Today is already hot. It is 85˚, the high for the day. Tonight will go down to the upper 60’s. The sun is out, mostly. The slight breeze is more for effect. It does little to cool the air. Nala is still panting after her lope around the yard. I think Henry is upstairs having his morning nap. It’s a quiet day.

If I am out of the house at least three days in a week, it is a busy week. Last week was busy, and this week too will be busy. I have my usual stops at the dump to get rid of the trash and at Agway for animal food, but there’s so much more. Tonight I’ll be in Hyannis to play my uke in a group concert. I like to sit in the back to be anonymous. I am only a fair to middling musician. I even think calling me a musician is pushing it a bit. Tomorrow is practice and Wednesday is a lesson. Without my uke, I’d be a hermit, not that I’d mind.

My memory drawers seem to be nailed shut. I start an entry and then delete it. My inspiration, my muse, has left me for a cooler place. She is far smarter than I, but I have an easy solution: write down whatever comes into my head.

My favorite cereal was Rice Krispies. I like the taste, and I like the sound it makes in my bowl. Last week I had Cocoa Krispies for the first time. They have nudged regular Krispies to second place.

I hate panty hose. They were always difficult to get into, being small enough to fit into that egg. What’s worse is sometimes, when I put my hand inside the leg to stretch the hose, I snag a fingernail on the mesh. I was starting out my day with a hosiery flaw.

Last week I bought the small variety boxes of Kellogg’s cereal. They were my lunch and dinner until I ran out of them and milk. I went to the grocery store with only two items on my list. I left the grocery store with three bags full.

I’m watching Alien Siege. I don’t recognize a single face. This movie deserves recognition for the worst acting in a science fiction B-movie though I would rate this lower in the alphabet than a B.

I only like apples when they are cold. I love oranges regardless, the same with pineapples. Mangoes are their juiciest when they are warm, not in the fridge.

I think white or brown rice needs help to taste good. Take umbrage if you must, but they taste bland to me. Jollof rice I could eat every night. Fried rice is good for a couple of nights. Rice Pilaf is another favorite of mine. No brown rice dishes are on my list.

I am a carnivore. Mostly I eat chicken, but I would never turn down a grilled rib-eye. Nor would I ever turn down mashed potatoes. Throw in some baby peas, and I’d be in heaven.

From my travels, but mostly from living in Ghana, I have learned to eat best is to eat local food. I know to be careful of the water. My house had good water. Learn greetings and thanks in local tribal languages to say hello to people. Greetings are the easiest, but how are you also works. Just remember to answer I am fine in whatever language. Watch the peoples’ faces when you know even a little of their language. It makes you want to learn more. Travel locally. I’ve met some interesting people on busses. Take an all night bus to save money and sleep when you can. Embrace everything. Remember everything you can see, smell and taste. Live your highest life.

The AC is on. The house got really hot, 79˚. I was starting to pant.

Today is cloudy and windy. The sky keeps getting darker, and the air feels damp and sticky so maybe we will get that rain though past predictions of rain have proved otherwise. Rain seems to bypass the cape in a wide swath of dry weather. We need the rain.

I have every intention of staying home today. I could do a few chores, but the top chores are the ones I put off the longest: the laundry and the dump. I’ll vacuum and maybe dust a bit just to stave off my conscience, this being day three of sloth-dom though I’m counting brushing my teeth as a task accomplished.

When I was a kid, I brushed my teeth at night, but I never did very well. The dentist always gave me a red liquid to swish in my mouth. After I split it out, the red color stayed on teeth poorly brushed. The brighter the color, the worse the tooth. I had a very bright mouth.

The renters next door sit on the deck at night. I can hear their chatter through my opened window. They are not very loud, but sounds at night other than critters is unusual after such a long time of no renters. Henry doesn’t mind them. He only barks at doors.

Nala is quite proficient at stealing food off the counter even when I hide the food, though obviously it seems not so very well hidden or she is quite good at finding the hidden despite her snub nose. Yesterday she stole a bag of dog treats destined for upstairs. When I feed and care for the cats, I give the dogs small treats. Now I have to figure out what to give them. I am leaning toward a few pieces of cheese. I hope they like provolone.

Only a block away from my elementary school, from St. Pat’s, was Santoro’s Sub Shop. It was small. Half of one side, in the refrigerated display case, was the meat and cheese. The giant menu hung on the wall. There were counters. On one counter they took your order and then wrapped the sub in white paper on a small counter. Another counter took up the whole other other long wall. There were stools there. We didn’t often stay. Getting a sub was a treat usually reserved for Friday’s after payday. Because it was a Friday, my choices were limited. I usually went with the small tuna adding only pickles and hot peppers. On a warmish day, we’d eat outside loving being away from school for only a little while.

Santoro’s is gone now. I loved the way it smelled of onions, tomato sauce and oregano. The front window was frosted in the winter. A lot of us skipped out of school for lunch. It was just about the only rebellion we dared, but it was a start. We were still young.