Massive midsummer/midwinter meme...

[magnetic_pole]

I'm currently playing hooky from not one but two parties I thought I'd have to go to this evening. Our current house guest is off at one, my partner is at the other, and I'm all alone in the apartment, sipping tea, listening to the radio, and feeling gloriously alone.

To counter the mid-year lull 'round these parts, have an interactive meme! Thanks to both thefridayfive and therealsnape for contributing some of the questions, and to therealsnape for encouraging memeage more generally.

How to play? Well, first, read through the questions and leave me the number of the question(s) you'd like me to answer. (Please, ask away! I'd love to chat.) If you're up for answering questions yourself, paste them at your journal so we can ask you, too. Text box with questions below!

1) What season are you currently experiencing in your part of the world? Has the weather been typical of that season recently? 2) Apart from the weather, how can you tell what season it is? What about your life or local life changes with the seasons? 3) What's the best thing about the current season? The most annoying? 4) Does the current season affect your mood or your daily habits? 5) Are there activities, events, or traditions that accompany this season in your part of the world? 6) Are there local foods that are only available or that are more available this season? 7) Are there memories you associate with this season? 8) Do have plans or goals for this season? For other seasons? 9) If you could live perpetually in one season, which would it be? Is that the same as your favorite season? 10) Do the conventional designations (i.e., summer, winter, etc.) describe the changing seasons in your part of the world? If you could rename your local seasons, what would you call them, and how would you describe them? 11) Are you sensing the effects of climate change where you live? 12) Do you have different clothes for different seasons? Do you prefer one wardrobe to another? 13) Do you use heat, fans, or air conditioning? Do you and your family or housemates agree on how to regulate the heat, fan, or air conditioning? 14) Do some seasons seem to last longer than others, to you? Has that changed as you age? 15) Do you decorate your house or change your environment in any way to mark the change of the seasons? 16) During what season are you most likely to want to get away from the weather, and where would you go if you could? 17) Are there any idioms or sayings about the current season where you live? Any local wisdom? 18) Imagine the depths of winter where you live. Would you rather have 1) less precipitation, 2) warmer temperatures, or 3) more light/longer days? 19) Imagine the peak of summer where you live. What would make it more bearable? 20) What's a book, film, or tv show you associate with the current season?

Twenty seasonal questions...

1) What season are you currently experiencing in your part of the world? Has the weather been typical of that season recently?

2) Apart from the weather, how can you tell what season it is? What about your life or local life changes with the seasons?

3) What's the best thing about the current season? The most annoying?

4) Does the current season affect your mood or your daily habits?

5) Are there activities, events, or traditions that accompany this season in your part of the world?

6) Are there local foods that are only available or that are more available this season?

7) Are there memories you associate with this season?

8) Do have plans or goals for this season? For other seasons?

9) If you could live perpetually in one season, which would it be? Is that the same as your favorite season?

10) Do the conventional designations (i.e., summer, winter, etc.) describe the changing seasons in your part of the world? If you could rename your local seasons, what would you call them, and how would you describe them?

11) Are you sensing the effects of climate change where you live?

12) Do you have different clothes for different seasons? Do you prefer one wardrobe to another?

13) Do you use heat, fans, or air conditioning? Do you and your family or housemates agree on how to regulate the heat, fan, or air conditioning?

14) Do some seasons seem to last longer than others, to you? Has that changed as you age?

15) Do you decorate your house or change your environment in any way to mark the change of the seasons?

16) During what season are you most likely to want to get away from the weather, and where would you go if you could?

17) Are there any idioms or sayings about the current season where you live? Any local wisdom?

18) Imagine the depths of winter where you live. Would you rather have 1) less precipitation, 2) warmer temperatures, or 3) more light/longer days?

19) Imagine the peak of summer where you live. What would make it more bearable?

20) What's a book, film, or tv show you associate with the current season?

Comments

[secretsolitaire]

Ooh. How about #13 and #20?

[magnetic_pole]

13) Do you use heat, fans, or air conditioning? Do you and your family or housemates agree on how to regulate the heat, fan, or air conditioning?

