Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Floating over the Texas Brown

What color is your parachute?

Sheesh.  Forget parachutes.  What color is your lawn?  Mine is brown with patches of green.  We are about to break a record here in north Texas.  We're not proud.  We'd like to pass.  It's been 100 degrees or higher for 39 days in a row.   The record is 42 set in 1980.  We should break that record on Saturday.

Ugh.

Ah, yes.  The summer of 1980.  Memories of sweeping trash at Six Flags, flirting with boys, and developing boobs....er...biceps from lifting heavy trash bags.  For some silly reason, I liked that job.  It must have been because I could walk around all day thinking I looked cool.  It was a strange summer, not a cloud in the sky.  August rolled in and a cloud appeared over the park.  It got heavy and opened up with pouring rain.  We stood there letting it soak us to the skin.  Ahhhhh.  When I got home later, our house had not received a drip.  Even back then, Mother Nature was a finicky bee-otch.

We are hoping that 1980 will still go down as one of the worst summers in history with 69 total days of 100 degrees or higher temps.  

Uncle, I say, UNCLE!

Speaking of uncles, my oldest uncle turned 90 over the weekend: 

I felt bad about eating George but that cake
was tasty!  It was 1/2 chocolate 
and 1/2 white with a strawberry filling.

Burp.

In other news, Oreo Cat and Evil Twin are doing a great job making sure I don't sleep through the night.  Play time starts early, way before dawn thinks about cracking jokes.  I'm sure they are trying to weaken me so that when the men in the pretty white coats come for me, I'll be complacent.  During the day, when he's trying to sleep, I try the same tactics.  Sigh.  They don't work.  

I am such a good slave.

Let's get back to parachutes....

No, let's go past parachutes into hot air balloons.  Hubby and I attended a Family Day event for his work at a lodge down south where they have real hills and wind.  Holy Light Bulb, Batman!  Hubby and I almost got to go for a "ride" in that beautiful balloon but we left before they started to let people get in the basket.  Earlier, the balloon was struggling with the wind and it looked like it was going to make a nice decoration for the lodge's lawn instead of actually being able to rise.

Tethered balloon at Rough Creek Lodge

Please do a rain dance and send clouds.  We don't remember what they look like.

Photo credits:  Birthday cake: Reffie, Balloon at Sunset: Rohr Balloons

14 comments:

Deb said...

I am dancing up a storm here! Is it raining now?

Wait...

thump, stomp, flail, wave, nod, sway, hip check to the left, thump, stomp

How 'bout now?

Madge said...

That is one of the coolest cakes I have ever seen!! Sorry it's so dang hot, I'll happily send you rain when we get some.

Rob-bear said...

If you can stand the weather, you'll probably develop a dry sense of humour. I hope you're not too dry, for too much longer.
My wife and I were up for a ride in a hot air balloon a few years ago. Quite the interesting experience.
And such an amazing cake for your uncle!

THINGS YOU'D NEVER GUESS ABOUT ME said...

We had a high energy efficient AC heat pump installed yesterday to lower our monthly electric bill....on the other hand, what we paid for the new heat pump, we could have paid our electric bill for the next 6 years.

ya wins some, ya lose some.

but ya wanna stay cool.

MunirGhiasuddin said...

I wish that I could send you guys some clouds, some rain and some rainbows too !
My brother lives in Texas and him and his wife love to garden ( a hobby my parents grilled in each one of us, by proving that gardening brings flowers and fruit and vegetables). I am praying too for you guys and hopefully my prayers will come true and the bounty from up above will come down in the form of showers without thunder.

Unknown said...

Thinking rainy thoughts. I feel bad for you guys. Wish I could send our rain your way.

What state is called the dust bowl? If it isn't Texas, it ought to be. Yikes!!!! Do you even remember what water looks like?

God needs to pour you a tall one.

Happy 90th to Uncle George. Awesome cake!!!!

Oreo is so tired from keeping you awake she sleeps all day. At least she has a hobby.

Here's a Navajo Indian Rain Chant:

12 Twelfth Song of the Thunder

The voice that beautifies the land!
The voice above,
The voice of thunder.
Within the dark cloud
Again and again it sounds,
The voice that beautifies the land
The voice that beautifies the land!
The voice below:
The voice of the grasshopper.
Among the plants
Again and again it sounds,
The voice that beautifies the land.

ReformingGeek said...

@Deb - I think you are tripping over Nutjob. Keep trying.

@Madge - Thanks. We need all the help we can get.

@Rob-bear - Yeah, I would like to take a non-tethered ride one of these days.

@Beau's Mom - Hee Hee. Yep. I know how that is. You definitely want to stay cool, though.

@Munir - Thanks. I hear we are supposed to have a wet winter.

@Lauren - I think Oklahoma or Kansas is the dust bowl but it might as well be Texas right now. I loved that chant.

Anonymous said...

Wow. You sure you don't live here in AZ? HA!

I feel your hot pain. I truly do!

And that cake looks and sounds delish! Where's my piece?

What?

That CAT took it again?

I should've known. *evil grin*

Suzanne said...

Yummy, I want some of that cake.
You know riding in a hot air balloon is on my bucket-list. But that one looks like it's on fire. Being on fire is not on my bucket-list.
Hope you get some rain!

Ziva said...

Oh wow, that's some serious heat. I guess I shouldn't be complaining about the cold, I'd choose 50 degrees over 100 anyday.

K A B L O O E Y said...

I heard you guys broke the record, or at least Dallas did. I really have a bug up my butt about Dallas, so I was glad, but now I feel bad. And there are old folks in Dallas who don't deserve my ill will. So I'm sorry and wishing you get some relief. And sleep. Earplugs?

ReformingGeek said...

@Quirky - TX is the new AZ. We finally got some rain Saturday!

Sorry about your cake. Oreo has been pooping it out for the last few days.


@Sue - I'll pass on being on fire. I may have to hunker down in that balloon.

@Ziva - 50? I may need a parka for that.

@Kablooey - I'm closer to Fort Worth. We just ignore Dallas as much as we can. :)

Earplugs. Good idea.

Jean Knee said...

dang girl I hear you about the heat. It's even hotter a little south of you, you know, here where I am. I can't remember the last time it rained sigh

that cake is awesome

ReformingGeek said...

Just keep dancin', Jean Knee. Maybe it will eventually rain.


"1.00s, 1.50s, 1.75s for the short arms. If you know what I'm talking about, you're probably old, too."

"Boomer brain fog: What was the last, middle, and first part of what you just said to me?"