Finally, rain. I did my best rain dance this weekend---hanging out at the River, watering the lawn, walking the dog when clouds blew up yesterday---stopping just short of washing the car. Now we get a little of our much-needed water, even though it's still 91 degrees. I'm sweating like a piglet. Probably because I just got back from the tanning bed (I know, don't lecture me!).

A coworker informed me that there were only whitefolks at Pickwick Lake this weekend, to which another coworker responded, "That ain't bad; at least that keeps the riffraff down." Let me specify here that these are two African-American women speaking in front of me, a white chick. Wow---the cultural implications of a conversation like this are amazing. My experience is often that of racial outsider, and usually minorities are not critical of other minority groups, least of all their own, in the presence of whitey. I would personally be most concerned about redneck riffraff at Pickwick on a holiday weekend.

The racial representation at public places---campgrounds, lakes, parks, whatever---does concern me. It seems that these facilities are disproportionately used by whites. I've noticed it when I go to Shelby Farms, Overton Park, the Botanic Garden, etc. and I think it's a shame. We are a really interesting & diverse city, with a large Hispanic, Vietnamese, and Jewish population but you'd never know it at these places. I just mentioned this , but I think it is a problem the government unfortunately feels no responsibility to correct.

The next park event is this weekend, Italian Fest at Marquette Park. Maybe we'll see realistic representation of Memphis' diverse cultural and ethnic composition then. I've never been, but I seriously doubt it.