Yes, It is Hot Enough for Me

It was a 102 degrees today - farenheit. As people are fond of saying, "a hundred and two in the shade", which is correct, since that's how they measure temperature. In the sun, it is much hotter. They tell us it "feels" like 110, but how do we know what 110 feels like? When it's 110, they'll tell us it feels like 115, so the "feels like" is irrelevant, but it makes the TV weather guys think they're earning their salaries.

The point is, it's hot. It's so hot that I'm strangely comfortable. Mostly, I hate the heat, and it doesn't have to be that hot for me to be uncomfortable, so when there is ludicrous heat, like today, I'm more comfortable around people, because we're all supposed to be feeling bad, and by contrast, I look normal. There ya go!

Meanwhile, my car had developed its own little shield of dust and grime - which I think increased its weight and drag coefficient enough to impair my fuel economy. Since I'm opposed to wasting things like gasoline, I decided to take the car for a bath. Lucky for me, there's a car wash across the street, so the choice was obvious.

As with so many other businesses, it is operated by people for whom english is not a primary language. That doesn't influence my decision, but it does make me wonder why Americans aren't that anxious to open a car wash. Maybe it has something to do with low income and a lot of work?

For twelve bucks, I'm supposed to get wax, tire cleaner (seems like a waste), vacuuming and undercarriage wash - which seems silly, since I can't see the undercarriage and really can't tell if they're doing anything or just taking the extra two dollars and flashing a little light that says UNDERCARRIAGE WASH during the cycle. It's a pretty light, though.

What I did get (that I didn't pay for), was the seat adjustment. Why is it necessary for a guy who drives (I use the term loosely) my car a grand total of 15 feet to give my driver's seat the Gangsta Lean, and push the passenger seat up so far that even Herve Villechaize couldn't get in. But the car was clean, so I guess I shouldn't complain. Plus the fact that it felt like 110, and those poor souls are out there drying my car for $5 an hour.

I spent the next half hour getting the seats back to their (apologies to Blue Cross) pre-existing conditions, and started wondering about the heat. Don't ask how my mind works.

I'm not sure we have evolved enough as mammals. Extremes of heat and cold seem to affect us too much, and we rely on artificial means to equalize our bodies. Or is it because we rely on artificial means that we cannot adapt? I need a genealogist. Check on the elderly, stay out of the sun, watch your fluids and don't move too fast, they tell us. Meanwhile, I can't walk from my house to my car without a towel and the air conditioning runs almost constantly and I'm still warm. My cat seems fine, and I see birds, rabbits and squirrels running around outside like they do every day.

If it takes 70 degrees and low humidity to make us "comfortable", we can't be that strong a species, can we?