Category Archives: Fun Facts

April Showers and Springtime Flowers

It’s April here at The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, and things have been busy & sunny and busy & wet! It depends on the day!

A couple days ago during a torrential downpour I was speaking with one of our storage space customers. He was wearing his rain gear while organizing his storage unit. “I feel like I’m living in Seattle!”, he exclaimed. “Or London!” I shouted back.

As I walked back to the self storage rental office, I was thinking about rainy places. I wondered where the rainiest places in the world exist, so I google it. Here is what I found…

Although it might feel like you’re gonna float away on a river of rain sometimes, the average rainfall in the United States is about 32 inches a year and that’s nothing compared to the top 10 rainiest places on earth.

Imagine weathering these spots…

10. Emei Shan, Sichuan Province, China
Average annual rainfall: 322 inches

Mount Emei is the highest of the Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism and receives the most rainfall in China. There is a phenomenon called a “clouds sea” in the area and during the monsoon, it attracts a double layer of clouds that result in it receiving huge rainfalls.

9. Kukui, Maui, Hawaii
Average annual rainfall: 366 inches

The mountain peak of Puu Kukui is the 9th wettest place on earth.

8. Mt. Waialeale, Kauai, Hawaii
Average annual rainfall: 384 inches

The name Mt. Waialeale means “overflowing water”. The rain around this extinct volcano is so wet and slippery that access is extremely difficult. Researchers believe that the peak’s conical shape makes it so rainy.
In 1912, Mt. Waialeale saw a record 683 inches of rain.

7. Big Bog, Maui, Hawaii
Average annual rainfall: 405 inches

Despite being subjected to constant rain, Big Bog is a major tourist attraction on Maui because of its lush scenery.

The amazing precipitation is caused by easterly trade winds that bring moisture from the Pacific up against the steep mountainside.

6. Debundscha, Cameroon, Africa
Average annual rainfall: 405 inches

The village of Debundscha lies at the foot of Mount Cameroon, the highest peak in Africa. It’s believed the location contributes to its massive rains as the mountain blocks the clouds.

5. San Antonio de Ureca, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea
Average annual rainfall: 411 inches

San Antonio de Ureca is the wettest place in the African Continent. The dry season is only from November to March, with the rest of the months attracting heavy rain. During the brief dry season, tourists can watch turtles come ashore on the beaches to lay their eggs.

4. Cropp River, New Zealand
Average annual rainfall: 453 inches

The river may only be only 9km long, but it certainly punches above its weight in precipitation.

3. Tutendo, Colombia, South America
Average annual rainfall: 463 inches

There are two rainy seasons in this region so it’s pretty much teeming all year round.

2. Cherrapunji, Meghalaya State, India
Average annual rainfall: 464 inches

Ironically, despite being the second wettest place on Earth, residents of this village face water shortages in winter when no rain falls at all for months at a time. During the wet season, incessant rains lash the region, sometimes for 15-21 days at a stretch. The area is also famous for its waterfalls, hills and living root bridges.

1. Mawsynram, Meghalaya State, India
Average annual rainfall: 467 inches

Located only 15km from Cherrapunji, there’s often dispute between the villages about which should hold the title of world’s wettest.
Villagers in Mawsynram use grass to soundproof their huts from deafening rain that pelts their homes during the rainy season.
Meteorologists say Mawsynram’s location, close to Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal is the reason it receives so much rain.

That concludes our list of the top 10 wettest places on Earth, so, as you can see, we really don’t have it all that bad here in the good ole U.S. of A. “Happy Spring Showers and Flowers” from the staff here at The Storage Inn, and if your heading to India, be sure to pack your swimmies!

The Storage Inn investigates South Jersey’s Underground Railroad

South Jersey’s Underground Railroad

Its mid February at The Storage Inn Self Storage here in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey, and we’ve already been through Groundhog Day, Mardi Gras, and Valentine’s Day. February, however, is also a month-long celebration of our nation’s Black History. The Storage Inn is located just outside Atlantic City, New Jersey, a city rich in Black History – Club Harlem, Chicken Bone Beach, and the Boardwalk Empire Prohibition Era come to mind immediately, but what many people don’t know, is that Atlantic and Cape May counties in southern New Jersey were integral in the success of the Underground Railroad in the mid 1800’s.

This was brought to light by one of our storage customers who happens to be the curator for the Black History section of the Atlantic City Heritage Collections at the resort’s public library. Below are the highlights of our conversation regarding the underground railroad in our area.

