Thoughts from an empty mind

Oof! Who turned on the heat!? Turn it off already!

Midsummer temperatures crashed into our area over the last few days. And how! Late last week, it got hot and humid, with highs in the upper 80s (31C) and humidity to match. We got to about 92 (33C) on Monday, and it's going to be hot again on Tuesday. With this kind of heat now, you have to wonder what summer is going to be like.

(Luckily, the heat will ease off in time for our visitors' arrival this weekend. Highs in the 70s and lows in the 40s.)

Last summer, it was relatively cool and dry most of the time, both days and nights, with no real hot spells or high humidity. Time will tell for this summer. Significantly, maybe, on Sunday afternoon my wife and I teamed up to wrestle the room air conditioner into position in the bedroom window ... and we used it last night.

In 2009, the AC unit never left the bedroom closet.

****

I played a part in a pair of odd incidents over the weekend.

The first came early Saturday afternoon, when my wife asked me to help her out at church. She is a member of the church's altar guild this month but couldn't find anybody from her group to help out. I said OK.

The work involved making sure hymnals were pointing the right way (have done that before), changing the hymn numbers on the sign boards either side of the altar and changing the banners hanging from the front of the altar and pulpit for Pentecost Sunday. She did some other things, as well. As promised, it didn't take very long--45 minutes, if that.

The other came Sunday night, just after I put her to bed in her air-conditioned bedroom. Each week at that time I count out my pills for the week and put them in those little segmented pill holders--my prescriptions, my daily baby aspirin and my daily multivitamin (senior edition). A normal Sunday night ritual that I want to complete before Charlie comes over to visit. Don't really want the kitty to play with the pills.

I was in the bathroom, getting everything, when I heard shouting outside. I went to the window and looked. It was after 11 p.m., and things otherwise were quiet. I turned back, but then I heard it again.

It was a loud domestic argument under way a block or so away. The dramatic leads in this impromptu performance were played by a young man and woman (in their 20s or 30s) who maybe were lovers at one time but weren't in a very loving mood right now. They were screaming "fuck" and "fucking" at each other a lot, and it didn't sound like they were trying to turn each other on with naughty words. Passion, yes. Lust, no.

After a few more minutes, I decided I'd better call 911 to inform the cops. The city cops were there within minutes, and a state cop followed a few minutes later. A fun time was had by all, I'm sure. Once the cops arrived, things started calming down, and that's what I was hoping for. Don't like domestic warfare.

****

Catching up on a few things ...

David got his computer back. I picked it up from the computer place in Crystal Falls on Thursday, on my way to a regional track meet. (It was hot there, too.) They charged me $66 for replacing the power supply. Well, our computer guy did tell me that they usually overcharge. But David is paying for it--I made sure the invoice was taped to the computer when I dropped it off at his apartment the next day. He's got money, so ...

While looking over the calendar recently, I saw that S's birthday is in early June. It sounds like a good reason/excuse to drive down for a visit. This time by myself. She wrote last week that I need to give her and her GF a heads-up ahead of time when I plan to visit, so they can clear some time in their busy lives to spend with me. Who knows what may ensue? My naughty mind swims with possibilities ...

I wrote earlier about maybe taking them to that neopagan poly camp this summer. One undecided question was whether my wife could visit her sisters on different days this summer. (When I took B to the poly camp over the Fourth of July in 2009, my wife visited with her sisters for a few days and had a great time. But this year, because of where S lives, it would mean lots of extra driving; a few extra criss-crosses of Wisconsin.)

Things seem to have resolved themselves in an unexpected way: At this time, my wife isn't even sure whether she will be able to visit them this summer, let alone when.

It's complicated, and I don't know the whole story, except that the second oldest sister (whom she usually stays with) has moved out of the house where she had been living with a boyfriend--the boyfriend is still there; it's her house, by the way. My wife said it may be because the sister has another boyfriend. Like I said, I don't know the whole story, and my wife seems confused as well. Bottom line for her, though, is that last year's plan isn't going to work this year. Stay tuned ...

Also ... I've been thinking (always a dangerous thing) about writing up some of my not-yet-written adventures into blog posts. These are adventures from over the last year or so, when I wasn't writing that much or editing pictures. For instance: The trip with David to Green Bay and the NEW Zoo. Never wrote about that or did the photos. Or the blue jays at her sister's place when we visited around New Year's--I got some fantastic pictures that I never uploaded. And blue jays are my favorite birds--such beautiful birds! Maybe I can develop some posts about them.

Also, I have been thinking about recycling; recycling old blog posts that I feel are particularly memorable ... the photos or stories. Not sure about doing that. Thinking it over. That's what an empty mind comes up with from time to time.