We drove from Los Angeles to Silicon Valley in the middle of the end-of-July heat wave.  Temperatures peaking at 117 degrees Fahrenheit, a hot wind.  My husband’s SUV on its last legs, 150,000 miles, bald tires, refusing to start when you pulled off to refill the gas tank.  We were sure we were going to be stranded out there in this blast furnace, scorched earth that is the middle valley of California.