Sultry 'round town. Sleeping later & up earlier because of it. Two days in a row I've come fully awake at 4:00 am. Ok, I don't mind getting up early. I like getting up when it's still dark out, but that's. Just. Stupid. I barely went to bed. Two days in a row? I never sleep before 1 or 2, and it's been closer to 3 before I feel tired enough to even try to sleep.

Got up anyway. Coffee heals all wounds.

We seem inadvertantly to've made the jump from our lovely, lengthy chillish spring directly into the 90's -- or close to it -- about a week ago. Here in this hellish humid hole of heat I fester, bedays. Because running the air conditioner for days at a time does things obscene to the electric bill, we tend to rely on fans and cold showers as long as it's tolerable... once that air goes on, getting me to turn it off at all for the rest of the summer is harder than getting me to go to work.

Fans oscillate. The ceiling fan in the kitchen improves things.

The cats unscroll themselves on the hardwood floors & the bathroom tile, up against the porcelain tub, glaring when I go by. Iris wouldn't eat two days ago, which was the warmest, most humid day we've had so far. When I walked into the kitchen that morning she rolled onto her back and held her paws under her chin, like a bunny, looking sad. She's taking the heat like a personal betrayal. Her eyes don't fully open. A few minutes ago I snatched her up & took her down to the basement, where it's cooler. We played a little; she doesn't look as though she feels punished anymore.

Now she & the rest of them are just unconscious. Wish I were. I should just turn the air on but I'd have to #1) Admit defeat, and #2) Admit it's summer & we all know you don't come back from that. Let me put it off as long as possible.

I found an apple-scented candle the other day that made me nostalgic for fall; I even pulled out a pumpkin spice handsoap dispenser. New school year! That means new books! Falling leaves! Halloween plans! Pumpkins! Can'twaitcan'twaitcan'twait. Bring on the autumnal equinox.

I just accepted my first fall class.