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Is there a worse time to lose your home's air conditioning than August in Texas? Naturally, it happened to us late yesterday and I'm starting to develop a sheen of perspiration on my skin already this morning. All the windows are open and the fans are whirring. The only one enjoying this is dear old Dually because now he can meow right into the house for instant attention.

I'd like to concentrate on more pleasant things but I'm in a bit of a funk and this loss of cool air is not helping. I have to admit, we're pretty lucky that this event coincided with Tropical Storm Eduoard (which I always want to call "Eduardo" like my favorite character on Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends). It's only supposed to get in the low 90s today as compared to the triple-digit temps we've been subjected to recently. Also, last night wasn't as unpleasant as one might think. I think it stayed in the seventies throughout the night for the most part and I slept well until the birds woke me up at 6:00 with their never-ending chirping. This is why I don't camp, folks...I have no urge to be closer to nature. I certainly don't want it serenading me in fits of squawking before sunrise.

Otherwise, it's been very low-key this week with my daughter being away at cheerleading camp. I'm going to pick her up tomorrow which happens to be Neal's birthday. He will be taking the day off from work but the best present I could give him is a pass on attending the last day of cheer camp. In his estimation, it's about the most annoying thing one can endure. If he were president, he would advocate subjecting our enemy combatants to throngs of peppy girls chanting and performing their "extreme pom routine" as the most effective form of torture.

On a lighter note, he gets to go stand in line at the DPS to renew his driver's license before it expires tomorrow. Normally, this would not be an event to look forward to but at least they'll have air conditioning there. In addition, he's excited that he'll get the stigma of "vision correction required" removed from his license. He had lasik surgery several years ago but has always renewed his license by mail until now. This year....watch out, DPS! He's coming in and owning your vision test! (Plus, as a bonus, he's thinner now than he has been in years so it's a perfect time to have a picture retake.) Whenever he gets pulled over in the future, the lady cops will look at his license and say "Oh, you're that hottie with the eagle-eye vision....I'll let you off with a warning this time."

Neal and I decided that the time has come for him to make his mark in cyberspace with his own blog. His blog will focus on pediatric issues (stuff like not giving your infant water, not sending toddlers to bed with juice, how to conquer diaper rash...all the hot-button issues) Stay tuned for more details and prepare to be dazzled (but not "bedazzled"....that's another cardinal rule -- Don't let your toddler play with a Bedazzler. The results could be either tragic or fabulous).