Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

[Hell Razor5543]

I have always been scared of getting a tan. When I was about 3 1/2 (and my Mum was heavily pregnant with my first brother) some former friends of hers took me down to the beach (it was early June, and we lived in Brighton). I was allowed to run around all day with no sun protection whatsoever. The next day I was in hospital, and I could not wear any tops for three weeks (touching the burns HURT). I will not give details, as my back was a mess, and Mum never spoke to those friends again.

[myglaren]

Similar tale here James, on Whitby beach all day and suffered for a fortnight after.

Did the same on my first holiday on Käringön. Laid on the rocks all day sleeping in the sun. Agony for a couple of weeks thereafter.
Lesson learned - I shun the sun these days.

[elma]

I've no choice at the moment, out in it all day every day. I like my hat with the rim all the way round and I usually remember suncream around midday when I'm just tingling. I've worked indoors for so many years I haven't tanned at all, I just look less unhealthy.

[Zelandeth]

I generally tan the moment I look at the sun. Genes from my father's side there it seems. Whether it counts for anything I don't know - but having grown up in the back end of nowhere in northeast Scotland, when I was a kid, it was rare that I spent much time inside unless the weather was majorly bad.

I'm usually pretty careful though and have only got myself moderately badly fried twice.

Once was back when I worked at the garage. My main jobs were valet work when that was needed, or just give everything in the forecourt a good clean once a week. Middle of December one year I got myself absolutely cooked. Of course up there, the air is so clear, especially when it's below freezing out that it's not hard to get burned...

Second was more recent at the Grampian Transport Museum's Annual Summer Gala. I was both exhibiting one of my cars (think it was the Saab that year), and was also helping the gent who handled the preserved bus collection there. As it turned out, I wound up being quite handy that day as none of his other helpers showed up! So I was pretty much flat out from the moment I stepped out of the car until we locked up.

Was only when I saw myself in the bathroom mirror that I realised that I had forgotten something important...That took a while to heal...Of course I got plenty of sympathy from my co workers.

Looks like I've not come off too badly today. Lesson for next time though! Probably plan on sticking around a bit longer too, especially in the last couple of months before it gets to being a million degrees down here again. Once it gets north of 25C outside I basically stop functioning...

Last year I wound on putting on over a stone during the summer because I just couldn't do any meaningful exercise. Seriously giving consideration to grabbing a cooling vest this year (will need it eventually anyhow, just keep putting off spending the money) to help me actually survive as a contributing member of society this summer rather than hiding for three months next to the nearest air conditioning unit. When I look at it that was £200 odd doesn't actually seem that expensive.

[myglaren]

^ Despite working outdoors for most of my life - ten years in a darkroom excluded - I always arrange to work in the shadows (the Dark Side )
My exercise is generally walking downstairs for another cup of tea

[Zelandeth]

I try, though if I want to do anything on the car I've had it...Our house faces southwest, and the driveway is out front!

We are probably going to grab a couple of gazebo type things this year though for garden work, which I fully intend to steal to work on the car with!

[van ordinaire]

I used to think I didn't like the heat but visits to Italy, S.Africa, Egypt, Arizona, the Mohave desert & India have largely cured me of that - & to think, as a child, I had to wear T-shirt when swimming 'cos I burned to easilly.

[Zelandeth]

I found it a lot easier to deal with back up north, it's the humidity down here that really does me in. Seldom up in Scotland you saw high temperatures and silly humidity figures at the same time.

Either way though, heat never really used to get to me until about ten years ago when my internal thermostat was utterly wrecked by some medication, and my tolerance to heat dropped by about 20C almost overnight. Have to have A/C on in the bedroom every night set to 19C if I've any hope of sleeping.

I find outside so long as I'm not being massively active (i.e. heavy yard work) I'm usually fine up to about 23-24 so long as I'm not right in the sun. Cycling I can deal with too thanks to the breeze, but anywhere above that and I've had it. Goes the other way too, I feel cold at the same temperature I always did - but I get cold a lot faster and it takes far longer for me to stabilise again afterwards. That's really annoying in the winter as it can hit me in the few seconds walking in from the car if I've not wrapped up sometimes, and I wind up adding and removing a fleece for the next hour as I play temperature tennis!

Go trust me to decide five years after getting his body's heat tolerance messed up to A: move 450 miles further south and B: take up hobbies where one of the major problems is thermal management. Never said I was smart.

Today's car tasks were pretty low key, was quite tired from a busy day yesterday and a rough night (I also have sleep issues - medication to try to deal with that being responsible for the above temperature issues actually) were limited to a fluids, lighting, tyre and general health check. Nothing to report aside from the whole fleet being thirst for screenwash.

