[GH85Carrera]

I think of my grandparents, and my wife's grandparents sometimes. In the 30s it was the depression, and my dad's dad was working at Armor and company, as a meat packer. Now imagine a 100+ (even 110 degrees sometimes) in a large warehouse, cutting up cattle, and how hot it had to be. Just driving past a meat packing plant stinks. I can't imagine it inside.

Then think of grandma. They had a "house" that was 15x20, one room with an outhouse out back. It would be like my attic or storage shed out back right now. And grandma had to fire up the wood burning stove to cook dinner. So she had to stand in the kitchen next to the stove, and cook the meal. If she wanted some water, pump the handle on the water pump. The water drained onto the ground outside. No electricity for a fan, just a candle to see by at night.

And then throw in a dust storm, so the air was thick with grit and dirt. You could not close the windows, or they would just die, so everything you ate or drank had sand in it.

We did not live in an air conditioned house until I was in high school as a junior.

I never went to a school with air conditioning. I can remember sitting in class with sweat dripping from my nose onto my test paper. I did not have an air conditioned car until I bought my El Camino 30 years ago.

I remember sitting in class promising myself that someday I will own a house, and it will have air conditioning, and I can keep it as cool as I like. I also remember one summer coming in from mowing and popping open a beer, and enjoying my nice cool house.

They were tough back then. The wimps moved out to the coast. The tough ones stayed here and made a living.