Cooking Hot In Texas While Stuck On Train In Virginia

 

Day after day after day after day over 100 degrees, with no rain at least rendering some comfort via low humidity.

The water supplying reservoirs in my area are drying up. Water restrictions are in place.

My lawn is brown from lack of water. 

The heat killed my vehicle's battery.

The Wichita Falls Hotter 'n Hell 100 bike race happens the last weekend of this month. Last year the temperature for Hotter 'n Hell was not over 100. This year I suspect under 100 will not be the case.

Last night I had a virtual train trip from Washington D.C., south, towards Lynchburg, Virginia. The train was rolling slow due to the high wind battering the Northeast. Twice the train came to a long stop due to trees blown across the track.

I have never enjoyed an Amtrak train trip. Not since a nightmare weekend via Amtrak, rolling the rails from Tacoma to Portland, and back. I have never been seasick no matter how rough the seas. But, on that train trip I did get railsick, from the rocking and rolling, eventually resulting in a spewing of vomit in copious amounts. It is a lingering bad memory.

September shall soon arrive. And with that the approach of the end of summer and the start of fall, and, I hope, cooler temperatures....

Overheating HOT Hill Hiking In Texas Thinking About Taking An Ice Bath

A new forest of a strange looking plants has sprouted up on the Tandy Hills.

I suspect Don Young may have identified this strange looking plant in his most recent Prairie Notes, but at the time I read it I had not seen the plant in person, and so remembering its name did not register.

It was barely 90 when I hit the hills hiking today.

90 and very humid.

Last summer I had absolutely no problem with hitting the hills hiking when it was over 100.

This summer I am having a little trouble with hitting the hills hiking when it is HOT. I think the difference is this is being a very humid summer in Texas. Very humid.

Today I added to the humidity by leaking 5 bottles of water.

To cool down, after the HOT hill hiking, I went to Town Talk to stand in their walk-in cooler. It was refreshing. Way more refreshing than my swimming pool is being. The day after day after day of being over 100 has heated the water to lukewarm.

Even cold showers are no longer cold, with the HOT ground heating the waterpipes and the water flowing inside. By the time it makes it out of my showerhead the water feels like some hot water has been mixed in, when it hasn't.

I've heard ice baths are refreshing. I'm not sure how that works. Fill the tub with water and throw in some ice cubes?

103 In The Middle Of The Afternoon On The First Day Of August In Texas

As you can see, we have hit 103, as predicted, well, actually, the latest prediction for today is it will hit 104.

And the dreaded HEAT INDEX is back, making it feel like 106. Yes, those 2 degrees make a huge difference.

Adding to the HEAT the National Weather Service has issued one of those pollution alerts, of the Level Orange sort. The elderly, like me, are supposed to avoid exertion where you might find yourself breathing too much of the polluted air.

That snoopy Betty Jo Bouvier used her Wild Woolley Eyes to see what book I was reading that I said I was embarrassed to admit to. How rude.

I got halibut yesterday at Town Talk. Moving to Texas really caused a big hit to my seafood consumption. I used to be able to drive about 10 miles and put out a crab pot and get me some fresh dungeness crab. Or if the tide was low, dig me some clams.

I do not recollect when last I had halibut. Back when my mom and dad lived in Washington my dad caught a halibut in the San Juan Islands zone of Puget Sound that weighed over 180 pounds. My dad fought the fish for about an hour before a guy in another boat assisted with the capture. I've got a picture of my dad and that halibut somewhere. I believe it was in the local newspaper.

I've heard of catfish getting caught in Texas lakes that are quite heavy. But, if you've ever had fresh halibut, cod or salmon and then taste catfish for the first time, well, it is really shocking that anyone finds catfish edible, particularly the muddy-flavored variety. What does a catfish eater think the first time they taste real seafood? It's perplexing.

Below is the Fort Worth Forecast for the next 7 days. It's HOT!

