Sunflower Blog

Summer Heat

It's almost July, and the heat is so oppressive. I prefer to sleep days, and be active nights in this weather. It sounds crazy, but since I'n mot attached to a 9-5 work schedule, the flexiblity can save me yjr misery of getting baked.

Think about it. Rise about 5 pm, and go through the morning wake up routine with coffee and the evening news. Watch some prime time television, then come to the good old workstation computer. It's more quiet to concentrate, and it's easier on the eyes reading the computer screen at night.

I used to enjoy shopping at Walmart, in the middle of the night when only the stock people are working diligently. They sure do make a mess out of the store, because everything to be stocked is put in the aisles first, and they don't particularly leave space for a cart to wheel through. But when you have the whole store, practically to yourself, you don't feel like somebody's going to walk off with your cart.

I've had cart mishaps on two occasions. Bother were my bad. Once, just before I got into the checkout line, I realized that I'd left my checkbook at home. I parked the cart in an out of the way aisle, and hurried home and back, expecting to find the cart where I'd left it. Wouldn't you know, that was the time a conscientious employee decided the cart had been abandoned and started restocking. Didn't finish my shopping that day. Sometimes, you might as well give up. The day is going to win.

Another time, at a regular grocery store, I was having a rather absent-minded day. I had about half a dozen items in my basket, and left it to go to the pharmacy section. When I returned to it, I continued my shopping down the next row. When I put another item in the basket, about three rows later, I realized I didn't have my basket. I'd run off with somebody else's! I was embarrassed, and looked in every cart, going up and down the aisles without my basket, trying to find my original basket, which had been claimed by someone else by then. I never found the person with my cart, so just removed their items, and finished my shopping. I often wonder about the little old lady who must have ended up with my basket. I try to be more careful now.

Shopping in the afternoon now is SO uncomfortable. You get in a hot car, and the air conditioner almost gets the car cool by the time you arrive wherever you're headed. If I wrestle with the visors to get the metallic layered shade in place, I'm sweating by the time I go into the store. You return to a baking interior, with your fresh milk and eggs, which will quickly turn bad. Forget about buying ice cream in the afternoon, unless you eat it immediately.

A lady I worked with once, said she didn't understand why people ever moved to Texas. Just too hot in the summer. But I wonder if the cowboys and Indians dealt with the same amount of heat. Maybe pollution is making the heat worse. It is worse to tolerate heat on an ozone alert day.

So I'm spending the first hours of a new day on the computer, or watering the yard with a flashlight. Yes, I'm different. I can wash dishes and clothes as well in the night, and I'm putting less strain on the electric usage.

When the sun starts to come up, I feed the birds, and settle in for sleep listening to relaxing music. Sometimes, I fall to sleep on the sofa. Other times, I go to the very dark bedroon, with the shades all down, set the thermostat for comfortable with a sheet and nightshirt, and snooze all day long, my loyal doggie "John" on the floor by my side.

The dogs sometimes have a barking fit in the day, but I think I sleep through most of them. I can sleep through those collection calls too. There are advantages to being out of step with the world.

Of course, if you run this schedule without any cohorts, social life is pretty much nill. But for a fews weeks of dealing with the heat on my terms, solo is acceptable--until the weather turns cooler. Who wants to cuddle in sweat anyhow?