Thursday, July 21, 2011

You can't get me in here!

That's what I've been giggling over this last heat wave week. Yet I feel that the fire elementals are still making their point every time I think I've won. Yesterday I tried taking shelter in the YMCA, a place that boldly declared on it's changeable-letters sign, "Beat the heat inside!" Alas, the workout studio had no air conditioning and the fans only served to redistribute the really warm air. As if that wasn't bad enough, the door connecting the studio to the day care center was open because those guys didn't have air conditioning either. I poked my head in to see three YMCA employees trying to desperately calm five toddlers who were in the middle of a crying chain (i.e. One of those instances where one kid begins to wail, which leads to another kid thinking, "That's right! I've been meaning to cry and scream and freak out over nothing!" It creates a chain reaction of sobbing that cannot be consoled except by terrible, plodding, heat-wave-injected time.). 

Today will be another battle when I head to the subzero temperatures the dentist's office and declare victory even as the hygienist flosses my bleeding gums like she's excavating for gold or something and brightly asks, "You're not a flosser, are you?" The heat will most likely win out again this afternoon when I go on my first Madison Photography Meetup session out at one of the local conservancies for an hour-long guided photo hike. Hm... I feel that I need to tally up the points. Let's see what the score is so far:
American Players Theatre
Point: The Blue Faerie
Yes, it was outside, but it was also in a valley with plenty of breeze and outfitted with gift shops that had air conditioning that you had to walk against to get inside. Sweet.

 

Peck's Farm Market mini zoo
Point: Element of Fire
My husband and I left too early for the theater so we had to kill some time. We ended up messing with the baby chickens for a while (for some reason they were obsessed with large feathers & if you stuck one in the cage it became a huge game of keep away), but getting very hot and grumpy at the same time.


Allen Centennial Gardens 
Point: Element of Fire
I wore the wrong shoes for long walks. The garden offices weren't open so there was no shelter. I hadn't had anything to drink in the last four hours. My family & I went to a bar shortly afterward and I gulped down two large glasses of water in three minutes.

Allen Centennial Gardens
Point: No point. Both Fire and I thought this was hilarious. :)


 


The Little Gym
Point: The Blue Faerie
Not only was this place air conditioned, but it was adorable. It was my niece's 4 year birthday party and all the kids got to run around and jump on the mini gymnastics equipment. Meanwhile, my other niece, she's almost 1, was completely ready to suddenly develop perfect balance and dexterity and leap in.
 
My Kitchen
Point: The Blue Faerie
Trying to stay inside and off the computer has pushed me to find other ways of entertaining myself. Not only have I made feta-cheese & pepper muffins, and almond & roasted tomato pasta, but I now know how to make banana bread. So I've got food and I'm getting smarter, while the fire elementals are probably thinking, "Oh Gods! It's learning!" Heh, heh, heh.

...They'll be able to rest easy again after this afternoon.

2 comments:

adrienzgirl said...

I'm just staying in doors thanks to the devil's heat wave! Score for me!

Ailie said...

I'm envious;I was at the furthest corner of the 'pick your own' farm when the heavens opened this afternoon.

Water elementals having it all their own way here in the UK at the mo!