103 The Predicted High In My Zone Of Texas For The 1st Day of August

I aimed my camera towards the pool again this morning, instead of towards the sky. You may be able to intuit from the fact that there appears to be more light than yesterday's photo of the pool, that on this first day of August I slept in til about the time the sun woke up.

The National Weather Service is claiming that the next couple days will be the HOTTEST of the year, so far, with today hitting 103.

Currently, at a little before 7 in the morning, it is a relatively chilly 78.9. So, even though today may end up being the HOTTEST day of the year, currently I have my windows open and my A/C off.

I'm not quite sure what I am doing today. I think I may go to Chinatown in Arlington. And I have a couple more places I want to virtually visit on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Are We Finally Going To Have Some 100 Degree Days In Texas

I did not know the forecast had changed from incoming isolated rainstorms, with a slight chance of thunder, to no clouds, nothing but sun, for the next 7 days.

With the air finally warming up to over 100 starting on Saturday.

My power bill tripled this month. Due to, I assume, the A/C running. I suspect the next power bill will take another leap upwards.

Another HOT June Thursday Morning In Texas

As you can see, in the Thursday morning view from my computer room window, there is not a cloud in the sky.

And, at barely past 9 in the morning, it is already 84, heading towards a predicted high of 98, with the Heat Index making it feel like it is over 100.

If I had Audio-Vision, right now you'd be hearing an awful lot of banging and sawing. My patio balcony is getting changed from solid wood to a wrought iron-type railing.

I think I'll like the change, but I'm not liking the noise.

Yesterday I did not blog about hiking on the Tandy Hills, even though I did. Hike. I made it to the hills a little before 3. It was HOT. Too HOT. I got so HOT I forgot to take a picture documenting yesterday's HOT hiking.

I was on the HOT hills for almost an hour and a half. I don't think I was able to drink enough water to keep up with what was oozing out of me. The end result had me feeling really good, but a bit, well, loopy.

By the time I made it back to my vehicle all I could think of was the walk-in cooler at Town Talk. So, I made my wobbly way to that cooler. After spending too much time in the cooler, I exited to find boxes of sweet potatoes for 29 cents a pound. So, I got a lot of sweet potatoes.

Lunch today is mashed sweet potatoes and BBQed pork chops. Promptly at one. Or not. Don't be late.

Escaping The Texas HEAT By Going To Washington Again

You are looking at the Friday morning window view from my computer room. It is half past 9 and already 81 on the way to a high of 95, with extremely high humidity making it feel HOTTER.

The temperature of the air and the pool, this morning, were identical, or so it seemed to me, according to my built-in skin sensors.

Last night I managed to have the best night's sleep in recent memory. What a difference sleeping well makes. It's like a major rejuvenation.

This morning I heard from the 50th state, planting the idea in my head to head north, to Washington, for some quality time with some quality people. I like this idea.

The last time I headed north was July 20, 2008, almost 2 years ago, for a traumatic one month long bout of bizarreness, the bizarreness of which continues, in various iterations, to this day. When I returned to sane Texas, on August 20, 2008, I vowed to myself that it would be a long time before I subjected myself to any variation of what I subjected myself to in 2008.

But, the idea of heading up to Washington to spend time with non-toxic people, now that appeals to me. I am currently in the midst of working on a website deal that might require a visit to Washington. I'm thinking, maybe I can combine the two, the website with the non-toxic people.

It is being breezy this morning. If this breeziness continues I see a breezy Tandy Hills Steam Bath in my mid-day future. Or, I may skip it.

Texas Heat Insomnia Strikes Deep Into Sleep

Saturday night was not all right. Insomnia.

All day long, Saturday, for the most part, this, that and the other thing did not go well.

By around 4 in the afternoon the official temperature taking location for D/FW, that being the airport, went over 100 degrees for the first time this year.

I went to bed early, feel asleep, went into pleasant dream mode. And then about 11 I woke up to find myself a hot, sweaty mess.

