Happy Friday

Among the things you don't like to see are this on your intranet: "Heat advisory in effect; Tips for preventing heat-related illness", and this warning on the Weather Channel:

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

SOUTHWEST WINDS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WILL BRING HOT AND HUMID AIR INTO THE MID ATLANTIC REGION TODAY. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO RISE INTO THE MID 90S BY LATE AFTERNOON. THIS COMBINED WITH HIGH HUMIDITY WILL RESULT IN HEAT INDEX VALUES UP TO 100 DEGREES.

RELIEF FROM THE HEAT IS EXPECTED ON SATURDAY AS COOLER AND LESS HUMID AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION WITH THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT.

A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS... STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.

I'm lucky enough to work in an air-conditioned office, but after about 2:00pm the sun directly hits my window and the air conditioning is no match for it. Meanwhile, at home our air conditioning does a great job of keeping our downstairs feeling like a meat locker, but the upstairs still feels like a sauna (our neighbors all say the same thing...old houses like ours just weren't built with air conditioning in mind). I understand now why you see so many moms and babies walking around malls on days like this.