Cats, and the Heat of Summer

Birthday Cats

Based on vet estimates, this month Carlos is 5 and Miri is 3. I believe they are planning to celebrate in the usual way.

Whut? ... I was sleepin'.

That photo was not taken today; today, their window is closed (to their displeasure).

Why? Because at 10 this morning in Boston, the temperature was 94, feels-like 98. Oof. And at 12:30, it was 97 and 101. Right now, it's 86, feels-like 89. No matter how much I love them (or Carlos, anyway), that's not open-window weather.

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Cat hair has mysterious powers

I bought a shirt the last time I was at Target (because most of the polo shirts were $10, but kelly green was marked down to $2.50 for some reason). I brought it home and put it in the laundry; washed it and hung it in the cats-don't-go-there closet; put it on this morning and 15 minutes later was out the door.

And I pulled a cat hair off it at work. And then another. Which is why I shower and dress right before I leave: imagine how much transfer I would pick up if I dressed before breakfast instead?

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A Somewhat Indelicate Topic

The best thing about this summer--that we're actually having summer weather, meaning sun and heat beautiful heat*, unlike last summer's chill and gray--is leading me into a problem that I both do and don't want to talk about: sweating.

*And I am NOT complaining. I still ate lunch outside today, and walked home from the T (slowly). I like heat.

If you've been reading here long, you know that I'm pretty easily squicked out*, and I'm not thrilled to be writing about how much I sweat. It's overshare, you know? On the other hand, the people who sit next to me on the T probably wouldn't mind if I worked on this issue, and so I'm going to try to treat it as a potentially solvable problem, like any of the other things you guys have helped me with. Ahem.

*If you're the same, you may not want to finish reading today. Sorry! Please come back tomorrow.

And just to be clear, it's not an antiperspirant/deodorant solution that's needed here. Of course my underarms get damp when it's 90 in the shade, but my issue is face, neck, inside elbows, and backs of knees.

Because here's what I mean: I walk to the bus stop, not rushing, and wait there for the bus. I ride the (generally overcrowded but air-conditioned) bus for five minutes. I get off the bus, cross the street, walk through the (decidedly non-air conditioned) station, and get on the train. Technically, the train is air conditioned, but it suffers a large hot-air-for-cool-air-exchange at every station, so it isn't all that cool. And I ride the train, usually shoulder to shoulder and hip to hip with two strangers, for close to half an hour, with sweat actually rolling off me.

The problem is probably more noticeable to me when I'm wearing a skirt, and when I'm in short sleeves. Solving it by wearing pants and long sleeves is hard, though, since I inevitably feel hotter, plus there's the just-sat-in-a-puddle look. (I had a pair of very lightweight capris a few years ago that, if I sat down outside in hot weather, would be basically soaked through when I stood up. That's attractive.)

I don't so much mind sweating at the end of the day, when I'm on my way home and don't have that try-to-look-like-a-grown-up thing that morning brings. When I'm newly out of the shower and not even halfway to work, I don't want to feel sweat roll down my leg. I don't want to choose between blotting and dripping, because either way, ew!

Suggestions? Help?

I'll settle for sympathy, really...