It is Ninty Degrees Today

It is sunny, cloudless, and hot. Biking feels nice, but once you get off and the breeze stops the heat falls on you - your face is wet, your clothes stick.
I ran into my friend Kirk outside the post office today around 2 p.m. Still cloudless, maybe a storm a couple miles off, but the clouds aren't close. I hugged him, his dress shirt was sweaty, a huge dark blue spot had formed on his back.

"Where are you walking? Do you want a ride?"

He was smiling, and he didn't stop smiling.

"To Normaltown, that Mexican Grocers," he said. "They have cheap ice cream."

Normaltown was at least a two mile walk, especially if he began on campus. He had probably already walked past two or three ice cream vendors, and would pass two more before he got there.

"It's a nice day, you know?" He was almost panting.

"My car is right here. And I live right near there, you know," I said. I did not understand why he did not want a ride; I do not understand why he did not want a ride.

"I'll walk," he said, still smiling (though I cannot attribute his half-crazed expression to the heat - he seems to wear it always).

I got into my car and watched him continue walking. It would be almost an hour long walk, and another back. This was half an hour ago. The temperature still reads 90, Kirk's blue dress shirt is probably drenched by this time.

Every so often I am reminded that human beings possess the ability to perform completely irrational tasks, just for the sake of reminding ourselves that we can. It is a somewhat comforting thought.