“What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance.”
The air conditioner is blasting. It is already 81°. Poor Nala was out for only a short time and came back inside panting. Boxers don’t do well in the heat. Come to think of it, neither do I. Today is a lolling in the cool house day. There is no concert, a scheduling issue, the dump can wait another day, and my larder is full enough. The only thing missing is those Snickers!
When I was a kid, my house was always a cave on hot summer days. Because we had no fans, no way to cool the house, all the shades were down to keep the sun at bay. Once in a while we went to the pool, but it was all the way across town so any benefits from swimming were lost on the walk home. I remember shimmering sidewalks.
When I was young, every summer day was a busy day. I spent almost every day at the playground below my street. I played tennis in the morning and played softball against other playgrounds in the afternoon. I pitched and played first base. There was a horseshoe pit. I was prone to leaners. The activity table, a picnic table, was under the only shady area on the field, off to the side. We played checkers there. I also did crafts. I remember painting a wooden tray with a bird standing on a tree branch beside one white flower. I gave the tray to my mother. I did gimp.
When I was older, I stopped going to the playground. I often went to the library so I could spend my afternoons reading in the darkened, cooler house. At night I had drill practice, mostly on Tuesdays but also some Thursdays. We had competitions every weekend, many times even two competitions. On the off drill nights, my high school friends and I would bowl or even go the drive-in. My life was busy.
In Ghana, school holidays were during our summer months, Ghana’s rainy season. Most holidays I traveled. I’d take a bus to Accra unless I was flush with money and could take a plane from Tamale, 100 miles south of my town, to Accra. I’d stay in the big city a few days, eat at restaurants and see a few movies. I’d catch up with friends at the Peace Corps hostel where we all stayed. Usually I’d get a visa and head to Togo, to Lomé, its capital, for ice cream, French food, shopping at the Grand Marché and at stores filled with imports like Mexico food. I was always amazed at what I could buy. I’d bring home a haul of goodies.
I am a sloth now, a proud sloth, superb at my ability to spend an entire day doing almost nothing except turning the pages of a book. How lovely to while away the hours in a book.
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September 7, 2023 at 9:35 pm
Hi Kat,
I will trade you for temperatures in the 80s anytime. Today we hit 107° which I think set a record. I keep hoping that the the weather prognosticators are correct and that next week our high temperatures will be in the upper 90s with a chance of rain each day. Last Sunday, we officially got 0.20 of an inch of rain at the airport. I live three miles from there and got nary a drop of rain. It was the first official rain since July 16th.
Today I made my semiannual visit to my doctor for a checkup. I made the appointment last year so that I got to see my physician instead of a PA. I’ve been going to this guy for more than 30 years. When I first saw him he had a small office with one nurse, today he has two offices and 16 doctors. He’s running a medical factory.
When I was flying, I was required to get my airman physicals every six months. Airman Medical Examiners are private physicians who apply to the F.A.A. to become designated to give the physicals. It’s a license to print money. Many of them are basically retired from real private practice and only give airman physicals. The guy I used to go to for my physical, we used to call him, “Fast Freddie”. His nurse collected the urine sample, had you read the eye chart, and take your EKG. Fast Freddie completed the physical and the entire thing took about 20 minutes. That included paying the bill. 🙂
When I used to travel to Canada I expected to see people falling down dead and sick in the streets. The Republican Party and the insurance companies kept telling us the evils of a national single payer healthcare system instead of the mess we have today. Unfortunately, most of the other industrialized nations who have single payer systems have better health outcomes.
September 7, 2023 at 9:59 pm
Hi Bob,
The 80’s are about as high as it gets here on the cape. Boston and other towns to the north of us get hotter. I can’t remember the last time we hit 90. After tomorrow’s heat, the weekend will be cooler, down to the 70’s, more typical weather for this time of year. Rain is predicted for Sunday.
I see my doctor every six months. He expects that from all his older patients. While there the other day I signed up for a flu shot I figure I might as well get started. I’ll go to the clinic for the new cobvi and a second pneumonia. He said things were good. I’ll take good anytime.
I see my eye doctor once a year, my cardiologist every six months, get my teeth cleaned every three months ad see my neurologist every six months. I have others I see if need be. I call them my stable of doctors.
I envy my friend in Sweden. He has the most extraordinary national health care. He pays for nothing and gets paid sick leave whenever he needs it. I guess it is too late in my life to learn Swedish and move.