The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses used in the 19th century by slaves to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause.

These safe houses were located in small communities, so those seeking freedom could go from town to town without anyone noticing them, For slaves using the Underground Railroad to escape the south, reaching Atlantic and Cape May counties offered hope that the journey to freedom might soon be over.

Communities such as Somers Point and Egg Harbor City in Atlantic County offered those escaping slavery a direct path to Pennsylvania, a state that had already outlawed slavery.

“The goal of slaves on the Underground Railroad was to make it to Pennsylvania, so when they got to Egg Harbor City, NJ they knew that freedom was just days away. I’m sure that many people don’t realize how much of an impact South Jersey had on the Underground Railroad,” said Ava, our curator.

Cape May also played a prominent role in the Underground Railroad. Cape May sits directly across the Bay from Delaware and Maryland. During that time, land crossings were actually more difficult than water crossings, so places that had water access became more popular.

Cape May was known to those seeking freedom, as a place with safe locations that they could count on.

Finding reliable numbers for escaped slaves who traveled through New Jersey, let alone Atlantic County, has proven tricky. The national estimate for those who used the Underground Railroad as a path to freedom is between 30,000 and 40,000 escapees.

You know, they say that you learn something new everyday, and today I learned something that makes me just a bit more proud of the South Jersey area! Until the next time!

Nice Weather…If You’re a Penguin!

It’s early February here at The Storage Inn self storage in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey, and the frigid temperatures are here! Earlier today, I bundled up and ventured out of the rental office to do a yard check. As I made my rounds, I noticed one of our longtime storage tenants, Mr. Bradley, removing a few items from his self storage unit. “Nice weather!” I yelled. “Yeah, If you’re a penguin!” Mr. Bradley shot back. ”I feel like we’re living at the North Pole” I said as I shivered past him. Then he said something that I found curious …”Well you won’t find any penguins at the North Pole”.

I was too cold to continue the conversation, so I went back to the office to ponder Mr. Bradley’s comment. Was he correct about the penguins not living in the North Pole? I did a little research. It turns out that Mr. Bradley was correct – penguins only live in the southern hemisphere, mainly in Antarctica. Surprisingly, I also came across some other interesting differences between the North and South Poles. Here is what I found…

North Pole vs South Pole

The biggest difference is that the Arctic is a sea surrounded by land while the Antarctic is land surrounded by a sea. This fundamental difference is the reason for many of the other differences between the two regions.

The North Pole

The North Pole is basically in the Arctic Ocean.

The ice there is 1m to 3m (3-10ft) thick floating on the Arctic Ocean. It’s made of frozen sea water with snow on top. Sea level is usually no more than 1 meter below your feet and the sea bed another 4,260 meters below that. The ice may be flat and smooth or rough, having been broken up and refrozen together again. The ice is moving at anywhere from a snail’s pace to walking pace.

The North Pole is 450 miles from the nearest land at the northern tip of Greenland.

Temperatures are estimated from those measured elsewhere in the Arctic, as there are no structures or settlements out on the ocean, the ice is too unreliable and unstable.

At the North Pole the sun is continually above the horizon from the March equinox to the September equinox reaching a high point of 23.5° at the summer solstice around June the 21st. From September to March it is continually below the horizon.

The poles have 5 months of daylight, then a month of twilight, then 5 months of darkness, then a month of twilight before starting all over again.

The Arctic has many large land animals including reindeer, musk ox, lemmings, arctic hares, arctic terns, snowy owls, squirrels, arctic fox and polar bears. As the Arctic is a part of the land masses of Europe, North America and Asia, these animals can migrate south in the winter and head back to the north again in the more productive summer months.

There are also many kinds of large marine animals such as walrus and a variety of seals. Narwhals and other whales are present but not as plentiful as they were in pre-whaling days.

The South Pole

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The South Pole is a point on the great ice sheet of Eastern Antarctica.

The South Pole is at an altitude of about 9,300 ft on ice that is 9,000 ft thick! It reaches down to rock which rises to just over 350 ft above sea level. This rock is pushed into the earth’s mantle by the weight of the ice. Altitude sickness is a risk at the South Pole for people arriving by plane. Accumulated snowfall that has built up over time and it never melts accounts for the creation of ice.

The ice is moving towards the Weddell Sea in the west at about 33ft per year.

