Mean Gene

I Thought Vegas Was Hot

This weekend I'll be up in Watkins Glen again for the Finger Lakes Wine Festival. Two days of drinking New York State's finest reds, a dram at a time. The past few years I've come home with way too much wine, so this year I'm limiting myself to a case at most. Maybe a case and a half. If there's something I can't live without.

So that'll be fun. I think. The reason I'm not sure is the weather. This morning I did a check on Yahoo and found the temperature up there was going to be 91 on Saturday...and NINETY-FIVE DEGREES on Sunday. That's hot. And then you figure in that the wineries have their booths set up in the pit area of the Watkins Glen race track...and that there are thousands of people crowded cheek-to-jowl inside...it's going to be ghastly. There's a good reason why there isn't a Vegas casino with a Black Hole of Calcutta theme. Last year it was brutally hot. This year is going to be worse.

Though there is some hope. I checked the weather a few minutes ago and they've dropped the forcast to 89 for Saturday and a mere 90 for Sunday. With temps skyrocketing to 96 on Monday. There's a reason why you don't read about Bertie Wooster enjoying an after-dinner snifter of port while lounging in the Gobi desert. I remember last year, I was pouring sweat after five minutes inside, and the first thing I tried was a port. Mistake. Again, there's a reason why people don't bring kegs of port to a picnic in August. It's not refreshing in punishing heat. And this weekend I'll have to absorb some punishment.

Got a taste of it this afternoon when I had to change my left rear tire. It was only 85 or so with Thailand-caliber humidity. That was fun. Especially when one of the bolts sheared off as I removed the lugnuts. So I gotta run it over tomorrow, let them see if they can salvage my previous tire, and let them do their thing with the bolt. Awesome.

I was determined to lose my last few pennies at poker last night, so I entered a 5-table SNG figuring that if my luck continued I'd be in bed at a decent hour. I made it to the final table thanks to doubling up late with the Ladies, and as three players took turns holding a massive chip lead I just tread water and made the money. With the blinds ludicrously high I had to push when the big blind hit me. And I was dealt...aces. It was folded around to the small blind and I was afraid he fold too, but no, he raised me all-in. I instacalled, and he turned over...kings. Incredible.

Of course he flopped a king and knocked me out. Sigh. I'll try again to bust myself tonight. But perhaps I'm underestimating my survival skills.

Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go drink a gallon of PediaLight. Gotta start hydrating NOW.

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