As a follow-up to my "Death by Fan" blog post:
I am in Seattle now. I flew up here Thursday morning for a friend's wedding this weekend. It's been super hot here and with a shortage of fans in the area, my sister and I thought it would be a good idea if I brought a couple of fans up from California with me. Although I won't be giving details of the toil and labor of transporting two fans to Seattle, I will say that it was a miserable experience and unfortunately, it proved to be somewhat of a futile effort.
That night, as I slept with a fan directly on me, I woke up twice during the to find my fan turned off. Each time I would turn it on again, until the third time when I woke up to find my mom discreetly switching the fan off.
Me: Mom! What are you doing?!
Mom: I turn off fan.
Me: Why are you doing that? It's hot! I want it on!
Mom: Okay. Sorry. But danger.
Me: It's not danger!
All that work to bring in fans, and my mom ends up hardly even using them! So annoying.
I mentioned the whole "Death by Fan" urban legend to Denise and the fact that my mom kept turning off my fan during the night and she was like, "No wonder Mia and Kimball's fan was always off when they woke up. They were so hot and sweaty."
Argh! Stupid superstition!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Death by Fan
It is sweltering heat in the Pacific Northwest right now. For some reason, this year has brought unusually high temps and extreme weather. While 80- 90-degree weather isn't anything too surprising for many areas around the country, those temps in Seattle can make quite an impression and leave people hot and miserable.
Just like in the winter, in the rare years when it snows a lot, the city shuts down. There aren't enough, if any, snowplows to clear even the largest main roads. So when "extreme" weather hits in the summer, most Seattlites find it challenging to deal with the heat as most home aren't equipped with central air.
But for the past week, temperatures have been outrageous and is expected to last for several days. In fact, today, Seattle was supposed to reach the highest temperature in its history, above 100 degrees.
For the Oh's, my family is practically melting in the heat. When at home, everyone just sweats. Poor little Mia's hair is constantly plastered to her head and there is no escape from the heat anywhere in the house. Since there is no AC, the only alternative to cooling things down are fans, which would entail, there being fans in the house. Unfortunately, ma and pa Oh don't believe in fans. In fact, they are downright fearful of the things.
In Korea, there is a prominent myth believed by pretty much everyone, including my parents.
As defined on Wikipedia: Fan death is a South Korean urban legend which states that an electric fan, if left running overnight in a closed room, can cause the death of those inside (by suffocation, poisoning, or hypothermia). Fans manufactured and sold in Korea are equipped with a timer switch that turns them off after a set number of minutes, which users are frequently urged to set when going to sleep with a fan on.
And my parents are believers! So instead of cooling off with a fan, they would rather suffer in the heat for fear that the fan will kill them in their sleep! So, how does the fan kill? More from Wikipedia:
1. An electric fan creates a vortex, which sucks the oxygen from the enclosed and sealed room and creates a partial vacuum inside.
2. The fan used directly on your body causes suffocation, because the fast-moving air around your face makes inhalation difficult.
3. Breathing through skin constitutes a significant proportion of breathing, and the fast-moving air caused by the fan makes the skin-breathing difficult, leading to suffocation.
4. An electric fan chops up all the oxygen particles in the air leaving none to breathe.
5. The fan uses up the oxygen in the room and creates fatal levels of carbon dioxide.
6. If the fan is left on all night in a sealed and enclosed room, believers in fan death suppose that it will lower the temperature of the room to the point that it can cause hypothermia.
7. Fans contribute to hyperthermia, commonly known as heatstroke.
Crazy? Yes. But to add to the mania, the Korean government backs the claim! And why not? They were raised to believe it too!
If bodies are exposed to electric fans or air conditioners for too long, it causes [the] bodies to lose water and [causes] hypothermia. If directly in contact with [air current from] a fan, this could lead to death from [an] increase of carbon dioxide saturation concentration [sic] and decrease of oxygen concentration. The risks are higher for the elderly and patients with respiratory problems. From 2003 [to] 2005, a total of 20 cases were reported through the CISS involving asphyxiations caused by leaving electric fans and air conditioners on while sleeping. To prevent asphyxiation, timers should be set, wind direction should be rotated and doors should be left open. -Korean Consumer Protection Board
Ridiculous. Have you ever heard of such absurdness?! Now, thinking back to my mission, I do remember my companion urging me to turn off the fan at night before going to sleep to which I refused. It was high 90s all through the summer in Korea with ridiculous levels of humidity! Poor comp, she probably feared for her life, every night.
If the rumor is true, I think we can put all our money on the vortex explanation. Definitely the vortex.
Just like in the winter, in the rare years when it snows a lot, the city shuts down. There aren't enough, if any, snowplows to clear even the largest main roads. So when "extreme" weather hits in the summer, most Seattlites find it challenging to deal with the heat as most home aren't equipped with central air.