The nearest sea, called the Bay of Whales, is about 800 miles away.

Temperatures have been measured at the South Pole since 1956 as there is a large research station there.

There is a ceremonial pole that is repositioned every year on the first of January.

The South Pole also has 5 months of daylight, then a month of twilight, then 5 months of darkness, then a month of twilight before starting all over again, but its seasons are opposite the North Pole.

The largest land animal in the Antarctic is an insect, a wingless midge, less than 0.5in long. There are no flying insects (they’d get blown away).

There are however a great many sea creatures that live in the Antarctic region. These include huge numbers of penguin varieties such as the Adelie, Chinstrap, Gentoo, King, Emperor, Rockhopper and Macaroni. Seal specifies include Fur, Leopard, Weddell, Elephant and Crabeaters.(Crabeater seals are the second most populous large mammal on the planet after man). There are also many kinds of birds such as albatrosses and assorted petrels. There are places in Antarctica where the wildlife reaches incredible densities mainly because there is no indigenous human population on Antarctica to hunt them!

Well, now we all know more about the North and South poles than ever before! Luckily The Storage Inn rental office is nice and warm, but if this weather keeps up, I think we may have to adopt a penguin as our mascot! Enjoy the rest of the winter everyone!

Brrrrrrrrr!

The New Year is here, and we here at The Storage Inn Self Storage in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey, are experiencing some of the coldest weather in recent memory. Luckily for our storage space customers, we’ve unboxed the long johns and stocked up on lock de-icer to help them through this cold snap! I asked one of our rental customers, who also happens to be a police officer, what he found to be the biggest problem during cold weather like this. Without hesitating, he said “fires caused by people trying to keep warm using space heaters, or other inventive methods. We all want to be warm, but we have to be safe too.”

On that note, here are some tips from our local Police and Fire departments on staying safe and warm during extreme cold!

Layers, Layers, Layers!

It might seem obvious, but piling on a few extra layers is a great way to stay warm, especially if you have to be outside. Keeping your core warm is especially important when temperatures dip below freezing. Air gets trapped between the layers of clothing, and is heated by your body, allowing you to stay warmer than with one heavy garment..

Eat to Keep the Heat

You already know that eating healthy in the winter can help to fend off colds and the flu, but did you know it might help keep you warm, too? Eating extra healthy fats during the winter can help rev up metabolism, which in turn heats the body.

If your New Year’s resolution was to drop a few pounds, don’t worry – you can always skip the extra fat and try eating warmer foods and drinks including soups, spicy foods, hot coffee and teas to fend off the chill!

It May Seem like a Good Idea, but…..

Although alcoholic beverages might make you feel warm, they actually decrease your core temperature and can be dangerous during winter months.

Alcohol actually reverses some reflexes that control body temperature, especially the body’s ability to shiver. Alcohol can also make you sweat, even when it is cold, which can lower core temperatures even more. Save the cocktail until you’re in for the night!

Keep your Fingers and Toes Toasty

Hypothermia is most likely to begin in extremities like your hands and feet, so keeping your fingers and toes warm is important. Whether you’re walking to work or just around the block, make sure to wear sturdy, insulated shoes that will help prevent slips on slick surfaces and keep your feet dry. Also wear insulated gloves or mittens.

Give your Space Heater some Space!

Space heaters are a great way to add extra heat to colder rooms, but always remember to keep flammable items including clothing, rugs, bedding and curtains at least three feet away from the heater at all times. Also remember to place the heater on a hard, non-flammable, stable surface and to turn it off completely before leaving the house. Set a reminder on your phone if you’re afraid you’ll forget.

Don’t Forget our Furry Friends

Always remember to bring pets inside when temperatures begin to drop. You might be jealous of your dog or cat’s fur coat when temperatures drop, but they need to be kept warm too. Limit the length of their walks, particularly on snowy or icy surfaces.

Keep an Eye on the Fire

It’s easy to snooze in front of a roaring fire, but always make sure that fireplace embers are completely out before going to bed for the night.
Wood fireplaces should always have a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.

Keep Important Phone Numbers Handy

Heavy snow and ice can settle on power lines and cause power outages. Write down utility numbers and have them handy during a storm in case you need to report an outage or incident.

Check in on Elderly Friends and Neighbors

Here are a few things you can check:
Do they have heat in the home?
Do they have hot water?
Are all their appliances working properly?
Are their pipes, sprinkler system and faucets protected against freezing?
Is their phone operational?
Do they have the phone number of someone they can call for minor emergencies? Yours?
Please don’t wait until something tragic happens. Take a few minutes to help a neighbor. It’s well worth your time.

