Where is Summer going so quickly?

I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of July - especially considering it's so hot here. Something about it - the first of July seems to usher in the real days of Summer, the last day of July ushers in 'Back to School'. Of course, I'm a long way gone from school, but it seems like such a short time! As just a wee child I thought Summer seemed to stretch on forever. My, my, how getting old changes things.

The weather folks were hoping we'd break our 28-day streak of 100+ temps since Hurricane Don moved ashore yesterday, but it looks like Don went further South than they were expecting. We didn't get nuttin', and the temp currently sits at 99. With the hottest part of the day remaining, I'm thinking the streak is gonna hold.

Looks like my job is not going to be extended. Can't say for sure of course, because no one's bothered to mention it to us. I've already started applying for jobs again; got my first rejection letter yesterday! I'd say 'whoohoo', but it's a job I'm perfectly capable of excelling at...alas and oh well. There was a job I was going to apply for in the office I'm currently temping at - got the notice on Friday, went in on Saturday morning to apply for it and it wouldn't let me. Called the Texas Workforce Commission, who handles the applications for the State, and found out the job had already reached the target number of applicants the State is accepting. So, they shut down the post. Huh. And here I already know so much about that office. Again, alas and oh well.

Lots of friends are on the move. My friend Marian is moving back to Texas (now THAT deserves a huge whoohoo!), and I'm hoping I can zip over to Florida and help her drive back. Call it my mini-vacation, if you will. Oh, and a heck of a lot of fun as well. My friends Cecil and Rosalia and their bee-u-ti-ful daughter Nisa are moving to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Hate to see them go, but hopefully we will keep in touch. Lastly, but certainly not anywhere close to being least, my friend Jan in Portland, OR is selling her house and purchasing a more manageable house in a retirement community in Tigard, OR. Like wow, man! Now she can just kick back and not have to do anything she doesn't want to do. Like any upkeep on the yard. ☺

Jypsy is still her cute-as-a-button self, but seems a little off kilter today. I'm hoping it's just the incessant heat, but if she doesn't perk up by tomorrow, I'll be taking her to the vet. Yes, my vet is open on Sunday - how cool is that?

No real tales to tell, nothing extremely eventful, and certainly nothing worth hashing over. Some things I've learned to just keep to myself. Meanwhile, I'm actually hoping August zips by so we can get into some cooler weather. Maybe my car radio will start working again.

Think I'll go join Jypsy in a nap...

hot. just hot

I've been moving kinda slow lately. I'm okay when I'm in the house under one of those twirly things and the cool air is blowing. Staff person is keeping the shades down and it stays sort of dark in here, but sure makes it feel cooler.

But I just love to go outside, ya know? I put up a pretty good fuss this morning, it being a day my prime staff person was home and didn't go rushing off, and finally she gave up and let me out the back door. She had her breakfast and mug o' tea and came out to sit on the deck. She said something like, 'Jeez Louise, it's already 82 at 7:30," but stayed for a while. Truthfully, when I got outside I lost all interest in the yard. I sat on the deck for a while watching a squirrel taunt me from the big tree limb hanging close to the deck, but couldn't even muster up a 'ke-ke-ke' or butt wiggle. I did check out the plants on the deck and they seemed fine, but then she waters them every night. Finally I wandered over to the deck steps, but couldn't quite bring myself to go down into the yard where the sun was shining. I plopped down at the head of the steps and after a few more minutes staff person sort of laughed and said, "Come on, let's go in the house." Sounded good to me, so I got up and headed for the door. She opened it, we both came in, and I collapsed on the cool wood floor, asking myself, "Why did I want to go out again?" and couldn't remember. Earlier in the week staff person remarked we still had about two months of this over temperature thingy. Not sure what a month is, but it sounded like a long time. I just wish I could go out and not melt and not freeze my little pads off. Is that too much to ask??

Happy July 4th!

Got some cold watermelon in the fridge, an invite to the neighbors for hamburgers and hot dogs, potatoes are cooked for potato salad and it's Independence Day!

I hope everyone has a very happy and safe Fourth of July, filled with fun, food and family. I'd add fireworks to that, but Texas is so dry right now I'm thinking there won't be many fireworks here. If you get to see them, enjoy them. I'll just be chillin' here....

Gasp...wheeze.....

Here it is June and we've already broken into triple digits. I live in Texas. I know it gets hot. I just wasn't expecting it to do it this soon.

A.C.'s been running a lot lately, even using ceiling fans and box fans to help it seem cooler. Somehow one of the box fans from last year has disappeared - not in the house, not in the attic, and I can't seem to find it buried in the garage either. So, I've spent part of this morning looking online for a fan. I wanted to see what was available at the closest stores. Here's the interesting thing - when you find something online at one of the big box stores or home improvement stores, the very one you want is 1.) Out of Stock, 2.) Only sold online, 3.) If you do buy it online it takes 2-3 weeks to ship. Found a really nice dark blue fan I coveted, then read the estimated arrival time and it's sometime in mid-July. I could die of heatstroke by then! Well, not really of course, but you get my point. So, I guess I'm just heading to one of the local places and buy one of the common box fan varieties - grey box, white grid, white blades. So much for creativity...

