Dog days already?!

So....hot enough for you? Today is day 3 of the heat. The weather probably shouldn't even be a blog topic, but when it happens this early, it is! Right now, as I post this, it's warmer here (83 degrees) than it is in Orlando FL (81 degrees).

Now, technically it's not even summer yet (June 21), and here in CT the average temp for June 9 is 79. Yet today, it was in the 90s. According to the car, it reached 102! On the Merritt Parkway. At 5:30 PM. In the shade. Granted, some of that is probably reflected heat from the pavement but still...

It's so hot schools closed early today - and will again tomorrow. Good thing the bus driver called D to let him know Clare was waiting at the end of the street. I remember when it got hot toward the end of school, the nuns would make us put our heads down on our desk. And maybe, if they were so moved (ok, young and not cynical yet) would turn the lights off. And God forbid you use a paper to fan yourself. You were just making yourself hotter. Although, to be fair, perhaps it never got this hot. It just seemed that way.

Today brought out the inner slacker in me in full force. It was too hot to do anything else. And the weather feeds into my inner fantasy that I'm secretly a southern belle just looking for a porch to swing on while sipping my lemonade the entire afternoon (as if I were in a Pat Conroy/Anne Rivers Siddons/Dorothea Benton Frank novel).

Thanks goodness for air conditioning!!

Hollywood East?

I had seen the electronic signs earlier in the week - "Route 8 closed between exits 23 & 24 July 12 & 13 between 7 PM /5 AM"...I thought nothing of it - after all, I live in Connecticut, the construction state. I figured the state Dept of Transportation was doing some major construction between those hours and it was easiest to just shut the highway.

I knew Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg had been in New Haven filming the new Indiana Jones movie.

What I didn't realize was that this summer, Connecticut appears to be the setting for a few films! Besides Indiana Jones, apparently Martin Lawrence has been filming a movie in the Bridgeport area, and, I have been commuting through the set of yet another film - Revolutionary Road starring Kate Winslet and another little known actor - Leonardo DiCaprio....

I had wondered why a farm stand had appeared on the shoulder of the highway earlier this week too...it's actually part of the set. And that part of the highway is picturesque too...I think we might actually have to go see this movie when it comes out!

I think I'm in love

As you know, my car went to the great junkyard in the sky recently. Since we really only need one car right now, there's no great pressure to replace it immediately (although I really do hate having to stop at the gas station every other day, it is cheaper than another car payment!). I've been putting off doing research on new cars, because the one pictured up there is one I really really want.

Even though VW quality may have gone downhill in recent years.

Even though it's completely impractical. (Both D and C said "get a convertible!")

And so I went to the VW website and "built" one. Sigh. Sure, it starts out at a semi-reasonable price (ok, the most I would have ever paid for a car, to date) but then when you add all the options in - because really, I'm liking the satellite radio. Then you can add a DVD player for the backseat. And, the sport package. And so on and so on until you get to your summary page and you're looking at almost a year's tuition at a private college.

Sigh. It's nice to dream though.

Rush Hour

To the guy in the BMW tonight:

Dude, those were some serious mad driving skillz! Squeezing in between me and the car in front of me like that? Then hitting your brakes when I applauded your daring, your skills, your obvious lack of penile length?

For future reference, please note the following:
1.the car I drive is completely paid for; and
2. it has 191,500 miles on it; and
3. a simple rear end accident wouldn't even make the insurance company blink.

So go ahead, play games. I've been wanting a new car.

Sincerely,
Me