You should totally lint-roll the cats. I'm sure they won't mind that much... :) Okay, so my cat would kill me, but perhaps yours are less violent? No, wait, I remember, they plot plots for your imminent doom. Never mind.

108? That's inhuman. Anything over about 75 and I'm doing a Wicked Witch of the West imitation (I'm melting, I'm melting).

Oh and one of my hord actually *likes* being lint rolled.

Liza {who notes, not having A/C might be related to her inability to tolerate heat, or it might not}

Wow I am first..woohooo

Got over 100 here today too, UGH! I agree the air conditioner IS mankinds greatest invention. Lint rollering the cats--get it from the source...much less exertion needed. Have a great, safe and cool holiday weekend Purl!
Kat

OK so I got so excited about being first I had to think about what I would actually say and a couple others slipped in before me. LOL
Kat

I'm so gald to have recently moved out of the valley!

Me: Aunt Purl says that it got up to 108 today!
Hubby: EH! she is crazy anyways!

just thought I would share! Who knew he was paying attention to my knit blog adiction?

Holy Canolli.. that is hot!!! I hope you have ice cold beverages to keep you cool. I have found that if you take a cool shower, than lie on your bed with the fan blowing right on you.. you can get cool enough to fall asleep.

I'm so glad to have recently moved out of the valley!

Air conditioning and TV (no tivo) are very good things. Vaccuuming sucks (hee hee). I sat around watching soccer all morning and then fell asleep during the Brazil game (great fan huh?) and they LOST. To France no less (sorry I know you love Paris). It was like waking up to a nightmare. I had to go to Target and forget my sorrows in the clearance racks. I found a couple of deals (a skirt $10 and a vest $13) and a six-pack on the way home. Now I find a weekend post so I am feeling better. All the dudes are out of town at a baseball tournament so I'm home alone and enjoying it. Tomorrow I want to take a bike ride down by the river and go see what is happening at the balloon park. It is hot here too so maybe the bike will go in the car with me and I won't have to ride so far.

I've been known to chase the cats around the house with both lint roller and vacuum cleaner hose.

So love those Gilmore Girls - We have all 5 seasons

Yeah, it was 105 out here in the desert.
...Is this normal?

Give Dean my best! He's still my favorite.

I admit it- I've run the lint roller on my cats. they hate it.

I've passed many a lonely hour with the Gilmore Girls myself. The writing is great, especially if you're in the right age group to get all of the cultural references.

My high school friend's mother had a cat, "George", who was around 19 or so. He LOVED to be dustbusted! He was so old he had no fur left around his ears and he would just slightly rock back and forth while being vaccumed! My sister-in-law, who lives in the Valley, just arrived here in San Diego and feels so much better!

Those cats are the most well looked after felines on this planet! That is hot, sort of, by West Aussie standards.
Mia

Those cats are the most well looked after felines on this planet! That is hot, sort of, by West Aussie standards.
Mia

I hate the heat! Gilmore Girls doesn't count as shut in t.v. If you were tivoing Nancy Grace and watching hours in a row, I'd be worried. I may be rationalizing though as I plan to spend the day on the sofa, knitting and watching Charmed DVDs. Only because I've watched all five seasons of Gilmore that are out on DVD.

Yikes. I think it's been that hot here once in the last hundred years, if that. We have the joy of humidity, though.

My cats are shedding like mad, even if it is only 80. Thanks to you, at least I know what to do about it.

CAP: So Haji...where are you now?

HAJ: Well I arrived in Kandahar on Fri just in time for the rocket attack...AND its 125 deg F in the shade today. AND I live in a tent.

CAP: Better you than me Haj ol buddy... BTW...have you seen many cats in Afghanistan???

HAJ: I have seen a few...and they taste just like chicken.....

CAP: NOT FUNNY......

That was hilarious, Haj! But 125 deg??!! Do they at least give you camoflage shorts?

Oops. meant camouflage...

Well, what in the WORLD is up with Luke??? Geez.

A late response to your last beautifully written post:

He is running from something he is missing and thinking he can find it in someone else...

