The Fun Five

Things to do and where to do them

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1. Give up. Chill out.

Let's face it: It's been hot and at this time of year we're all just a bit sick of "the outdoors." This tends to make our DVD player look rather more attractive, and there are several new releases that catch our eye. Remember the TV series "The Fugitive"? The first season (1963) came out on disc Monday. And the collector's edition of the 2005 science-fiction favorite "Serenity" comes out on the 21st. Break out the popcorn and Skittles.

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2. The Tea Experiment

While this might cause consternation among our most orthodox Southern brethren, we nevertheless believe it to be true: One may make a good pitcher of iced tea from something other than Luzianne tea bags and refined sugar. If you use tea bags to make a pitcher, try replacing one of them with a bag of Raspberry Zinger or something with a hint of citrus. If you're

really ready to walk on the wild side, chill a pitcher of green tea ... and put a lime in it. Just don't tell Aunt Beulah.

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3. Get ready for school

This will be a touchy subject for the school-age children in your life but ... summer vacation is over, kiddies! The younger set thinks of this looming milestone as The First Day of School. We think of it as The Day We Get Our House Back.

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4. Sit in the dark

Today's movie megaplexes are a far cry from the theaters the older members of the audience grew up attending: locally owned, with one or two screens, sometimes with stages in front, occasionally festooned with art-deco details. Which is part of what makes us appreciate The Terrace on Maybank Highway. We like having an independently owned, first-run, art-house theater in town, and we enjoy a movie house that isn't overrun with neon gee-gaws and video games. And did we mention the air conditioning?

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5. Try skating

It takes a certain amount of confidence to strap on a couple of thin blades and then step onto something cold and frozen - in front of absolute strangers - but desperate times call for desperate measures. The Carolina Ice Palace skating rink near Northwoods Mall has public skating hours daily ($7 for age 13 and up; check carolinaicepalace.com for details) and - perhaps more importantly - reminds everyone that they keep the place a cool 57 degrees. Yowsa! You had us at "cool."