapped in Nordstrom for an hour!
Sooo-I think about going a little south (Asheville, maybe), or even back to Oregon-especially Central Oregon-definite seasons, but mostly dry with deep blue skies, Poderosa pines, and mellow folks.
Then there’s Santa Fe-I think I just might miss the ocean, though. No ideals in this world, but it’s gotta get better than this!
Absolutely, Louise! There are no ideals, but this is becoming unbearable.
Oregon sounds lovely, and I really want to visit Santa Fe one of these days, but like you, I need to be near water. And, there are much worse places to be trapped during a thunderstorm than Nordies!
Go on, laugh, but the UK is very temperate and we don’t get extremes. The trouble is, we don’t get all that much sun, either, but contrary to what you might think it doesn’t rain that much, really it doesn’t (at least not in London).
The payback? English women tend to have very good skin – no sun damage here!
You had a pretty wild winter did you not? But, I agree; English women do have great skin.
Well, it is NOT Kansas City. Though I hate the winter soooo much, I don’t allow myself to complain about the summer heat…and it IS sweltering. Oops, was that a complaint?
I suppose it would have to be Hawaii for me…only been there twice but isn’t it always 82 for a high and 68 for a low? I like warmer than that, but then I’ve never been one for moderation.
I’ve never been, but if all the episodes of “Dog the Bounty Hunter” I’ve watched lately are any indication, it always looks like it’s about to storm.
You’ve already made the leap into Canada so why don’t you come on over to the West Coast? Vancouver is lovely!
I am hoping to visit Vancouver one day. I have yet to venture west of Winnipeg.
Nava– Oakland. Oakland, Oakland. :)>-
Actually, Napa, Napa, Napa…if I could afford it! :d
Amen to that. I live in El Cerrito, and I think it’s the perfect weather. Oakland might be a teensy bit too warm for me.
Napa is lovely. The last time I drove through Napa, I saw two bald eagles flying over a vineyard. But Oakland has Blue Bottle Coffee. Great Bakeries. Lotsa wine bars. Gardens. Lakes. Public transit. Thrift stores. Book stores. Movies. Farmer’s Markets. Hekka good tacos. A terrific public library. All sorts of wonderful people. And, I had to wear a sweater today, until about 1– after that, it was just perfect to go sleeveless, for about 5 hours, then it was cold again. We need a good place to buy indie perfumes, though. :) Right now, I’m going to try out the little sample of Penhaligon’s Quercus bath bubbles I picked up Parfums Raffy last time I was in LA. Representin-Oaktown–:)>-
Sorry, Nava, you’d have to try a new planet. I have friends in both San Diego and Antarctica (well, he guides hikers/travelers down there), and they say there’s weather craziness in both places. And apart from weird weather, in San Diego, you get the fire season, which is hell, and Antarctica has the most ferocious storms on the planet. Maybe under the sea, but that hasn’t sounded too good lately either….
Wow, Masha; I always thought San Diego (with the exception of the fires) was the most temperate place in North America. Actually, my preferred location would be “Judgment City” from that early 90’s Albert Brooks movie “Defending Your Life”. There was a scene in which he turned on the television to “The Weather Channel” and all that kept flashing across the screen was “75 degrees and sunny, every day.” That would work for me!
Exactly where I live now (Chicago), but I’d prefer to be unconscious from January 1 until around the end of May.
LOL! I’d prefer to be unconscious right now. My head is absolutely killing me!
High Altitude or on a volcano (inactive). Ketchum, Idaho or San Miguel de Allende, Bhutan (yummy blue poppies), maybe Leadville.
Leadville?
I’d love to try high-altitude living to see if I could actually get used to it. Patty? Denver – your thoughts?
Denver is only a mile I think, so baby steps. Ketchum is 7,000 but you can get to 11,000 easy. Cool at night, sunny and dry.
SE Tennessee. Four distinct, beautiful seasons; summer is bearable, and in winter you’ll get a couple of feet of snow a couple of times, but nothing ghastly. Fall and spring are a feast.
Sounds beautiful. 🙂
Martha’s Vineyard because it’s so gorgeous there that even if the weather is bad (Nor’easter anyone?) you really don’t care.
I was actually thinking Nantucket, but the boat ride back-and-forth to the mainland would probably kill me.
MV is so much more diverse with not only beaches but soaring cliffs and towns and ponds and beautiful, beautiful farms and the ferry ride is so much shorter. There’s a book from about 25 years ago (the name of which escapes me at the moment) written by a woman who wanted to get her life sorted so she spent a winter alone with her dog on Nantucket and honestly, it sounds as if the isolation would be murder. There’s more variety on the Vineyard and it’s an easy hop to the mainland.
As long as I have Internet access, it’s not the isolation that would do me in; I’d be puking my guts up on that blasted ferry!
That’s what *she* said, just before she stuck her head in the oven ;)
OY!:o
Higher altitudes in the tropics are nice – sunny but not hot.
Where, specifically? That sounds ideal!