A summer invitation

Poolside parties might sound refreshing and summery but they're as gross

I don’t like being invited out in the summer, not for neighbourhood potlucks, casual get-togethers or dinner parties. When heatwave conditions — such as now — prevail, the walls radiate heat. You can spend an entire evening looking for the iciest spot to occupy, but you know it’ll be pinched the moment you head for a refill to the bar. (In our home, the coolest spot is where the dog parks himself, and you dislodge him at your own risk). Since airconditioning loads in homes are concentrated in the public areas, any walk through the house (to the library, for