Karma is a beautiful thing, you just have to wait for it sometimes. His turn to hurt is coming.

happy holiday weekend cap!
any hor-o-scopes on the horizon?

"Catching up on TV" is a legitimate thing to have on a To-Do list when you have Tivo. That sucker will just keep recording and recording, and you have to make space for more by watching what you have. It's stressful sometimes!

*sigh* I'm away from home for the summer, and while--sure--I miss my family and my cat and my friends, I *really* miss my Tivo.

The second best invention ever (if you have cats), those rubber gloves you use to wash dishes/etc, the ones with the rubber grips in them. The best thing ever for cleaning cat hair off of furniture, and none of my cats seem to mind if I give them a pet while I'm wearing them, either.

I can't lint roller them because they try to eat the roller.

Um . . . I don't understand. You seem to be insinuating that "catching up on TV" is not an actual to-do list item. Seriously, I don't understand . . . :)

Also, I'm pretty sure that the name of the patron saint of Texas is Air Conditioning. We sure wouldn't make it here without it.

I'm going to have to give that lint-rolling a try. I am tired of vacuuming all the time.

@psychomom - I fell asleep during the Brazil match too ... feel a little less guilty now that I know I'm not alone :)

Get a Zoom Groom! Rubber brush with short stubby bristles that grab the loose hair - our felines like it, and it's more effective than lint rolling. Last night I collected enough from the giant boy to make a whole 'nother cat.

Linus and Crazy Eddie aren't wild abut the lint roller, either, but seem to find it preferable to being vacuumed. It's difficult to pry them out of the cupboard over the fridge when they're determined to be there, so I mostly don't try to vacuum them anymore. Mostly. The lint roller, though? My theory is that if I can catch them, I can roller them.

Also? Watching Gilmore Girls does not make you That Crazy Shut-In Lady. I make this declaration based on the fact that I have Netflixed the first season of Silk Stalkings and am watching it as I assembly-line a bunch of crocheted dolls, which means I'm sitting on my couch surrouned by cat hair and doll heads with creepily staring beady eyes, leering at Rob Estes and wishing I could train Crazy Eddie to bring me a beer. I'm hoping that if Gilmore Girls doesn't make you That Lady, Silk Stalkings won't push me over the edge into that territory, either. I fear this may be a bit delusional on my part, however.

Set that tivo for new Knitty Gritty's. They start tomorrow (7/3)! I am so stoked! This is how lame I am; I have been counting down the days til new KNITTING shows come on TV. ;)

I did the same thing yesterday- but it included a ceiling fan and Real World and Family Guy episodes I had on TiVo. And there was beer.

Was it last year you were without the a/c for days on end. I seem to remember pictures of hot kitties.

Haji you inspire me with your humor considering your job and its location. I wish cooling (slushy brain freeze and water balloons) thoughts for you and all the others over there representing freedom. Thank you for all you do. Happy 4th and may you get a break from the daily fireworks.

@psychomom - I fell asleep during the Brazil match too ... I feel a little less guilty now that I know I'm not alone :)

Wow...hotter there then here in hell. I mean Arizona. I think we should all worship whoever invented AC. Make it a national holiday.

Hey, I think I have you all beat. 116 F here. Yes, tis crazy, crazy. But it's a "dry heat". That's what everyone says, but I don't believe them. It's just hot, hot, hot. Even the kitties stay indoors. I am up to 3 now, Laurie. You must be rubbing off on me. I could really use a lint roller. I think I will try one to try to get the cat hair under control.

That is intense! On the other hands, it's probaby 58 up here in SF which is just wrong for July. I comb my cat a lot, that reduces the amount of cat hair on the couch a little. He loves it.

Just don't try to vaccum the cats on accident. Does not work well.
Damn it is hot here is So CA. No fires please cosmic universe!!!!

You would only be "crazy-shut-in-lady" if you Tivo'd Cops or something of that ilk and spent 6 hours watching that.

And I thought cat hair is a design element (as those fancy schmancy interior designers say).

micro-fiber.

cat hair has met its match.

My hubby has been known to take the lint-roller to my dog. She hates it.

Girl- 108 is just one more reason NOT to live in the valley. Do you need more?

You know, I never understood that "dry heat" thing until I went to NYC last summer. To me, 85 degrees is not that hot...but you add 80% humidity (aha...wet heat) and I've never been so miserable. I've been in 115 degree weather in the desert and have felt more human. And I think catching up on your TV is a perfectly acceptable entry on your to-do list...gotta have fun stuff in with the chores or you'll go nuts!

I just about peed my pants trying to imagine lint-rolling a cat! I think mine would scratch my eyes out if I tried. They do like being combed though. I use those baby combs on them and I can't get them off my lap once that comes out.

Ooooh... I can only aspire to Tivo!

Oh no, Laurie's blog has taken on cadence of Bridget Jones' diary. Must know how many alcoholic beverages have been consumed today, and whether parties with Smug Marrieds in attendance have been survived of late. :)

Ah, the joy's of Tivo. Got through all the years of Miami Vice in just a few short months. Now if I could just Tivo my radio station on the way into work. Zip past those annoying commericals.

It wouldn't be the 4th of July weekend without 100+ degree weather! Enjoy that AC! We sure are!

I am so addicted to your blog. My own separations and getting back together and separation and getting back together has been lonely and painful. Your blog given to me like a gift from another has made me feel like I am not crazy, or that there is at least one other crazy out there - whichever it is, I feel better. In any case, this summer my vacum quit working, then the lawn mower, and now my air conditioning. 102 here today, and humid in Iowa.

Two words: Global Warming. As for de-furring the kitties, I used to vacuum Puddles and he sort of enjoyed it (no biting, or scratching) until I got a Riccar vacuum. It has a lot (!)more suction. Sucked the poor kitty's tail right down the tube. No more vacuuming.

It was over 100 degrees for two days last week here in Portland (OR). All I kept thinking was... it's like this ALL SUMMER in parts of the world! Hooray for AC.

My ex-roommate's cat would chase me and beg if I he saw I had the lint roller. He loved being "brushed" with it.

I just read about some weird study that says it is air conditioning that plays a big part in Americans getting "fatter" because the cool air somehow forces us to metabolize our food at a slower pace. Of course, I spent the day eating Doritos in an air-conditioned apartment -- but I figured I'll tell you about the study anyway, knowing you're really into scientific studies.

108---you have my pity. Of course, I live right next to a gigantic (natural) air conditioner called Lake Superior, and we are STILL sweltering. Not 108 sweltering, but, must-water-the-garden-three-times-a-day-so-things-don't-die sweltering. Pretty lame by comparison

The good news is that the tomatoes are finally happy.

I grew up in the valley. We called it the "armpit of L.A."

Purl, I never thought to call my messed up sleep patterns insomnia. But I haven't slept through the night in a "regular" way in a long time. It's 3:30 am right now and I should get some sleep.

I love the way you write, I'm sad that so many of us share this experience, and I'm proud of the way you are working through it. Good luck to you and get some sleep - I'm certainly going to try.

I totally over-reacted when I heard the words heat wave. I went to sav-on bought a kids pool, a air pump, and a 12 pack of dos equis.

I got home and pumped that mother f'r up and drank about 6 beers in the process and then flopped into the pool and started reading 1984 when my roomate looked at me like I was a total mental case to which I yelled "is this not a reasonable place to put a swimming pool!?"

love lint rolling the cats... she actually likes it better than her brush. i don't like the bites that either cause, but lint rolling is more fun for me :)

yes, praise to the a/c. it's hot here, but not that hot!

It's hot here in Maryland too! I stayed in and watched 8 episodes of Clean House yesterday. You would think I would be inspired....but I wasn't.

My friend who grew up in Albuquerque and now lives in Phoenix used to respond to suggestions that the heat there isn't so bad because "it's a dry heat" with, "so is an oven."

Christine Lavin has two excellent songs on this topic. One is to the effect that all a man needs is an air conditioner to get her to go home with him. The other is about camping and why she doesn't want to, and contains the brilliant line which is part of my life philosophy: "Why deprive yourself of the creature comforts it's taken man so long to invent?"

