Dog Days of Summer

Actually, there aren't any dog days, at least not at the moment. After a month of pollution and heat, the past week has been cool and relatively clear. Perhaps it's just been a mild summer, but if that's all Beijing has to offer, it's safe to say that Iowa summers are still the worst I've experienced. Korea had a period of about 3 weeks that were the most intensely miserable I've seen, but the summer rains kept it bearable the rest of the time. And I can count on one hand the number of insanely hot days we've had in Beijing this summer, which means that Iowa, with its scorching days and stifling nights, wins.

Even without the heat, though, it feels like the dog days. I have tons more to post about Mongolia but am in major procrastination mode. Today we did manage to drag ourselves across town to a cobbler to get our feet measured for some shoes. I'm trying not to get my hopes too high because the shoes might not turn out as amazing as I'd like, but the experience of having shoes tailored has been pretty fun in itself.

Right now I could really go for some Coldstone Creamery birthday cake ice cream with sprinkles. Or maybe some fresh lemonade from the state fair. Why hasn't anyone invented a machine that lets you be in two places at the same time already?