It's Gettin' Hot in Here!!!

        Good afternoon, Fam... Look, it is about to be beyond hot on the East Coast of the United States.  Yes, we are about to get handed about 5 days of a HEAT WAVE...  A heat wave is defined as a long period of excessively hot weather, which may also include high humidity.  Well, these last 2 days have be HOT and HUMID.  As my Grandmother would say, "you could cut the air with a knife".  Heat waves can cause alot of things to go wrong, crops fail to thrive, power outages due to an increase in the use of air electricity,  deaths from hyperthermia.    I say,  give me one or the other, BUT NOT BOTH, Mother Nature, please?

     I just want you ALL to be careful and stay cool.  No, we do not ALL have air conditioning in our homes, but there are ways to stay cool or at least tap into some coolness.   First and foremost, we need to stay hydrated.  YES,  back to one of my favorite statements.  DRINK water!!!

     There may be some available state agencies in your area who are offering free air conditioners or suggest cool spots for you to come sit during the hottest parts of the day.  If you have no access to those offerings, there are some things you can consider.  Please keep in mind that what I present to you are suggestions and NOT the ONLY avenues that may be available to you.

• Change your habits.  Just because you usually exercise outside at 10 am everyday, you may need to consider very late evening, very early morning to get your workout on.  Don't be the person that passes out on the street trying to complete boot-camp moves.
• Find a cool place of refuge.  If your home does not have air conditioning, try going to a place that does.  A library, the mall, the movies, or some other community setting.
• No air conditioner?  If you do not have an air conditioner, it's okay to use fans (ceiling or box) to get the air circulating throughout your home.  Using the window fans turned toward the outside will help push hot air outdoors and draw some cooler air into your house.  Please OPEN the windows and any available doors.  When it is at the hottest point in the day, do not close the windows and sit under the fan thinking you will cool off.  What you will actually doing is creating a convection oven and you will be cooking yourself in your own home.  You can also consider filling a bucket with ice and placing it in front of the fan that is blowing on you,  Hey, cool air is cool air.
• Clothing.  Wear lightweight clothing. Now is not the time to layer-up. 
• Water, water, water.  Water in the body and on the body is good.  Take a cool shower or bath.  Apply cool wet towels to your shoulders and head.  And you can ALWAYS soak those feet in a bucket of cool water. 
• Watch what you drink.  Go easy on the caffeinated drinks and alcohol.  These products help promote dehydration.
• CHECK ON YOUR FAMILY and FRIENDS.  Just a telephone call to insure that they have what they need or they can get to somewhere cool if they want to but do not have the means.

          Maybe the HEAT WAVE will settle down by the end of the week.  If not, try to stay cool, FAM... Smooches

(special thanks to Medicinenet.com and Disaster center.com)