The morning is hot, almost as hot as the day will be, at 79˚. My house is so cool and comfortable I hate going out at all, but I do have a couple of things on my errand list. I’ll wait until the afternoon if even then.

The dogs drive me crazy. They chase each other up and down the hall and jump on the couch for the turnaround, the same couch where I’m sitting. I get bounced around and whacked by Henry on his u-turn. The floor between the den and the kitchen is again filled with dust balls because of the dogs. I vacuum it just about every day.

Nala brings sticks into the house. I was alerted to this when she had too wide a branch to take through the dog door. It made a lot of noise. She figured it out and brought the branch in sideways. I watched her then threw the branch back outside. I’m tired of vacuuming chunks of bark and pieces of white branch. Nala always chews her sticks on a rug. How neat.

When I was growing up, my town was the world to me. We never went far for family vacations. If anywhere, it was north to Maine for a weekend, and I remember one week we spent in Vermont when I was young, maybe around 8. I didn’t mind staying home in the summer. My friends too stayed home, but I didn’t see them much once school was over. My wanderings were usually when I was alone. I liked to stop and sit for a bit. I’d drink water at one of the bubblers, often the one in the park. Sometimes I had a nickel or a dime for expenses on the road. The nickel meant candy and the dime meant Hostess. I never bought any particular Hostess. That depended on my mood, but I was partial to Hostess cupcakes, It was the cream middle I loved. It was also the chocolate. Sometimes I’d buy a Sno-Ball. It had everything: a cream middle, giant coconut frosting topper and chocolate. I don’t remember the last Hostess anything I bought. I did buy a cupcake at the bakery which they labeled as a Hostess cupcake. It even had the white squiggle across the frosting on the top, but it wasn’t Hostess.

I have always wondered about the frosting on Hostess cupcakes. We used to have to lick the frosting off cupcakes my mother made but never Hostess cupcakes. The frosting came off in one piece. That last part of the cupcakes, the frosting, was the best part so I’d take the frosting off and put it aside then I’d eat the cake. The frosting was the last treasure from a Hostess cupcake.

Last night I slept easily and for a long time. I think my various wounds are healing so I don’t groan and wake myself up as often. Nala slid off the bed this morning because the top egg crate had drifted and a bit was over the edge. She looked shocked. Henry leapt off from the bottom of the bed. That dog can jump. I took my time getting out of bed. When I did, I was pleased to find my side didn’t hurt anymore. That’s progress I’ll take.

I have no appointments today so it is a stay in my comfies day. I was out three days this week, more than enough. I do need a dump run so maybe tomorrow though it is supposed to rain.

The day is already hot, 84˚, but the humidity is so bad the day feels far hotter. My AC is blasting. Tonight will get cooler, down to 69˚. I hope the humidity is gone.

Life continues in a different way. I wear a mask in medical places. I don’t need to wear it anywhere else by choice. Some people still wear masks in grocery stores. I wonder if they are unvaccinated or just being extra safe. Neither one gives me second thoughts. I just finish shopping and then go home. I prefer home not because of the pandemic but because my home is my favorite place. I love how casual it is. Dinner is never timed. Nobody needs my table. There is no dress code. I get to stay in my summer comfies. I can eat whenever. The kitchen never closes. I like staying home.

Last night felt right, almost ideally right. It was a good night. The house had cooled from the air conditioning. The dogs were sleeping, one on each side of the couch. Jack had come down almost to the bottom of the stairs to get some loving, some head scratches and pats. I went back to reading my iPad. The TV was blaring for background noise. Nothing was on I wanted to watch. I was missing watching the postponed Red Sox-Yankees game, but I found a few movies on Tubi filmed just for me. I had what I call a catch as catch can dinner. I just checked the fridge and use what I find. Last night it was some cheese and crackers and some tabouleh on pita. Nothing took time to cook, just to open. Dinner was delicious, perfect.