Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

Sly and the Family Stone...


We're just in from the verandah... where we enjoyed a Shiner Ruby Redbird and the remnants of last night's ADWH cigar... and it's HOT.  Like this:


We've already broken the record for this date... the former hottest day bein' 98 degrees back in 2002... but it doesn't FEEL all that hot.  I've been warmer... like this:
The ambient temperature during the day was in the high 90s, as was the humidity. We were working on a blazingly hot white concrete pad, which acted as a hellish solar reflector, intensifying the heat and making working conditions all but unbearable. You literally couldn’t touch the metal pieces of that antenna without wearing gloves, it was that hot. We worked 20 minutes outside, then ten minutes inside the air conditioned shelter, then 20 minutes back outside again, eight hours a day. It took us an entire week to disassemble that damned antenna and pack it up. I must have sweated off ten pounds, and for a light-@$$ed guy like me, that’s a lot.
I've felt hotter on any given August day at Boron AFS in the Mojave Desert.  Or marching to and from school in August down at Keesler Airplane Patch in Mrs. Hippy in the wayback.  Or working inside a radome on Guam.  Or even sitting in the back of a C-130 on the ramp at Don Mueang AB in Thailand.  Or we could be in Abu Dhabi (visualize a wink and a nod here), where the forecast high tomorrow is 111 flaming hot degrees.  So we need to keep thangs in perspective, yanno?  Hot fun in the summertime, indeed.

14 comments:

  1. I was having a slumber party with a bunch of other 15-16 year old girls back in the early 70's. One of them brought a Sly & the Family Stone album. Then she proceeded to teach us to dance to it. Fun memory.

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    1. In re: 111. THAT'S hot. I think I already knew how to dance by the early '70s. ;-)

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  2. I could never figure out Sly's act, i.e., where he was coming from. He was all over the place musically and of course his "Peace & Love" theme was hard to miss. And the integrated band bit was novel for its time (says Wiki, I never picked up on that; Wiki does a fairly good job of explaining the P&L theme also) But I never could ascertain where his head really was. In his "prior" life he was a highly articulate DJ in SF, but on his records and subsequent interviews he sounded like he was DEEP in the throws of "da Ganja." Could never figure out if it was an act, or if his lifestyle had actually slowly transformed his real persona into an "insane in the membrane" type personality, lol.

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    1. Could never figure out if it was an act, or if his lifestyle...

      Mostly the former, methinks, but he did have his issues with drugs, and not just pot.

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  3. Always enjoyed a little Sly/Stone. As to the temps - I won't comment cuz I have no experience with such craziness on a consistent basis. We do get random 100+ days here and those are usually accompanied by some nasty humidity, which we know I detest. Todays' forecast is for 86 degrees with 60% humidity. It is already hazy out there and it's going to be an uncomfortable day.

    Good day to be at work; inside with A/C aplenty.

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    1. I'd welcome an 86 degree day with open arms. It's already 84 at 0855.

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  4. It's something like 80 degrees right now ...on the way to 102 or so.
    The good news is it's supposed to warm up this weekend. (HSWHTPFIHC)

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  5. It was 104 on my way to the office this am...high on my Chevy truck thermometer was 122 today. And it's humid! I didn't expect that part! It's all relative...our low around here lately has been 92-95 at night. Can't wait for November!!

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    1. ...high on my Chevy truck thermometer was 122 today.

      How in the HELL does one work on the flightline in those sorts o' temps? All I can say is I'm glad I'm not YOU.

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  6. That Sly collection of hits is one of my primo "go to" albums. Not a bad cut on it. And anyone who doesn't tap his foot to "Thank You Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin" must have had a total rhythmectomy performed at some point.

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    1. Agreed on the album. I have it on vinyl (not in my possession, tho) and should get the CD.

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