Also came across the twin headlights for the 107 in the garage again, and sadly stared at them for a while due to the cracked lenses. Would really love to get them on the car again. - especially now she's off commuting duty so kinda mine again and getting some attention for the first time in three years.

Had it out for a quick blast across MK yesterday evening when the roads were dead to scrub the brakes up a bit - it is downright astonishing how rapidly you can fling that little car around. It's also ridiculous how good that little three pot sounds when pushed hard. I can seriously see me potentially fiddling with the exhaust configuration someday...

That blasted flat spot at about 4000rpm is still there though...I reckon it's a mapping issue as it's been there since it had 1500 miles on the clock (probably before, but it was treated gently prior to that).

Still feels like a brand new car though (in all the good ways!) despite this week being her 8th birthday.

[CitroJim]

Got to agree about the 107 family, they are great fun! I can well understand Robyn not wanting the 207 back after getting her hands on my erstwhile C1...

Zel, I did your trick at the X rally yesterday. Forgot to apply sunscreen and as a result I have a very red face this morning!

My temperature regulation/tolerance is totally wrecked as a result of ME... My problem is that I don't regulate any more and I'm only comfortable in a very narrow range of temperatures and suffer both the heat and the cold terribly, especially in my hands where Reynauld's adds to the agony...

Air-con I can't tolerate at all. They all blow hot and cold to me and one moment I'm roasting and the next moment I'm so cold I'm pulling on a jumper...

It causes havoc in our office - we have to keep turning our air-con (one of these heat pump jobs that both cools and heats) on and off manually as we just can't find a happy medium on it to keep me comfortable. It must drive my colleagues bonkers - they are a very tolerant lot but I'll bet they are glad I'm only in the office three days a week!

[ekjdm14]

I try, though if I want to do anything on the car I've had it...Our house faces southwest, and the driveway is out front!

We are probably going to grab a couple of gazebo type things this year though for garden work, which I fully intend to steal to work on the car with!

I can wholeheartedly recommend them! I also have very little tolerance for warm weather, again due to medication, and have used a gazebo a couple of times when the sun has been strong where I'm working. Also made a makeshift shade from sheets of cardboard during the XM weldathon, that was nice too.

All the more ironic then that I'm currently sat in bed with long trousers and a fleece on due to illness (the one time when I actually seem to feel cold is when I get ill). One of those cooling vests would be amazing to own, but I think I'd need the matching trousers and socks too.
It's surprising, actually, just how much quicker I can cool myself down simply by taking my shoes/socks off! If you're ever in a situation where you are overheating but really need to carry on with the task in hand it's well worth a try if you haven't already ditched the footwear! Obviously don't endanger your toes but if you need protective footwear then 5 mins soaking your feet (socks & all!) in icy cold water

[CitroJim]

All the more ironic then that I'm currently sat in bed with long trousers and a fleece on due to illness

Nothing serious I trust Get well soon, your Xantia needs you!

Interesting comment on the feet..

Mine get very hot whilst running and positively glow when I remove my shoes after a good 10K run

It shows you (and I!) have excellent healthy circulation as the feet are very much at the extremity and the first part of the body to register circulation issues...

I need some water-cooled running shoes now

[ekjdm14]

Nothing major thankfully, just a bit run down of late & SWMBO has bronchitis which has not helped either of us sleep particularly well but on the mend now. Fresh air and fiddling with the Xant' interior has helped a little, just need to resist the temptation to get on the floor and do the back spheres now or I'll surely regret it!

Water cooling for the shoes is a great idea, but maybe we can all club together and go one step further (pun not intended!) to develop something using PSA air con parts and make us our million haha

[demag]

How strange i also now suffer with heat regulation problems. Usually I feel cold but i can go to uncomfortably hot in an instant with no happy intermediate. My dear old mom said I was a cold baby and when I was born they put me in front of a fire to warm up.[emoji16]

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[Hell Razor5543]

The fastest simple way I have to found to cool down is to put my hand (either hand) under a cold running tap, with the water passing over the point where your pulse is (as that is closest to the skin). It is strange (at first) when you feel the cold travelling up your arm. You should be nicely chilled within 10 minutes.

[mickeymoon]

How strange i also now suffer with heat regulation problems. Usually I feel cold but i can go to uncomfortably hot in an instant with no happy intermediate. My dear old mom said I was a cold baby and when I was born they put me in front of a fire to warm up.[emoji16]

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Have you had your thyroid function checked out? This sounds like a classic hypothyroidism symptom which I suffer from.

Oddly, despite struggling to regulate my body temperature, I love hot places and heat. I felt the best I've felt in years out in La Dorada in Colombia where it never dropped below 37c all the time I was there - obviously as my body had no work to do to regulate my body temp to warm it up as the ambient was just about body temp!

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