Last June, in the midst of another disgustingly uncomfortable heat spell, Intel Editors Chris and Jessica shared their strategies for how to stay cool. Since that time their tactics have evolved: Chris now only wears boat shoes sans socks, while Jessica has taken to washing her feet in public bathrooms, which she admits is “pretty gross.” Meanwhile, Intel Dan spent way too much time last night in the refrigerated section of Key Food, pretending to compare the nutrition facts on various brands of shredded cheese. These are the little things we must do to get by at least when we’re not in the office, which is the most heavily air-conditioned space in the continental United States. For more pearls of wisdom on dealing with the heat, we turned to our colleagues at New York Magazine.
Photo Editor Lea Golis takes a Lean Cuisine frozen meal for lunch so that she can hold it against the back of her neck while she waits for the subway. Software Architect Edward Dias does the same thing with Otter Pops. “Once melted, I drink the otter juice, since it’s best in liquidy form anyway,” he says.
Contributing Editor Michael Idov’s taste in first-run movies suddenly plummets.
Reporter Ira Boudway goes to sleep with ice cubes in his hands. Similarly, Freelance Online Photo Editor Ryan Monaghan sometimes sleeps with a “frozen mixing bowl from [his] ice-cream maker.”
Intern Molly Finklestein dates guys with air conditioners.
Editorial Director Hugo Lindgren hangs out in the lobby of the Bank of America on Sixth Avenue, which is “colder than a walk-in fridge.” Senior Editor Chris Bonanos becomes fascinated with retail stores from which he has no intention to buy anything, especially “if the store in question goes all the way through a block,” so he can enter at the front and exit at the back.
Online Assistant Editor Sharon Clott and Editorial Assistant Katie Goldsmith both indulge in multiple free ice-cream or fro-yo samples.
Contributing Editor Vanessa Grigoriadis wears high heels so she’s forced to walk slower. Director of Public Relations Lauren Starke wears her hair in a bun. Contributing Writer Emma Pearse doesn’t wear anything at all: “I could sum my strategy up by saying it involves a lot of nudity.”
Online Managing Editor Jessica Coen employs “a two-deodorant strategy,” combining men’s clear gel layered beneath a women’s invisible solid to create a coat of “armpit Kevlar.”
Intern Sam Jeweler only walks on the shady side of the street.
Online Photo Editor Jed Egan wets a sock, wrings it out, freezes it, and drapes it over his neck.
Finally, Associate Editor Ben Mathis-Lilley engages in a ritual that must be relayed in full:
“I keep my door propped open because the hallway is usually cooler than my non-air-conditioned apartment. But I live on the ground floor and you can see all the way through my apartment from the front door of the building when my door’s open, plus the door down to the laundry room is right next to my door, so it’s kind of weird that I’m just walking around or sitting on the couch with the front door open so everyone can see me. So what I do is every time someone walks into the building or comes to the laundry room I get up and act like I was just about to close the door. But I don’t actually close it, I just fiddle around for a while until they’re gone.”
