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Jul. 21st, 2011
The art of a cold shower
Jul. 21st, 2011 02:35 pmBefore I left Seattle I spent a couple of years living in ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sea_gaagii's wonderful housebarge. The last summer, in particular, was a hot one, and I was heading home from the lab early when I could, so I could spend time working on a paper. There wasn't air conditioning in the boat, so when I got uncomfortably warm, I jumped off the side. Okay, the boat was on the north end of lake union, and the water was more than a little scary, but hey, who could resist? Then I'd come in, rinse off in the shower, and be good to go for a couple of hours.
Right now I am severely lacking a boat and a lake. And Cleveland is having a heat wave, and I'm once again living without air conditioning. So I have been working on the art of a cold shower. (Or, more likely, I am just being Captain Obvious.)
* It starts up with a tepid shower. Run the water a bit, until the temperature is stable and it's on the cool side but a temperature you think you'll be able to bear. As long as it's cooler than your body temperature, it will help. Remember that it will feel cooler as a shower than it does coming out of the tap.
* Step into the shower. If this is hard, think of it like getting into a cool lake to swim. It'll only feel cold for a moment, and then it will feel nice.
* Whenever possible, try to have the water falling over your head and trunk.
* There are two approaches for the next step. For the more aggressive approach, when you realize this doesn't feel that bad, adjust the temperature down. For the gentler one, the point is when you realize this feels pretty nice. Repeat this several times. Bonus points if you can get it down to cold water only with no hot at all... but that's locale dependent (some areas have colder water than others).
* If you're not in an area where water is being particularly conserved, take a nice long shower. This is all about reducing body temperature. Duration counts.
* Wash with something scratchy. Dead skin comes off less readily in cool water.
* When you're done, step out and enjoy the fact that for the moment, the heat feels really good.
sea_gaagii's wonderful housebarge. The last summer, in particular, was a hot one, and I was heading home from the lab early when I could, so I could spend time working on a paper. There wasn't air conditioning in the boat, so when I got uncomfortably warm, I jumped off the side. Okay, the boat was on the north end of lake union, and the water was more than a little scary, but hey, who could resist? Then I'd come in, rinse off in the shower, and be good to go for a couple of hours.Right now I am severely lacking a boat and a lake. And Cleveland is having a heat wave, and I'm once again living without air conditioning. So I have been working on the art of a cold shower. (Or, more likely, I am just being Captain Obvious.)
* It starts up with a tepid shower. Run the water a bit, until the temperature is stable and it's on the cool side but a temperature you think you'll be able to bear. As long as it's cooler than your body temperature, it will help. Remember that it will feel cooler as a shower than it does coming out of the tap.
* Step into the shower. If this is hard, think of it like getting into a cool lake to swim. It'll only feel cold for a moment, and then it will feel nice.
* Whenever possible, try to have the water falling over your head and trunk.
* There are two approaches for the next step. For the more aggressive approach, when you realize this doesn't feel that bad, adjust the temperature down. For the gentler one, the point is when you realize this feels pretty nice. Repeat this several times. Bonus points if you can get it down to cold water only with no hot at all... but that's locale dependent (some areas have colder water than others).
* If you're not in an area where water is being particularly conserved, take a nice long shower. This is all about reducing body temperature. Duration counts.
* Wash with something scratchy. Dead skin comes off less readily in cool water.
* When you're done, step out and enjoy the fact that for the moment, the heat feels really good.
Snail Report
Jul. 21st, 2011 07:14 pmThe snails are happily munching their way through the algae in the tank - I've even been able to find and follow a number of the ceriths (which are the same size or smaller than the gravel in the tank, and like to burrow, so I figured I might never see them). It remains to be seen whether the tank will suit them long term, but things look good for the moment.
One slight hitch - the Aplysia, which run twenty to fifty times the volume of the turbos, and about a bazillion times that of the ceriths (okay, maybe a couple thousand) have decided that turbos holding on to the side of the tank make great hold fasts, allowing them to wave their heads around. Or engage in enthusiastic reproductive behavior. (The Aplysia are more active because I warmed up my tank a little to mke it more hospitable for the newcomers.)
The turbos dont seem to be being harmed, but... that's gotta suck.
(Meanwhile, I have two more species I'd like to try. I'd also kind of like to get some seaweed, but the slugs would just eat it.)
One slight hitch - the Aplysia, which run twenty to fifty times the volume of the turbos, and about a bazillion times that of the ceriths (okay, maybe a couple thousand) have decided that turbos holding on to the side of the tank make great hold fasts, allowing them to wave their heads around. Or engage in enthusiastic reproductive behavior. (The Aplysia are more active because I warmed up my tank a little to mke it more hospitable for the newcomers.)
The turbos dont seem to be being harmed, but... that's gotta suck.
(Meanwhile, I have two more species I'd like to try. I'd also kind of like to get some seaweed, but the slugs would just eat it.)