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jack97

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Being in the food industry, I hear you about the commercial kitchen deal...

When I was old enuf (about 13 yr), my dad told me to work in his restaurant during the summers. Washing dishes, doing food prep and cleaning up. That place was hot and muggy even at night, the cooking oil in the air doesn't help at all. The only plus was that I wouldn't get sun burn from staying outdoors.

Nowadays, I don't complain much about the heat and humidity.... I just think about how bad it was back then.
 

MRGisevil

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I have a great room with floor to ceiling southwest facing windows. When I get home from work in the summer it is almost impossible to live in. Aside from running an AC 24/7 there's nothing we can do to cool it- no central air and would cost $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to set the house up for it. So, if I'm not doing yardwork or hiking/ MTBing I am hybernating in my bedroom with the AC at full blast until September brings me relief.
 

JimG.

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As a home owner some of that stuff is a given. Like last night, I got home from work and tore out an old mildew smelling rug out of the finished basement.

As for the kid stuff, our first one is due in 11 days. I'm looking forward to watching the kid have fun. Despite the sleep deprivation, I'm excited for the upcoming events!

PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY!

When kids are infants, they act more like a possession than a person. What I mean to say is that they pretty much stay in the place you put them, 1/2 the time they are strapped into something and immobile, they need to be cleaned regularly, they don't talk to you or talk back (not in a way you understand in detail anyway). The only thing different is that you have to feed them.

It becomes more difficult when they start to walk, but until they are 3 or so they are so cute you just adore them.

Once they hit 4-5 years old, that all changes. Now they become little people with demands, emotions, issues, needs, desires, bad habits, etc. And when they get to 10 they become a real person/pain in the ass. At least boys do. Bad breath, body odor, farting and burping and laughing about it, fresh mouth. But they still remember how to whine like a 3 year old. My 13 year old is now discovering girls. And they're discovering him too. Oy!

It's a challenge to direct all of that youthful energy to good purpose. It's alot of work to create productive members of society with good manners and behaviour. But it's work you and only you can do. You learn what it is to make personal sacrifice to benefit them. And even though you love it, it's alot.

In the winter, we ski together and it's relatively easy to juggle things. But in summer, with 5 acres to tend to, ceaseless soccer practice/games to attend, a job all week, it gets to be a strain and personal down time is at a premium if any exists at all. I'll get up at 4am on a Sunday to go fishing just to be home by 10am to do yardwork. And it's still a sacrifice because it's hotter then.

So that's why I said what I did about kids and summer.
 
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Greg

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PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY!

When kids are infants, they act more like a possession than a person. What I mean to say is that they pretty much stay in the place you put them, 1/2 the time they are strapped into something and immobile, they need to be cleaned regularly, they don't talk to you or talk back (not in a way you understand in detail anyway). The only thing different is that you have to feed them.

It becomes more difficult when they start to walk, but until they are 3 or so they are so cute you just adore them.

Once they hit 4-5 years old, that all changes. Now they become little people with demands, emotions, issues, needs, desires, bad habits, etc. And when they get to 10 they become a real person/pain in the ass. At least boys do. Bad breath, body odor, farting and burping and laughing about it, fresh mouth. But they still remember how to whine like a 3 year old. My 13 year old is now discovering girls. And they're discovering him too. Oy!

It's a challenge to direct all of that youthful energy to good purpose. It's alot of work to create productive members of society with good manners and behaviour. But it's work you and only you can do. You learn what it is to make personal sacrifice to benefit them. And even though you love it, it's alot.

I'm only to the 4 year old point with my oldest, but Jim's right up to at least that point. For both my girls, the hardest part is when they are learning to walk. It's CONSTANT at that point. Enjoy the early months because as Jim says, they're pretty much in their own self-contained package. My youngest is now 18 months and has been walking for 9 so she's pretty stable even outside on uneven ground. We can pretty much let her loose in the yard. She's starting to listen a bit and is becoming more and more content sitting quality and playing with her sister. As I understand it, boys don't sit still. It makes me really appreciate my daughters, but I'm sure I'll be going nuts when they're teenagers. Hopefully, they'll only be interested in boys like the ones Jim raises...

