Same Story

I feel like I am writing the same story over and over. It must be pretty boring to read.

Today, like most days, is divided into chunks, at least in my mind.

I wake up before 6. Ray is already up. I figure out the sound I am hearing is the washing machine. Good old Ray! He has remembered. I had this plan to run the wash before 7 (during the 11-7 super off peak electricity period), but I didn't get up early enough yesterday and I forgot the load ready to start until my Dad arrived with his laundry. "Oh, no, that's okay," he said. "No rush. I just thought I'd bring it in case you weren't using the machine today."

I feel groggy. I can't seem to summon any energy for the things that I want to do while it is still cool. Breakfast doesn't really appeal, but I eat more than half of it, while trying to find a chink in the difficult Sudoku I am working on. Ray is full of energy. It is the day of the final for his summer class and then he will be free until August...except for his new responsibilities as Assistant Head of the Geology Dept. He has a meeting tomorrow to find out more about what those might be.

He is ready to go for a walk and I drag on my dirty jeans. I have washed the dirty socks I was wearing every morning, so have to go upstairs and take some clean ones out of a drawer. This pains me, as I like to use already dirty socks and then put them in the wash, rather than take out clean ones (when I am not clean). This is not a problem during the winter, but I rarely wear socks now.

This brown thrasher, and his or her mate, spent a lot of time in our yard, but they are gone now, I noticed today. 

It is a little cooler outside, over 70, but under 75, and very humid. I opened a few windows, against my better judgement, and there is a little breeze. I lag behind, but manage to complete the walk route with Ray. He rushes up to shower and leave. I reluctantly work on the beans left in the sink from yesterday. My Dad picked them and I committed to washing and freezing them. Then I was so decadent, I left them all day, spending the time looking at my new knitting books and inventorying needles and yarn. We left the house again at 5:15 to go to the movies and eat dinner out.

We saw Obvious Child and enjoyed it. I will say, however, that it is clearly a movie of my children's generation. There are many movies we all like for lots of reasons and there are some movies they do not want to see, like Casablanca. Mind boggling. There are a few movies that they love and I just don't get. Garden State is one example. There are also movies that I thought were guy humor, but might be just for younger viewers. Generally, they feature lots of sex and drinking and sometimes drugs, or maybe fart jokes. This movie was like that. Except the protagonist was a woman. Hmm. Anyway, very enjoyable and well done. Set in NYC, which I enjoyed.

After, we went to dinner at Highwire, the "new" restaurant Shawn, the maitre d from Porterhouse, is managing. Sadly, he was not there. The food was good and not expensive. Kent liked the decor. I was disappointed. It felt like a bar...with food. I had fish and chips and it was very good, but the menu had lots of sandwiches and fried food. There were some vegetarian options, which I appreciate, but not a lot of veggies. Anyway, we had a lovely evening with them, and it wasn't very late at all.

We went by J's to leave the bridesmaid dresses and pick up some food they were getting rid of before their trip. They were sitting watching TV, not rushing around as I had expected. They are driving up to the northeast in the convertible, so they will pack this morning and leave about 11 or so. They plan to stop and see Amelia today...and hopefully will connect with Molli at some point. So, the dresses will be delivered. We will probably visit later this summer, but won't be driving, so it will be harder to transport the gowns. The gown itself is not horrible. It has one shoulder strap, but the color is a bright apple green...or even appletini green. Amelia, as matron of honor, has a different color, a dark brown. I hope to see pictures when they try them on.

The beans in the sink were slimy--note to self, don't do that again. We had a little rain two days ago, so they were a little muddier than usual, and that mud had redistributed itself, combined with the heat, and the beans were already starting to rot. Sadly. However, I have cleaned them now.

After Ray left, I spent some time outside. It is the only time of day to do it. I found a few more green beans to pick and about a cup of blueberries. I fed the chickens. They are suffering some from the heat, too, losing feathers and looking a little pathetic. There was a nice fresh egg, though. I did the sunny parts first, and spent the last half hour in the shade. The sweat drips down my face, but it's not that bad. I look forward to my bath. When I have done all my outdoor work, I can go in.

You can tell it's hot because Cameron, the dog, is inside. When the warm weather started, he spent most of his time outside on the porch, particularly on the chaise lounge. My mother used to sit there enjoying the sun. I can still see her in my mind's eye, and even feel her presence a little bit. Now it is Cameron's spot in the spring. But these hot days, he is inside before I am, waiting for me to close up the breezeway doors and window. He hopes I will invite him into the air-conditioned house, and I probably will, later in the day.

I take the beans and blueberries in and rinse them. I try to convince myself to cut the beans up and cook them, before it gets any hotter, but I tell myself I will do it later. Sadly, I have left the windows open too long. It is 80 out now and I have wasted probably an hour of the time that the house has been getting hotter instead of staying cool.

Then I remember the laundry. I have to hang it out before I go upstairs to my bath. I really don't want to. Just the towels, I tell myself. I put the wet things in a basket and take the towels out to the line and hang them up. It's not that bad in the back yard, in the shade. I go back in and get the t-shirts. They need to be hung up, they will mildew in minutes. Pretty soon, I have hung up all the laundry and feel good about myself.

Now I can go upstairs and take my bath, making sure all the windows and shades and doors are closed against the heat. Today's forecast high was 99, but they have adjusted it down to 95. Such a relief!

Funny thing about the water heater. Every day it was shutting itself off. When you start to run the hot water and you can tell it's lukewarm, you have to go down two floors to the basement and reset it. It's not electrical, not the circuit breaker, but a reset switch on the water heater itself. My Dad suggested, and he must be right, that it shuts off when it is too hot. The solar water heater in this heat and sunshine, is routinely pre-heating our water to temperatures higher than the water heater finds acceptable. So, we are saving electricity there for sure.

Today I am so hot I don't bother to reset it. I let the water run into the tub, tepid feels about right. My skin cools down and I am very comfortable. I even wash my hair. Having wet hair on a day like this is quite agreeable. I figured out some time ago that long hair is best in hot weather, as it can be very effectively pinned up off my neck. Sadly, I cut it a month or so ago for a job interview. I thought it went well, enjoyed talking to the director, but never heard a word. Even the temp agency hasn't called me. It used to be I could count on temp work when all else failed, but I guess the combination of my not being young and cute and the recession has made me less in demand.