I like the warm summer months as much as the next gal. Maybe more. But even for me, heat has its limits.

One particular August, it had been over 100 degrees – and humid – without letup for about a week. Our grass was turning brown. Our dog wouldn’t go outside. And my husband and I were trying to figure out how we to hook up our lemonade supply intravenously.

On the hottest day of that hottest week, I got a call from a sales person to ask if I had received the free sample of meat they had sent me in the mail.

Meat. Sent by mail. In 100-plus degree weather.

Even in my heat-addled state of mind, it was pretty obvious that they hadn’t sent me any samples, and were only calling to get me to request information about their products.

It was almost enough to make me become a vegetarian.