But for the past week, temperatures have been outrageous and is expected to last for several days. In fact, today, Seattle was supposed to reach the highest temperature in its history, above 100 degrees.
For the Oh's, my family is practically melting in the heat. When at home, everyone just sweats. Poor little Mia's hair is constantly plastered to her head and there is no escape from the heat anywhere in the house. Since there is no AC, the only alternative to cooling things down are fans, which would entail, there being fans in the house. Unfortunately, ma and pa Oh don't believe in fans. In fact, they are downright fearful of the things.
In Korea, there is a prominent myth believed by pretty much everyone, including my parents.
As defined on Wikipedia: Fan death is a South Korean urban legend which states that an electric fan, if left running overnight in a closed room, can cause the death of those inside (by suffocation, poisoning, or hypothermia). Fans manufactured and sold in Korea are equipped with a timer switch that turns them off after a set number of minutes, which users are frequently urged to set when going to sleep with a fan on.
And my parents are believers! So instead of cooling off with a fan, they would rather suffer in the heat for fear that the fan will kill them in their sleep! So, how does the fan kill? More from Wikipedia:
1. An electric fan creates a vortex, which sucks the oxygen from the enclosed and sealed room and creates a partial vacuum inside.
2. The fan used directly on your body causes suffocation, because the fast-moving air around your face makes inhalation difficult.
3. Breathing through skin constitutes a significant proportion of breathing, and the fast-moving air caused by the fan makes the skin-breathing difficult, leading to suffocation.
4. An electric fan chops up all the oxygen particles in the air leaving none to breathe.
5. The fan uses up the oxygen in the room and creates fatal levels of carbon dioxide.
6. If the fan is left on all night in a sealed and enclosed room, believers in fan death suppose that it will lower the temperature of the room to the point that it can cause hypothermia.
7. Fans contribute to hyperthermia, commonly known as heatstroke.
Crazy? Yes. But to add to the mania, the Korean government backs the claim! And why not? They were raised to believe it too!
If bodies are exposed to electric fans or air conditioners for too long, it causes [the] bodies to lose water and [causes] hypothermia. If directly in contact with [air current from] a fan, this could lead to death from [an] increase of carbon dioxide saturation concentration [sic] and decrease of oxygen concentration. The risks are higher for the elderly and patients with respiratory problems. From 2003 [to] 2005, a total of 20 cases were reported through the CISS involving asphyxiations caused by leaving electric fans and air conditioners on while sleeping. To prevent asphyxiation, timers should be set, wind direction should be rotated and doors should be left open. -Korean Consumer Protection Board
Ridiculous. Have you ever heard of such absurdness?! Now, thinking back to my mission, I do remember my companion urging me to turn off the fan at night before going to sleep to which I refused. It was high 90s all through the summer in Korea with ridiculous levels of humidity! Poor comp, she probably feared for her life, every night.
If the rumor is true, I think we can put all our money on the vortex explanation. Definitely the vortex.
Monday, July 27, 2009
100 Push-Ups Challenge
I don't know why I feel the need take on this challenge, but for some reason, who wouldn't need to be able to do 100 consecutive push-ups?! You never know when it would come in handy. And heckapoo, who doesn't need chiseled arms, a stronger back and firmer pectorals/boobs?http://hundredpushups.com/
Take the challenge with me! Leave a comment to say you're in and commit! Read up on what the challenge entails, then on Saturday, take the "Initial Test", rest on Sunday and prepare yourself to start on Monday for 6-weeks to a hotter, stronger, firmer you! And probably sexier too.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
I-L
I am in love with my car. I have loved it since the moment I bought it. It has always treated me right. I've driven it to NV, AZ, UT, OR, WA, and all over California and not once have had to do much more than change the oil. It's a beautiful machine.On Monday, I hit 100,000 miles, always noteworthy. It seems like only yesterday that I bought the car and mileage was just at 58,000. Yeah, it was a lot of miles for a used car, but I didn't care, it was the car's potential that hooked me. It was in beautiful condition and it just spoke to me. Literally. It was like "Miriam. You my girl. Buy me." So I did.
I know, this is kind of a stupid post. I mean, really, I'm worshiping my car. But here's the thing, I am pretty sure that when I go to heaven, I'll be able to take my car with me. Though very much irreverent, this is how I envision it happening: I'll be on my merry way up to heaven and just as I'm about to pass through heaven's security, god is going to look at me lovingly and say, "Miriam, your amazingness has long amazed me. You have exceeded my expectations. For that, I give you the privilege to return and retrieve one material item of your liking to bring with you. Actually, make that two items. Go. Bring."
If that would be the case, I would grab my car and of course, my yellow blanket. Not necessarily in any order, but rather, both equally at the same time.
I'm pretty sure that's how it's going to happen. I love my car. It's my baby.
