Heat Wave

Lots of VIPs in Austin this weekend - President Bush stopped by to check on the storm progress (must appear concerned), Chris Martin, Gwyneth Paltrow, and wee Apple were here (along with many other great bands) for the Austin City Limits Festival, and we had my sister and family, on the tail end of their reluctant tour of Texas, aka Fleeing Rita.

Stephanie prudently left with the twins from Houston in what seemed like plenty of time, and got caught in the gridlock going north. She spent a few days in Dallas at my other sister's house, then stopped Saturday night with us on their way back. The cousins took a group bath, then reluctantly went to sleep. We had time for breakfast and a trip to the park before they left for home. Mercifully there was little traffic for them on the way home.

Predictions of 75 mph winds? Pshaw. It was breezy, but we didn't even get a drop of rain. NOT ONE DROP. The weather headline here is not the hurricane storm, its the heat wave. Sunday it shot up to 107 at the house. Today it only got to 106. I opened the back door this afternoon, and it was like opening the oven door on your face. I picked up Anna at school, and instead of them all waiting out front on the benches, they were hiding inside the big building. "We didn't even go out to play this afternoon," the teachers said. I don't blame them. Its like you wouldn't go out in a blizzard; this is the diametrical opposite.

I checked the chickens this afternoon to make sure they still had water, and they were all hiding in the shade, panting. Bless their hearts, they still layed 2 eggs.

Hopefully soon it may cool off 10 degrees. That's significant, but think of it -- it'll still be 96. Too hot to do anything outside. Thank goodness Wednesday the kids will have gymnastics again, because it'll be too hot to go to the park.