We're in an odd situation as the residents of a seventh (and top) floor apartment in a very sturdy and well-insulated apartment building from the 1930s. Despite the fact that it gets fairly cold here in the winter, all the heat rises and keeps us toasty, so in three winters, we've only had to turn on the heat once--it rarely falls below about 65F/18C indoors. But over the summer we need to keep the air conditioning on constantly from June through September. We keep it at about 76F/24C in the summer.

R is definitely tougher and could put up with colder temps indoors, but luckily we rarely need to argue about that. :)

20) What's a book, film, or tv show you associate with the current season?

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, a book about nostalgia for the summers of the author's boyhood.

Thanks for playing along! M.

[write_out]

Fun questions! #s 6 and 9!

[magnetic_pole]

6) Are there local foods that are only available or that are more available this season?

White peaches! Actually, they haven't been great this season, but they're still a favorite. Sometimes a good taste is mostly sense-memory anyway, right?

9) If you could live perpetually in one season, which would it be? Is that the same as your favorite season?

Summer, summer, summer! Mostly because the academic schedule means I can sleep in at this time of year and work late into the night. Plus I love the warmth and sunshine. *glances out the window* When we have it. :)

Thanks for asking! Would you like a question yourself? M.

[write_out]

Sometimes a good taste is mostly sense-memory anyway, right?

Yes!

I love how much you love summer! It makes sense with your schedule too. It seems like it's been a hotter than usual summer all over; has it not been the same for you?

I want to copy this post in my own space and then you can ask as many questions as you want. :)

[magnetic_pole]

Please take the meme if you'd like! You have a very different group of folks who might want to play along. And I'd be amused to read the answers of someone who doesn't love summer. :) (Actually, if my students are anything to go by, *lots* of people don't like summer very much. I just find it hard to believe.)

We've been all over the map this year. Very warm temps in February (including a day I went to work without a jacket), snow and chilly temps in April, a bone-dry early July and more rain than we've ever gotten in July during the last two weeks. August has been both pleasant and humid. It's all so confusing! M.

[therealsnape]

I'll go with 2 and 5, and I'm glad to see a few other numbers I wanted to choose are already asked.


You've certainly turned this into a fun meme, and I'll copy it soonest!

[magnetic_pole]

2) Apart from the weather, how can you tell what season it is? What about your life or local life changes with the seasons?

It gets really quiet around here at this time of year. Technically it's only Congress that takes a recess in August, but then all of the vaguely congressional-related organizations see that Congress is out and take vacations at the same time, and then everyone else says, August is so quiet in DC and takes vacation then, too.

5) Are there activities, events, or traditions that accompany this season in your part of the world?

* Massive influx of tourists near the Mall! I always feel so sorry for them because it's so hot and humid in August. DC is lovely at other times of the year, but August seems to be when families can travel, so they all head home sunburned and exhausted.

* Getting soaked in the rain. Every year I forget that I need to bring an umbrella at even the slightest chance of rain in the summer months, because the heavens have a way of opening up and drenching you after about 4:00 in the afternoon.

* Outdoor swimming, hurrah!

Thanks for playing. About to ask you a few of these myself! M.

[glass_icarus]

7 & 15?? :)

[magnetic_pole]

7) Are there memories you associate with this season?

When I was young, I didn't do much over the summer but read. I'd go to the library as check out as many books as I could carry and shut myself up in the bedroom and read for hours. I haven't felt that much deep leisure and escape in reading since, and I miss it.

15) Do you decorate your house or change your environment in any way to mark the change of the seasons?

Oh my word, summer is for cleaning up! I get tired in the spring semester and tend to let things go, so this time of year I'm usually returning the apartment to its normal state. Yesterday I saw the surface of my desk for the first time in months. :)

Thanks for stopping by! Would you like a question or two yourself? M.

[liseuse]

Oooh! 18 & 19?

[magnetic_pole]

18) Imagine the depths of winter where you live. Would you rather have 1) less precipitation, 2) warmer temperatures, or 3) more light/longer days?

Longer days! The dark-at-4:30 p..m weeks of the winter are the hardest. What about you? You're so good with the cold, maybe none of the bother you that much.

