It’s Monday. As with much of the U.S. and Europe, we’re now under a Heat Advisory here in Illinois. The heat and humidity will roll in today and it’s expected to stick around for the next several days. It’s our first real blast of summer weather this year, so I suppose it’s time to kick the air conditioner into overdrive.

The weekend itself was pretty low-key. I’m still on the mend from surgery, but felt good enough to meet up with a friend for pizza on Saturday. Then on Sunday I settled into the garage to watch the NASCAR race from Sonoma. The girlfriend gave me a 55-inch TV for the garage last Christmas, and we finally got it mounted and hooked up. It made for a pretty nice way to spend the afternoon—watching the race without having to leave my favorite place.

Anyway, I’m going to try doing some work this week. Stay cool everybody.

-keep

It’s Friday! Well, I’ve been out of the hospital for almost a week now, and I’m doing okay. Not great, but definitely better than I was. Even though I’m finally home, I’m not done playing the medical game just yet. Every Thursday I’ll be heading in for IV antibiotic infusions, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have appointments at the wound clinic. It’s not exactly how I planned to spend my summer, but it sure beats being stuck in the hospital.

On to something a lot more enjoyable. I have another new amateur photo from one of my readers. He’s sent in a few shots of this lovely lady over the months, so she should look familiar to some of you. As always, I’ve also got the usual double babes and double jokes to round things out. Enjoy!

-keep

It’s Thursday. Most people spend $25,000 on a sensible vehicle. British inventor Steve Braithwaite spent his turning a pickup truck into a giant banana.

Originally from Woodstock, Oxfordshire, and now living in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Braithwaite spent more than two years bringing his fruity vision to life. The result is the Big Banana Car, a 23-foot-long, 10-foot-tall rolling piece of produce powered by a 302ci Ford V8. Despite looking like something that escaped from a grocery store, the banana can reach speeds of up to 85 mph.

The idea first peeled its way into Braithwaite’s mind back in 2009, and since then the giant banana has racked up more than 250,000 miles while attracting attention everywhere it goes. Especially from police officers.

“I would see a police car going the other way and get my documents ready,” Braithwaite said. “I knew they were going to loop around and pull me over.”

After 15 years behind the wheel of the world’s most conspicuous fruit, he’s learned that driving a giant banana is basically an open invitation for roadside conversations. According to Braithwaite, officers always seem to find a reason to stop him.

His latest encounter was sparked by a question about the license plate, but after taking a closer look, officers ultimately sent him on his way without a ticket. Just another day in the life of a man piloting a giant potassium joke down America’s highways.

-keep