So, there you are – some great tips to help you deal with the cold weather. From the staff here at The Storage Inn, have a Warm, Safe and Happy New Year!

Cool Facts about Thanksgiving

It’s a beautiful fall day here at The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, and Thanksgiving is this week! Ahhh, Thanksgiving – a day for family visits, football, and overeating! I conducted a random poll of our self storage customers regarding Thanksgiving and found that while everyone seems to like the food, mostly the men like football, and everyone seems to have mixed emotions about the family visits. As one of our long time storage unit renters, Jim put it, “I love to see my relatives for Thanksgiving, then I love to see them leave!”

As a service to our readers, the staff here at The Storage Inn has rounded up a few very cool facts about Thanksgiving, some of which might come in handy during those awkward silences at the family dinner table.

Thomas Jefferson Nixes Thanksgiving!

George Washington was the first to declare Thanksgiving a holiday, but it was on a year-to-year basis, so presidents had to re-declare it every year. Jefferson refused to declare it a holiday during his presidency because he fervently believed in the separation of church and state and thought that the day of “prayer” violated the First Amendment.

It wasn’t until 1863, when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a federal holiday, that it was officially scheduled to fall on the fourth Thursday of every November.

It’s a zoo out there!

The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York took place in 1914, when Macy’s employees dressed in vibrant costumes and marched to the flagship store on 34th Street. The parade used floats instead of balloons, and it featured monkeys, bears, camels, and elephants, all borrowed from the Central Park Zoo.

The parade was also originally called the Macy’s Christmas Parade but was renamed the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1927. Macy’s originally hoped their “Christmas parade” would get their shoppers ready for big holiday shopping sprees.

Turkeytown U.S.A.

Three small towns in America are named after the nation’s favorite bird. The towns are Turkey, Texas; Turkey, North Carolina; and Turkey Creek, Louisiana. There are also two townships in Pennsylvania called Upper Turkeyfoot and Lower Turkeyfoot.

“Jingle Bells” was originally a Thanksgiving song

James Pierpoint composed the song in 1857 for children celebrating Thanksgiving. The title was “One Horse Open Sleigh,” and it was such a hit that it was sung again at Christmas.

The song quickly became associated with the Christmas holiday season, and the title was officially changed in 1859, two years later.

Ben Franklin – Turkey Lover

Benjamin Franklin thought Eagles were “a bird of bad moral character.”
Franklin thought the Turkey was a “much more respectable bird.”

The Detroit Lions always play on Thanksgiving

The first NFL football game that took place on Thanksgiving Day was in 1934, when the Detroit Lions played the Chicago Bears. The Lions have played on Thanksgiving ever since, except when the team was called away to serve during World War II. The Dallas Cowboys also always play on Thanksgiving. Their first Thanksgiving Day game was held in 1966, and the Cowboys have only missed two games since then.

The night before Thanksgiving is Party Time!

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the best day for bar sales in America. It makes sense, since nearly all Americans have Thanksgiving off, and dealing with family members can be very stressful. (But at least stuffing your face with fatty Thanksgiving foods is a perfect hangover cure.)

Thanksgiving by “Hungry Man”

In 1953 Swanson Foods overestimated the demand for turkey by over 260 tons. The owners of the company had no idea what to do with all the leftovers, so they ordered 5,000 aluminum trays and loaded them with the turkey leftovers to create the first TV dinner.

“Franksgiving” Flops

In 1939, Franklin Roosevelt changed the date of Thanksgiving from the last Thursday in November to the second-to-last in an attempt to lift the economy during the Great Depression, by giving people more time to shop for Christmas. It caused such a public outcry that people began referring to it as “Franksgiving.” After two years, Congress ditched the new policy and set the fourth Thursday of November as the legal holiday.

Minnesota – The Turkey State!

Minnesota produces more turkeys than any other state in America. The state produced about 44.5 million birds last year, North Carolina, Arkansas, Indiana, and Missouri are also top producers.

A Turkey Saved….

The White House has a tradition of pardoning one lucky turkey each year. The annual tradition began in 1947 with President Harry Truman although some think that it actually started in the 1860’s with Abraham Lincoln, after his son Tad begged him to spare his pet turkey’s life.

