Jun 15, 2008
In the "Dry Heat"
Abraham and I are in the California desert for the Resolved Conference. It’s my first time in a desert of any kind. Here are some observations:
- This whole “dry heat” thing… that doesn’t mean that it’s not hot. It’s super hot. So don’t let anyone trick you into thinking that you won’t feel hot. You will.
- To compensate for the heat, many of the businesses have these mist machines on their awnings that line the streets to cool people while they walk. One of my favorite quotes from Abraham: “If ‘dry heat’ is so wonderful, why are they spraying sweat at us?” The cool thing about the mist is that it’s so fine that it doesn’t even show up on my glasses. That’s a mist I can live with!
- Salt water pools are sooo cool. Your skin doesn’t dry out as much.
- Another funny quote from Abraham: “Time slows down when it’s hot and you’re bored.”
- Body parts get burned easily: hands on steering wheels and feet on pool decks.
As far as the conference goes, we’re here representing Desiring God, handing out free materials and taking survey data to improve DG’s website. Abraham’s dad speaks tomorrow night and Monday night. This conference crowd is made up of 20-somes, mostly from the southern California area. Some of them really like John Piper. We find it convenient that our name tags don’t have our names on them! Not that we’re embarrassed, it just makes it easier sometimes.
When this one girl found out that Abraham was JP’s son, she asked him if she could have her picture taken with him. It was hilarious!
Hope y’all have a great time! That conference is on heaven and hell, right? Will they be putting up the messages anywhere?
The picture thing makes me thing of the Derek Webb song “Ballad in Plain Red” where he talks about turning Christian “leaders into celebrities”.
Obviously, I need to start wearing nametags with a different name on them.
we went to church as you guys last night. signed lots of autographs. people were throwing their undergarments at us. it got pretty wild. finally, we were like, “No. NO! We’re not really them!”. I took off my glasses and Brent tossed off his man purse and people finally realized. boy, they were mad.
Sounds like you enjoyed your trip out west! The dry heat is something to get used to!
hey, that’s why i friended him on facebook. it’s lucky for me he’s boring on facebook and accepts every friend request.
i feel like that was probably one of my friends at the conference who asked for a picture with your husband. i’ll have to ask when they get back.
I’ve always lived in the south (GA and NC) and I’ve always heard that the dry heat is preferable to our life-sucking, suffocating humidity. So I’m with your husband– what is it that they hope to accomplish with the sprayers?!
Happy Monday :-)
Yeah, that whole DRY THANG is such a crock. I have lived in the dessert twice and never got used to it. 113 is not my cup o’tea, but neither is 92 and 75% humidity.
The sprayers do help though……especially if you are dining al fresco!
Tell me about bored and hot. It’s the rainy season here in W. Africa, and time comes to a stand still many times a day, when I am suffocating in the humidity. I’d trade dry for soggy any day!
That wasn’t from Joe. It’s the wife here. I can’t figure out how to get it to say my name???
Cara
Oh this made me laugh. About 10 months after we got married, my new husband and I traded Minnesota winters for Phoenix’s dry heat. As you said, 120 is still 120. It was absolutely insane.
And then we moved to San Diego, which is the place of God’s delight.
I go to Grace Community Church and attend the Crossroads Fellowship group (which supplies many of the John Piper fans)!
I read your blog frequently and saw you and Abraham at the table and thought it was the both of you. At the same moment I realized I had lost my husband in the melee of the crowded bookstore and went to look for him, hence missing an introduction!
We were grateful John Piper (and Desiring God) were at the conference. In conversations I’ve had with friends following your father-in-law’s message Monday night, it is clear that he altered the worldviews of so many of us towards a more eternal, God glorifying perspective.
Glad you came and braved the heat!
SDG,
Kristin
Married to a celebrity… :) Or – “son-of-a-celebrity”, as the case may be.
BTW: do you really call your dad-in-law JP? That would crack me up… I should start calling my hubby’s dad by his initials. :-D
My desert in New Mexico isn’t quite as bad as Ariz. or Cal, but the heat is pretty bad! One reason I think dry heat is probably better than wet heat, is that it is easier to air condition. And sweat works better, because it actually evaporates, while in humidity it just sits on your skin.
And that made me smile about your chips and salsa. What things we southwesterners don’t realize we had!
“Time slows down when it’s hot and you’re bored.”
So true. That’s why we “mosey” down here in Alabama. I’m not complaining; I like the slow pace of life.