During our stay in Belgium, the only American TV programs that we really missed were MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews and Countdown with Keith Olbermann. So when we read that the MSNBC team at the Democratic Convention was broadcasting outside, we headed downtown to see if we could catch a glimpse of Chris, Keith, and Rachel Maddow, the network's newest star. (I love to see brainy, funny women like Rachel--who was a Rhodes Scholar--on the air. It's a vindication for all of us girls who were too smart to be cool in high school.)

Even if we didn't see our faves, we figured that it would be fun to see a TV broadcasting setup. We're Midwesterners and easily impressed by the slightest whiff of New York or Hollywood.

I'm happy to report that we had a blast. We gaped at the shorts-and-T-shirts tech crews and all the equipment--cameras, lights, teleprompters, even the teetery-looking two-story broadcast center. (Chris and Keith had the upper level to themselves; everybody else was on the lower level near the common folk.) We mingled with the crowd, which included convention volunteers, protesters, and "Grandparents for Obama." We happily took any NBC/MSNBC tsotchkes that were handed out. (The NBC "Decision 08" baseball caps are totally tasteful and to die for. Thank you, MSNBC staffer in the green dress, for coming out to the back of the crowd with those hats!)

And the faces we watch on MSNBC every night? Saw 'em all, although Keith only stuck his head over the balcony railing for a few seconds, when I didn't have my camera in hand, and David Gregory was on his way out just as we arrived. Best inside scoops? Pat Buchanan needs more hairspray than Nora O'Donnell to keep his combover in place. Nora's high heels looked like they were giving her blisters; she needs to take a fashion hint from Rachel and wear comfortable shoes, particularly since TV viewers can't see her footwear anyhow. (Crocs or hiking boots would have been very Colorado, Nora!)

Pictures from the MSNBC broadcast center:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Katharine.Gillette/MSNBCAtTheDNC

August 16, I-25 between Denver and Loveland:
Two days of precipitation and falling temperatures
led to fresh snow in the Rockies.

This little pug mix has the worst underbite I've ever seen--
he looks this way even with his mouth closed.
Because he's a dog, his looks don't get in the way of his stellar personality.
Humans should be so lucky.
(Photo: TMAC)

. . . as it was yesterday. Actually, this is what I've been doing for the last 22 days of 90+ degree temperatures in a house with four ceiling fans and no AC.

1. Lie directly below a ceiling fan in boxer shorts and a camisole and read. Favorites? The Used World by Haven Kimmel. Grace (Eventually) by Anne Lamott. Moscow Rules by Daniel Silva. Forward From Here by Reeve Lindbergh. What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman.

2. Go to the movies. Theaters always have air conditioning. In the past two weeks, I've seen four movies. My favorite was "Wall-E," but I liked "The Dark Knight" and the new X-Files movie, too. Thumbs down on "Swing Vote," though. Tomorrow: "Mama Mia."

3. Get some culture, preferably free or cheap. Seeing Daniel Silva at The Tattered Cover and Eilen Ivers at Lincoln Center (Fort Collins, not NYC) were heatwave highlights.

4. Hit the end-of-summer sales. Like theaters, retailers always have air conditioning. I picked up two tops, a dress, a pair of capris, and a skirt at Dillard's (much nicer than Macy's) for $106, total. All "Famous Names," too, as the ads always say. The dress alone was originally priced at $134. I swooned with joy.

5. Head to the mountains for a hike, and get caught in what folks around here refer to as a monsoon, making me feel like I'm living in southeast Asia.

We drove up to Indian Peaks today when it was 98 degrees here in the foothills. At 10,000-plus feet, it was only 84 degrees on the CRV's digital thermometer. When we got back to the car after a two-hour hike, the last hour of which was in a brutal rain and hail storm without our ponchos (The Stupids Go Hiking), it was 48 degrees and my fingers were turning blue. Three hours later, Hana is still slightly damp, since she couldn't change into something a little drier when we got home. But we are all a lot cooler.

Indian Peaks, pre-monsoon