It Sho Am Hot!

I know it's Summer, but Chicago is in the midst of a killer heat wave. We are officially under an "extreme heat advisory." I guess that's the weather service's equivalent of running up to you and exclaiming, "Stop running around you goof, it's too hot."

It amazes me to hear people complain about the heat here in the Midwest. We really only get hot weather a few months a year. Talk to me in February when it's minus fifteen. You'll be begging for this heat. I guess I'm spoiled. I stay in the house with my A/C cranked up to meat locker temperature, I use the A/C in the car, and I use the weather as an excuse to do nothing outside.

Do people really need to be told that extreme heat can be dangerous? You'd think not, but you'd probably be dead wrong. Every newscast is reminding us not to exert ourselves for too long in this heat. Despite those repeated warnings I still saw some freaks our running and exercising yesterday. I think if you're that obsessed with running that you're willing to do it when there is a good chance you'll burst into flames, you can just lay on the street until you become a speed bump. We're told ad nauseum to drink lots of water and make sure our pets are not melting into the driveway. I've also been reminded about a thousand times to check on the elderly. I don't know that many elderly folks, and besides, that would require me to venture out. As Matthew Broderick said in "Biloxi Blues", "It's Africa hot."

So I'm keeping my house dark and cold. It's like a cave, but that suits me fine. I have to go out in a few minutes, so I'm filling a number of canteens and slathering myself with sunscreen. I'm actually off to the hospital because it's new hip day for my mom. I hope she doesn't start feeling better so quickly that she wants to go running. We don't need another sped bump in the neighborhood. Keep cool. Later....Brian