We went outside last night after work and quickly realized we shouldn't be out there. It was hard to breathe with all the smoke from the fire out east.

Today it's supposed to be just as bad, though it feels like the smoke has lifted. Officials still say the quality of the air is worse than ozone because the fine particles in smoke can get deep into the lungs and be absorbed into the bloodstream.

So a heat wave and now this.

As far as indoor activities, we often end up at the state museums - natural sciences, history and art (where my daughter likes to point out all the princesses in the pictures). There's Marbles, the malls, libraries and Planet Child in Cary. Or check out the activities at the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill.

Go for a swim indoors. There's the Triangle Aquatics Center in Cary, Pullen Aquatics Center in Raleigh (remember that Optimist Pool is still closed for renovations), Durham's indoor pools, and Chapel Hill's pool. They are all open to the public and pretty cheap.

What are you doing today?