19) Imagine the peak of summer where you live. What would make it more bearable?

Less humidity. The stickiness is so uncomfortable. Or, if we didn't imagine omnipotence, ice cream!

Thanks for playing! Would you like some questions? M.

[liseuse]

I love the long evenings and nights. I am less keen on it being dark when I'm still at my desk at work, but I love being able to go home and cosy up. The length of summer evenings makes me feel like I should be doing something, despite it being bedtime! In the depths of the Yorkshire winter I totally wish for less precipitation though - it's a very wet climate and that gets wearing in winter.

I actually posted the meme! So, yes, I would love questions: https://liseuse.dreamwidth.org/763440.html

[magnetic_pole]

In the depths of the Yorkshire winter I totally wish for less precipitation though - it's a very wet climate and that gets wearing in winter.

I'm sure! Am I remembering this correctly--you don't actually get much snow, do you? Mostly rain?

Sorry to hear about your heatwave. :( Your part of the world is really unprepared for that--the heat must be taxing. M.

[liseuse]

No, we don't get much snow. This winter was unusual for how much of it landed on Home City. We're in the valley, so the hills get it; where I grew up it would snow right through from mid/late-October to Easter without fail. Snow in Home City is becoming more 'normal' though, which I love, but is a pain because we're not set up for it and no one knows what to do with it! Lots of rain though. Sometimes we get delightful crisp, cold, clear snaps and I am in fits of joy.

Yeahh we're not coping well! My office has no air-con, my house obviously has no air-con, none of my wardrobe is designed for it! Luckily we've dropped back to fairly normal temperatures for the time of year, so fingers crossed that will stay. Apparently there was a very weak jet stream? Which meant that the hot weather sat over us for longer than it would usually have done.

[magnetic_pole]

Has the heat broken for you yet? Now that I can imagine your house, I know exactly unpleasant the hot days must have been. M.

[liseuse]

Yes, thankfully it has broken and we're back to regular August temperatures, and unpredictable bouts of rain so my soul is soothed. My house is usually a delight but the two big windows which let in lots of light were not my friends! The downstairs wasn't too bad, but the bedrooms were horrible.

[magnetic_pole]

Yay! Hope you can take out your sweaters soon. :) M.

[liseuse]

I do actually have a light pajama jumper thing on RIGHT NOW, it is the best thing ever. And I'm wearing slippers! Not flipflops, slippers!

[magnetic_pole]

Craziness! :) M.

[liseuse]

*revels*

[minervas_eule]

No. 15 and 16 are the ones I would like to hear about.

[magnetic_pole]

15) Do you decorate your house or change your environment in any way to mark the change of the seasons?

(Aha! I just answered this one for glass icarus above, but now I wonder if I should try to get some photos to show here. It would improve the story. I'll take a look.)

Summer is all about cleaning (since I tend to let things go at the end of the spring semester, when I get tired) and home improvement. I've been working on my desk for a few weeks now and can finally see the surface. I also got a new shower curtain and towels for the bathroom, and it feels completely renovated and luxurious.

16) During what season are you most likely to want to get away from the weather, and where would you go if you could?

Late March/early April--when winter's not really over, and you're so ready for spring--is hard. I'd go somewhere sunny and warm in a heartbeat.

Thanks for playing along! Would you like a question or two? M.

[kelly_chambliss]

3 and 17, please!

[magnetic_pole]

3) What's the best thing about the current season? The most annoying?

Sandals, definitely, for the best thing. (And tee shirts and shorts--I love not having to get dressed up.) Back-to-school displays at my local Target are the worst--they're such a grim reminder at how few days I have left before the commute begins again.

17) Are there any idioms or sayings about the current season where you live? Any local wisdom?

Gah! I think DC has the opposite of wisdom when it comes to seasons and weather--folks always seem to be dressing for yesterday's or the day before's weather. I keep looking out the window to check to see what people are wearing before I go out, and I keep mistakenly heading out dressed for the wrong temperature.

Although the other I did hear someone say "Ignore the radio and just take an umbrella" which seems to be excellent advice for this soggy July. I brought one today and was not disappointed.

Thanks for playing! Would you like a question yourself? M.