Despite these two theories of the origins of the pardon, George H. W. Bush was the first president to officially grant a turkey a presidential pardon, according to The New York Times.

Okay – now that you have some cool Thanksgiving facts, courtesy of The Storage Inn, you are ready to face your relatives on Thanksgiving! Feel free to pepper these unique facts throughout the dinner conversation, and give yourself a presidential pardon allowing you to have a second slice of pumpkin pie – Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

My Veteran’s Day Visitor

It’s been a cold and blustery start to November in South Jersey, but things at The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey, are as busy as ever. Yesterday our rental office was buzzing with new customers securing storage units or buying packing supplies, as well as current self storage customers just stopping in to check grab items from their units.

In the middle of all the hustle and bustle in strolled a young man in uniform. I recognized him instantly! It was my nephew, Ryan, on his way home and on leave from the Army, just in time for Veterans Day weekend.

I came around the counter and gave him a big handshake and hug! “You here to store the Army’s arsenal of equipment at The Storage Inn?” I asked laughing.

He just grinned and said,”You would need a lot more space than you’ve got here!”. We had a nice conversation after which we both laughed and promised to visit again before he returned to base.

That got me thinking, I wonder just how much equipment the US military would actually have to store? I did some research…

Manpower

The U.S. Military has over 2,000,000 personnel including active and reserve! (We won’t be storing personnel)

Airpower

Total Aircraft Strength – 13,362. Including over 4,000 fighter and attack aircraft and nearly 6,000 helicopters!

Land

5,884 Combat tanks
38,882 Armored fighting vehicles
950 self-propelled artillery vehicles
795 pieces of Towed Artillery
1,197 Rocket Projectors

Naval

20 Aircraft Carriers
65 Destroyers
10 Frigates
66 Submarines
13 Patrol vessels
11 Minesweepers

So there you have it, the latest published inventory of our United States armed forces equipment.

I saw my nephew Ryan at a family gathering last night and showed him my research, very proud of my facts and figures. He stared at it for a moment, looked up at me and grinned and said “Uncle Jerry, this is just the stuff that you’re allowed to know about”. We laughed as I thanked him for his service, and gave him a big hug before heading home.

Well, my research has certainly taught me one thing… Even though The Storage Inn is the largest self storage facility in the EHT area, we would need a pretty significant major expansion to store all of the military’s items. Happy Veterans Day!

What is Indian Summer?

It’s the first half of October here at The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, and the place is jumping! This probably has something to do with the unusually warm weather we’ve been experiencing?!

One of our customers, Damon, strode into our storage supplies store and proclaimed, “October, and it’s actually hot outside!” to which I replied, ” Indian Summer!”

Damon, who also happens to be a school teacher, told me that I was, in fact, incorrect, and that Indian Summer only occurs after the first frost of the year. “Still hot though!” he exclaimed as he walked out of the office and back towards his storage space.

Hmmmm – I wondered if he was actually correct about the frost thing, so I checked it out, and found some interesting facts about “Indian Summer”.

Indian summer is defined as a period of unseasonably warm, dry and calm weather, usually following a period of colder weather or frost in late Autumn.

The Origin

Indian summer was first recorded in Letters From an American Farmer, in a 1778 work by the French-American soldier turned farmer, J. H. St. John de Crèvecoeur.

“Then a severe frost succeeds which prepares it to receive the voluminous coat of snow which is soon to follow; though it is often preceded by a short interval of smoke and mildness, called the Indian Summer.”

There are many references to the term in American literature to refer to any late flowering following a period of decline. John Greenleaf Whittier wrote of “The Indian Summer of the Heart”, and Oliver Wendell Holmes mentions “an Indian summer of serene widowhood” in his story The Guardian Angel.

Why “Indian”?

The English already had names for this phenomenon including St. Luke’s Summer, St. Martin’s Summer or All-Hallows Summer, but eventually these terms disappeared and were replaced by indian summer.

Why Indian? Well, no one knows but, as is commonplace when no one knows, many people have guessed. Here are three of the more commonly repeated guesses…

When European settlers first came across the phenomenon in America it became known as the Indian’s Summer as Native American tribes would wait for a warm spell in the autumn to harvest their crops including pumpkins, gourds, and fall vegetables.

It originated from raids on European settlements by Indian war parties, which usually ended in late autumn, after “Indian Summer”.

Native Americans were considered untrustworthy by many white settlers, spawning terms such as “Indian giver”. The aforementioned late-summer heat was considered a “false summer”, thus the term “Indian” summer.

