Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Heat Wave

Fishermen against Long Beach skyline, sunset, CA by Doug Mazell


It has been very hot and humid here the past few days. The simple act of breathing is enough to cause one to break out in a sweat! So not much has been happening here, as I have been in a heat-induced trance since Monday.

Took the Jeep for an oil change and since it was nearby, thought we would take our chances at NJ Motor Vehicles to get it inspected. No sane person would want to sit in a hot car on a 100 degree day to wait on an inspection line, so naturally, that is what we opted to do.

We pulled up to the inspection station, and lo and behold, for the first time in all my years of driving, NO ONE ELSE WAS THERE! Except of course for the employees and they all looked like they had passed out from the heat.

In New Jersey, one must leave their vehicle with a technician and wait near the exit in a booth. You watch as various tests are performed to ensure your vehicle is roadworthy enough to travel on the treacherous highways and byways of the Garden State. When they are finished, they drive it to the exit where you are waiting and then the big moment arrives.

You watch with anticipation as the technician scrapes away the old inspection sticker and slowly peels the backing from the new one. Will it be the dreaded red REJECTION sticker or will you pass?

Yay-it's a green sticker with a big number "7" in the middle! "Jeep-Jeep" has passed and is good to go for the next two years! We applaud our victorious vehicle as it crosses the "finish line". The technician eyes us warily, then laughs, as he knows the intense heat does do strange things to people.

We stop by a little flea market on the way home but buy nothing. It's just too stifling to be outside. I do admire the brave souls who are out there hawking their wares in this weather.

So, just where do the citizens of New Jersey go in this heat? Are they at the beach? Perhaps many are, but we found out there is another popular destination-they are at Wal-Mart!

Yes, that was our big road trip for today, a visit to our local Wal-Mart. Just picked up a few needed items, no fabulous bargains to report. We then headed home and had a little cookout before the rain arrived.

So hopefully this heat wave will end soon. I would really like to take a long drive somewhere. Maybe visit a Wal-Mart in another county or perhaps one near the shore? I'll keep you posted on our exciting adventures in the Garden State. Who knows, we may even cross the state border!

4 comments:

... said...

i heard about your heat wave. pretty hot. it finally cooled off a little here in colorado.

i remember long trips to the mall when we lived in a house with no air conditioning. they were fun but you get tired of it after a day or so.

enjoy your time... wherever you end up.

Anonymous said...

I heard on the radion that New York - had a heatwave - a boy I would need to cool down too!!

Probably everyone makes to the freezer section - in the mall..

Peter

Lynne said...

Diana, the house I grew up in had no air conditioning either. My sister and I would often make tents in our backyard and sleep there. Once we lost power here for a few days during a heat wave and I did the same thing-it was really kind of fun-I do reccomend using a good insect repellent!

Peter, it has cooled down here somewhat after the rain we had last nite-it is now a frosty 83 degrees!
I was in the frozen food section at Wal-Mart and it was pretty crowded.

Kelli said...

I hope things cool down for you soon...it doesn't sound fun! My family is on the East coast too and have been spending lots of time in the basement!! We've got out shopping plenty of time to beat the heat before also!

Kelli