Random Blogging

• Our heat wave has finally broken... if you call highs in the low 100F's 'broken', which we do after record-breaking highs near 120F. It's still too darn hot to even go to the swimming pool during the afternoon, but at least Mama is no longer having constant headaches and nausea. So I can return to my regularly scheduled blogging.
• Bitty Man is going through a crazy growth spurt. He has grown 2 inches in the past 8 weeks. To put that in perspective, he only grew 1/2 inch from January to May of this year. Which has led to our newest problem -- none of his clothes fit. Everything I purchased in April and that he received for his birthday in May is too small. So the dilemma becomes how much money to spend on new summer clothing that fits, knowing that I've already blown the summer clothing budget and that I'll be needing to buy fall clothes soon. (OK, fall comes to these parts around October so maybe not that soon.) Methinks I'll be searching for NWT 3T Boy on eBay.
• Bitty's repertoire now includes 'Hail to the Redskins!'. We've been practicing for the upcoming NFL season -- made even more exciting by the recent purchase of 3 tickets to a Redskins game later this fall! This will be both Bitty AND Mamma's first live 'Skins game!

Last weekend Daddy performed at a jazz festival where Bitty got to try out different instruments at the 'Instrument Petting Zoo'.  

*NOTICE -- THE ADVENTURES OF BITTY MAN HAS BEEN SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. MAMA AND HER KEYBOARD HAVE MELTED. THANK YOU.*

Kissing Cousins

Bitty Man wants to welcome to the world his 12th first-cousin! Emma Jean was born on July 16, back in Cheesehead territory. She is 10 pounds, 5 ounces and 22 inches (reminding Mama how 'bitty' Bitty Man really was at 7 pounds, 1 ounce and 20 inches).

Happy Birthday, Emma Jean!

I'm sorry.

123F.

Seriously. That was the carmometer temperature this afternoon.

I did finally figure out how to change the 'cool car' computer display from the temperature reading to the clock... but it's kinda like driving by an accident. You can't help but look. 116F... 119F... 123F.

I hereby apologize to all my friends and family in Virginia, for all the times I gloated last January when you were under several inches of snow while I enjoyed highs in the 50's. And to those of you in the mid-west, who I teased unmercifully when you were digging out from under a foot of snow while I sported shorts last March, my sincere regrets.

So please, accept my apologies... and make it stop!

Too much knowledge...

It's been a week and I still love my minivan. What did I do before power sliding doors and tailgate? Who knew a 6-CD changer would come in so handy? And I still have half a tank of gas so the MPG isn't that bad...

But there is one feature in my 'cool car' that I could definitely live without. I've decided it's not necessary to have a digital thermometer -- 'cause I really didn't need to know it was 115F this afternoon. I already knew it was hot. Burn your hands on the steering wheel even with the sunshade hot. Feeling dizzy and nauseous because you didn't drink enough H2O hot. National Weather Service excessive heat warning hot. And actually seeing that number blazing in all its neon glory in my car just made it all the more oppressive.

Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa I.! I love my Harley Big Boy Bike! I can ride with Uncle Tony now! 

Remember that bike Bitty Man wanted Grandma to buy for him? Guess who is the proud owner of a Harley Davidson tricycle. 

Time for a revolution!

Why isn't there rioting in the street? Have you people SEEN how expensive gas is?

Yesterday I put gas in our new Town & Country for the first time. 22 gallon tank, multiplied by regular unleaded at $2.34/gallon (Costco price no less) equals WAAAY too much dough! I know it wasn't this bad last week when I filled up the 10-gallon tank of our Nissan Altima, and it was even less the last time I filled up our Mazda protege... at least I don't think so...

This is crazy! $50 to fill up my car with gas? Somebody DO something about this! Can't we drill for oil in Alaska? (Oh, don't whine, Alaskans. It could be worse. The government could be getting ready to store nuclear waste in your state instead.) Can't those Saudis pump out some more crude oil?

But what great timing. Isn't' this what July 4th weekend is all about? My right to drive a gas-guzzling car without breaking the bank?