It's on everyone's mind and it's hard to escape. It's the first heat wave of the year, and it's managed to establish quite the foothold in the Northeast. Sure, you can attempt to hole up in an air conditioned office, home or car, but that's a big waste of energy - the power grid is already strained this time of year. So here are some tips to beat the heat:

Incorporate water into a fundraiser for Saugerties athletics or arts and music programs. Last weekend, two carwashes pulled in several thousand dollars for that goal. But why stop there?

Drink a slushy! According to the New York Times, endurance athletes who drank an ice cold slushy performed significantly better in high temperatures than those who had syrup-flavored cold water for a pre-workout beverage. Those who drank the slushy went 50 minutes before exhaustion, while the other group managed 40 minutes.

Take a swim in the Hudson, but only after checking with Riverkeeper to make sure it's safe to do so!

Go to the Catskills. Your car might groan on the way up, but it's always a few degrees cooler on a mountain.

Try to control your anger, or you'll end up with a different kind of heat. Studies have heat waves lead to a spike in violent crime.

Words of advice from The Onion, America's finest newspaper: "In times like this, we need to remember the elderly. Never, ever leave a senior in the car with the windows rolled all the way up."

Rob a bank in Woodstock and catch a northbound flight. Check out Canada. Or maybe a sleepy Adirondack village. But leave town. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE TOWN.