Whew! Just came in the house to seek relief from the heat. I think today was the first HOT and HUMID day of the summer. I can't take that dang humidity - you just end up feeling like a damp washrag - your sweat providing no cooling antidote to the sun.

I have my fingers crossed that my husband will follow-through with a plan I devised to make time for him to go exercise. He is going to come home from work and beofre I even begin cooking dinner, he is goingt o head over to a local lake witha 2-mile walking path around it, to take a run. I am not sure if he plans to run 4 miles or just the two but whatever, its certainly better than the sedentary lifestyle he's led for quite some time now.

He's not overweight. But my reasons to encourage him in a fitness routine are :

• to set an example of fitness = fun and good health for our child
  
• to get healthy, himself - raise energy, strength, mood, cardiovascular endurance (and none of these for sexual reasons! LOL...)
  
• to learn to appreciate the importance of exercise - and thus respect my time that I take to pursure exercise and other active endeavors (triathlons, 5k's etc.)
  
• to have something that he and I can share as an interest and do together - swimmng, family bike rides, walks, hikes, etc.
  
  

Ugh, last night I developed a really sore throat and, lo and behold, hubby took a peek with a flashlight and confirmed that I had some sort of infection, like strep or whatever. I had a fever, too. So I gulped down 4 advil (ibuprofen) and that seemed to help and allow me to get to sleep. Unfortunatley my sleep was short-lived, as I awoke about 5 hours later in pain again. More advil and back to bed.

Today I have been chugging hot tea, juice, ice water, etc. Actually the hot tea seems to be soothing, perhaps slightly cauterizing the infection. And now my nose is running so I think this is just gonna be a typical upper respiratory infection - although strange that I'd get it in Summer.

If my fever doesn't go away by Tuesday, then I'll take a trip to the doc to get some antibiotics, but since its a holiday weekend, I think my only option is tea and advil.

I am bummed about this because next Sunday I am supposed to be in a women's triathlon - I just hope I don't have a stuffy/runny nose for that! I mean, if I feel lousy, then I'll have to blow off the event, but I'd rather not. 

Last night I found out that my husband's department at work is being dismantled -and at a very rapid pace. Some massive firings are happening, but it looks like he will be spared - and might turn this into a promotion for himself by moving to another department that has been "recruiting" him.

I am most certainly not going to count on ANYTHING money-wise or take his apparent value to the company for granted. You can be the shining star at a given company and still someday could end up on the wrong side of a pink slip. That's just how it goes. However, in his case, I think he is excited to go to work for some VP's who really have their act together, people he respects and who also have high regard for him. I hope it all works out.

What's new with me? Hmmm, I have been really behid in my errands and chores, it seems - likely because this week I was the "swim mom" volunteer at my kiddo's day camp.

Today I drove into the city to attend the Gay (and Lesbian) Pride parade with some friends, both gay and straight. I was even lucky enough to score an excellent FREE parking spot for my full-size vehicle in a notoriously automobile-unfriendly part of town. Woo-hoo!

Wow!

Last night, I was not in the greatest mood; but then after I went for a lap swim at the local public pool and got in a good workout and a shower, I felt refreshed and ambled home.

After cleaning things up, getting lunches and coffee ready for the morning, I settled to bed to watch some tv and relax. Hubby joined me and after our show, we put on a little show of our own . *ahem!* 
We tried something new that he found on the internet and showed to me for my approval. I was game to try something new - they say you gotta keep adding "spice" to a marriage to keep it brewin'!

Needless to say, it worked pretty well! lol...its called "playing the cello". I'll just leave it at that. :)

We have been fortunate to have had some lovely, mild weather here and I spent a good deal of today outside with my trusty Beagle and my child. Sure enough, my perseverance has paid off in terms of attracting some new species of birds to the backyard.

I watched a rather aggressive bird, grayish in color, smaller than a robin, with black beak and legs, feeding rather heartily at the tray feeders. I tried to identify it, and then I realized that it might be a female Red-winged Blackbird - one of the most numerous songbirds in North America, but not a common visitor in our neighborhood.

Oh man...

I am grinning ear to ear after finally finding out (even though, personally I don't think its the public's business) about the allegations that Illinois Republican Senate candidate Jack Ryan tried to coerce his then-wife, actress Jerri Ryan (yeah, from Star Trek, etc.) to "play" at BDSM and swinger clubs around the globe.

I find this amusing for a number of reasons:

I'll admit it...my most recent schoolgirl crush is none other than Republican Congressman Mark S. Kirk of Illinois. Yes, he's a naval intelligence officer (hmmm...intrigue...James Bond....) and a lawyer (ugh, nothing good to say about that!) but, he's too darn cute, with those Tim Matheson boyish good looks.

I think I allowed myself to succumb to his charms (theoretically, of course - no actual scandal here!) when I did a bit of local political activism (environmental-issue-related) and received a thoughtful letter (yes, I know it was a form letter printed up by some college intern) and realized he was "on" my side of MANY issues...quite a "moderate" sort of guy, voting the way I'd vote, even going against party lines in some cases. Right on!

Who cares about that scrub, Clinton,(bustin' the moves to sell more books) when there are cuties like Kirk in "Da' House" ! lol.....

I didn't mention it but last week our fridge bit the dust. We checked out possible fixes but realized the compressor was shot and so off to Sears we went to find one that would fit into the built-in alcove. Of course, once at Sears, I spied a new vacuum on sale (my current one is at least 15yrs old and on its last legs), a clock radio(again, my old one broke), tape player for the kiddo...

With some handyman work on hubby's part, we were able to enlarge to alcove slightly to accomodate the height of a new refrigerator (side-by-side with all that cool water/ice gadgetry!). Hooked up the water line (which had already been run by the pervious owner - even though the old fridge had no icemaker/water dispenser), and basically then waited for a week, living out of coolers, until it was delivered and installed yesterday.

Of course, when I realized the fridge had broken, all of my frozen stuff was thawed and/or drippy so into the trash it went, along with most of what was in the fridge that couldn't safely be salvaged. I finally went food shopping today, and replenished our frozen staples and lots of produce for the fridge (we ran out of salad items 4 days ago!)

So, needless to say, our savings took a huge hit this month, and it's already been reeling after paying my medical bills from the spring. Oy vey!

But... that's ok...that's why you have savings: for a "rainy" day.

Last night, I was exhausted and so I went to bed earlier than usual. It's "that time of the month" for me, which usually meanas that hubby regards me as a pariah (sexually speaking that is.) He is one of those guys with "period phobia." Of course the cruel joke mother nature plays on me is that I am usually quite horny when Aunt Flo is in town! grrrr!

Well, anyway...