Life get's easier, but hotter!

We have had an unusual summer here in Upstate NY. It has been cool all through July and into August. We also had much more rain than we usually do which killed my garden, and made it miserable to plan vacations and such. Now that August is in full swing, the heat arrives. No one was ready for it. We were all getting used to and enjoying cool evenings and mild days, then this heat wave hits. It has been terrible the last week or so. Highs in the 9o's and humidity and heat indexes both in the 100's. I have been very good lately at avoiding the heat and dealing with it since I travel to the south every week where, as you would expect, it is brutally hot all the time. I even went out and got a straw fedora to wear in the sun (as a stereotypical fat white guy should have) and I really don't care much about what people think. The last sunburn I got on my poor shaved head, nearly turned black, and I can't let that happen again.

We had the last parade for my daughter on Saturday, and that went very well. I am glad to have gotten to know the kids and be able to be there and help them My transformation into a "bank geek" parent is complete. All I need now is the T-shirt. We are going to start working on fund raising for the Washington DC trip next year and I look forward to the fun that will bring.

I seemed to mostly resolve a spat I had with an old friend. He is going through a tough time right now that I understand all too well. It is hard dealing with issues in mid-life while the economic downturn here slaps you around. It felt good to see him again. For his privacy, I won't go into any detail, but I am glad we are talking, albeit on a sort of top level only basis. I would love to have deeper conversation at a more convenient time for both of us. I think, having gone through a similar crisis, that I might be able to offer some help, and I hope I can. It was hard when I had to go through my last crisis because I did it mostly on my own. I don't ever want to turn my back on someone going through a similar thing, unless it gets to a point where my own self preservation calls for it. No matter, I am glad we had a chance to reconnect and talk.

Yesterday my brother called me on the phone and asked from my help. I was wondering what I was going to do for the day when he calls on the phone and asks me to help him clean his carpets in his apartment. They were going to get a delivery of new furniture and need to clean everything up nice. I lugged myself down there in the heat, daughter in tow, and we steam cleaned his carpets and moved furniture around. The nice part was that after we were done, we got to steal a quick dip in the pool they have there. I was going to just bail out in the am go swimming with friends and hang out all day, but when the family calls and asks for help, we jump up and go. That is how we are. Pizza and a few laughs ensued shortly after and we were home by bedtime.

I got an email a short time ago from the boss, telling me that I do, indeed, have a load today, and my truck should be done from it's 30,000 mile service. I am glad I had taken the time to clean it through and through before the service, and now when I leave, the truck will be in great shape inside and out. That truck is my house 4 to 5 days a week, and just when you clean your house from top to bottom and everything is repaired, it feels very nice to be there when everything is done. It sure makes the trips more pleasant in a clean, well organized, and well running environment.

So, it is time to pack up and take off. Thank you all for reading again, I appreciate it.