I'm a routined person by nature.  I've found that it makes my rather scattered life just a bit easier if I do certain things the same way no matter where I am.  So I get up every morning at the same time, weekday or weekend.  I take care of the animals, make the bed and then get ready for work. 

 

Our office is in a bit of a turmoil lately because of a personnel issue, which I will not go into but suffice it to say, my mind has been elsewhere because of it.  So much so that this morning, I got out of bed, took care of the cats, made the bed, got ready for work and left the house at my usual time.  The scary part is that half way to the office, I discovered that I had not put any make-up on.  None, nada, zilch, not even lipgloss.  Since I'm not a big make-up wearer, It's not a big deal.  No one will probably even notice but how could I have forgotten?  It's part of my morning routine. I do it evey single morning, except Sat and Sun.  I brushed my teeth, I can feel the difference, I combed my hair because I pinned it up, I am wearing work clothes and not my pj's.  Now I'm going to spend the rest of the day wondering what else I may have forgotten to do today.  

 

Who ever said that once something becomes routine you'll just do it automatically without thought was obviously wrong.  It appears that your mind does actually think about things whether you are conscience of it or not.  And my mind seems to be wandering around somewhere in the great expanse of nothingness without any make-up on!!

I don't mean to keep dwelling on the weather but it's HOT here!!!  According to the weatherman this is our 10th consecutive day of 105º plus temperatures and our 30th consecutive day of 100º plus temperatures.  The heat probably wouldn't be so bad but for some crazy reason we have a lot of humidity this year.  For those of you used to a high humidty I ask that you please take it back.  It's not normal for us and I'm not real crazy about living in a sauna!!

 

Summer has always been my favorite time of year but I'd really like to have spring back for a few days.   I'd like to sit on my front porch and drink iced tea and smell my new roses that are blooming.  Instead I am trapped indoors with as little running as possible so I can keep my AC and hope that Mr. PG & E can cope and not shut my power off for 7 hours.

 

Just wait, when winter hits I'll be bitching that it's cold and damp and gloomy.

As most of the country is going through a heat wave, I must wonder if there's something to this theory of Global Warming.  I mean 96º in London!  California's largest power supplier, Pacific Gas and Electric is enforcing rolling brown outs and is campaigning the "Flex Your Power" slogan.  Our office is getting involved by shutting off anything that is unnecessary, like the lights in the front lobby, the lights in the hall, etc.  I'm doing the same at home.  I don't use any appliances, etc untl after 7:00 pm.  The only thing I'm not willing to compromise on is the air conditioner.  Back in my youth, my roommate, Tracy, and I would border on the brink of heat exhaustion before we'd turn the air on in our tiny little 700 sq ft apartment.  Often opting to head for the mall and the bookstore instead.  But I'm older now and I don't have time to ready anyway.  So the air is staying on!!  Now, I'm not totally inconsiderate, I do keep it set at 80º when I"m home and up to 85º when I'm gone.  I'll go with out food before I'll turn off the air.  Although there's not much worry in that.  I live next door to my parents.  They're always good for at least a sandwich.

 

So as I sit here in the dark, I'm wondering what the rest of the country is doing to keep itself cool and comfortable during the warm and balmy July.

I've been away for awhile.  Partly because I couldn't think of anything to say and partly because I haven't had the time to think of anything to say.

 

I'm back home now after being away for 2½ months of back to back housesitting jobs.  My first task upon arriving was to turn on the airconditioning.  Thank God in Heaven it works!!  It was 100º inside the house at 6:00 pm.  While the house cooled down to a semi tolerable temperature, I went to visit the folks and have a glass of iced tea.  Momma is from the South and so there's always iced tea in the 'frig.  After a nice 2 hour visit, I returned home to a pleasant 85º. 

 

 I live sort of in the country, there are grape fields on 2 sides and oranges on another.  In the spring, they spray a sulpher compound on the grapes, it's called "dusting" to help prevent mildew or something.  The substance is rather sticky and when it settles on things like furniture, it takes a little more than Pledge to get it off.  When I left is was April and cool, so I left the windows open so the plants inside would get some fresh air and keep the house cool,  only May turned into July and it's 106º outside and the inside of my house is 3 inches deep in dirt.

 

What to do first?  clean the cobweb above the door, scrap the mud off the entry way floor where Daddy tracked in getting cat food? Vacuum the remains of the dead fern?  Take the flannel sheets off the bed and put on regular sheets?  Scrub the water mark out of the toilet bowl?  Decisions, decisions.  Since it was 8:00 pm and I had to work the next day, the bedroom seemed the most logical place to start.  So I decided to take care of the sheets.  Oh woderful, the regular sheets are still in the package and haven't been washed yet.  Off to the washer they go.  While those are washing, let's tackle the bathroom.  After about an hour, it was finally clean enough that I could take a shower.  How can a house that no one is living in get soooo dirty?!?!

 

So now my evening routine is 2 hours in the yard and then 2 hours in the house cleaning.  I'm hoping I'll have everything spic and span before I have to leave again.  And maybe I'll even get my suitcase unpacked.

 

 

Once upon a time
in a land far away,
a beautiful, independent,
self-assured princess
 happened upon a frog as she sat
 contemplating ecological issues
on the shores of an unpolluted pond
in a verdant meadow near her castle.
The frog hopped onto the princess' lap
and said: “Elegant Lady,
I was once a handsome prince,
until an evil witch cast a spell upon me.  
One kiss from you, however,
and  I will turn back
into the dapper, young prince that  I am
and then, my sweet, we can marry
and set up housekeeping in your castle
with my  mother,
where you can prepare my meals,  
clean my clothes, bear my children,
and forever  feel
grateful and happy doing so. “
That night,
as the princess dined sumptuously on lightly sautéed frog legs
seasoned in a white wine
and onion cream sauce,
she chuckled and thought to herself:
I don't freakin’ think so.

 

I get a lot of these really great stories and poems from friends.  Since my creativeness is simply not flowing these days, I thought I'd just pass them on to you.