So another thing you probably don't know about Florida until you live here--they have a "rainy season" which seems to correspond to the hurricane season, for what its worth. At first, it seemed a lot like when we lived in Houston.  Sometime in the middle to late afternoon, big dark clouds would roll in and then it would pour for a few minutes and then it would go  away.  But recently there have been hours and hours of rain.  It will start and stop and then start again.  It will barely drizzle and then pour, stop raining, but still thunder.   I am going to have to adjust my thinking in order to get time at the pool.  (Note to self:  You can clean the house in the rain and the house will be happy to wait while you go and sit by the pool.)

One of the reasons I love summer is because there are quite a few television series that I enjoy that are only on then.  So You Think You Can Dance is probably my favorite show of all time.  I have seen every episode from the first season, and loved them all.  I really enjoy the fact that they get people who have worked so hard to learn and train in their craft and then give them a chance.  My library associate also loves the show, so I get to talk with her about it every Thursday, and we often e-mail on Fridays (her day off.)  Two former co-workers also are fans, so we keep in touch and get to gab about the how as well. Still kicking myself for not going to see the tour last year.  This year the tour is coming to Tampa and Miami, not too far.  I guess it is a matter of cost though.

I am also a fan of Burn Notice, which started last week on USA, and The Closer, which starts TONIGHT on TNT.  Both shows are funny in a rather dry witty way.  I watched a few episodes of Burn Notice from Season 1 and was reminded of how much I loved their almost poking fun at the whole "spy thriller" genre.  It feels very much like some of the irreverent mysteries that I enjoy--Robert Parker, Harlan Coben, Chris Knopf. As for the closer, while Kyra Sedgwick is underrated , in my opinion (see Something to Talk About) what makes this show is the great acting and characters of all the other people on her team and in the police department.  A few more guilty pleasures: Design Star on HGTV, which I love because unlike a lot of other shows, the judges are honest and admit that they are looking for a combination of good design and personality that plays well on television.  Plus Clive Davis is fun.  And Kyle XY on abcfamily, another show I have watched from the beginning.  This show seems pretty sophisticated with lots of conspiracy and suspense, leaving viewers unsure of who exactly is the good guy at times.  (You can watch full episodes online--so go and do it now!)

I had felt like baking for some time, and finally baked a cake last night.  It was a cross between Neverending Chocolate Cake and Darn Good Chocolate Cake (from The Cake Mix Doctor). I basically follow the 2nd recipe, but use buttermilk in place of the water as in the first.  This time I also used a melted stick of butter instead of the oil, and I ALWAYS use a whole bag of chocolate chips.  This cake is so good, it needs no frosting or glaze.  It is also good if you use white chocolate chips or the swirled ones from Nestle. 

I am back into reading full swing, sometimes getting a back a day on the weekends, in addition to the ongoing audio book in my car and the downloadable one on my mp3 player.  For more on what I am reading, check out ReadSpace and Shelfari. Looking for a good summer read?  Check out these articles from Library Journal: Summer Getaways for Chicks: Eleven Hot Staycation Reads and Testosterone-Fueled Fiction: Ten Action-Packed Summer Reads for Guys
So far I have read Summer Blow Out by Claire Cook, a rather chick lit take on a family that owns a series of beauty salons in Boston.  Love the main character's obsession with lipstick and a dog she acquires somewhat by accident but then spends time trying to disguise by dying and cutting its fur.  And because I enjoy action packed reads as much as the next guy, Final Theory by Alpert.  What if Einstein has discovered the theory of everything and realizing how dangerous it was, only told a little part to each of his lab assistants?  What if the bad guys found out and are racing the good guys to see who can get to them first?  Love, love, love the science in this. 
I have added many of the other titles to my reading list as well, although you know me, many are second or third in the series, so I am having to back up and start at the beginning.