lake forest shores

Summer Phobia

June 1, 2025

It may not be officially summer yet, but you'd hardly know it with the rising temps. In fact, the summer season doesn't start until June 20th. The majority of schools are closed for the 2-month break. In addition, it means there will be increases that impact our daily lives: longer daytime hours, higher electricity usage, rising gas and travel costs, and hormonal shifts. It's true, Chinese medicine states that each season carries its own unique energy. Some people may experience increased anxiety, irritability, insomnia and palpitations; and that explains why I'm not a big fan of the summer season. It could be one of the reasons why road accidents tend to spike during the summer months. Many people become more irritable due to the intence heat and humidity, which can disrupt their physical well-being and daily routines. All of this kind of describes me perfectly. I may have a case of "summer phobia".


As for others, sunlight provides an abundance of vitamin D and it helps trigger the "happy hormone", serotonin. People tend to socialize and be more active outside of work, which in turn helps reduce stress.

One of the few things that can put a damper on the summer mood is the stark reality of rising living costs. Let’s be honest, gas prices are no joke. Unless you’re driving an electric vehicle, you’re stuck filling up at nearly $5.37 per gallon for super unleaded as of May 31, 2025, and it's only going to get more expensive. There's speculation that by the end of 2026, a couple refineries in California could close; potentially driving up prices to $8.34 per gallon.

If you’re not already a Costco member, it might be worth considering. While their gas isn’t exactly cheap, it’s noticeably more affordable than most stations in the area. Over time, the savings at the pump alone can easily offset the cost of the annual membership.

Gas isn’t the only thing hitting our wallets harder in the summer. For some reason, the highest rates for electricity kick in right between 4:00pm and 9:00pm, just as everyone’s getting home from work and cranking up the AC.

Are you starting to see why I have "summer phobia"? Wait, there's more...

Besides the sweltering heat and rising costs, summer tends to bring unwelcomed guests into your home. These six and eight-legged creepy crawlers do make there way in no matter what precautionary measures you take. The best thing to do is to not leave food exposed and make sure that your place is clean. It will not get rid of them 100%, but it will drastically reduce the number of unwanted guests.

There’s plenty more on what drives someone to have summer phobia, but I’ll end on a critical note: I can’t wear my layered winter clothes to help conceal my voluptuousness; so 3/4 of what I have in the closet is useless now. The good news is summer only lasts about three months. At least I can vent about my displeasure online. If I dared to say anything at work, I’d have at least ten people jumping on me about how much they love this time of year.

Well, I guess that's enough ranting. I better finish and turn off my computer before SCE sends me another usage report to remind me that my neighbors are doing a better job at conserving electricity.