A break from the heat

Cool rain broke the heat wave in Dayton on Friday, coming down as if dumped from a bucket starting at about 3 p.m. and lasting a whopping 10 minutes.

It took another hour for the power to come back, but the draining heat was gone and our normal summer temperatures were back for an evening at least.

For those who aren't aware, I've been on vacation this week. My intention was to get some yard work done, but our social scheduled didn't allow it.

Wife Jennifer and I headed to her aunt, Judy Finnigan's, cabin at Lake Almanor. When we arrived, it was hot, but we had no idea we were headed into record temperatures.

Then the guy on the radio said it was going to be 104 in Susanville, and we all melted.

We rode around in Judy's boat on Tuesday and I almost drowned swimming in the lake. I was a blue water sailor, but I've never been a blue water swimmer (the point is to stay on the ship as much as possible).

We used flotation devices, but the plastic foam boogie board I was hanging onto flipped over the top of me and I started flailing. I finally got my bearings and floated on my back, clutching the boogie board to my chest until little cousin Molly splashed over and handed me a couple of foam worms and I used them for waterwings and frog paddled my way back to the boat. It was fun and stupid all at the same time.

Elections are coming up soon and the folks down at Project Vote Smart are hoping people use their Voter's Self-Defense Manual to track down information about the people who hold or seek office in this fine country.

The Web site, www.vote-smart.org, contains information about 40,000 officials and candidates, including key votes, 16 different interest group ratings, campaign contributions and who took a national political awareness test and how they did.

Those without Web access can call the voter research hotline at 1-888-VOTE-SMART.

The Appeal will be putting out its own voter information guides before the primary and general elections. If you are a candidate for countywide or statewide office in Carson, Douglas, Storey or Lyon counties, look out for our notice in the mail or on your e-mail.

If you don't receive one, give us a call at 881-1215.

Secretary of State "Beamin'" Dean Heller has released a new Election Trivia Challenge, which is available on the Web site, at http://sos.state.nv.us.

I took the test, which focuses on the 2000 presidential election. I was pretty shaky on the details, so I got 15 out of the 20 questions right. At least I knew it was Grover Cleveland who won the popular vote, but lost the election to Benjamin Harrison in 1888. That didn't stop Grover from running again in 1892 and winning the presidency back.

Kurt Hildebrand gave up running for office after coming in third for second grade class monitor at J.T. McWilliams Elementary School in Las Vegas. Reach him at 881-1215 or hildebrand@nevadaappeal.com.