http://youtu.be/WWR7yfuBlgQ (video)

We have some real summer heat going on over here right now. It's 92F/33C right now, and that's been standard for well over a week. We have air conditioning in the living, but our apartment is so open that it really only helps if we sit right in front of the AC. Which, really, is a waste of energy. (Thankfully our bedroom has a door, so at least we can sleep at night, where we have another window AC.)

Needless to say, we're out and about whenever we can. Ruby runs around happily in the playground sprinklers. She even convinced her longtime buddy, Sam, to run through the sprinklers with her. He is scared of water, but he told Ruby, during a recent playdate, "I'm your friend Ruby and I'll come in the water with you!" The video proves it--his second time ever running through the sprinklers. We also can't wait for the public swimming pools to open, next weekend.

A really great pool not too far from us was slated to close because of city budget cuts. So Ruby, David and 100 community folks went to protest last weekend. It wasn't the best protest ever, even though turnout was good, because it was all about white families mobilizing to save a pool, that, if need be, they would raise private funds to keep open. This pool, like many in the city, was originally built for the communities, mostly working class people of color, living in nearby public housing. I doubt they were asked to attend this demonstration and there was not one single person of color speaker.

Anyways, the pool was saved. Not sure what impact that demonstration had (the labor movement organized a way bigger demo a few weeks ago to protest a while range of budget cuts), but we're telling Ruby she helped save her pool!