HEAT

The temperature is sweltering around the country; feel the heat, burning you up, ready or not, cause you have no choice. The weather is taking over, just as the HEAT broke through to win the NBA Championship.

Coincidence?

I think not.

"Some like it hot," and I fall into that category. While I am enjoying the heat and am ecstatic for the HEAT, the majority of people around the country hate both. Sure the summer comes with the heat, but what good is that when you have to wear clothes instead of a bathing suit, and have to be in an office all day instead of sitting on the beach? I get it, "The Heat is On," and just like the line in the song, the pressure's high just to stay alive; you feel like you just can't do anything in the weather, that you've lost, you've been defeated, the HEAT have won.

Slip of the tongue (or fingers in this case), I mean the heat has won. I guess the weather is beginning to get to me, because we certainly are having a "Heat Wave," and it feels more like the equator than the tropics. The heat should make everyone bright and shiny and happy, like I feel when I see the sun shining until almost 9 PM. However, the HEAT just make everyone sluggish and cranky. I mean heat, the heat makes everyone sluggish and cranky. I really need to stop hitting the caps lock key.

I will agree, that one detriment of the heat is having to carry around a sweater because every building is so afraid of the scorching outdoors that they blast the air conditioning to create an igloo indoors. Going in out and of buildings is like "Hot in here," I am getting so hot, I wanna take my clothes off. And then put them back on. And then take them off again. And then put... well, you get the idea.

But no matter, I'm soaking up the warmth that's radiating from the sun and the HEAT, feeling "hot hot hot." With my sunglasses, a pool, and a sweater, I'm ready to brave the heat this summer!

Father's Day

When Mom says no, you can always count on Dad to say yes. That's why dads are great: they are loving, supportive, and always on your side.

And what do they get in return? An open palm, waiting for money or car keys, or anything really.

My anything was ice cream. My dad will never let me live down the time when I was just a toddler and he treated me to some ice cream, but making me promise not to tell Mom, that it was our little secret. Sure enough, as soon as we returned home I threw him right under the bus. Yes, that's how I returned the favor. I guess the Queens of the Stone Age were right, the art of keeping a secret is lost. Sorry about that, Dad! ["Lost Art of Keeping a Secret"]

As I grew up, there was much less tattling on my dad and much more testing him. My dad loves music too, and watching MTV at the gym in the mornings would keep him up-to-date on the latest music; sometimes he would even know a song or artist before I did! Listening to the radio in the car became a game of who knew more, and each time someone had knowledge over the other, a jolt of victory would wash over and "All I do is Win" would be their theme song for a few minutes until the next round. But catching an "old" song from a few months ago was not acceptable; the station would have to be changed to find a more suitable challenge, a better auditory option.

This Father's Day, the perfect auditory option for my dad is not "old," but a throwback to his favorite: Bruce Springsteen, "Born to Run."

And really, who better to represent Father's Day than The Boss, himself?

So make sure your dad is the boss today. Let him control the remote without anyone complaining; let him go golfing or fishing (heck, if my dad could do both at the same time, he would!), let him relax and let him know how much you care by "surprising" him with that oh-so-original Father's Day present - a tie.

Even though I can't celebrate with my dad today, it doesn't change the fact that I am incredibly thankful and appreciative that he has always been there for me. Whether it was rushing home to sit through hours of (sometimes painful) band concerts or dance recitals just to see me perform for a few minutes, or encouraging me and helping me figure out my life post-college, I have always been able to rely on my dad for the perfect balance of love, guidance, the sometimes-necessary reality check, and teaching me how to "stay(in) alive."

Thanks, Dad. You might have been born to run, but just like we used to play on the beach, I am running in your footsteps.

Happy Father's Day!!