Brainstorming to Beat the Heat

It's been a little warm this weekend in Philadelphia and surrounds.

Niece Alicia says: "Did you notice that no one cared about the heat wave until it reached the east coast?  North Texas is on something like 25 days of 100 or above."  Actual picture of North Texas:

Niece Carrie says:  "I STILL don't care about the heat wave. Everyone commenting on the heat sounds like imbeciles. Of COURSE it's hot, it's SUMMER."  Here is an actual photo of Carrie maintaining cool.

Robin Williams says, "Warm? No, this is the setting for London Broil." (Good Morning, Vietnam, 1987) Actual picture of steak that makes me hungry for London Broil:

And of course they are all right.  Still, there is no good reason not to try to stay comfortable with all of these records breaking like tender young hearts at a Justin Bieber concert.  Actual tender hearts breaking for Justin (I am not making this up):

So at the risk of sounding imbecilic (Terisa says it's no risk, it's just a fact...) 

here are the best ideas so far.

Feel free to send in your own.

1.  Go camping.  Get out of town and into the sylvan woods, shady, dark, damp with cool moss.  We tried that this weekend at a local state park.  Our friends, Dale and Mitzi, organized a pretty fun get-away this weekend, complete with marshing mallows over a campfire, and a four-star breakfast in the morning.

Turns out that the outdoors doesn't get much cooler at night, AND you have the cicada tabernacle choir actually in your tent with you.  Still, wrestling with sleep deprivation takes what's left of your mind off of the weather.

2.  Eat cool foods. 

3.  Stay close to air conditioners.

4.  Drink, heavily.

4.  Do things with water.

5.  Adjust your wardrobe.  Maybe you can't go as far as this little tyke on our camping trip...

We don't mind the heat and humidity too much.  It makes this place seem more exotic, tropical and paradise-like.  We expect to see monkeys swinging from trees, and crocodiles in the fountains.

And it could be worse: you could have a hot job, too.

Philly Gabe and Terisa