so so hot

On this, the last day of May, the high was 92 degrees.  I sweat my way to and from Doodle's school twice, I weeded, and did a minor landscaping job.  Sweat was dripping off the tip of my nose and my glasses, and later my sunglasses, were sliding down its bridge.  My originally loose fitting shirt was stuck to my belly and back, and my legs and arms glistened with salty water my body so handily produced.  I took two showers to feel less sticky.  I am now sitting under a ceiling fan with my body contorted so I can feel the slightly cool breeze being sucked in by the window fan next to the bed. 

I hate the extreme heat, and it's still May!

bathroom conversation

Doodle is peeing.
Pancake: Are you peeing, Doodle?
Doodle: Yes.
Pancake: You have a peenis to pee.  I can just use my butt.

peace and quiet

Whenever the kids are too quiet I consciously let them do whatever mischievous thing they're doing just so that I can have 15 minutes of peace to take a shower and get dressed.  I choose to deal with the consequences later -- cleaning up water off the floor, organizing toys, putting clothing back in the drawers etc. . .

Shalala

I was making phone calls tonight to raise money for a local community center and one of the people on my list was named Donna Shalala.  I, having worked in DC for 6 years, know who the former HHS Secretary is, but assumed this was a different Donna Shalala.  I had a very nice conversation with her.  Even though she lives in Florida and didn't recognize the name of the community center when I first mentioned it, she was nice, even warm toward me.  I explained her connection to the center and she immediately remembered and said she had already sent a check. 

Later I was telling some of my fellow callers about her and one of them told me that she was the Donna Shalala.  I was so impressed.  No one else remembered/knew who she was, but I was stoked to have spoken with the former Health and Human Services Secretary (under Clinton).  And she was lovely.

Doodle's recent adventure

I haven't been posting as regularly as I have in the past due to posting shorter updates on Facebook.  I am recommitting myself to updating this blog more often than twice a month.  Now to my post.

My father was visiting us for a few days and he took Doodle for a bike ride along the Schuylkill River.  Doodle was in the trailer, not on his own bike.  They stopped to hang out by the river for a while.  Doodle was playing close to the edge and my father warned him several times to back up.  He did, but within minutes he'd be right back by the water's edge. 

One of the times he ventured too close and fell into water over his head.  He moved his arms and legs to stay afloat, but my father said his expression was one of terror.  My dad jumped in and pulled him out of the water.  He was shivering and soaked.  He got back in the trailer and they headed for home.  Doodle wasn't so shaken that he couldn't stop to observe some snapping turtles on the way home. 

When the guys arrived home I put Doodle in the bath tub, he warmed up, then got into his pajamas with feet, and curled up on the couch with a blanket and watched Life.  My dad said that after the initial fear of being suddenly in the deep water, he was laughing at the sight of my dad jumping into the river. 

When we're in Vermont over the summer I'll have to make sure that Doodle goes into the lakes and rivers to be sure he's not afraid of the water.