I don’t think it was actually 106 degrees today but it was pretty damn hot. The official temps were closer to 96, but still. That’s not comfortable. Our son Theo had a soccer game this afternoon and though I felt awful for him and his teammates having to run around in this heat, I also felt a bit bad for me having to sit and watch! How on earth was I going to keep cool? I threw on the closest thing I have to a sundress – a colorful tent-like beach dress I bought last summer in Turkey. But even that felt heavy and clingy in this heat.

My husband David took Theo to practice so I had half an hour before the game. I had to mail something from the Post Office so decided to stop by my favorite thrift store Out of the Closet to see if they had a lighter, cooler dress I could wear. I took along a pair of sandals I’d bought last year but were too flat to really be comfortable and handed them in to the sales assistant. I then headed for the dresses. I spotted 4 candidates right away, carried them over the changing room and hung them up on the rail around me. I whipped off my Turkish dress and tried on the first dress – way too tight to be cool and comfortable. Then the second – too baggy and shapeless. I was starting to feel like Goldilocks – a very sweaty Goldilocks. Maybe the third would be just right. But no happy ending for me. The third one was turquoise with a tube top and tie-dyed skirt and I knew it could be risky. Sure enough, it made me look very pregnant. Trying to take it off before I perspired too much on it, I held out a final hope for the fourth – a cute little cotton sundress with red patterning. Well, it was cute until I put it on. I think I knew ten years ago that this type of dress no longer looks ok on me. I had forgotten but was reminded instantly. I pulled it off again, now worrying about my parking meter and sweating even more profusely. I threw back on my Turkish tent and grabbed the four dresses. Putting them back on the racks, I sighed to myself, realizing that it’s not a good idea to shop for clothes when you’re hot and bothered. But I also realized that I had succeeded in giving away a pair of shoes without buying something in return, and for that I was proud of myself at least.

I was also proud of Theo and his team. They won their first game today – in 96-degree heat.