I have many insulated cups. Some are metal and some are plastic.

I love them for keeping my tea cold in summer and warm in winter. I love them for the lack of condensation that leaves rings and water on my truck cup holder and on the flat surfaces in my house (especially when I am papercrafting nearby).

I recently discovered a downside to such ingenious efficiency.

The ice inside doesn’t melt at a fast enough rate.

Yeah, I know, such a small thing, but an annoying one. This weekend the sun decided to see how we like being treated like ants under a magnifying glass and tipped the thermometer toward the 118F mark, setting a record number of days over 110 that is still ongoing.

The hubbinator and I left early in the morning to run errands then visit the parental units. Thinking ahead, I had made a cup with ice water and had drunk it about 15 minutes later. There was ice left in the cup which only teased with a couple of drops of cold water.

Thankfully we arrived at our destination not long afterward and had a nice visit and delicious cranberry scones my dad made with raspberry tea courtesy of my mom.

An hour plus later, we returned to the car for the drive home. The hubbinator wanted a drink of cold water. I offered him the insulated cup. The metal was hot from being in the car while it baked unprotected in the relentless sunshine. He was able to get a mouthful of water but the rest was just ice, which I ate on the ride home—because water is water.

Next time, I will change up the water to ice ratio and carry around a water bottle to melt the ice. Or not go outside when the giant ball of fire is watching:)

Until next time, stay hydrated.