Oh my goodness!
I believe that there are some experiences in life that can not be explained with words or pictures. Although an explanation might thoroughly cover the topic, the full thrust is never quite conveyed. Those are the moments that one must experience first hand in order to fully appreciate all that it encompasses.
Redheads are in the minority. Some people actually hate red hair, so I guess it is lucky for them that they don’t have to see that many redheads. I know quite a bit about being a redhead since it is one of those things that I experience first hand every day of my life.
Usually a redhead has fair skin that won’t tan and thus the title of PALE also accompanies them throughout their life. Once again, that is my curse and if you looked like I do at the beach, you would think it was a curse too. I have a great attitude about it most of the time and have even incorporated my paleness into my nickname. The way I look at it now is that I rather have pale skin than not have any skin at all. Have you ever thought of it that way? I bet not probably because you are tan, but that’s okay….Some day my freckles are all going to have a reunion and I’m going to have a tan index finger.
There are many reasons for being hot and in the summer months when the temperatures are soaring into the triple digits, it just makes it more uncomfortable if there are other things that are adding to the heat too. For example, pregnant women are carrying an extra amount of weight with a huge hormonal orchestra going on in their body, so adding sweltering heat to the mix isn’t very pleasant. Just thinking about being pregnant at all during this stage of my life causes my temperature to blast to the top of the thermometer.
At the end of July, the temperature has been almost more than I could tolerate. If it wasn’t for a great air conditioner at work and home, I would surely just not make it through the day.
I am the ultimate pale skinned, redheaded wimp with allergies, the inability to sweat, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera (Make sure you read that the way Yul Brenner said it in the movie The King and I. You can go back and try it again. I’ll wait for you.)
Being a bit older has afforded me time to learn all kinds of things. In preparation for the winter of my life, I’ve read all about menopause. Parts of it sound just maaaaa-rvelous darrrr-ling, but other aspects of that great change seem rather dreadful! I’m choosing to dwell on the positive, however, last night it was rather difficult to think about anything except the heat.
I usually fall asleep in thirty seconds which aggravates everyone. I haven’t totally figured that one out yet. I was blogging in my Terrier pajamas my sister gave me (I’m no vision from Victoria Secret that’s for sure) and enjoying the lovely air conditioning as the weatherman on television proclaimed that we lived through a scorcher. I personally think the word wasn’t strong enough, but my mother told me not to say the words I’d like to use.
Finally, it was bedtime and I plopped into bed, closed my eyes and knew that sleep was about to pull me into the soft flowing folds of oblivion. Much to my surprise, I felt hot (not like passionate or gorgeous), but hot like I was going to spontaneously combust! Heat permeated the cloth of my pajamas and the sheets. I ripped the blankets off and sat up thinking I was about to be sick.
Nope. I wasn’t nauseated at all. I was just hot and I mean hot like the inside of the lava core found at the center of the Earth. The heat waves were spewing off my skin like a volcanic eruption times one hundred.
As I tore my pajamas off in a frenzy to release some of the unbearable heat, I decided that I hate men. That gender not only doesn’t suffer years of a “friend” that totally wrecks every special occasion, but they snore through the atomic heat bomb women suffer when their friend decides she doesn’t like or need you any more.
There I lay, emitting enough heat to peel the paint off the ceiling over my bed and wishing that the overhead fan generated enough wind to blow the blankets completely off the bed, totally naked.
Since the heat was emanating from the inside out, I knew there was only one way I was going to find any relief at all.
It’s best to be naked in bed, eating ice cream that has been slathered with chocolate syrup and whipped cream, when the furnace within you is hot enough to keep Canada, Denmark and Siberia warm in the winter .
Your Menopausal Maven,
I am only 28 but I can completely sympathize with you, I had a complete hysterectomy a year ago and the hot-flashes and night sweats are better accompanied with ice cream 🙂
So funny and I can so relate. 🙂
Well, I don't really have much to say, but your story made me smile, I will say being 9 months prego in July is never fun 0_0 I know, I did it!! LOL
I so needed a good laugh tonight after one of those horrifically stressful days!!!! Of course I laughed so hard I peed my pants!!!
We women are so lucky to have such a good friend stick by us through the years *rolls eyes* I guess I should be prepared for what's coming to me later.
And I relate completely with the redhead/pale skin combo. I like being pale now and stay out of the sun because I consider tanning to be bad. Who wants skin cancer? I don't understand all the people that hate gingers, though. It's stupid.
OH my…You are one funny lady! I stumbled upon your blog tonight and have been reading away! I just finished the affair series and so want to know what happened to Sophie…What completely horrible man…
On another note, hormones are fantastic eh? I am almost 37 so I probably have a few more years at least but oh my…I'll have to do my research, too!
Great blog – I'm a new follower!
there is something called estrogen little girl
I'm so enjoying reading your blog entries – how funny!
Got to confess though – I've made a big boo-boo and been referring to you as Rita the Redhead. Silly really because I understood your alliteration of The Redhead Riter (writer), but for some reason my wonky brain decided to scramble this and rename you as Redhead Rita. SORRY…lol
By the way – I love red hair…I have the pale skin and freckles (which according to my mother's promise should have gone when I reached 16), but never got the consolation prize of thick red hair.
I've learned to love my freckles although I still sometimes despair of my too pale legs! 🙂
The London Lady – I always wondered why you called me "Rita" LOL
theTsaritsa – Yes! You should be very aware because you won't escape it one way or the other, right Marlene and Summer?
