I think it's fair to say it's been hot here in the Carolinas the past few days. Blisteringly hot, if I might say so myself. And I had to make some multi-hour interstate trips to boot this past weekend, in my well-traveled 256K mile buggy with no 'working' A/C. Since cursing the heat and the $4 per gallon gas prices accomplished NOTHING, I had to quickly switch to 'survival' mode...
First, Murphy's Law Corollary #649 states that:
"When trying to avoid the sun while traveling, you will ALWAYS be traveling at the direction that maximizes the undesirable affect of direct sunlight on your body."
Ah, proven true time and again this weekend. Wherever I was driving, whenever I was driving, the sun was beating down on my left arm and leg for most of the time...and so I was fortunate to have a white towel stashed behind the seat which I used to cover said arm and leg. It worked.
It also helped to have a large water container from which I would dribble liberally over my head and down the back of my neck, which would evaporate and cool me for a little while as I drove. If you didn't know already, and you want a big 50-cent word to throw around at the water cooler, evaporation is an "endergonic" reaction, chemically...in simpler terms, to convert water (liquid) to water (vapor), energy is used or consumed ('taken away') in the process...which is why even in the summer you feel cool stepping out of a shower...'evaporative cooling' is a critical process, not only in human comfort but in weather processes, as well.
Doesn't change the fact that it's hotter than a fritter, of course.
Alas, there are only a limited number of pictures one can take of one's self while driving...I could handle the towel issue, but the water-over-the-head was a little much...I trust you will understand!!!
Below are the Friday through Sunday highs for several Carolina cities...the only breaks came from some mountain thunderstorms which late Saturday oozed out into the northern Foothillls:
First, Murphy's Law Corollary #649 states that:
"When trying to avoid the sun while traveling, you will ALWAYS be traveling at the direction that maximizes the undesirable affect of direct sunlight on your body."
Ah, proven true time and again this weekend. Wherever I was driving, whenever I was driving, the sun was beating down on my left arm and leg for most of the time...and so I was fortunate to have a white towel stashed behind the seat which I used to cover said arm and leg. It worked.
It also helped to have a large water container from which I would dribble liberally over my head and down the back of my neck, which would evaporate and cool me for a little while as I drove. If you didn't know already, and you want a big 50-cent word to throw around at the water cooler, evaporation is an "endergonic" reaction, chemically...in simpler terms, to convert water (liquid) to water (vapor), energy is used or consumed ('taken away') in the process...which is why even in the summer you feel cool stepping out of a shower...'evaporative cooling' is a critical process, not only in human comfort but in weather processes, as well.
Doesn't change the fact that it's hotter than a fritter, of course.
Alas, there are only a limited number of pictures one can take of one's self while driving...I could handle the towel issue, but the water-over-the-head was a little much...I trust you will understand!!!
Below are the Friday through Sunday highs for several Carolina cities...the only breaks came from some mountain thunderstorms which late Saturday oozed out into the northern Foothillls:
Greensboro 96 97 97
Raleigh 99 100 101
Charlotte 96 97 99
GVL-Spartanburg 96 99 100
Asheville 90 92 93
Wilmington 95 98 99
(indicates record highs)
Raleigh 99 100 101
Charlotte 96 97 99
GVL-Spartanburg 96 99 100
Asheville 90 92 93
Wilmington 95 98 99
(indicates record highs)
Oh yeah, lest I forget: summer doesn't officially start for 11 more days (June 20th 7:59pm EDT). Gadzooks, Batman!
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