Crazy Cool Ways To Beat the Heat

It's freaking unbearably hot here in SoCal and that means we're all going to extreme lengths to cool off. (I once saw Armageddon just for the AC. No regrets!) A few more enterprising folks got up to some fairly creative ways to beat the heat, including one guy who even made a movie about our annual "it's TOO HOT" meltdowns.

Some of the best submissions from our readers. Apparently freezing your undies is very popular, because you can't have "crazy" and "cool" without the "sexy." And why are we not surprised that more than one method of cooling off involves alcohol?

Thank god for refrigerators

• "I pulled out all the food and shelves in my fridge and got in." (@LAAdventurer ‏(via Twitter)
  
• "Put my top sheet in the freezer, until it's time to go bed. It keeps me cool long enough to fall asleep." (Anne Bagasao
  
• "Put your pillow in the freezer." (@LACoffeeClub via Twitter)
  
• "Living in the top of a two-story 1940s courtyard apartment in Los Feliz, the sun would BAKE my non-air conditioned flat! I'd pop my shoes, bra and undies into the freezer to ice over while I sat in a thin vintage silk kimono on the front stoop with a cocktail on ice."(Neisha Wallace)
  
• "Came home and found my brother's boxers in my freezer! Asked him what the heck and he said it keeps him cool!" (Raquel Salazar)

Ice, ice and more ice

• "Ice pack on the head." (@killahronh via Twitter)
  
• "Placed an ice cube inside of my topknot."(Ashley Lueckenhoff)
  
• In the Heat Wave video (below) two women sit in a kiddie pool full of ice cubes, which actually makes them stop complaining "It's too hot!" and start whimpering, "It's too cold!"

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Where to mooch AC

• If it's too hot to function, I take the bus. They always run the AC, even if it's 40° out and raining. (@Alloyjane (via Twitter)
  
• "Drove to a Chili's in Manhattan Beach. It was the closest one and we needed a place with an all day happy hour so we could sit and enjoy the AC alllllll day." (Sarah Doyle)
  
• "Sat in the car just to run the AC."(Emily Hammer)
  
• "Strip club cover charges during the day are about $5." ("Fred")
  
• "Actually go TO the office to work." (Roderic Kavanag)
  
• "Stayed at work an extra 6 hours ... drinking." (Romy Orantes)

The creativity prize

• "I slept with a plastic pouch of Tanzania's finest liquor that I've been storing in the freezer (Konyagi). Great to keep me cool, afraid to drink as I may go blind." (Colleen Murphy)
  
• "I made a jumpsuit out of bags of frozen vegetables. It wasn't wearable for more than a few minutes at a time." (Matt "That Crazy Neighbor's Kid" Nelson)
  
• "I slept with an ex because I wanted to use a pool... So L.A. of me and totally worth it." (via "Overheard")

May we also recommend:

• Movie theaters: Who cares what's playing?
  
• Malls: Window shopping is free. Give the open-air Grove and Century City a pass and hit up the entirely enclosed Beverly Center or other old-school mall.
  
• Libraries: Some are actually already cooling centers.
  
• Grocery stores: The frozen-food section, natch.
  
• The gym: We kid! Okay, you exercise addicts, stay inside when it's this hot.
  
• Hotels: The Four Seasons in Beverly Hills is always glacial.
  
• Bars and restaurants: Get thee to an indoor purveyor of food and drink, stat!
• Your local Pinkberry, ice cream parlor or gelato dispensary.
  
• Drugstores: Some are open 24 hours. And you really need to Take. Your. Time. with that toothpaste selection.
  
• Head to the beach. Parking be damned.

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Wish You Were Here: Vintage Postcards of Hotel Pools