Sunday: 23.July.2006

Record-breaking heat-wave, and Rad-dad rides again (Surrey)

Been too dang hot to update the web site. It has been this hot here in SoCal before - plenty of times - but I can't remember it ever being this hot for this looong.

I mean, the heat is relentless, stifling, brutal .. even at night, even at the beach. And it's been humid, muggy, sticky, tropical. With no relief in sight. I think the word they use is oppressive.

Heard this is the warmest summer on record - since record keeping began. Maybe Al Gore is right. And from maps seen on TV of temperatures across the nation, it looks like you might be roasting even worse.

••• continued •••

The whole country is colored either dark-brown (90's) or hot-pink (100+) .. can't be good. Yesterday was the first time Weatherbug ever flashed a heat advisory for this area (from noon to 7PM).

The hottest temperature I've ever been in was 104 (40-C), in Borrego Springs. No breeze at all.

I remember stepping outside in the morning, and the heat took my breath away, like somebody had punched me in the chest. Hard to breathe air that hot. Later I stepped out of the swimming pool and was bone-dry in 5 minutes.

Reminds me of how it feels when you check the turkey on Thanksgiving, opening the oven door and that wave hits you.

Everything seemed perfectly still, kinda surreal .. almost spiritual. You could *die* in that kind of heat .. wouldn't take very long, either.

In more enjoyable news, I had a cool time playing Rad-dad with the little guy this week. Took him on a bike ride up & down the Balboa Peninsula, on a 4-wheeled bike called a Surrey.

Brought along his red Elmo doll .. and put Elmo in the other seat up front, right beside the bug, and peddled them both up & down the peninsula.

Received lots of attention from on-lookers. Elmo & the bug looked cute together, or at least that's what folks were saying ..

.. things like: "Oh my god, that's the cutest thing I've ever seen." Heard many such comments from folks riding/skating/walking the other way. Lots of folks were hangin' out at the beach, cuz it was so hot inland.

We took the same ride last week, but without Elmo. The only problem .. was that neither Elmo, nor the bug did any peddling .. which left me sweating like .. well, you know.

I like riding the Surrey cuz the bug gets an unimpeded view, sitting up front. Lots of visual stimulation for him there. They don't go very fast, tho. Riding into the wind yields a nice breeze, but requires extra peddling-effort (more sweat).

Riding down-wind is much easier, but you get very little breeze heading that direction (sweat starts dripping). I took the bug's shirt off, so he could experience the full effect. Yeah, that's right, he was diaper'ing his way down the peninsula, totally diggin' it.

I made friends with the guy who rents the Surreys, and he gave me a special di$count (normally $25/hr) cuz he sympathizes with my situation. No time limit, either. "Bring it back whenever you're want," he said with a wave.

Regarding the bug's age (18 months), the bike guy said, "These are the most important times, brother. You're doin' the right thing."

When the bug first saw the Surreys, all lined up, ready to go, he pointed and shouted, "On!" .. which is the same thing he says whenever he sees a carousel, or the Balboa Island Ferry, or ... anything ridable. His vocabulary is limited to a measly 100-or-so words, but he still manages to get his point across.

There's a chance you might see us on the webcam at the Wedge, some mornings, where we stop to watch the boogie-boarders ride the big waves.

Now, where'd I put that glass of iced-tea?





Posted by Rad at July 23, 2006 06:39 AM

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