Ninety seven degrees is not cool! It is in fact very very hot. I live in Michigan, and while MI is not exactly the great white North, 97* is considered extreme here.

Five days ago, our car blew a tire. It just straight-up blew. We had to get a new wheel, new brake housing, and a new tire and this meant we had to get a rental car for a few days so we could keep living our lives. We had a two hour wait at the tire shop, and luckily there was a strip mall nearby where my husband and I could grab something to eat and do a little poking around.

First stop was Chili's, but they were too busy so we decided to go to Noodles and Company. Ordinarily I would order something Asian, probably Thai peanut noodles but obviously that wasn't an option. I ordered a bowl of tomato bisque instead. Yeah, they brought me about a gallon of the stuff. *GAG!* I hadn't "eaten" since 7am, and it was 1:30pm, but I still couldn't eat more than about 6 spoons of soup before I got that little nudge in my abdomen that told me to stop. This time I listened. I had no desire to be nauseated, hot, achy, and tired all at the same time.

Next, we went to the GAP. I wanted to try on some new clothes to see if I might fit into a smaller size--sure enough I did! Before, I was probably a steady 24 who could sometimes wear a 22 in certain styles. Today, I bought a pair of shorts that were 16-18 (granted, really stretchy and soft) and they fit just great! Sooo comfortable! I also decided to get a pair of yoga pants. I have the butt for them, absolutely, but mostly I like the sort of clean, streamlined look they lend to an ensemble. I'm wearing them now and they feel great!

Then, on to the Pet Co to see if they had any kittens in residence (I love looking at kitties!) We had some good laughs looking at the chameleon, and the ferrets and the fish (my husband kind of wants a fish tank now!) but there were no kitties there today.

I did all of this, walking in the 97* heat, standing for two hours, just 12 days post op. I think I did a great job! I even went for a 20 minute walk when I got home. I'm feeling a little bushed right now, but that's ok. The only challenge I had was staying hydrated!

I was sweating a lot, and couldn't replenish my fluids fast enough to keep up! I was so thirsty I drank too fast a couple of times, and regretted it fiercely. I've got to remind myself to go slowly IN EVERYTHING! No matter how thirsty I am, I have to remember to sip sip sip!

So here's my lesson learned: "WHEN YOU ARE OUTSIDE IN THE SUMMER, KEEP YOUR HAND GLUED TO A WATER BOTTLE AND DRINK SLOWLY ALL DAY LONG. STAY COOL, AND DON'T GET TOO MUCH SUN."