Dog Days of Summer

Yesterday, after I got off of work at 4, I picked up the boys and we headed out to see if Penney's still had any children's clothing left on the clearance rack. There was almost nothing, so we strolled down the mall to look at puppies.

It is so easy to resist buying a puppy at the mall pet shop. The prices are ridiculous. If I'm going to pay for a pure bred dog, I'm going to meet the parents, you know? What kind of stock does that $400 bloodhound come from? Where did it come from? But, it was super fun to watch Hoot check out all the dogs. Man, when we get back from Orlando, there is definitely going to be a chaotic, four footed addition to the family. I recently gotten into the habit of pulling up Petfinder.com and browsing for a potential fur ball. I'm a bit sad that the dog we thought might happen at the beginning of the month didn't work out, but it will be much better if we wait until after the trip.

But, here in the dog days of summer, it's also good that I don't have to keep opening and closing the back door for four footed family members. It is hot, hot, hot and there is no real relief in sight. We've been over 100 for several days, and the forecast is for more hot weather. Yesterday, the temperature gauge in the car said 109. Now, I know she exaggerates, but still, that is as high as I've ever seen her register. Heck, I haven't seen a squirrel in the backyard for days. Not even first thing in the morning. Mr. Opossum doesn't seem to mind too much, but I guess he has that nocturnal thing going for him. I just hate it when it is even too hot to go to the pool. Miserable, really.

To help keep the house cooler, I've declared it the week of salads for dinner. I bought plenty of lettuce, tomatoes, dressing, cheese, and quick cooking meats to add on top. Tonight, I boiled a dozen eggs and am considering cooking the chicken for tomorrow night's Caesar salad. If the weather keeps up, I may look into adding a toaster oven into August's budget. That way, I can make quick mini-pizzas and such without heating the big oven.

I am also scared for my electric bill. Our June/July bill was super high, but not the highest we've ever seen. Just the electricity came in at $290. Our record for electric alone was somewhere in the neighborhood of $350. If the streak of 100+ days keeps up, I'm totally afraid we will break it. I budget it to be super high in the summer, but I love that it never uses all the money budgeted for it. I really wish our co-op participated in an equal billing plan.

One surrealistic, coincidental thing about the weather, though. I've finally started reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I first bought The Gunslinger when it came out. Before I read it, I loaned it out and never saw it again. Now, its super hot and dry as I'm reading about the gunslinger trek across a blazing desert. Kind of fitting, huh? But, I have a few days off from the bookstore, and I've been wanting to do this series for years, so I'll just take it as a sign that I should be reading it.