And thus began the rest of the night's attempt to battle with the A/C to make the temperature in here semi-pleasant.

Have I mentioned I am not acclimating to the HEAT well this year? Why? I don't know.

And now this morning I found the pool pump is not circulating the water. Again.

Texas Hot Water Hot Air & Broken Bikes

In the picture you are going swimming with me early Sunday morning. The water was warmer than the air.

The overnight low was 80. It is not even 10 a.m. yet and it is already over 90. So, it'll be another scorcher in Texas this last Sunday of June.

Next Saturday is already the 4th of July. Towns in Texas put on the best parades I've ever seen, with two of them being 4th of July Parades. One of the biggest in Texas is the 4th of July Parade in Arlington. My favorite, that I've seen, is the Granbury 4th of July Parade.

I won't be going to any parade today, as far as I know. I still have not gotten around to getting my bike wheel fixed. I never think of it until I'm in the mood to do something aerobic and then remember my bike is disabled. Bike riding is easily doable when the temps are over 100.

It Is Saturday June 27 In Texas & 105 Degrees HOT

I experienced none of this last summer. I was suffering icicles in Tacoma when my zone of Texas had its 100 degree days of the year. So, this is being my first HOT time for a couple years. Last year it did not get HOT til after July 20. This year it's not even July and we're HOT.

By tomorrow the pool will be even less refreshing than it was this morning. When we get a week or two of being over 100 news items will appear advising people that it is impossible to cool down their pools with ice. Evidently, every year, a lot of people try that. Apparently the amount of ice needed to lower the temperature in a certain volume of water makes it physically impossible to lower it enough to make a significant difference.

On good thing to make note of on the weather gauge, the humidity is down so far we no longer have a Heat Index temperature that is higher than the actual temperature.

And on a totally non HEAT related subject, when I logged in to write this blogging about it being 105, I saw that the previous blogging was number 1,500, which makes this one number 1,501. When I started doing this blogging thing I figured I'd last a month before I got bored with it. As I often am, I was wrong.

Texas Heat Wave Sprouts on Target

That's a look at my current state of weather, via WeatherBug, from about 10 minutes ago. As you can see we are nearing 90 with the high today getting to 95.

I have not turned on the A/C in here. Yet. I did run the A/C in my vehicle when I drove up to Southlake at noon.

Swimming, this morning, was very pleasant.

I fixed the flat tire on my bike before the torrid temps arrived. But, I don't know if I'm ready, yet, to venture out and ride the newly tubed bike in this heat. That and I've got other stuff to do.

In Southlake I went to Sprouts Farmers Market, like I usually do on Wednesday, pathetic repetitive creature of habit that I apparently am. It was extra warm in Sprouts. Maybe due to way too many people being in there.

On the way back here from Sprouts I dropped in on the Super Target that sits with its back to the Super Wal-Mart where I first got a gallon of milk that was supposed to cost $1.98 but for which I was charged the outrageous price of $2.00. Looking at my blog stats, I can now see I am not alone. Others are looking for the reason why Wal-Mart is being odd with their milk price.

The reason I went to Super Target was to return a vegetable oil sprayer that did not work. At Super Target you walk into what at noon appeared to be a practically empty store where the employees out number the few customers. Unlike at Super Wal-Mart, at Super Target you walk up to Customer Service and you are instantly acknowledged and helped. It took all of 20 seconds to get my money refunded.

I then told the Super Target Customer Service person about my recent experiences with Super Wal-Mart Customer Service and the bizarre milk price scam. She was appalled. I told her I'd blogged about it a couple times. She asked for and wrote down my blog address. Unlike the minimum wage morons that Wal-Mart mans its Customer Service with, this Super Target young lady seemed quite sharp.

Sprouts today was also a good customer service experience. I must have bought at least 30 different items. As always, not a single price mistake. And super fast, efficient, checkout.

So, now does the title of this particular blogging make sense? Texas Heat Wave Sprouts on Target. Makes sense to me.