If you’ve been around here for longer than 5 minutes, you’ve had to come to terms with scorching summer heat. In Lubbock, summer is more of an endurance test than it is a season. Every single year, we all go through the same emotional journey as we watch temperatures climb.<\/p>\n
This journey began for me yesterday when I looked down at my phone and noticed it was 99 degrees outside.<\/p>\n
Here are the totally scientific stages of surviving a Lubbock summer.<\/p>\n
Photo by Immo Wegmann<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a>Stage One: Optimism<\/p>\n Summer has arrived, and you’re feeling pretty good. The kids are out of school. You’re busy planning cookouts, pool parties, and summer vacations.<\/p>\n Sure, it’s warming up, but hey, that’s every summer! It’s not that bad yet…<\/p>\n Stage Two: Denial<\/p>\n The temperature begins dangerously flirting with triple digits, but you’re still determined to act like everything is normal.<\/p>\n “Better bring a light sweater. Might be chilly on the way to work this morning.”<\/p>\n Nope.<\/p>\n “Well, this is better than snow.”<\/p>\n Wrong again.<\/p>\n Stage Three: The Car Interior Betrayal<\/p>\n You open the car door after it’s been sitting in the sun for less than 20 minutes.<\/p>\n The seat belt has already become a medieval torture device, capable of burning the ever-loving hell out of your side upon entry.<\/p>\n That’s no longer a steering wheel. That’s a cattle brand.<\/p>\n The air conditioner blows hot the entire way to your destination.<\/p>\n Stage Four: The Search for Shade<\/p>\n You’ll park a mile away from the store if it means being shaded by a single tree branch.<\/p>\n Stage Five: Electric Bill Anxiety<\/p>\n The AC is running at full blast constantly.<\/p>\n You consider turning the thermostat up a single degree, but back out at the last moment because you “deserve happiness.”<\/p>\n The bill thinks otherwise.<\/p>\n Stage Six: Becoming a Meteorologist<\/p>\n Suddenly, you’re spending hours watching weather apps that all seem to disagree with one another.<\/p>\n The entire city walks outside when a single dark cloud appears.<\/p>\n Everyone is doing rain dances.<\/p>\n In vain, that is.<\/p>\n