The back of my house still has the coolness of the night chill so it is comfortable, but outside is already hot, 77°. It will get just a bit hotter, a couple of degrees. Tonight will be in the 60’s, perfect sleeping weather.

When I was a kid, my mother kept the house dark. She covered the windows in the living room to keep out the sun. It was as if we were living in a sort of a cave. The kitchen was the brightest room. Upstairs always got hot and stayed hot even at bedtime. I remember a bit of tossing and turning before I fell asleep. I kept flipping the pillow to find the cool side.

I had what I called my visor summer. I wore it all my waking hours. It was white, and when I wore it, I felt somehow older. I don’t think it did much against the sun, but I thought it the perfect look, even fashionable. I think I was around eleven or twelve.

When I was a teacher, I used to travel to Europe every summer. I carried a backpack. One summer I even carried a sleeping bag. I used it a couple of times. One time was in Helsinki, Finland. We got in town late and didn’t find a place to sleep so we slept in the brush among the trees somewhere in the city. The next day we found a hostel. I bought street food for breakfast. My friend, with whom I was traveling, warned me not to eat street food. I just laughed. I ate it in Africa.

We used to take overnight busses and trains. That saved us money because we didn’t need a place to sleep. I remember looking out at the houses long the tracks. It was dark so the houses were lit. I found it intriguing to wonder about the people living in those houses. I could see them from the train window. I could sneak a peek into their lives.

I still have that list of chores. The only thing I did was go to the dump, and it wasn’t even on the list. Today I have a couple of errands. It is my only uke-less day of the week so I’m torn. Do I finish some of the chores on this my free day or do I embrace the life of a sloth on this, my only free day? Such a dilemma!