Things I Will (and Will Not) Miss in D.C. #7: Air Quality Index - Code Red!

At 8:02am today it was already 86° and the temperature is climbing. Apparently, we may hit the double digits by the afternoon (and I'm not even thinking about the heat index). The past 3 or 4 days have made me feel like melting, even in the early morning. If this weekend is any indicator of how the rest of the summer is going to unfold, our remaining 53 days in D.C. may prove to be quite miserable.

YES, WE ONLY HAVE 53 MORE DAYS!

According to an Alert D.C. Email this morning, Code Red air quality days are declared when there is stagnant air, little chance of rain, high humidity, and temperatures above 95°. Essentially, anyone who cares to breathe should stay inside and pray that their air conditioner doesn't explode from working overtime. I feel as though D.C. is giving us a little goodbye present (or swift kick out the door) with this lovey stretch of swamp weather.

On days like today I'm remind that we are, in fact, living below the Mason-Dixon line. I also really do understand why people in the south move like snails - otherwise they might just catch on fire. Although, on the plus side, if you did spontaneously ignite I'm pretty sure the sweat pouring down your body would squelch the flames.

I don't think we've had temperatures and humidity this high since my first summer as an intern in 2003. I distinctly remember sobbing on my way to work some mornings because I was so sweaty and hot (I only lived 3 blocks from the office at the time). My friend Lauren and I would gather at the water cooler, fan ourselves, and compare sweat stains that ran from the collar of our shirts all the way down our spines. If we were lucky, the perspiration under our arms wouldn't connect to the stripe down our backs. It was during our summer internship that we coined the phrase "sweattin' like a fat man." If you've ever visited D.C. between June and August, you'll know exactly what I mean.

As a side note, yesterday in Portland it was 66° and crystal clear. As I shake my fists at weather.com wondering how life could be so cruel, I try to remind myself that we're in the home stretch.

We are in the home stretch. We are in the home stretch....

**3:30pm Update**

I had to walk to the post office to mail more packages and decided to check out the trusty Suntrust Bank thermometer in Dupont Circle. Code Red Indeed!