Happy 4th of July, Austin! Independence Day in Austin comes with plenty of celebrations, so be sure to go out and enjoy yourself. Whether you want to see fireworks, hear live music or watch cannons fire, there is a July 4th celebration in Austin this evening that you will enjoy! Have a wonderful Independence Day.

I recently jumped at the offer to attend a tequila seminar and dinner at Twin Liquors Marketplace and found it a wonderful escape from the Texas heat! A Don Julio representative used a PowerPoint slide show to explain what qualifies as tequila, the painstaking process of making tequila, and the various types of tequila. We then sampled four types of tequila and she helped us identify the different aromas and flavors. It was very educational, but so much fun at the same time. We then dined on a delicious dinner catered by Iron Cactus. Not a bad way to spend a summer evening!

I discovered that Twin Liquors offers lots of great events like this. While the event I attended required an admission fee, some of the events are free, such as Wine 101 Class, which is held every other Wednesday (all you need to do is RSVP). On July 18th from 2-6 p.m., there is a free tasting tour at the Marketplace, with 20 different wines you can sample. On some evenings, you can sample Russian vodka along with authentic Russian bread and pickles. If you want to get out of the heat as badly as I do, one of these events at Twin Liquors is a great way to cool off and relax.

Actress Farrah Fawcett, most famous for her role in television hit "Charlie's Angels" and her gorgeous '70s hair, passed away last Thursday. She lost a long battle with anal cancer, which was documented in a moving television special called "Farrah's Story." Reuters has announced that her funeral will be held tomorrow.

Despite her Hollywood fame, Fawcett's roots were here in Texas. The Corpus Christi native attended the University of Texas and studied with a major in microbiology and minor in art. She was named as one of the most beautiful people on campus in the school yearbook. An agent who noticed her beauty encouraged her to pursue acting, so before graduating, she moved to L.A., where her career took off.

The actress was well-loved and fought bravely during her final years. What are your best memories of Farrah?

Photo by Brenda Chase/Getty Images

If you think it's been feeling hotter than normal at this time of year in Austin, you're not just imagining it. While our summers always get hot, this June, Austin has been experiencing record temperatures.

According to the Statesman, temperatures reached 107 degrees at the Austin-Bergstrom Airport and 106 at Camp Mabry today. That makes today the second hottest day in June in Austin...ever. The last time our city ever hit temps this high was on June 14, 1998.

Is it global warming? Some kind of fluke? Either way, remember to wear sun screen, drink tons of water, and don't spend too much time outdoors. Too much sun exposure in this weather can cause heat stroke, which is potentially fatal. Don't forget that dogs can get heat stroke, too.