My cats like the lint roller. In fact it's hard to roll the furniture because cats keep getting under the lint roller. It doesn't really work that well as far as removing hair from them, though.

We haven't quite topped 100 yet, but we've got some lovely humidity that helps our 90 degree temps along nicely. Long live a/c!

I hear ya Laurie! It's been over 100 for weeks now here.

The cats don't seem to mind the lint roller but my dog Sam LOVES to be vacuumed. :)

Mom sez...his name is Willis Carrier and she loves him too otherwise she would not live in North Carolina nor would a lot of other people.

http://www.corp.carrier.com/static/Corporate-English/Data/History/historyflash.html

Carolina cats

I also vote for the Zoom Groom! Rubber brush -- I got it for my dog, but it works great on the cats, and they like it. Do it outside if you can, tons of hair. Just wet the brush it to refresh its stickiness. Is somebody working on inventing a pet vacuumer? please?

At least you haven't buzzed their hair off....yet

Believe it or not, there is a pet vacuumer. Its made for horses, but it should work on dogs, and maybe cats. Its called the "electro groom." Its also about 500 bucks (ouch!).

108!!! It can get that hot? Blimey, I begin to melt at about 70, which is probably when you'd be reaching for a second sweater. Seriously, I have the fans on when it hits the mid sixties. It's 61 here just now, and I'm just right, with the windows open and a slight breeze.

My daughter and I think that four eps of the Gilmore Girls back to back is just about right. We only have seasons 1 and 2, so watching more feels like eating all the candy at once. That's not to say we don't do it. And if you have the multi lingual DVDs, watch Emily in French, she's even funnier. (Rory is irritating in French, but Emily rocks).

Yow!
Girl, you'd BETTER hjave AC! Actually- I saw the remains of an old "Dry Farm" out in Joshua Park years ago--where it gets that hot on a regular basis and there weren't no A/C back then. Gawd- can you imagine how desperate for your own land you'd have to be to do THAT???
My persian/coon (my Mom thinks-- I think he's part yak) kitty is all hair and fat, so you can start brushing him and get enough fur to make a wookie! I love every inch of his fuzzy hide--- but right now I'm glad he's living and shedding at my parent's instead of in my little bitty place!
Also- they make a kind of jelly-plastic massage mitt that looks spikey, but is kind of tacky? I'd be willing to be THAT would beat the lint roller for pre-emptive fur retrieval.

It occurs to me that with a kiddie pool, a large tree, some rope, two shower curtains, a bag of ice and a hose with water coming out, you could get some relief , keep your neighbors in horrified suspense, and be distracted from torturing your cats. Oh, I forgot beer. The ice is to throw in with the water but, please, let the beers float there, too - so they'll be ready. SING LOUDLY!

It was hot in Santa Barbara, but not THAT hot!

With tivo (or the 13 vhs tapes I still have to watch from last season), tv definitely becomes a "TO-DO" item. Especially the Gilmore Girls.... and LOST... and Grey's Anatomy.

OK, so I HAD to try to lint roll the cats - they really didn't mind it till I rolled it the wrong way and ruffled their fur...so I moved on to the dogs (they could care less)...the fun began when I tried my 16 year old son's newly hairy legs! I've never seen that kid move so fast.....

Okay, Monday no good so far. I just went to click "refresh" and the hand/eye wavered and I clicked "print" instead. Run run run to the printer before anyone at the office sees I'm printing out 10 pages of comments from the CAP site.

Zoom Groom - yes! But plan on vacuuming the room and lint-rolling yourself afterwards. (Or do it naked? and just hose off?)

"Life don't get much better than hangin' in front of the fan on hi, butt nekkid, with a cold beer." (So sayeth my brothers)

And Haj? Cool Vermit breezes and thoughts of Klondike bars being vibed your way - enough to share with troops you hang with.

And a Gilmore Girls marathon, air conditioning, and no place important to be? Sounds like heaven.

I am jealous of both your A/C and your Tivo. At least it doesn't normally hit 100 where I am...normally.

