There’s no denying what we are all thinking: It’s just too darn hot! And there seems to be no end in sight.
At least, we’re so much better off than the poor Europeans. They are experiencing their hottest summers ever on record. There are fires everywhere. Across Europe, as of Tuesday, more than 1,500 people have died from the heat.
I see images of the fires in Southern France, and it almost makes me cry. What a gorgeous place – one of the prettiest in the world, at least as much of the world as I’ve seen.
And woe to the poor Londoners and others in the British lands. Apparently, they have no air conditioning. They never needed it in the past. Now, they’d probably pay more than 1,000 euros for a used window air conditioner. I feel sorry for all of them, including those in Spain and Portugal, where temperatures and fires are equally dire.
Thank heavens I found a man who seemed happy to stop by and cart my heavy, old used window air conditioner inside and set it up for me. It had sat on the porch for at least two years, waiting for a man to stop by. Now, if I must (gotta think about those electric bills), I can turn it on, close the doors to the dining and sitting rooms, and let ‘er rip. It’s noisy, but that’s the least of my worries. It drowns out the constantly yipping dog who lives nearby.
I couldn’t bring myself to go to Covington for my many errands this week. I knew it would be close to unbearable. I always have a list of six or seven stops I must make. By the time I do all that (it includes, of course, lunch), it’s the hottest part of the day. I find it odd that Covington temps are always at least 10 degrees hotter than here. As I drive back up the mountain toward home, I watch the temperature gauge on the dashboard drop, almost mile by mile. By the time I get back to Hot Springs, it’s “only” about 82, and I decide I can live with that and not complain.
I will admit, I spend most of the day, if not all of it, in my pajamas. I just get up, change into a new pair as my “day garb,” and go about what little business I have inside the house or on the screened porch. Why? Well, pajamas are the coolest clothes I have, and I have fortunately collected a lot of pajamas over the years.
Sure, the t-shirts or tops may be holey, but who cares? No one will see me. And, if someone happens to stop by (which they rarely do), I will just grin sheepishly as I explain why I am still in my pajamas at 5 in the afternoon.
Too bad I’m not of the ilk who wears her pajamas out in public. I know there are many who don’t seem to mind traipsing into Walmart in their pajamas, the cuffs often soiled and dragging the ground.
I have worn my slippers out in public, but that was a mistake. I always wear slippers in the house – never do I go barefoot. Every now and then, though, I forget about them and don’t look down to discover I’m wearing them until I’m halfway to Covington. Hey – they have indoor/outdoor soles, and can pass in a pinch.
I am spending these too-hot days on the porch, reading and eating and dozing off occasionally. In cool, loose pajamas, and the omnipresent slippers. I am going nowhere. And, I gotta love that!
Stay as cool as you can!
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