Mad Dogs and Englishmen

It's been hot in LA. I know, I know, it's supposed to be hot in LA, but that doesn't make it any more pleasant. I also hear a lot of people, particularly in the southeast, telling me, "But it's a dryyyy heat, that's not so bad." Tell that to the skeleton the vultures are gnawing on in the desert. Oh wait, you can't. He's dead from dry heat.

Seriously, though, it doesn't matter how humid it is; when the temperature gets into the high 90s, it's unpleasant. It's also been more humid here than it usually is (currently at 39%, I've seen it in the 90s a few times this summer), plus I'm a sweaty guy- every heat is a wet heat (that sounded dirtier than I intended).

Of course, none of this is entirely relevant as I spend most of my day in the Arctic. My cubicle is directly below a broken AC vent that is constantly set to blow at full power. It's not too bad this time of year, but far less fun in the winter. It can be pretty bad, but I refuse to bring a coat to work in the middle of the summer. I mean, didn't you just hear me tell you how hot it is? I don't even want to carry the extra weight in my bag, if I don't have to. The cold of my office, however, makes the heat outside worse. I step outside to walk to the bus, and it's a sensation not unlike going from a cold swimming pool into the hot tub, minus the refreshment. Even at 7pm, the mile from the train station to my home is a hot walk (about to be a hot bike ride- more in a future post). By the time I get home, all I want to do is strip off my clothes and lay under the air conditioner for a while. But it could be worse- it could be a wet heat (he said, sarcastically).

I just turned in a project for next week that I think will be pretty cool, so stay tuned for that.

Also, between lunch and now I had to book my boss a trip to Australia leaving tonight. When I mentioned it to someone and they seemed impressed, I said, "Well, it's what I do." And that made me sad. "What I do" is scramble to arrange for other people to visit exotic places. Oh well, paying my dues and all that.

Cheers,
Eli