Well, who knows if any of these theories are correct? What I do know is that both the staff, and our self-storage customers here at The Storage Inn will be enjoying the warm days ahead! I think I’ll spend a couple next week in shorts and flip-flops, turn the ball game on the radio, sit on my back deck and have a cold beer – Indian Summer Rules!

It’s National Chicken Month!

Throughout September here at The Storage Inn Self Storage in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey our storage customers have been stowing their summer items, and removing some of their cool weather gear from their storage rental units.

Yesterday, as I was checking-in one of our moving trucks for rent when I noticed one of our awesome customers, Amy, at the security gate. Amy and her husband own one of the local Chick-fil-A franchises – very nice people.

”How’s the chicken business?” I yelled.

“ Very busy,” she yelled back.

“We have a lot of specials going for National Chicken Month”.

I just smiled and waved as she made her way past the gate and toward her rental unit. Not knowing whether to believe the “National Chicken Month” thing, I decided to do some investigating…

September is indeed National Chicken Month !

Look around America — Chicken’s everywhere! Whether it’s broiled, baked, fried or added to our soup, we can’t seem to get enough. In fact, Smithsonian Magazine recently called chicken “the ubiquitous food of our era, crossing multiple cultural boundaries with ease.” Still, we don’t often stop to appreciate this delicious protein source.

CHICKEN TIMELINE

1930
“Secret blend of herbs and spices” – The first Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) was established in North Corbin, Kentucky.

1967
The American creation of chicken Cordon Bleu made its debut as an airline food.

July 29, 1977
The first National Chicken Wing Day – Guess which city came up with this. Hint: Ever heard of “Buffalo” wings?

1979
“I’m lovin’ it.” McDonald’s introduces their chicken nuggets.

HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL CHICKEN MONTH!

Host a chicken potluck
Invite some friends over. The only requirement here is that every dish should incorporate chicken in some way.

Go out for chicken and waffles
Whether dining out for chicken and waffles on Sunday is part of your weekly routine, or if you’ve never even tried it before, National Chicken Month is the perfect time to order a plate of this sweet and savory goodness.

Learn a new recipe
There are seemingly endless ways to prepare chicken, so during this month, make it a point to learn how to make a recipe you’ve never tried before. It’s always fun to add a new dish to your repertoire.

5 FINGER LICKIN’ CHICKEN FACT NUGGETS

1. The average American eats around 83 pounds of chicken per year.

2. Chicken is the most widely consumed form of poultry throughout the entire world.

3. In 2019, over 1.25 billion chicken wings were consumed during Super Bowl weekend.

4. For chicken soup manufacturers, cold and flu season generates over half of their revenue.

5. Over half of the entrées ordered in U.S. restaurants are for some form of chicken dish.

WHY WE LOVE CHICKEN

Chicken’s easy to find
Check out just about any grocery store or restaurant menu, and you’re sure to find chicken somewhere. It’s practically always available and affordable.

Chicken’s good for your brain

Chicken is high in Vitamin B, which is linked to promoting psychological health. This essential nutrient also helps fight off anxiety, stress, and even memory loss.

It’s yummy!
People all over the world have unique and authentic ways to prepare poultry, so whether you’re in the mood for chicken fried rice, chicken marsala, or crispy fried chicken, your taste buds are in for a treat.

So there you have it. A few informative “chicken nuggets” related to National Chicken Month, courtesy of The Storage Inn. Now get out there and celebrate, and if your in the neighborhood, I’ll have an order of hot wings with extra celery and bleu cheese please!

Beat the Heat: Summer Safety Tips for Seniors

It’s mid-August here at The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey, and although we are in the midst of a heatwave, our storage facility is as busy as ever, with storage customers out and about, occasionally stopping into the rental office for a complimentary bottle of cold spring water!

Today, one of our most senior customers, Beatrice (age 87), stopped in for a bottle of water on her way back to her storage unit.

“ Hello Beatrice – Hot one today !”, I proclaimed as I handed her a bottle of ice cold water.

“Sure is – you know it’s hot when the temperature is higher than my age!” she quipped.

We had the usual conversation about the heat, and how we would be complaining about the cold soon enough. Beatrice smiled and waved goodbye as she headed to her car. This made me think… How would I handle the heat at age 87?

Here are some helpful hot weather tips for seniors!

