Wednesday it was only 100 degrees, but the heat index was 115. That little bit of humidity makes a big difference! Last night the "cold front" moved through and, in addition to a lots of thunder and rain, it brought some cooler weather. I think it's funny to talk about a cold front in the summertime. There's no cold air to speak of, just less-hot air. But then, meteorologists have never understood warm weather places. In Texas, weathercasts never predicted 105 degrees. It would hit 103, 105, 106, always unforeseen. Forecasts were always biased-low. "Tomorrow's high near 98." Well, if by "near" you mean "within a range of temperatures at which water remains in the same state of matter," then I guess yes, the high is near 98. And a forecast never exceeded 99 unless it was going to be really, really hot. The only time I saw a forecast of 101 degrees was when it actually ended up 110 for the high. 110, 101, what's the difference, really? Two 1's and a 0, same thing.

It was just as silly in winter. They'd predict these low temperatures that Texans didn't know could even happen on Earth, and our actual low would still be "near" 98 (see above, def. near).

It's so nice and dark and drizzly outside, and I'm here at work under artificial lights that are a little too bright, wishing I was still in bed asleep.

We have lots going on this weekend. A friend of mine is leaving the company to go be a grad student again (I'm going to miss her a bunch) and she's throwing a party Saturday where we'll grill and eat and hear some funny stories, I hope. I also hope that she doesn't become a stranger when she isn't just downstairs from me anymore! Before that, we're going on a 58 mile group ride called the Cup & Cone tour. They're providing free ice cream for all riders. SNG kept wondering why I wasn't as jazzed about it as he is... Hmmm... Let's see. Get up way earlier than usual, go on a HUGE group ride with a bunch of people who don't know how to ride in a group, watch everyone else eat ice cream that I can't have, either swelter in July heat or plough through a thunderstorm, and come home, grimy, hungry, tired and not a little bit envious of all that free ice cream. And you KNOW there won't be a non-dairy alternative.

Oh, I can't wait! Yay! But I'll do it. I keep telling myself I need the miles to be ready for the double century ride in September.

I tell myself that, but myself says "yeah, that's bullshit" and prays for rain. I'm not usually this pessimistic, but I have a thing about ice cream. Damn ice cream. So creamy, so sweet, so deadly.

Bright side! We got our old navy 20% off bag in the mail this week, so I could go drown my sorrows in cheap t-shirts!

(edited to add: there are actually 3 rest stops on the ride, and only one (plus the finish line) has ice cream. So I might feel a little better about that. If I can't have ice cream. then darn it, there can't be ice cream at every rest stop.)