Four on Friday, a day late!

1. You guys, it's freakin' hot out in Chicago these days.  Wednesday evening at 7pm, it was still 95 degrees out with a "feels like" temp of 101.  Yesterday's heat index had a projected high of 110--not sure if it actually got up there, but it was pretty darn hot.  Yikes.  I've had the best intentions of getting up to run before dawn this week, but needless to say my summer lazies have led me to shut that alarm right off each morning.  Consequently, I've been running here:

 Hate this thing.  I usually tough it out and only resort to the dreadmill if I'm running super late at night or the dead of winter, but the humidity has been just killer and the streets and paths have minimal shade around here.  I know February will be here before I know it and I should savor this, but some days...

2. I keep seeing pictures on blogs and pinterest of people's classrooms that are almost completely set up.  Each time I have a mild panic attack.  We start school August 19th and I'll be on vacation August 1st-6th, so I was hoping to get in my room these last weeks in July to start making a dent.  Since I moved classrooms this year, I have a TON of work to do!  However, when I emailed the custodian to ask when my room would be ready, he told me that there is a "hold" on cleaning my room--the person previously in my room is moving to a room downstairs, and that teacher is moving schools.  However, the other school is finishing some work and can't accept her boxes yet, so the things from my room's previous teacher can't be moved yet...you get the picture.  I already told my mom and a couple coworkers that I am going to need a SWAT team style task force to help me get unpacked and ready to go once I can finally get in there!!

All these boxes need to be unpacked!  Ahhhh!

3. I have been trying to find ways to beat the heat this week!  Yesterday my friend and I hit up the Six Flags water park, Hurricane Harbor.  I'd always balked at the steep price tag for this place, but I'm so glad we went--we had a blast and stayed cool the whole day!  I'd forgotten how much fun water slides are!  (Although we definitely BURNED the bottoms of our feet walking around on what can only be described as the scalding hot pavement all day!)  No pics to share unfortunately!

Thursday, I visited by high school bestie in Milwaukee yesterday.  To beat the heat, we went to the beach and literally SPRINTED down to the water because the sand was so burning hot!  Nothing like a little freezing Lake Michigan water to cool you off!!  This was one day I didn't mind that cold lake!  There was also food:

And pie:

At this point I figure that if I can't work in my classroom, I might as well enjoy the end of my summer!

4. Did you happen to see this cartoon on The Oatmeal this week?  I loved it!

Some highlights that ring true for me:

Seriously, I am one hungry runner these days!  I can't imagine how much I'll be eating once my training really steps it up...hope I can afford the grocery bill!!  (As I write this, I am gorging myself on chocolate almonds.  Not quite nutella through a straw, but I'm thinking it's a slippery slope...)

Um yeah...some of these early morning runs followed by busy days lead me to be more likely found collapsed on the living room floor than, you know, keeping my apartment livable...

Just YES.  Exactly.

Anyways, hope you are having a fabulous weekend!  I'm just relaxing today after a busy past couple days and my hot and sweaty long run this morning, but tomorrow I'm volunteering at the Rock and Roll Chicago half marathon.  Anyone running it?

What do you have planned for the weekend?