Another interesting problem is the sound has begun it's hot weather trick and goes in and out on my car audio system. It started last summer, but would fade in and out. This summer it goes off and stays off for a couple of days and then I'll get back in the car, turn the key and suddenly the radio starts up again. I've called around to several places, explained what it does, ("As soon as it hits high 90's-100's, and I hit any type of bump in the street the sound disappears....) and gotten a half dozen explanations. The radio is still operating - I can see what song is playing - just can't hear anything. I've also gotten varying repair costs, or no cost at all until they 'see it and make sure what it is.' One place wanted to charge around $300, telling me the problem was actually inside the radio and they would have to pull the system out to work on it. Might as well get a new sound system installed for that amount of money. So, I guess I'll wait until the weather cools down in September to listen to uninterrupted music.

Hot weather. Gotta love it.

um..okay...ready for fall

All of a sudden it's, like, 99 degrees outside. I keep forgetting and start begging to go outside...until someone laughs and lets me out. I try and put up a good front, you know, like pretending the heat doesn't bother me, me with a fur coat 'n all ya know, but the first time someone says, "Ready to go back inside?" I just zip up on the deck and stand by the door until it opens and I can slip back inside where it's cool. Don't understand why it goes from pleasant to hot, hot to pleasant and then pleasant to cold and icy. All within just a few months. Seems like we just had all that slick stuff on the ground, then it got really nice for a couple days; now it's miserably hot. Jeez.

Not so much road construction anymore, so even if I do go out it's not so loud. I still keep an escape path handy to the deck and can slide under the glider in a flash because the occasional earth moving machine comes roaring by. Wish they'd get done and leave us alone.

Here's a picture of me after being outside for a while...just trying to cool off you understand...

It's About to Be Summer

We've had a lot of rain recently, but I think it's about to 'burst' into Summer. It was nice to have 60 and 70 degree days, but right now it's 93. The high temperature for the rest of the week looks even higher. The hot weather is upon us; I'm just praying the air conditioner doesn't go out again this summer. Can't afford a new one so have to try and keep the old one working.

Didn't get the job at the office I thought I might. Instead they hired a woman who knows nothing about what's going on so has to be trained to even log into the computer. Interviewed for another job at another site, but let's just say I'm not holding my breath. I'm thinking I really would like to follow Jypsy's suggestion and work through August when the contract expires and then just try and get the book edited. I so want to do something with this. Just have to bide my time until I can have enough time (in big enough blocks) to finalize it.

No other news. A little envious of my brother and sister-in-law who are heading soon to the coolness of the Oregon coast for the summer. Must be really nice. I figure I'll never be able to retire and do something like that due to my unemployment situation for the last three years that's pretty much run me out of money. I'm assuming at some point you'll be able to spot me at the front doors of Walmart welcoming people as a Walmart Greeter. Unless, of course, I can do something with this dang book....and the other one I'm already 115 pages into.....Jeez.

Not much else going on here in the Lone Star State. Don't even have a recent picture of the cat - although she's done so many hysterical things lately. Hope the few who follow are enjoying the beginnings of Summer. Til next time, amigos and amoureux des chats!

Gonna have to do something about my grumpy Staff person

Sheesh. Staff person has been, like, a bear to live with. She's cranky when she gets up and, truthfully, she doesn't get much better as the day progresses. I know she's tried really hard at the place where she's working, but some of the stuff I overhear makes me glad I get to stay home and sleep all day. People have been really rude to her and the job she applied for? Even though she's been there 6 months and feels like she's learned a lot of the things she needs to know, they hired someone from outside who doesn't know anything and will have to be trained from scratch. Staff person decided it was their loss and not hers (YAY MOM!), and when her contract ends in August she's hoping to be able to finish editing her book and maybe get it published. She used to sit at the computer a LOT and write - like for hours at a time - but has done very little of that lately. She's tired when she gets home and growls and is obviously not a happy camper. Not to mention she's put on a coupla pounds too. (Don't tell her I said that! She'll KILL me!)

She also lost another friend. The person she would meet at the gym and then go out for coffee with got laid off and left today to move back to Seattle. She's bummed. I kinda don't even like being around her - I've spent a lot of time in the front room with the guy who's staying there. I think she thinks I've abandoned her, but she's just so...GRUMPY all the time.

I'd like for her to either get the darn book finished or find a place where she can work and be happy. Staff person 'happy' is a totally different person from staff person 'not happy'. Wish I could meow enuff to convince someone to hire her. Although, if truth be known, I'd rather have her right here, banging away on the computer.

What's a kitty to do? I said a little prayer for her the other day. Hopefully someone was listening.