I skipped out on a pre-Fourth of July celebration over at my sister’s house today.  I just couldn’t face the trek from the comfort of my home in south Minneapolis to the wilds of Falcon Heights just to do the neighborhood picnic thing in this weather, even though it meant staying home and working to salve my guilty concience.  Nobody’s potato salad was going to be worth it for me, since I’m probably going to inflict myself on them on the actual 4th anyway, so I can enjoy the leftovers in the cool of their den, relaxing in front of their massive big-screen TV.  See?  I’m not so dumb.

And with our current heat wave, I thought I’d chime in and remind everyone that you need to be careful when you’re outside for Fourth of July picnics, softball games, and other backyard celebrations.  It’s very easy to get overheated.  So be sure to keep yourself well-hydrated and your head covered.  My relatives tell me to keep my head covered in all kinds of weather, but that’s another story.  Water is best, of course.  Non-caffinated soft drinks and even popsicles are okay.  I don’t want to be Donny Downer here, but beer and wine just don’t help in keeping your body fluids in balance.  I say enjoy those beverages as you please (as long as you’re not driving, of course), but switch back and forth with one of the more beneficial choices if you’re going to be active out in the sunshine.

The tricky part is that you can’t always tell when you’re close to overheating.  You might feel pretty good, especially if the “spirits” are with you.  And by the time you do feel the effects, you could be in real trouble.  This is one of those “ounce of prevention” cliche’s that you should actually heed.  And keep a close eye on your kids, too.   Don’t let them play with fireworks without supervision.  There’s no bigger buzz kill than a trip to the Emergency Room, especially when you’re the center of attention.