50th b'day NY trip Days 2 and 3 - hot as hell

You know how hot it is in NYC? So hot that my sunscreen melted off. That you cannot possibly overhydrate yourself even if you're just sitting still. And if you're in the sun, you will fry. UV index is at the top.

So with that in mind, we had a cookout on Saturday at my uncles' house in Bed-Stuy, and it was so wonderful to see everyone. I was queen for the day, flashing tiara and all, courtesy of my cousin Julie, who turned 50 earlier this year. My birthday is actually on Monday, so it's a weekend of celebrating!

Slideshow for Saturday...



On Sunday, I was supposed to cross the Brooklyn Bridge. At 3 AM I got up to get a drink and saw that the National Weather Service had issued an alert about the heat. This is what I posted on Facebook:

I may be determined, but I'm not stupid about the bridge walk (http://ow.ly/mIUPn). Summer is usually hot, but the National Weather Service has issued a dangerous heat advisory for Sunday afternoon (snippet below, link here http://goo.gl/jCDyz). I don't want and friends or relatives putting themselves at risk of heat stroke in support of my walk! (And, of course, I can only imagine what my rheumatologist, who wasn't exactly crazy about this jaunt, would say about me crossing under these conditions!) I can always return during less perilous weather to cross the bridge.

I'll have an update with alternate plans later, such as meeting at Smorgasburg at DUMBO on the Brooklyn side of the bridge (as was the plan after the walk, http://www.brooklynflea.com/markets/smorgasburg-dumbo/).

Sun, Jul 7, 2013, 3:13 AM EDT
* HEAT INDEX VALUES... UP TO 105 DUE TO TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 90S... AND DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 70S.

* TIMING... TODAY... WITH THE HOTTEST CONDITIONS OCCURRING IN THE AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS... SENSITIVE POPULATIONS WILL BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO MAKE IT FEEL LIKE IT IS 105 DEGREES OR GREATER. TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN POSSIBLE... RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.

My initial reaction:



Oh well; when you have a summer birthday and there's global warming. You need the alternate plans, lol.

Kate and I took our nephews to the NYC Transit Museum, which is nearby, and then, as I said above, went to the Brooklyn Bridge Park and stayed in the shade, which was wonderful by late afternoon.

Slideshow...