Marilyn - don't feel so bad. I hit print here once and stood at the printer with my hand at the ready to catch 27 pages!!

I got a cat! A kitten to be specific, who goes by the name of Fluffernutter, except of course he doesn't know his own name. Small problem. Anyways Laurie, I think you should write a book! Because I'd totally read it and buy it and I thought you should know that. And maybe a book deal could pay the vet bills? And buy a few pairs of Ugg boots?

Of course the cats are probably hot to and I doubt they would mind if you shaved them. See that is healing two birds with one bandage!

i would completly buy your book....
ps- no horoscope? boo hoo
cathy

it was 104 + 90% humidity here in oklahoma--nothing new for us. (ive seen it get up to 118 in aug/sept)
the zoom groom does do wonders, esp when combined with a good slicker brush. i have 2 DLH and have discovered no outfit (or meal) is complete without cat hair

Hey, Laurie, don't feel so bad. It's been in the 100's here over the last couple of weeks - today was a reprieve, only (!) about 95. I think we'll be back up in the hundreds this weekend. Stock up on ice cream, pack the fridge with soda, beer and wine (all the better to make wine spritzers!), and don't turn on the oven. The microwave - and takeout - are your friends.

I'm Netflixing Gilmore Girls seasons 1-5 to get myself all caught up. I heart the snarky dialogue, arcane pop culture references and musical choices (I never thought any show could find an excuse to work in XTC!).

Oh, silly. Never lint roller a kitty, you really need to vaccum them. If it's too hot for the big vaccum, get a dustbuster. They love it! *cannot keep a straight face*

Catching up on Gilmore Girls is totally to-do list worthy!

And my cat LOVES being vacuumed.

lorelei would totally approve.

To someone up there who said something about the Brazil X France soccer game... Yeah, we lost *sobs* but thanks fot watching anywayz... Grrr can't even THINK about that damn game, OMG. Have a nice day.

108 didn't mean anything mean, so I punched it in to a metric converter website... wow, 42 Celsius!!! That is pretty damn hot. Here it is 27 Celsius, which according to the metric converter is 80 Fahrenheit. That's hot enough for me, I couldn't take any hotter.

I have GOT to start watching Gilmore Girls more often. Stars Hollow looks so pretty, and everyone seems so charmly eccentric and sweet.

Hey Laurie-what's happenin'? Did you melt? The 4th is soooo not my favorite holiday-it's hot, and sticky, and there are bugs. I'm inside with the A.C., too. Me and the furballs. Yep, it's big fun here.

What are you doing today, Laurie???? I'm trying to knit my first sock; working on size 3 needles is SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW going, to say the least. I've been knitting for hours and have 2 inches done. Maybe it's the staples in my head??

There's a photo of my brother and myself on this date in 1976 on my site today. You've shared so many photos of your (adorable) self I thought it was only fair that I share (a not-so-adorable) one as well.

Enjoy your day, sweetie!!

http://gabrielspest.com/index.html

Iraq Photos, videos and more...

Laurie! You've disappeared on us! I hope you're on a beach somewhere, drinking something with an umbrella in it. :)

how did i end up as blogless cathy?! i think we got each others post cuz my name is attached to the msg below the one i actually wrote.

internet is evil.

wait. nevermind. im an idiot lol

when I was in L.A. last time (when i met you!) i was trying to find the cafeteria on the warner bros studio lot. (We were renting costumes from them.) Well we got lost on our way back to the costume rental and I looked around and there was (crap can't spell her name) loreli's house, and luke's diner and the gazebo! I had wandered onto the set. It's in the middle of bloody burbank! I don't know why I thought it was a real little town somewhere. It is all FAKE - facades! Lorelai and poor little (crap i can't spell her name wither) rory were in the same 104 degree heat. And i can promise there wasn't any air conditioning out there!

My little boy cat likes to be lint rolled...

I was at my mom's yesterday and they get a lame little magazine from their rural electric cooperative and in this magazine it claimed that July 2 through August 15 (or some dates like that) are
Air Conditioner Appreciation Days. Yeah, I am appreciating mine right now!