I'm telling myself this will be a good combo, because I love Mr. Phillips and his Dave Matthews-esque stomping and dancing around the stage (plus "Home" makes me at least tear up every single time I hear it), and I think Brian's having a big ole flashback to yesteryear with OAR. We've been debating what kind of crowds these two acts will attract, and we've settled on a combination of the following: a fair share of teeny boppers with "Marry Me Phillip!!" signs, frat-tastic bros, hippies (we're in backwoods NH after all), and the ever-present group of girls dressed in sundresses and Jacks and guys in polos and boat shoes in their mid to late 20s (in case you're wondering that's where we fall). I think it will be a fun night, although it definitely freaks me out a little that we're now attending shows of bands that we liked when they were new and at their peak, they went away for awhile, and now they're back for a comeback tour (so, we're getting old).
The one negative of the weekend is that we'll be staying in a hotel instead of at the condo with everyone else. That's not actually a negative for me because I love staying in hotels, but long story short, it would be saving a lot of buckaroos because the rooms weren't exactly cheap near a hugely popular lake the weekend of July 4th, and while Brian suggested a tent and I think he was half-kidding, I laid down the "I would rather not go than sleep on the ground outside in July" law. The hotel ended up being our only option because while the condo is the perfect size for his aunt, uncle and their kids (and significant others), but once additional people start adding on, it gets a little cramped. Plus there's only one bathroom and no air conditioning, and as bratty and first world problem as it may sound... I need the air conditioning. This need is a source for many pointless arguments between myself and B, but I will argue for cool air probably until the day that I die. This has earned me the honor of being called high maintenance, and I'm totally fine with that.
I blame it on being a born and raised Texan-- as soon as the temps hit the high 70s, the air conditioning came on, because although the heat may not have been bad yet, you could guarantee that the humidity would be stifling. In the summer, you race from the house to the car, crack the windows and crank the AC to get the heat out before you get in, drive to your destination, and then sprint into the air-conditioned building. I am not made for heat-- my hair loses its curl, I get angry and irritated REAL fast, and I will potentially sweat to death. High maintenance.
When I first decided to move to Boston and began the apartment search, I was laughed off the phone by real estate agent after real estate agent when I said that I'd like a unit with air conditioning. Needless to say, that was not in my budget. But you can bet that the day after I moved in, I took the train to Best Buy, bought myself a window unit, carried it home in my arms on the train, and set it up myself. It may have meant I spent the majority of the summer locked in my room with a towel shoved under the door so the cold air couldn't seep out, but I was nice and cool. High maintenance.
When Brian and I first started looking for our first apartment together, I knew that central air would, once again, be a necessity. If you're wondering, yes, we found it, and yes, aside from in-unit washer and dryer, it's the best decision we've made. While central AC is becoming more and more common around here, there are still plenty of apartments and homes that just... don't have it. Growing up, Brian's house had zero AC, and then when his parents remodeled once he was in high school, they took the jump and added it on. So, he grew up with open windows 24/7. There have been times that we nearly came to blows over the fact that we have central AC, I'm absolutely burning up, and he's covered up under a blanket, but he insists the windows are open. We've come to a semi-compromise that if it's cool enough outside and the humidity isn't terrible, that we'll leave the windows open until bed, and then turn on the AC so I don't have to be hot during the night. High maintenance.
And now we're house hunting. Our budget is pretty fair for the average late-20s couple in our area (or so I'd like to think), so it is, shall I say... sort of limited? We've been on the hunt for several months now and we've found maybe three houses that had "Our First Home" potential, and we lost them all. I may or may not be complicating the process by refusing to look at any home that either does not already have central AC, or does not have the duct work already done to easily install central AC (a mere $1000, which I would gladly pay myself and YES, I have looked into it), and I refuse to feel guilty for that. I want to be cool and comfortable in my own home, and there is nothing cool and comfortable about immediately beginning to sweat when you get out of the shower. High maintenance.
At least I come by it honestly. My mom, aunt, and two of my bridesmaids are planning my shower at home in Texas (which is next weekend, whoop whoop!) and when they went to look at the venue where it's being held, they had two options of rooms to decide between-- a loft space which was tight to fit everyone but had full access to the open deck, or a larger open room with plenty of space to spread out but no open patio. My mom told me later that when the coordinator kept pushing for the smaller room with patio access, my mom finally told her "Look ma'am, it will be mid-June, and we do not like to be hot. We would like the room with all of the air conditioning PLEASE." High maintenance-- I got it from my mama.
Now, I'm not a completely ridiculous person. I do love a good summer day like anyone else. Being outside when I'm dressed and prepared for the heat? Totally fine. I love a good run outside on a hot and humid summer morning-- there's nothing more cleansing than spending an hour sweating all of the junk out of your body. Going on a hike, sitting at the beach or on the boat, doing outside things... all fantastic, because I can prepare myself. I can not do my hair, put on just a little makeup, and wear clothes that are going to make me the least hot. But when I get full-blown ready and end up sweating my makeup off and trying to make my hair work in a topknot, things are going to get ugly. So let's try to keep things nice and cool and I won't lose mine.
