Having a Blast-O-Rama

Life has lots of Fireworks!

Oh it is hot. This is an understatement. I cannot for the life of me figure out why temperatures past 80 were invented. Yeah, yeah. I know some people really thrive on the higher temps (DH among them) but I start wilting at approximately 75. We live in an area that is slightly humid usually, along with the heat. Rarely is it super humid, but it can get uncomfortable. Last week, my daughter and family in Ohio was experiencing 80% humidity. I think this qualifies as a "wet heat".

We went to visit another daughter in Reno: It started creeping up to the high nineties, with very low humidity. This is the "dry heat" that people brag about when you whine about the heat, as if this makes it any better. To my way of thinking, it does not excuse the temperature. But one thing is certain, it is aptly named: It quite often brings out the "temper" in some people.

Girl fight at a Starbucks: Made me giggle.

People getting snippy: I'm sure they are nice in the reasonable weather.

Horns honking. Tempers flaring. Road rage.

Then the really sad part of hot weather: People dying, or getting ill. Drownings. Near drownings.

So, I'm not sure there is a lot of good things about heat: Wet or dry, it's all the same to me. (Although I must admit, having lived on the East coast during hot humid weather, it is pretty awful.)

But this is not all about whining. We took a road trip and had a blast.
 Observations:
Casinos are fun to people watch in: People sitting quietly while winning thousands. I would be screaming and jumping up and down if I won like $5. Buffets: The woman who got three pieces of lettuce and 4 large scoops of dressing. The Crab Leg Station: It's like a feeding frenzy at Sea World.
How high can you stack food before it topples?

Museums are awesome. I love historical things. I especially like photos and clothing from real people. It's also fun to see that fashion has about four looks that are recycled over and over.

Visiting with family. Got to see two kids on this trip and their significant others and the other's families. I love the visiting part. Meeting new babies that have been born recently. Seeing your grown-up kids' new environments, work/school/houses. Love it. It makes you so proud to see your kids as responsible adults.


Saw my first black bear! He came bouncing up to the road up ahead of us, took a look and decided it was not a good idea to cross in front of out large vehicle.
(Why didn't the bear cross the road? Cause he was a chicken!)

Good thing he didn't run in front of us: He looked like a teen-age sized bear, and I think we would have won that match. We had fun thinking about what he told his buddies upon running back:
"Oh you should have seen this big metal box crossing my path! They got scared of me, coz they kept running!"

Spent a lovely couple of days in a Nat'l Park.
Score:
Mosquitoes: 500 hits, 3 deaths
Us: 3 kills, 500 welts
Met people from all over the world. Nice people, annoying people, smokers. UGH. Why don't they ban cigs from every public place?  Ahh, breathe in nature! And the smell of YUCH.

Older couple sat next to us on veranda, the beautiful lake in front of us. They were not talking. She was looking at her tablet and fiddling. He was looking at the lake. She spoke up.
"We can get the cruise for $13,000 but it's the last day."
"Oh, is that the Groupon one?"
"No, it's the cheapcruises.com one."
"Oh, okay." He pulls out credit card.
REALLY? My eyes bug out. Zowie. Where are they going to? Mars? LOL

Headed from there to the coast. (I think we were dragging our feet coming home) and it was unusually hot there too. But we did get to go on several hikes on day two as the weather calmed down a bit to "normal". It is also where there was a girl-fight in Starbucks.

Older woman sitting on right hand side of small table in comfy cushy chair, writing letters in her lap. Coffee cup on table.
Younger woman sits on left with her cold coffee placed on table.
OW nastily says: "You can't do that, you'll spill on my stuff."
YW:" I have a lid on it." Voice getting sharp and loud.
OW: Pouting.
YW: Glaring.
OW: pushes YW's cup away
YW: puts it back.
Me: Giggling, taking in the drama. This is WAY better than TV.
Drama continues for a few more moments. Man steps in to offer his two cents. (Bad idea)
YW: Loudly and shrilly: "I am 48 years old, I can do what I want!!!!"
Cushy chair opens up across the way. Neither moves. Both sit in silence hating each other. I think I would have moved. Hard to enjoy one's drink when you are choking on hate.

So what do these things have in common? Well, I thought my life had drama at times. But after watching and observing different situations, I am now thinking we are a bit boring. And I like it. A LOT.

Happy Fourth of July!