Friday Five: Keeping My Cool

This was our house in Minnesota the day we baptized Ainsley in 2007.
Keeping cool, indeed.

Ahhhhh... Just a few short months ago, we were shoveling snow. Today, we're sweating buckets!

Highs in the 90s. Humidity in the "uncomfortable" range. And air quality in the "red" zone. It's summer here in the Washington, DC Metro area, and I'm not really a fan.

Recognizing that RevGalBlogPals are from around the world, your weather may be different. But play along and tell us how YOU beat the heat when it's in season with this week's Friday Five.


Tell us your favorite:

1. Cool treat
Ice cream.  Not even close.  Part of the reason I've struggled with weight issues ever since moving to Iowa is there wasn't a Dairy Queen or Cold Stone Creamery within 20 miles of our house in Minnesota (PART of the reason).

2. Cool drink
Good beer.  Followed closely by a pitcher of margaritas.  For non-alcoholic, Diet Mt. Dew is my go-to drink.

3. Cooling-off place
Probably the swimming pool, which for us means the Furman Aquatic Center in Ames.  It's a bit of a drive now that we live in Story City, but the amenities are just better.  Watching my 6 year old jump off the high dive or go down the gigantic drop slide is a great way to cool a couple of hours down on a hot summer afternoon.

4. Cool clothes
I've been completely taken over by "breathable" fabrics.  Tech shirts.  Whatever you call them, I love them.  Most of the race t-shirts I get these days are tech shirts.  Heck, I even got a nice tech polo for playing the Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp Golf Outing last year.  If I can't get tech fabrics, at least give me linen or a light polyester.  Cotton is great for fall & winter, but this time of the year you'll most likely find me in sandals, khaki shorts and a golf polo.

5. Best alternative to air-conditioning
Um, go somewhere that's air-conditioned?  Seriously, when we lived in Minnesota we didn't have central air, but most of the time we didn't need it.  With a "dollar theater" just 10 miles away, a nice library here in town and several other options, we tend to just go places that have air conditioning if we need an alternative.  Either that or get out into the woods into the shade.

BONUS:
Share a photo of your favorite hot weather "chill out" spot.

This is the afore-mentioned Furman Aquatic Center. Kids' pool front center-right, lazy river left, drop slide & "the lake" in the background.  There are two more waterslides that empty into the lazy river out of the frame on the left.