Summer of 23

 

This is sort of a half-year report. There has not been anything special. No new adventures, no to-do list accomplishments, no new relationships or even a phone call. No new taste experiments or feast prepared by another. Couple of silly items ordered online out of boredom with the surprise of delivery, like the weekly trash removal.

The end of winter was surprising by how pleasant the weather had been. No real cold days and only a morning powder of snow. Greenery grew and rains came as spring should be.

There was this strange tinge of dust in the air that was coming from Canadian wildfires, but not as bad as further north. Then the daily reports of heat in the southwest, but still the weather here was pleasant.

Being pleased not to be suffering under what is commonly called ‘climate change’, was still not inspired to make new artwork or music or even venture into the unknown. Except for.

I usually get fixed the things that annoy me. It takes a lot to annoy me, but my laptop had sticky keys. My solution was to plug another keyboard in and it worked swell, but it became annoying. So, I packed it up and went down to the location I thought could relieve me of this annoyance. It wasn’t the place I thought it was but they did fix the problem.

Unfortunately, I reached my limit. Knowing full well my solitary lifestyle and age are not the healthiest, my body gave me a message. Not that I changed my bad habits or asked the medical profession to examine an old man and prescribe some pills and potions to undo aging. Just a reminder that one day the wakeup call won’t be answered.

The daily reminders of the temperature going up only increased the stress, like the daily body count and the unbelievable trends ever forming in politics, pop culture, religion, education, etc. My daily goal is not to be stressed. Avoid disasters and other’s drama seems to keep my blood pressure down. Boring?

Contemplating each day got what to eat and what to listen to has become the norm. The four shirts are rotated depending on the stink, two shorts and socks are changed when they can stand on their own. No fashion police please.

Still, the past couple of days of ‘extreme’ heat has reminded me I have no control over the weather. Sure, I could afford installing a big box to suck the heat out so I could sleep in a refrigerator under a blanket and pay the electric bill, but I didn’t grow up with air conditioning. My parents barely had electricity and their parents only had heat relief in the shade of a porch. I went to school without air conditioning (including summer school), my first apartment on the top floor didn’t have air conditioning, I’ve worked in buildings without air conditioning and have slept with only a window fan. Not saying that air conditioning doesn’t make hot days more comfortable, it is a guilty pleasure (like a car).

I’m fortunate enough to live (so far) in a climate that is tolerable, so a few days of uncomfortable living can be admonished as an anomaly (sorry Arizona, Texas, Florida, etc.) Cold showers can bring down the body core but sitting in front of a fan blowing 105 airs, isn’t cooling. Just like that extra chilly day in the winter where you put on another layer, in the summer you get naked. A beach towel tops the bed to soak up the nightly sweat, but it is only for a couple of days. It is only for a couple of uncomfortable days. At least I’m not being bombed or fighting wildfires in this heat.

There also haven’t been any remarkable storms (knock on wood). If a big blow was to come through would my old trees stand tall? Will the upstairs hot water heater (that is delivering what couldn’t find in the winter) last? When was the furnace filter changed? How is the roof holding up? Will the dogs next door tunnel in under the fence? All those things that can keep you awake at night… in the heat.

For a few days, a wet rag on your head and naps in the afternoon can replace the possibility of being sick or worse during 110-degree weather. Don’t need to bring another person into partaking of my chosen lifestyle.

Also, would not hire another to do whatever chores I don’t believe I could do on a cooler day. I am still mentally relevant enough to know when the weather gets this hot, you do not perform to your peak abilities. Note: also, don’t hire someone before a holiday.

The end of July arrives, with all its memories and heat, and the unknown August and September awaits us. Bills are paid, evening meal arranged and ceiling fans turned on.

Stay cool.