another word for hot...

Does anyone know another word for hot? Let's see...let me list a few synonyms here: sweltering, broiling, steamy, blistering, scorching, torrid, sultry. Hmm...none of these seem to adequately describe the scene here this weekend. It's like Hades in July. To further heat things up, the life of our second floor AC unit came to an end on Friday. Can you believe that!? Such flawless timing with the weekend upon us, wasn't it? All of us are a bit stir crazy right now, having been confined to the first floor of our home for three days. Someone told me, "It's just like you're camping!" I guess it was somewhat amusing the first night. We had to laugh, really, as we watched three air mattresses and two dog beds consume our living room in a single bound. We could have stayed at my sister's, or even in a hotel. But that was just not workable as we needed to remain here to keep the two doggies from baking on the second floor! I love them to bits, but their intelligence didn't exactly, er... shine through...as they tried to sequester themselves to the 95-degree+ laundry room. Our old baby gates came in handy and helped us prevent them from escaping to the heat of the second floor. We have been out to the pool more than a few times, watched a movie, went to church and ran errands to adequately-cooled stores. But even a short walk to the car is almost more than one can bear. Well. Good news. Heaven is here right now in the form of 5 strong men with two big air conditioners (if you have to replace one, why not do two?)! HALLELUJAH! A part of me feels pretty bad about the fact that they are working outside and in the attic to get these things installed in this intense heat. I keep going out with coolers of water and lemonade for them, and everyone is still present and accounted for, working hard in the blistering sun. Bless them! The Second Little Nguyen escaped off to an air conditioned school building this morning, but the First Little Nguyen and I have done fine. I nearly cried when they cut the power to the downstairs system in order to begin working on it, but everything has remained closed up down here and, with the fans, it is relatively cool. We squealed when the upstairs began to cool a while ago, and the First Little Nguyen was so happy when he realized he could nap in his own bed! So, before long, we will be good to go down here as well. Tonight will be happy sleeping for all of us! These pictures have nothing to do with anything, but they are just so darned cute! We took them yesterday morning (at the crack of dawn). The First Little Nguyen got some new scuba gear for the pool, and the Second Little Nguyen was eager to try it on...pajamas and all! By yesterday morning, we were all eager for a diversion.