Alright I'm having a problem with my 97 Integra's engine running hot, my temp guage, or something else?

First off, I was driving back to work pulling into my spot when I noticed smoke coming from under my hood, and my temp guage going all the way to hot. I popped the hood to notice a hose was blown, it runs from my thermostat housing making a 180 to another spot above it.. not really sure what it is or what the hose is called.

I replaced it, and noticed my radiator was running low so I only put water in it, didn't have any coolant at the time.

Now my temp guage runs 2 or 3 millimeters from hot, sometimes all the way but rarely but drops really fast from time to time to about halfway when I shift or it stays about midway then slowly rises to hot out of nowhere.

I would love to have another car to drive while working on this problem, but at the time that is impossible.

I've already read other posts on overheating problems, and have a few ideas to check out tomorrow but more help would be greatly appreciated.

Here is what I'm going to be doing: Checking my fans, possibly making a switch at work for them if they aren't running. Also I'm checking my coolant return, squeezing it for a surge of pressure.

Again, I would really really appreciate any help about this problem. Now that I went over everything it seems like a thermostat problem, but not sure. I would really hate to blow a head gasket or anything, but like I said another car would be impossible right now.

Thanks

-James