The weather is just as they predicted: hot and humid. It is  one time I’d wish they’d have gotten it wrong. Today, though, will be the worst of it because, by the end of the weekend, the nights will be in the high 50’s for a couple of days. I’m all for that!

It’s so much easier living without when you have no idea what you’re missing. Fans were what kept us cool. I’d stand in front of the one in our living room until my sister or my brother complained I was taking all the cold. At night, I’d fall asleep despite the heat. A day of bike riding or walking the tracks or playing softball in the hot afternoon was enough to exhaust me for the night. I don’t remember which store was the first to be air-conditioned, but I’m betting, like in many towns, it was the movie theater. In my town in Ghana, it was a bar. The whole town called it the cold room. It was in the Hotel d’Bull, just about the only place to stay while in Bolga in those days. Crowds would so fill the bar that you could barely feel the air-conditioning. Inside the bar wasn’t a frequent spot for me. I didn’t drink beer or gin or scotch, the only alcoholic offerings. I drank coke. My Ghanaian friends loved to go to that bar so I’d meet them for a bit and hope to find a seat near the air conditioner. I seldom did.

My house is wonderfully cool right now. The two times I went outside I gasped in the heat. Gracie was out for a couple of minutes then came right back inside-nothing dumb about that dog.

My electric can opener broke, and I didn’t replace it because many cans are tabbed now, and my old hand can opener works just fine on the ones that aren’t. It was strange at first to wind the old opener as it worked its way around the top of the can. The lid almost always fell into the food in the can, and I was ever careful taking it out so I didn’t cut myself, but I have now become quite adept at opening the can without the lid falling, and I have yet to cut myself.

That got me to wondering what I could live without. Obviously the electric can opener is one, but I’m hard -pressed to come up with much more. My pencil sharpener is an old one with blades, but that hardly counts. I do use use my broom to sweep the floors as the vacuum cleaner is down the cellar and is now too heavy for me to haul upstairs. I guess that counts.

I can’t come up with anymore. My creature conveniences are far too ingrained. I’m going to have to give this some thought.