Summer

You know you're in for it when you leave the house at 5 am and you're already sweating. That was the case this morning when I mounted my bike and started toward job #1. Less than a mile away and I was already damp with sweat. People are crammed into the place demanding iced drinks and being overly crabby from the absolutely oppressive heat. I think it's hot but I don't let it affect how I treat people. I'm a chameleon... somewhat shy but able to adapt to my surroundings and blend in when I need to. The heat is honestly not as bad as I thought it would be here in the Northeast, even this week with the triple digit temperatures and humidity topping out in the high 80 percentile.

On to job #2. Gliding between cars on my bike, I can feel the heat emanating from them as I sail past. Despite the slew of bike riders in this city, drivers sure are unsympathetic to our plight. And what's the deal with honking just so we know you're there?? Don't you think we expect cars to be in the road? One guy actually slowed down to almost a halt just to tell me I should ride on the sidewalk! Hello! That's illegal!!! Often times I will resort to this criminal act rather than put up with cars. What's funny is a lot of times I make it faster to my destination than cars would, with the traffic and small streets.

The shade is the lovely haven of coolness especially when the breeze picks up, but nothing stops the humidity from overtaking me. When it feels like I'm literally going to melt into one big puddle, I finally reach my destination, 611 Records where the AC is kickin full blast but you can barely feel it... we desperately need a new one. I suppose it is better than the over-air conditioned stores. I swear some Philadelphians are desensitized from hanging out in their refrigerated boxes all day. No wonder they bitch and moan when they have to walk two blocks in the actual heat of summer. I ride in it for 20 blocks and almost get run off the road. Freakin wussies.

Climbing the charts in my all-time favorite things about Philadelphia would be the summer rain. When the humidity is so unbearable it feels like you're in a sauna you can't escape, the sky turns this eerie gray and you know what's coming. In a literally thunderous entrance, the sky crashes down, pouring all the moisture that has been building up. It is the ultimate relief. Thunder, lightning, and an absolute downpour that seems unrelenting. My favorite ones are the ones that last about 30 minutes. I don't even mind getting caught in the summer rain storms, even if it soaks me to the bone. After the storm the city seems cleaner, the streets and even the air seem cleansed. And most of all, it cools down!

Summer in Philly is a strange thing. Those who can escape to their summer homes on "The Shore" and others retreat on the weekends to the beach or to Atlantic City, or Vegas' retarded slutty sister, as I like to call it. Combining this with a large population of college students who go home to their parents for the summer, there is definitely a feeling of relative emptiness in the city. College students are the main demographic for club life, it definitely feels a lot less hoppin'. Just as well, on most nights it's so hot I'm content to sit in front of my AC and watch previously recorded programs on my tivo.