I'm really, really tired of the heat

And I'm also tired of living 1500 miles away from my family.

After a 1 week vacation, my folks left today, Heather to California, my parents to Palatka, Florida. Opposite sides of the country. It was great to have them here, and great to see that Logan was able to interact with my half of the grandparent set. I think all involved loved it.

Hard to see them go, however, knowing that it will be months at best before they can return. Once I have finished my fellowship I have hopes of gathering all the family together to within some reasonable distance. Katie's family is incrementally moving to Seattle, and somewhere in the Pacific Northwest may be a good spot.

Also, we are suffering through record temps here in Temple. 102, yesterday, projected to get to 105 today, with heat index greater than 110. In fact, it is so hot that not only can I not go outside, but I really can't tolerate being in the garage for long. And when the garage, which is "my space" in which I have all my personal hobbies/projects arranged, is off-limits then I go a little crazy. I have a long list of stuff I want to do, and can do NONE OF IT.

This is way hotter than Houston. Granted, Houston stayed in the 90s, but rarely cracked 100. Perhaps this is why:


Temple is in the Texas desert. Little rain, lots of heat. Houston was moderated by the costal climate, so it never got as hot (nor as cold).

Let's compare, for example, the Portland, Oregon area:


Or the Seattle, Washington area:


A study in contrasts, don't you think? Now I'm cheating, of course, because both these pictures are of mountains some 1-2 hours drive from the respective cities. Where we are, a 2 hour drive means...you are still in Texas, and it's still HOT.

Turns out that the average HIGH temps for Seattle and Portland are nearly identical to the average LOW temps for Temple. And frankly, my ideal temperature for outdoor fun is about 55-65 degrees. A good fraction of the year is that temperature at some point of the day in the Northwest, whereas here that time of year may be best measured in seconds.

We're leaving. It won't be for at least 2 years, maybe longer. But we are leaving. And we are going to either the Pacific Northwest or something so similar that I can't tell the difference. And there will be mountains. Mountains sing to me. They pull me towards them, and up them. And now that I may have some options in selecting where I will live, I will no longer live without them.

Hello Yellow 'copter!

Look what we got to see on Wednesday!Mitch met the owners of one of the StatAir air ambulance services one night in the ICU, and told them now much Logan enjoys seeing their chopper landing on the Scott & White helipad. So, they invited us up for a tour!! As you can see, Logan was over the moon.This is Vanessa. She is one of the nurses who takes care of the patients while in flight. Pretty awesome job. She was so nice and showed us the helicopter and let Logan climb all over the place. Thank you, Vanessa!
Myra thought it was OK, but I think she was glad when it was over and she could get out of the heat. It was over 100 degrees that day. Whew!
Logan and Mitch contemplate the 'copter.
Logan in the patient care area. Not very big!
We had so much fun!! Logan was sad to leave.

Father's Day

It's pretty awesome to be a dad.

I delayed having kids for a long time because I felt that they would destroy the "me me me" lifestyle I enjoyed. Well, I was right, but there's nothing like being a dad. Nothing like having your kids faces light up when you come home. Nothing like "Love you daddy" and a big hug from your little boy. Nothing like "Da Da Da!" from your little girl. It's worth darn near everything to me.

I was looking forward to my traditional father's day tie, and Katie did not disappoint, although I have heard that these ties are becoming more difficult to find. While they are here, though, I love them! I'm planning on wearing one during my Plum/CC interviews, and if folks don't like them, the program is off the list.

We also welcomed my folks from Florida, introduced my dad to his granddaughter, and ate the traditional Deshazer Sunday afternoon Breakfast, which today was bacon, eggs, and biscuts. I ate way too much, which is not surprising with the quality of food, and enjoyed it all.

Lastly a big thank you to my wonderful wife. What would I be without her? Shriveled up inside, methinks. iLy, Katie.

Father's Day!

I won't tell you all about our Father's Day - I'll leave that to Mitch, but here are a few pics of the kids that went in to Mitch's Father's Day gift.This one was featured on his card.
And this one on a tie I had printed.

The picture tie has become a tradition with us. I started it with Mitch's first Father's Day, thinking it would be just a cheesy thing he would laugh at and put away - never to wear. What a surprise when not only did he wear it, but all the time! And got compliments on it constantly! So, for his second Father's Day, he didn't even hint, just told me that he was really hoping for an updated tie. This year I had already ordered it before he said anything. I also got the kids both dressed in I Love Daddy tee shirts. I bought Myra's, but made Logan's myself. The kids were very cute, as you can see.

Yum!

Logan got to pick treats for Family Home Evening yesterday, so naturally, we had "green" ice cream. Mint chocolate chip for those who do not speak Logan. It is his favorite. Apparently, Myra likes it too.Our activity was bathtime.

TWA: A Perfect Summer Day

This is my assignment for this week at The Dressing Room. This week we are blogging about our idea of the perfect summer day.

What is your idea of a perfect summer day? In my mind a perfect summer day would be warm, but not too hot, around 80 is just about right. I like a little sun, but some cloud cover too, so that it isn't oppressive. Lots of cool breezes and plenty of greenery blowing in them complete the picture for me.

What do you enjoy doing on those days? Absolutely nothing! I like to just hang out outside with my hubby and the kids playing in the yard. An afternoon BBQ would end the day perfectly.

Is this the norm for summer days in your area of the world? No, but it is the norm for the spring, so I take what I can get. Texas summers are hot and dry. No clouds, no green. These pictures are mostly from the spring!

Sharing

Logan is such a sweet, thoughtful brother. He knows how much Myra loves pudding pops, so when he was done with his, he gave it to her.I was in the kitchen at the time. She managed to soil quite a bit of carpet before I caught on... This is the "after" picture. After I moved her onto the tile floor in the kitchen, that is. I let her finish her pop though. I mean, the damage was done!