Classic Rant #998 (July 8, 2013): The Heat of the Sun

This weekend, my family and I did next to nothing, which was fine with me after a difficult week at work.

We stayed by our pool for most of the weekend, which was the only place we could cool off other than somewhere where it was air conditioned.

In my neck of the woods, we are going through a heat wave. The weather forecasters say that it is a heat wave if we have three days straight of 90 degrees or more, and yes, we have had those three days, so yes, we are in a heat wave.

It has been very hot--and very humid--for the past few days, even the days leading up to the current heat wave.

Personally, I can't take it.

I am basically a cold weather person. I like the cold more than the hot, always have been that way, always will be that way.

I am very attuned to air conditioning, and I believe it has to do with my allergies.

When we lived in Rochdale Village in Queens, every apartment had air conditioning, which was pretty novel for 1964.

It was good for me, good for my allergies, and I learned to really enjoy it.

When we moved out to Long Island in 1971, we did not have any air conditioning, which was pretty consistent with what was going on back then. Many private homes did not have air conditioning back then.

However, I was suffering, and my doctor told my mother that if there was one room in our new home that had to be air conditioned, it had to be my room.

VOILA! I had air conditioning.

I have had a few incidents over the years where I suffered from heat prostration.

Once, I was visiting a friend on my bicycle, and I passed out during a hot day.

The problem was that I passed out on a major thoroughfare where I live, and I swear, to this day I don't remember crossing over to the other side to safety.

I must have had a guardian angel pushing me.

Another incident was at Yankee Stadium a few years back. It was 97 degrees, at the Stadium it was slightly warmer, and I passed out.

I think there was another incident when I was younger, actually in school, where we were running around what was supposed to be a track and I passed out.

Anyway, this current heat wave is beginning to wipe me out again. I am always warm and a couple of times, I have fallen asleep on the couch as my perspiration engulfs me.

It was great in the pool yesterday, but then we had a barbecue, and I was so hot I couldn't even eat.

When that was done, I pretty much passed out in bedroom without really passing out.

I barely made it to 8 p.m., and then I pretty much slept until about 5 a.m., when I normally get up and get ready for work.

So the heat has gotten to me, no doubt about it. My wife loves it, I hate it, and my body has a tough time adjusting to it.

Today? Well, it's a work day, so that is where I will be. I should be fine, but will it reach another day of 90 degree heat?

Who knows? All I know is that I won't be by the pool today.