Monday, July 20, 2009
"Twilight" absurdity
Today's quote of the day:
"They're getting a divorce because she's in love with Edward."
Ridiculous.
"They're getting a divorce because she's in love with Edward."
Ridiculous.
The panty blog
Dana blogged about panties today: Dana's Panties blog post
It's not a topic I'd normally blog about, but Dana found justification for it, and coincidentally, so have I!
This weekend, Kyle and I found ourselves wandering around the Fashion Island shopping mall in Newport Beach. And in our roaming, we walked past the Build-A-Bear Workshop. Kyle joked about how he was going to get one for me. To which I said, "Barf." Not that I don't like stuffed animals, but a $40 stuffed bear is outrageous to me. But out of curiosity, we decided to walk in anyway and take a look.
From my observations, the Build-A-Bear bears are almost like the "Barbie" doll of this century. The bears are not your ordinary stuffed animal. They come in all kinds of shapes and have endless wardrobe options. Without going too much into detail, there is a style, an article of clothing, and an accessory for any occasion for a Build-A-Bear bear.
Even panties.
Yup. Teddy bear panties. Any color, cut and style you need for every occasion. Every stuffed bear needs a drawerful of panties is what I say. Or boxers for the males.
Yup, they definitely thought of it all...although, I have yet to find a bra...
It's not a topic I'd normally blog about, but Dana found justification for it, and coincidentally, so have I!
This weekend, Kyle and I found ourselves wandering around the Fashion Island shopping mall in Newport Beach. And in our roaming, we walked past the Build-A-Bear Workshop. Kyle joked about how he was going to get one for me. To which I said, "Barf." Not that I don't like stuffed animals, but a $40 stuffed bear is outrageous to me. But out of curiosity, we decided to walk in anyway and take a look.
From my observations, the Build-A-Bear bears are almost like the "Barbie" doll of this century. The bears are not your ordinary stuffed animal. They come in all kinds of shapes and have endless wardrobe options. Without going too much into detail, there is a style, an article of clothing, and an accessory for any occasion for a Build-A-Bear bear.
Even panties.
Yup. Teddy bear panties. Any color, cut and style you need for every occasion. Every stuffed bear needs a drawerful of panties is what I say. Or boxers for the males.
Yup, they definitely thought of it all...although, I have yet to find a bra...
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Run with me.
Let's go for a run! Since moving to San Diego for the summer, a certain route has become my regular run. My sister, Rachel introduced me to the trails of Torrey Pines State Park which is just about 3-miles away from where I'm staying in Del Mar. It's a beautiful route on easy terrain, so much, that I want everyone to come with me!
So come on folks as I take you on a tour of "Miriam's San Diego Run Route"!
I took my camera on my last workout to make sure to capture the route as if you were there with me. This is the initial view of Torrey Pines State Beach and it is quite amazing as you turn onto PCH.
Just to give you an idea of where we are running, the red line indicates our route. It starts up a steep hill to the east, disappears into the cliffs then pops us out onto the beach. It's breathtaking.
Parking is a hassle and the art and patience of "hovering" in waiting for an open spot comes in handy here. Those willing to brave the crowd will just pull up and jockey for a spot, waiting for someone to leave. It's not usually a long wait, but it can test your patience. As opposed to paying the parking fee or parking on the other side of the tracks makes the wait worth the effort.
From parking, we start along the beach.
After entering the park, it's a quick turn away from the beach.
And we start our ascent into the hills.
It's a pretty steep climb, a little less than a mile is my guess, but it's a good challenge to try to make it to the top without stopping.
This is a look backwards at what's behind us.
And the climb only continues.
From bottom to top, there are about 4 or 5 good turns and it's tough climb but great for the legs!
Once we get to the top, it just gets better.
Looking inland to the east, we get this great view of San Diego and the Carmel Valley.
Looking back to the ocean, we take the trail to the left of the sign. Along the trail, when in doubt, stay left and follow the signs to the "Beach Trail" and "Flat Rock".
A short hike in and the views are awesome.
And they just keep coming.
Running along the trail.
A few switchbacks, but going downhill ain't too rough.
This is the Pointe that can be hiked to.
The views only get better.
Continuing on the trail.
Doot doo doo. It actually makes running pleasant!
Getting closer to the beach, the scenery changes a bit.
If you want to head down to the beach, don't go this way. Turn right instead.
Take the little trail between the sandstone.
And get your first peek at the ocean.
Everytime I go down these steps, I always think to myself, "Someone should really get out here with a broom and clear off all of this sand." I don't know why I think it, but I just do.
After you come down these stairs, it's just a whole lot of cliffs and vibrant colors in all directions.
A run back down the beach and we are done. It's about 3-miles, and a site to be seen the entire way.
Thanks for running with me! I hope you get to enjoy it yourself one of these days. If you're looking for a fun place to play or scenic beach to stroll, I recommend this one.
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