Anyway, back on topic. I can deal with the heat/humidity. It doesn't bother me all that much except when trying to sleep at night, at which point the AC gets cranked. Working in the heat bugs me more after the day is over. It seems like my breathing suffers after a day working in the humidity; you know that "waterlogged" feeling when you inhale deeply?
 

hammer

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I think I used to like summer more before I had 3 kids. I read the responses here about the hikes, bike rides, and kayaking and I have to laugh. My outdoors activity in summer is mowing, weedwacking, digging dirt, hefting stones and large bags of miscellaneous crap, etc. Then I get to drive my kids to watch THEM have fun doing something because they're inside and bored. At least I've gotten my 13 year old onto the riding mower and doing an acceptable job of mowing the lawn. I told him it's good practice for driving a car when he's 16.

I'd never seen him move so fast to do a chore as when I said that.
Big downside to spring/summer/fall for me is yard work...even after owning a house for 12 years I still can't get into doing stuff around the yard.

Yes, and my wife and I also have to figure out how to keep the kids entertained without just having them plugged into TV/Gameboy/computer...one can only try so much to get them involved in yard chores.

My 14 YO is the same way about running the riding mower. Unfortunately, I still have to watch him like a hawk when he rides it...last time he zipped down the front yard (which has a decent downslope to the street) and almost went flying off of the curb.:eek:
 

JimG.

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Hopefully, they'll only be interested in boys like the ones Jim raises...

Working in the heat bugs me more after the day is over. It seems like my breathing suffers after a day working in the humidity; you know that "waterlogged" feeling when you inhale deeply?

Oh you poor deluded soul. I'm actually glad I don't have girls...won't need to buy a shotgun and stand at the front door come dating time.

Breathing is occasionally unhealthy in this heat. That's why they issue Ozone alerts. Bad for your health.
 

Marc

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Oh you poor deluded soul. I'm actually glad I don't have girls...won't need to buy a shotgun and stand at the front door come dating time.

Breathing is occasionally unhealthy in this heat. That's why they issue Ozone alerts. Bad for your health.

Jim is correct. It's not the humidity, its the humidity keeping the ground level ozone down. Ozone is a respiratory irritant. After prolonged exposure, which is increased by working hard, breathing more, and thus exposing your lungs to a greater volume of air, the ozone will cause swelling and hypersensitivity of lung tissue. You're lung capacity will be temporarily decreased and you will cough more often.

Check out NOAA's air quality map for guidance:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/aq/
 

ctenidae

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I grew up in southern Arkansas, surrounded by rice fields that are flooded all summer. I've seen it rain without a cloud in the sky, the humidity was so high. 95 degrees was a cool summer day. I don't remember ever being hot as a kid, but that's probably just ebcause I was a kid. Then I moved to North Carolina, where it was just as hot, but instead of rice fields we had Marshes. I recall a few days where I didn't want to go out, but did, anyway. I even lived in southern Louisiana for a while, where walking outside to get the mail necessitated a shower. I'd do 40 miles a day on my bike, and spent most of my time outdoors.

Now that I've gotten used to actual seasons, I thoroughly dislike the heat.
 

Grassi21

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PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY!

When kids are infants, they act more like a possession than a person. What I mean to say is that they pretty much stay in the place you put them, 1/2 the time they are strapped into something and immobile, they need to be cleaned regularly, they don't talk to you or talk back (not in a way you understand in detail anyway). The only thing different is that you have to feed them.

It becomes more difficult when they start to walk, but until they are 3 or so they are so cute you just adore them.