Stay hydrated
Elderly individuals have a harder time knowing when they are dehydrated, so, they are more prone to heat stroke.Seniors also lose the ability to conserve water as they age. Avoid drinks containing caffeine and alcohol, as they will further dehydrate you.

Dress appropriately
Loose-fitting and light-colored clothes will keep you cool and not absorb as much heat from the sun. It’s best to wear breathable fabrics, such as cotton, to help regulate your temperature. A broad hat and sunglasses will keep the sun’s rays out of your face and eyes.

Wear sunscreen
This is especially pertinent for seniors, as many prescription medications make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher will help you avoid sunburn.

Stay out of the sun
Check the forecast and avoid prolonged time in the sun, especially on days where the temperature reaches above 90 degrees. Try to plan any outside activities for the early morning or in twilight hours after the sun sets.

Spend time in air-conditioned places
If you want to get out of the house while avoiding the heat (or if your house isn’t air-conditioned), look for activities in spots with AC. Go see a movie with the grandkids, or read a book at the library. A walk around the mall or a class at your local senior center are great ways to get exercise indoors.

Know when to cool down
If you’re feeling heated, take a tepid (not too hot or cold) bath or shower to cool down. You can also use cool washcloths on the neck, wrist, and armpits. Seniors are at a higher risk of heat-related illnesses. Poor circulation, heart disease, high blood pressure, and the inability to perspire due to certain medications present further complications.

HEAT RELATED WARNING SIGNS

Health Problem	Definition	Warning Signs
Dehydration	A loss of water in the body	Weakness, headache, muscle cramps, dizziness, confusion, passing out
Heat Stroke	Dangerous rise in body temperature	Temperature of 103 or higher; red, hot, dry skin; fast pulse; headache; dizziness; nausea or vomiting; confusion; passing out
Heat Exhaustion	Caused by too much heat and dehydration and may lead to heat stroke	Heavy sweating or no sweating, muscle cramps, tiredness, weakness, paleness, cold or clammy skin, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting, fast and weak pulse, fainting
Heat Syncope	Fainting caused by high temperatures	Dizziness or fainting

In summary, seniors should protect themselves from the summer heat by staying hydrated, staying cool, and, if you must go outside – dress appropriately and wear sunscreen!

Thanks for taking the time to read this post! The staff here at The Storage Inn will continue to do our part by offering our storage customers free cold spring water, and a chance to cool off in our complimentary, air-conditioned tenant office area. Happy Heatwave everyone – stay safe!

Happy Heat Wave!

The Storage Inn’s latest blog post is about high temperatures and fun facts related to them.

It’s late July here at The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey, and we are currently experiencing our third heat wave of the summer. It’s hot hot hot, but as I was reminded by one of our storage tenants, all things are relative.

As I was making my rounds of the self storage facility this morning, I saw one of our long-time tenants, Mr. Osborne, working at his storage unit. Mr Osborne travels back and forth between his home in New Jersey and his home in Florida. “It’s a hot one!” I chirped. Mr. Osborne’s reply caught me somewhat off-guard – “Nah… In Florida we call this spring!” As I drove back to the rental office, I began to think about how hot it must be in other parts of the world, so I decided to do a little digging.

Here are some fun facts about hot weather…

The highest temperature ever recorded in the shade was 136 degrees in Libya on September 13, 1922.

The skin of a polar bear is black, which helps it to absorb more of the heat from the sun.

According to NASA, when the temperature reaches 95 degrees our work output drops by 45 per cent.

“As cool as a cucumber” is an apt simile: The inside of a cucumber can be as much as 20 degrees cooler than the outside temperature.

The average temperature on Mars is -81 degrees.

According to ‘Dolbear’s Law’, you can calculate the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit by counting the number of chirps produced in 14 seconds by a cricket and adding 40.

Until they are needed, the balls at Wimbledon are stored in refrigerated containers at 68F.

The flapping of the wings of 1,000 bees generates seven watts of heat.

The first use of the term “heatwave” for a period of hot weather was in New York in 1892.

The World Meteorological Organization’s definition of a heatwave is when temperatures are over 9 degrees above average for five days in a row.

So, now you’ll be armed with some fun facts for this weekend’s BBQ. When your neighbor starts to complain about the heat, you can ask him if he’d rather be in Libya! Meanwhile, here at The Storage Inn, I will be cranking up the air-conditioning in the rental office, hoping for Mars-like conditions!