My Week of Heat

I think most “outdoor enthusiast” develop a love/hate relationship with the weather.  There are those perfect days when being out in the elements is pure bliss and then there are other days that simply (how should I put this?), Suck!  Well, the past week has been full of the latter which has given me a lot of time to ponder all the various types of heat I’ve experienced while spending time in the elements this past week.  During the dog days of summer, heat is more than just a sensation it’s a palatable presence almost continuously weighing on the minds of those whom it tortures.  It’s said that Eskimos have many words for snow.   I’m sure there are other culture’s who have just as many words for heat, probably living somewhere near the equator! So I decided to do a quick search of words which describe “heat” in some way and have a little fun with their definitions as they may relate to some of my own experiences this past week.  Here we go...

Sunday: approximate temperature 97 deg.

Experience: Taking the garbage out, forgot to put anything on my feet, stepping on black top.

Type of heat: Holy $#!@ my feet are melting hot.

Descriptive word: Searing- is a technique used in grilling, baking, braising, roasting, sauteing, etc., in which the surface of the food (usually meat, poultry, fish or in this case my foot) is cooked at a high temperature so a caramelized crust forms.  

Monday: approximate temperature 98 deg.

Experience: Getting into the car at 2:00 PM, had forgotten to crack the windows, wearing long pants and long sleeves, probably at least 130 degrees in the car.

Type of heat: Slow roasting heat which permanently sticks clothing to skin (recommendation: find a shower and change!)

Descriptive word: Measty- A hot, sweaty mess; a gross feeling.  Thanks to urban dictionary for this one.

Wednesday: approximate temperature 97 deg.

Experience: In a rush to get out of the house for a 1 hour bike ride…of course I walked right past my daughters sunscreen.

Type of heat: Who’s holding the magnifying glass on my neck type of heat?

Descriptive word:  Incendiary-capable of catching fire, causing fires, or burning readily. As in “I think my neck is literally on fire”.  Went out and bought my own sunscreen the next day.

Friday: approximate temperature 111 deg.

Experience: Running on a treadmill for 2- 1 hour stints, set up on the side of route 31.

Type of heat: So this is what a slow death feels like type of heat.

Descriptive word: Languid: drooping or flagging from or as if from exhaustion, lacking force or quickness of movement.

Hope you got a little kick out of my week of heat.  Until next week...Here's all the heat you need!