We’re melting here! And there’s no beach nearby where we can cool off. The heat index was 103 F by 12:15 pm; and more is in store for tomorrow.

After a lifetime here, I ought to expect this kind of thing. I know that such heat can set in as early as March! I don’t remember it ever getting so hot, so soon in the year, when I was a kid. In fact, back then the really hot/humid weather didn’t set in until early July.

The heat doesn’t make cycling any easier; and in fact, it makes daily living quite tedious. When I walk places, I carry a piece of cardboard in my hand to use as a fan. Even indoors I need to keep that fan handy, despite the air conditioning. The window unit blows air upwards instead of outwards; and that’s no help! Who ever came up with such a design?

Even when I ride before sunup, I get very hot and sweaty; and I’m lucky that I can ride then. Not everybody has that option. I checked the local start times for some Tour de France stages. The first two began at 14:30; or 2:30 pm.

It seems pretty crazy to me that Tour de France stages don’t start until the middle of the day, when it’s the hottest. I suppose that’s for the spectators. Not many would want to be up to watch a 6:00 am start.

While we’re melting outdoors, the air conditioning at work is often too cold! Then, when we come back outside, the contrast is a bit much. In Winter, the  opposite is true. It’s very hard to get it right.

We finally got some rain; but I hope it’s over before morning. I want to ride!