> I talked with some locals
> > here last weekend and they told me that SO FAR this year we've
> > received 21 inches OVER OUR NORM. To feel my pain, back in my
> > Albuquerque days (lived there 8 years), we averaged about 10-11 > > inches PER YEAR.
Welcome to the tropics.
Yeah, you're not kidding.
> And I swear if it isn't raining in Florida, it
> > might as well be with the high humidity levels.
You'll get used to it sooner or later. A/C is a way of life.
And ceiling fans.
I was really used to the humidity when I lived in Hampton, VA. I think it was hotter there than where I'm at in Florida. The gym I work out at doesn't have a very good A/C system either, so that actually helps. I walk out of there after two hours of lifting weights and doing cardio and it feels like feels comfortable outside.
> Can't wait for the
> > Florida "winter" (May through September) to be over, so I can feel
> > some [relatively] cool weather.
You mean summer. By the end of this month you should see some nicer
> weather. But watch out - hurricane season doesn't end for a few more
> months. Btw, we're coming into peak hurricane time right now. I also
> see you're about to get drenched again.
The season ends in November, right? Yeah, more rain... what else is new? When we first got here we thought rain was kinda cool, but after about a week the coolness wore off.
> Other than the rain and humidity, everything else is going
> > fantastic. The kids are doing great, the job is cool, love the new
> > house, and the wife is happy. Overall, life is good!
Glad to hear it. Life _is_ good. Could be a helluva lot worse. We
> could be living in Cali-Land! ;)
Yeah, I can't complain. I could have ended up in a place like Nebraska or North Dakota. Florida is at least in the top 5-10.
> Now, about me returning to the track... last week I had two DSM
> > friends of mine ask me to go with them to the local track Friday
> > night to make a few runs. I had been bugging them before about
> > going, so I couldn't turn them down, plus I was hoping another guy I
> > know, who owns a 6-speed LT1 Z/28, would show. Nothing like some
> > pony car, and import vs. domestic rivalry to get you hyped up. So
> > FriDAY shows up, and it's pouring down rain. Two big heavy
> > downpours, and even come 6 PM it's still spitting out and over cast.
> > I tell the one DSM guy that I've decided not to go because the
> > weather is so crappy. He tells me him and the other DSM guy are
> > going to chance it and still go. I wish them luck.
> Well, at about 7:30 PM the cloud cover is breaking up and my son
> > talks me in to still going. It wasn't hard to convince me. I've
> > been itching to get some track time! So I quickly remove all the
> > interior unnecessaries, make a few adjustments, grab my short belt,
> > and off we go. The track (Emerald Coast Drag Way) is only about 20 > > minutes away.
> > After going through the track's gate I want to see what the track
> > surface looks like and how things are run. I watch an '03 Z06 Vette
> > lay down an 8.0 eighth, a plain ol' _looking_ Neon run a 7.9, and an
> > '03 SVT snake run an 8.1. There was also two WRXs, a Neon SRT-4,
> > and a couple of wicked Pro-Stock type cars. After watching all this
> > I'm ready to go! But the damn weather! It's like 97% humidity, and
> > the storm clouds are starting to roll in, again. I figure by the
> > time I pay my money, get the car teched in, and get to the tree
> > it'll be pouring again. And sure enough, within about 15 minutes it
> > does. Everyone runs for cover, and most call it a night. My son and
> > I jump in the Cobra and follow a late-model Vette out the gate. > >
> > Program note: The one DSM ran a 8.7X, the other a mid-9.
> Oh well, even though I didn't get to bang any gears in my Cobra it
> > was nice to smell the burning rubber and hear horsepower thunder
> > down the track again.
> Stay tuned... I'll be back!
> Sounds good. Hey, at least you're at sea level. Even with the 97%
> humidity. Just wait until February - you'll love it.
I know. That's when I need to go to the track, but last year I just had too many things that needed to get done around the house. Still do, but after a year I need to start taking a few breaks here and there. ;-)
Patrick '83 LTD '93 Cobra