I rarely complain about the weather. Living in southern California for the past 26 years, I know how lucky I am. I don't have to deal with snow, ice and extreme cold in the winter. And when it gets hot, the humidity stays low. I generally appreciate the wonderful climate in which I exist. But there are exceptions. . .
We are in the midst of a heat wave. At our house on the Palos Verdes Peninsula the temperature yesterday hit 91°F. It rarely gets that high in this area where few houses have air conditioning. But I had to drive to Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley for a meeting. As I was about to exit my air-conditioned car, I noted that its external temperature gauge said the temperature was 104°F. The blast furnace that hit me as I got out of the car was as hot as I've ever felt and I had to walk over a block to get to the meeting place which was cooled (?) by a fan blowing on a room full of 20 people. Even with low humidity, that was hot!!!
It was still 104°F as I returned to the car to head home. Once I was back on the freeway heading up into the Sepulveda Pass which took me out of the Valley and back to L.A., I glanced at the gauge. It read 108°F. (And I understand that it hit a few degrees higher nearby.) Fortunately, by the time I got home, the temperature here was only 86°F, substantially cooler than it was in the Valley.
Today was a bit cooler but not much. For the most part I vegetated, even keeping the lights off so as not to generate any extra heat. And I now fully understand why they caution folks in my age bracket to avoid strenuous exercise and to be sure to consume lots of water on days like this.
I really do love the weather in southern California except on the rare days like yesterday and today. I don't like it when the heat makes me feel my age.
Okay – that's all the complaining for today! Now to get on with my life!
2 comments:
With temps like that Leon, I feel for you.
Years ago one time, in order to get cool (for then I had no a/c ) I ran the cold shower for a while to cool the air in the washroom & used a fan to blow it out to the other room.. Bad times those were.
Good that you take it easy when you are hot like that my friend. :)
We had several days of that 100°+ weather too. I hear that much of the summer will be like that here in the "Inland Empire" (I still giggle inside when someone says that). I got somewhat used to it when I lived in southern Texas while I was a Katrina refugee.
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