Dog days . .

I am sitting in the sweltering heat of my fifth story apartment during the fourth or fifth day in a row that it's been in the 100s. My fan follows me wherever I go - it is the only pet I have right now. While Colorado is this hot right now too, I think it's the humidity that is killing me and being among crowds and public transportation is not helping. This heat has made it quite difficult to sleep or walk anywhere in this concrete city without feeling like I just went on a long run. Michael has barely been able to sleep for days, so I am surprised he is still surviving work. He has taken to sleeping on our balcony in his prized-lawn chair, but it doesn't seem to help all that much since our neighborhood is so noisy.

Not much new to report. Michael and I both had birthdays last week. We celebrated his at a Mexican restaurant that is actually quite good, with his coworkers. For mine, since it was on a Saturday, we went to this big outdoor pool complex on Margaret Island. I loved it and utilized the water slides and wave pool to their fullest. That night, we enjoyed fireworks over the Danube, to mark the celebration of Bastille Day. Oh, and also, my aunt Jeanette and her family from Cincinnati were in town last weekend. They took Mike and I out to a great Hungarian restaurant. It was very comforting to have some family in town. Their visit snapped me out of my bored/semi-homesick state of mind. We got my aunt and uncle to try Unicum, the harsh drink of Hungary. Hopefully, they still like me after that.

I've gone to two art museums this week, seeking out air conditioning. So, that basically tapped me out of the last entertainment activities I was clinging to in Budapest. Now, I want to travel somewhere new. But, I am also job hunting in both the states and Budapest, because I don't know where I should be in the upcoming months (I had an interview with an English school, but they canceled it on me). Basically, I'm stuck, because I need a job to have the money to travel, because at this current juncture, I certainly do not. So, I have all this time on my hands to travel because I don't have a job, but I can't afford travel because I don't have a job. Ah, sweet conundrums. But, I am still hoping to get to Italy soon. My problem now is finding a travel companion, because Mike is extremely swamped at work, and probably won't have free time again until Sept. So, chances of him getting time off to indulge in Italy are not looking good. Anyone want to turn their back on America for awhile and come play with me?