Mama Penguin – You just suffered, but in a different way LOL
Natalie at Mommy on Fire – I'm glad you found my blog and appreciate the follow! I haven't heard from Sophia in quite a while and I've had so many of my own issues going on that I haven't called her either. I just couldn't bear to hear it might be worse. Ignorance isn't bliss, but at least at this point I'm ignorant. I just hope she is and has made better choices.
Anonymous – You sound like you could be my mother who once again did not sign into her account so that she would have a name identifier instead of Anonymous. I know about estrogen, but that requires going to the doctor and you know how much I love that experience.
4W – You peed your pants?! LOL Now you've cracked me up!
As always, you paint interesting visuals with your words, and the images from this particular missive will preclude me from getting any meaningful work done….
Batman – I'm hysterically laughing! Well, I hope you're way off track and imagine something like Miranda Kerr instead! Maybe I should just sing Mr. Rogers song and totally change the subject… ?? It's a lov-ely day in the neighborhood, a lov-ely day in the neighborhood ?? Now, get back to work LOL
I'm rolling! I've been dealing with this for awhile, not uncommon to see me strip, ha! I do like the idea of the ice cream and chocolate though, that could get interesting in itself…
I totally identify with you. I am 68 and still have nights when the covers come off.
We have a friend that swears he went through male menopause because he had hot flashes too.
You paint this picture SO WELL!!
I decided against the NAKED thing when I woke up dying during my "sleep test"!! Yeah!! HI CAMERA!! LOL!! I could have scarred some poor young tech for LIFE!
And I've always said that the only way I could tan is if all my freckles connected!! LOL!! ;D
I am also fair skinned, red haired and freckled, so I know exactly where you are coming from, and I too do not cope well in extreme heat.
And that ice cream looks DELICIOUS! 🙂
I needed a good laugh and you did not disappoint me…LOL…..and 4W I had to laugh at your post as well because I'm getting to the age where a really good laugh will ultimately make me wish I had a little bit of protection (know what I mean?) 🙂 Red, I love the fact that, even having gone through as much as you have, you have NOT lost your sense of humor dear 🙂
And guess what ladies, there is a male menopause!! My husband went through it…….couldn't believe how close the symptoms were to mine when going through that change. It's called Andropause….google it if you don't believe me 🙂
Sunny Day – I do not want this to STILL be happening at 68!!! There has to be some kind of relief.
Holly – I think you should have ripped it off. Those techs always watch sleeping people. Think how boring that must be! You had the opportunity to NEVER be forgotten! LOL
CindySue and Moonduster – Should I call you the next time I pull out the ice cream?
mimito5 – I'm glad you had a good chuckle. I want to know how I can ensure that all men suffer this lovely thing called Andropause!!! That just sounds TOO FAIR!!! Sorry Batman LOL
For quite a while my wife suffered through 'the hotness'. Every time we would get in the car, she would slam the air conditioner on frigid and re-focus every vent right at her. She too would sleep naked sans covers…which I didn't consider a bad thing.
…and I'm really fond of pale skinned, freckly, redheads.
Jerry – THAT is exactly what I do when I get in the car!!! Every vent is blasting straight at me and everyone else is still cold. I feel bad that they are freezing, but I just can't bear the heat.
I'm glad you like redheads and I think Texas has the greatest men! P.S. I lived in Texas most of my life ;o)
I visited san Antonio in July – I have no idea how people withstand the humidity! I can do heat but not humidity and feel apologetic for saying, yes, I am one of those people who go golden without any effort..natural brunette..
okay serious stuff lady.. this hot flash..
When I had my first baby i did it au naturel – 26 hours of absolute ripping me apart agony. I learned. babies number 2 and 3 were a joy because momma to be had written on her stomach in eyebrow pencil "Give me an epidural or i will sue". You don't get a better baby for having endured that agonies of the Spanish Inquisition.
So first hot flash came – didn't like it… within 2 days i was getting them every 10 minutes, I was going mad. Went to specialist had Mirena coil fitted and use low dose oestrogen patches. I am like a 30 year old!!!!
So no woman has to endure, it can be gloriously different and better than ever. My husband thinks he is married to Sophia Loren! LOL
And the lesson is? You don't become a better 60 year old by enduring a decade of abject misery – even if you can cut down on the heating bills!!!
Smiles – laughter is the medicine of the soul, thank you for giving me my daily dose!
Thank you Julianna. I'm going to call to make an appointment because I don't think I could stand a hot flash every ten minutes! Besides, I'd love to be like Sophia Loren! LOL
Wow, Andropause does exist, although the World Health Organization does not recognize it or its ICD-10 medical classification. So…thanks though for bringing it to my attention…I'll be on the lookout for it in my now 55 y/o husband…I'm 46 (turning 47 in February) am a redhead, have freckles and very fair skinned…and my husband lovingly calls me 'hypercaucasian' because I'm so white!
Anyway, I digress. Thanks Redhead Riter for your story. I loved it!
Thanks Donna1264! I loved the "hypercaucasian" It made me truly LOL
Will you marry me?
LOL Gretchen! I'm taking that as a big compliment!! I've often wondered why men and women have to be SO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O DIFFERENT!
oh Red you are a SCREAM! hey, try some natural hormone cream, my mom swears by it – arbonne has a great one called "phytoprolief" – it has premeasure pumps (it's like 1/4 of a teaspoon or something nominal like that) and you just rub it in your soft tissue areas like wrists, back of legs, fold of arms, etc. it totally helped restore some balance and axed the hot flashes!
but then again, was a great excuse to have some ice cream in bed! 🙂