The Hits: The heat took us by surprise

The Hits DJ Megan Banks.

Well, it’s happened. For the first time in 2023, I’m complaining about the heat.

For most of 2023, I’ve complained about the rain, so it’s been a nice turn to finally see the sun, I guess. After a Waitangi weekend of sweltering temperatures that seemed to come out of nowhere and whack us on the back of the neck, we are back in summer.

Apologies if by the time you read this, we’ve got rain and cooler temperatures again - you can’t win, right?!

I don’t know about you, but we were ill-prepared for the hot sun.

We tried going for a walk, and had to jump from tree to tree to find shady spots. It was a scramble to find any bottle of sunscreen that actually had any left in it.

I was shaking the heck out of the aerosols that had clogged nozzles, trying to spray them upside-down to clear them. I’m so thankful we have a pool, but even that felt a bit ick, as it was like a tepid bath.

We do have an air conditioning unit, but it’s in the hallway, so the bedrooms kind of get some relief, but we can’t all party in the hallway. Believe me, I’ve tried. I’ve parked a little stool in the hall at exactly the point where the cool air comes down, but unfortunately, our cat lies in that exact spot - and she rules the house, so I have to move.

The flies have also decided to multiply in our lovely warm weather, so cooking a leg of lamb is completely out of the question. In fact, cooking anything is out of the question. It’s been too hot to even do the dishes! The only good to come out of it is the fact that the sun magically removes any stains on your clothing, so I am saving on fabric cleaner, which is a nice benefit.

It’s our poor dog that I’ve been worrying the most about, though. She chewed through her cooling mat, so there went that idea. I have been freezing bits of dog food in water and letting her go for it, but I understand it’s not her favourite thing.

I’d be mad, too, if my husband cut up little bits of my favourite cheese and crackers, froze them in a bottle of sauvignon blanc in an icecream container, then said ‘Here’s dinner’.