The Chatter Box
By Deborah Bennett

Last week's record-breaking heat wave was almost unbearable. I say "almost" only because we had no choice but to bear it. Anyone who works outside or in surroundings without air conditioning certainly has my sympathy. It was bad enough just having to run in and out in the heat.

The hottest place on earth last week had to be inside my car, and leaving the windows down did little to help. I burned my hands just opening the door; the seat belt felt like a branding iron; and I could have baked a cake on the dashboard! The seat nearly scorched my pants, and the steering wheel was untouchable. Even the gnats refused to get in!

I sure wish someone would come up with an invention that keeps vehicles cool in the summertime. I would be the first in line to purchase one.

I always hear folks talking about going south for the winter, but I would prefer to go north for the summer.

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Happy birthday this week to: Donna Lyvohn Morris, Jason Bennett, Mary Kent, Ryan Cook, Leslie Williams, Twalla Daniels, Winn Lee, Dawn Waters, Cody McTeer and Benny Mims.

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Military Active Duty List: Airman First Class Charles S. Woods, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas; Capt. Andrew P. Thomas, U.S. Marines, 2nd Marine Division, F.A.S.T. Company, Bahrain, Persian Gulf; Stuart Burrus, U.S. Air Force, BAFB, LA; SPC 4 Travis D. Motes, 1st Calvary Division, Camp Taji, Iraq; Capt. Donald Slade Burke, Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, Calif.; SPC Grade E4 Arthur Lamont Milton Jr., HHC 1-36 Infantry Support, Friedberg, Germany; Staff Sgt. Gilbert C. Sheppard III, 48th Brigade, 118th Field Artillery, Ft. Stewart; Petty Officer 3rd Class Jamie A. Yager, U.S. Navy, Marine Corps Base Hawaii; Petty Chief Officer Andy D. Crosby, U.S. Navy, Elroy Destroyer, Norfolk, Va.; Stephanie Crosby, R.N., U.S. Navy, Lafayette Destroyer; LCPL Dwain "Cade" Lee, 1st Marine Division Combat Service Support Group II Security Element, ArRamadi, Iraq; Jimmy Cooper, U.S. Army National Guard, 878th Engineering Battalion-Augusta, Persian Gulf ; 1st Lt. J.R. Taylor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Iraq; SPC. Daniel Stuart, 18th MEDCOM, 121 General Hospital, Seoul, Korea; Jeffrey Sweat, U.S. Navy, USS Kauffman, MM3 59/E-Division, AGang, Norfolk, Va.; Cpl. Larry Lamont Clark, U.S. Marine Corp, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Bagdad, Iraq; Khan Young, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, Persian Gulf; Robert Milton Jr., E-3, U.S. Army, Ft. Stewart, Hinesville, Ga., Mission Kuwait; SFC Ronnie Perryman, E-7, Georgia Army National Guard, Battery A, 118th Field Artillery Regiment, 48th Brigade Combat Team; Arnold R. Mosley, 2nd Lt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas; and

Debra A. Mosley, Tech. Sgt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas.