Hot! Hot! Hot!

Geez--It is the first week in June and the mercury looks like it is the third week or so in August! After our weather excitement last Wednesday, we are being tormented with unseasonable heat! Temps got into the 90's yesterday with high humidity creating a heat index of about 110 degrees! Today's temp. is supposed to hit 98 degrees with more of the same on Monday - Wednesday. Relief is supposed to come on Thursday with temps of 88 degrees! Thousands of people still have no power in the DC area and, boy! do I feel for them! The biggest problem with this type of heat is that we get the awful thunder storms so we just go through this vicious cycle! I ran some errands in the heat yesterday then worked in the house--believe it or not--putting away Easter decorations! Now, don't get me wrong--I didn't have Easter eggs and baskets etc. around the house. I did have spring animals--bunnies, ducks, chicks etc. I figured they looked springy and I just had better things to do. So I've been packing them up and cleaning as I go. I got so into it that I was busy until about 8:30 p.m. yesterday when, as luck would have it, our power went out due to another one of those lovely thunder storms. Fortunately we have two battery powered lanterns and jar candles ready at all times. This did put an end to my dinner plans though. I had barbecue to microwave so we will have that tonight. DH and I headed for Cosi's where we had a nice relaxing, but late, dinner. I guess if the power had to go out, we were lucky it was at night. There was a cool, though very damp, breeze from after the storm so the house was bearable. I put a sheet on the living room couch and slept there as it is right by the porch windows and much cooler. DH slept in the family room. DH woke me up at 7:30 and said that the power had come on around 7 a.m. I got up a little bit later. Different for me! I'm usually in bed until 9:30 or so, but then I'm usually up until about 2 a.m. on Saturday night. I was in bed by 11:30.

All this has me reflecting on our culture of consumption. I was lost yesterday when I discovered that our DVR cable box was fried. I won't have another one until Tuesday. We may bring the upstairs box down to watch TV, but I put music on to entertain me while I work. Imagine what our lives would be like without computers, internet, electronic gadgets etc. Those in my age bracket can remember simpler times when we didn't have these. I dare say, we read more and socialized with our friends face to face more. My kids' generation may remember times like this from their early childhood, but their teenage and adult lives have often revolved around these conveniences.

As I get "nearer the grave than the cradle" I'm seeing the value in participating in activities that get me away from gadgets and involved with people. I watched my parents become isolated in their later years and I don't think that is healthy. I'm also worried about the economy and how energy prices are wreaking havoc on literally everything. I was amused to see that BG&E (our electric company that raised the rates 80% in the last year) is giving its customers a one time $170 credit on our August bill. As if that makes a dent in the increased costs! At least the credit is given during the month that typically has the highest energy usage!

I've been making conscious choices about where and when I drive and trying to cut back. I'm also starting to buy "green" products. I'm finding that the environmentally friendly cleansers are actually more effective! Most of them use citrus oils which really cut through kitchen grime!

Okay--That's my rant.

This week will see very little knitting. It is the last week of school and I have a ton of stuff to do. Next week, I will chill and make a lot of phone calls. I need to deal with insurance, cable, banking etc. etc.--all the stuff I just cannot do when I am in school. This summer will be one of cleaning and getting rid of a lot of crap in the house. I'm debating whether or not to do a yard sale or just to donate stuff. Some will go on Ebay, but most won't!

On a political note--I was impressed with Hilary's speech in which she endorsed Obama. While I was a Hilary supporter, I just don't get those other Hilary supporters who will not vote for Obama. What on earth are they thinking? Their policies were almost identical! Why would anyone who supported Hilary vote for McCain?!

As a reminder of why NOT to vote Republican, here is my
Bushism of the day:
"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." --George W. Bush, Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005

Yup! We've had seven and a half years of that! Do you think the American people have caught on yet?

Kitty Cam:
This one is from Ems--Mokey, the fashionista kitty is hiding in a paper bag because he has nothing to wear!