I guess it's about time for me to fry my traditional egg on the sidewalk.

I've done that several times in years past when temperatures neared 100 degrees.

That usually occurs sometime in June.

And, yes, they really do fry. It takes a lot longer than if it does on my electric range, but the egg eventually gets firm.

Maybe the humid egg-frying days and the high price of gasoline are compatible.

Staying home in a cool air conditioned house will save gas money, at least. And it might have a domino effect in other areas.

I always say that the best way to save money is to stay home.

If I take a leisurely run to the grocery store, or discount store, or gift shop, I invariably spend money. Just today, I went to Fred's for some band aids. I bought the band aids, plus $10 more sundry items I had no intention of purchasing.

If I stay home, I'm not tempted to shell out cash for something I really don't need. Of course, I want it, need it, at the time.

My friend may not agree with me about staying home.

She called this morning and said her air conditioning quit on Monday.. The temperature was predicted to reach 95 degrees and the maintenance man wouldn't be able to fix the unit until Wednesday. She would have to tough it out until then.

Then, to add to her discomfort, the seat to her commode broke.

Last week after she had bought almost $300 worth of food and assorted items at a discount/grocery store, she arrived home in the late evening and found that her side by side refrigerator/freezer had quit cooling.

What a quandry! She was already tired from all the shopping, then she had to face a freezer that needed cleaning out, and a place to put the stuff until the unit could be repaired.

During that time, a revolving vent on top her house started squealing and had to be disconnected. One of the vents had stopped operating at an earlier time, so now the house needs two new whirleybirds.

"This has not been my week," she said.

One nice thing about staying home in hot weather is reading.

Recently at an inside flea market in Blytheville, I bought a large cardboard box of books for $1.

The assortment includes two books by John Jakes, a selfhelp book by Dr. Phil, several novels touted as best sellers, a book of poems by Helen Steiner Rice, a Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul, The Spirit Controlled Woman, How to Clean Practically Anything, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, and several other hardbacks.

I could probably spend the better part of the summer just staying indoors, reading.

Of course, there's always television, the computer, housecleaning, games, to occupy the stay at home.

Okay, guys. I can hear you now. You can't stay indoors and read. You have to roof houses, or pour concrete, or mow, or put siding on houses, or cut trees, or dig ditches, or climb poles, or cut hay, or farm. And you can't do those things indoors..

I sympathize and I understand.

Benjamin Franklin said, "In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes."

In 2008, we might add high gas prices

It's like the weather. Everybody talks about it but no one does anything about it.

I'm no exception.

All I can do is fry an egg on the sidewalk.