Summer Heat in July 2011

When the Dog Star does its summer walk through July and early August, the days will broil like a hot dog on a grill. So the days had been abominably hot this past week. I am talking about beyond 30°C with lots of moisture in the air. Thankfully, today has been pleasant and not unbearable.

The heat had forced me to pull out the small air conditioner from the shed. This is an El Barato air conditioner from the Piányi Export Concert of Mouchu, China, sold at any Walmart. I do not like that thing: It is unwieldy to carry, and it has no way to drain the moisture it extracts from the air, so you know it is slowly rusting away.

Normally, I would install the air conditioner in the upstairs window next to the stairs. But one of the upper pane's latches is broken, so there is no way to position it so that I can insert the device. So I installed it in my bedroom window, which is a lot bigger. It is working out inasmuch as I sleep better. But the upper room had become unbearable, even with the fan, so I have to do my computer work with Isis, the Pico-ITX box. Only during yesterday evening was I able to go upstairs.

Some jackass parked a rusting silver-colored Lincoln Towncar in front of my house, blocking the mailbox and front walk. The person was obviously not a guest of any of my neighbors, who have driveways of their own. I contacted the local police and gave them the car's description and license plate number. Let us hope they sort the driver out, or at least have the car towed.