Dog Days in June

when I pulled out of the parking lot at school, it was 104 degrees.

Schools had been dismissed early, and rumor has it that many will be closing 1/2 day tomorrow. Here in the great northeast, many schools do not have air conditioning. In my 16 years of teaching, this is a first (global warming??)

Our school does, but because we have many schools that come to ours, if they close, their students get sent home from our school due to transportation.

I came home to a non-air conditioned house. Central air is not the norm in many houses here, especially if you live in an older home like mine. I have A/C in the bedroom, which is a MUST, otherwise I would NEVER sleep, and in my studio.

I opted for going to work in the studio after teaching, as it was the only sane option. Besides, I had work to do.

Karen called me and told me to come over for a dip in the pool. No thought process here....I put on my bikini, not caring whether or not I had cellulite on my stomach, and whether or not a majority of my body was pasty white.

Who was going to see me? The chickens? Phil, who was as white or whiter than I?

The water was fabulous, and I think this is the earliest I have swam in the Catskills. I floated around long enough to cool off, then rode home in my bathing suit with the top down (on the car) and spent the rest of the afternoon in my damp bathing suit, sipping on an iced martini while making art.

Dinner was salad; afterwards we went to the local ice cream dive for our first ice cream of the season.

I am content, and plan to go read and get a decent night's sleep. I will get up early so that I can walk before the heat sets in...pre 6 am.

I don't know how people do it in the south or the midwest, where heat like this is the norm. I suspect that central A/C is the key to survival.

I wonder how our grandparents did it, not that long ago?

Patti O Melt