Once they hit 4-5 years old, that all changes. Now they become little people with demands, emotions, issues, needs, desires, bad habits, etc. And when they get to 10 they become a real person/pain in the ass. At least boys do. Bad breath, body odor, farting and burping and laughing about it, fresh mouth. But they still remember how to whine like a 3 year old. My 13 year old is now discovering girls. And they're discovering him too. Oy!

It's a challenge to direct all of that youthful energy to good purpose. It's alot of work to create productive members of society with good manners and behaviour. But it's work you and only you can do. You learn what it is to make personal sacrifice to benefit them. And even though you love it, it's alot.

In the winter, we ski together and it's relatively easy to juggle things. But in summer, with 5 acres to tend to, ceaseless soccer practice/games to attend, a job all week, it gets to be a strain and personal down time is at a premium if any exists at all. I'll get up at 4am on a Sunday to go fishing just to be home by 10am to do yardwork. And it's still a sacrifice because it's hotter then.

So that's why I said what I did about kids and summer.

I wouldn't take that the wrong way. Good points. I enjoy hearing stuff like this so I know what to expect. I always find your perspective on kids and youth sports to be on the money from my experience and observations as a coach.
 

Marc

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PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY!

When kids are infants, they act more like a possession than a person. What I mean to say is that they pretty much stay in the place you put them, 1/2 the time they are strapped into something and immobile, they need to be cleaned regularly, they don't talk to you or talk back (not in a way you understand in detail anyway). The only thing different is that you have to feed them.

It becomes more difficult when they start to walk, but until they are 3 or so they are so cute you just adore them.

Once they hit 4-5 years old, that all changes. Now they become little people with demands, emotions, issues, needs, desires, bad habits, etc. And when they get to 10 they become a real person/pain in the ass. At least boys do. Bad breath, body odor, farting and burping and laughing about it, fresh mouth. But they still remember how to whine like a 3 year old. My 13 year old is now discovering girls. And they're discovering him too. Oy!

It's a challenge to direct all of that youthful energy to good purpose. It's alot of work to create productive members of society with good manners and behaviour. But it's work you and only you can do. You learn what it is to make personal sacrifice to benefit them. And even though you love it, it's alot.

In the winter, we ski together and it's relatively easy to juggle things. But in summer, with 5 acres to tend to, ceaseless soccer practice/games to attend, a job all week, it gets to be a strain and personal down time is at a premium if any exists at all. I'll get up at 4am on a Sunday to go fishing just to be home by 10am to do yardwork. And it's still a sacrifice because it's hotter then.

So that's why I said what I did about kids and summer.

So you know, this is going on my ever lengthening list of why I don't ever want kids.
 

Grassi21

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So you know, this is going on my ever lengthening list of why I don't ever want kids.

Marc, first you need to move on to intimate contact with a human woman. Then you can consider kids. Sorry bud, I couldn't resist that window for comedic relief.
 

Marc

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Marc, first you need to move on to intimate contact with a human woman. Then you can consider kids. Sorry bud, I couldn't resist that window for comedic relief.

You mean... ManSheep children don't count???






Seriously, I've been seeing a great girl for 7 months now. The topic of children as never come up. Hope it never does. Just thinking about it feels like someone squeezing my neck until I can't breathe anymore.
 

JimG.

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Holy crap! It's worse out there today than it was yesterday.

I don't like it when I can see the air I'm breathing.
 

Grassi21

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Just got back from the grocery store. Horrible. We are taking my buds boat out in the Sound this afternoon. I'm going to have to jump in to cool off.
 

cbcbd

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Seriously, I've been seeing a great girl for 7 months now. The topic of children as never come up. Hope it never does. Just thinking about it feels like someone squeezing my neck until I can't breathe anymore.
I hear ya.
My girl doesn't like talking kids/marriage... sometimes I will talk about what we should name our kids... and she freaks out - it's great! :D

Once after one of these jokes and her freaking out I said - "C'mon, just look at my past relationships and me running away from commitment on every one of them - do you really think you have to worry about me popping out a ring?"

She immediately gave me a big hug and a kiss - Lol, I found a good one :D
 
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