Heat Wave

I think one of the best inventions of the 20th century was underarm deoderant/anti-perspirant. Too bad not every one has heard about it.

It's been hot here in upstate NY - upwards to 100 degrees - for over a week now. I have moved slowly (not easy for me as a rule) among my air conditioned house, my air conditioned car, to the air conditioned Y,to the air conditioned car again, to the air conditioned library, back to my car which is now well over 6000 degrees Kelvin, and home to my air conditioned house. I almost ran over a runner at 6:00 pm on Thursday night, temperatures in the 90s. I almost stopped to offer him a ride.

And what's with the Big Sweaty Men, in this weather, going into the sauna and steam room at the gym? "Hey boys, why not just step outside?""If you want to break into a sweat why don't you try doing some exercise for a change?" Needless to say I stayed out of there, and kept my trap shut.

I went to SPAC on Wednesday night. 90 degree temperatures even as late as 11:00 p.m. I wondered what it was like for the dancers, in costume and makeup, under lights, with tights, leaping and twirling about. I wondered if they used Ban, and who does their dry cleaning. But they were beautiful to watch and it all seemed so effortless, like they didn't even notice how hot it was. I was in the balcony crammed in with alot of stinky people, including many that got all dolled up for the ballet only to find themselves all wet and wrinkled before the performance started. Sweat was dripping down the back of my neck and I wasn't even moving. The only thing moving in the balcony were fans and mosquitos, who, as always, found me quite delicious, especially my ankles and the backs of my knees.

Without the weather I wonder sometimes if anyone would have anything to talk about. This week I would politely ask "So how are you?" just to be nice, and all I would get in return was the one word answer, "Hot". I guess I didn't really want to know how anyone was anyway. And that's about it for hot topics in the locker room, too. What a bore. Think about it - what would it be like if there was no sun, nor rain, no snow, no breeze, no change over to darkness, just gray and neutral all the time? We'd have to resort to gossip again.

Ladies, can we please control the talcum powder thing? You are going to sweat right through it anyway. And what's with that strange woman who works out and changes into her work clothes and never showers? Yuck. I'm sure her co-workers are quite impressed with the fact that she exercises.