Too Hot to Touch

The last time I was able to work it was in the 90s

Well, there is no progress to report because I just haven't been able to work on the Ghia in over two months.

One reason for this has been the weather. This has been one of the hottest, driest summers on record here in Austin, and it's made working on the car almost impossible.

It's just too damn hot.

Now, I am a Texas boy, and I am used to the heat.  Hell, I love the heat!  I even love the Dog Days of August.  After all, I was born in the middle of August, so this time of year is really my favorite.
But this year, whew! We've now had over 60 days of triple-digit heat here in Austin; over twenty-three days in a row, and the first week of August the high temperature was 105 or higher.  Our electric bill is up and the lake is down.

Working on metal, even in the shade, is not something I'd recommend during a triple-digit heat wave.  The recommended temperature range for paint peaks at about 100 degrees, so I even if I can clean a part and get it ready for paint, I can't actually put a coat of primer on a piece of steel that's been sitting in the sun for longer than a few seconds.  Hell, I can't even pick up a piece of steel that's been sitting in the sun that long.

Of course, even if the weather was cooler, I would probably not have done a thing anyway, considering that my Bride has been away for nearly three months now, and I just haven't got the wherewithal to shop cook and work on the car in the evenings.  I know, that's a particularly lame excuse, but it happens to be true.  I guess if I could stomach some fryer grease with my automotive grease, I could just shovel down a burger in the shop as I work, but it has come down to a choice, dinner or the car, and these days, I am choosing the former.

The weather is likely to break here and my Bride is likely to return in another month or so, so I may be back in the shop by the end of September.