a more moderate summer

Only 84 degrees, but it feels more like 94. July and August, our two months of hell. Sometimes that can include June too, in our worst summers, but I have to admit that this June was fairly moderate, and that, overall, it really has been a more moderate summer, thanks in no small part to the recent rains.

Gabe says, “I love the warmer weather.”

Pfft, yeah, I remember when you tripped me out when you said that you set your thermostat at 86, wow!

“At least it’s my own life. I’m not living with my mom like I’m still a little girl - like some people I know.”

I think I prefer to be cooler.

“Well, you got what you want. I hope you’re happy. But do you remember why I like it hotter? Less clothes. I think you would have liked that better.”

I guess we’ll never know.

“You’ll never know. Quite a few other men know, and I don’t recall one complaining about the house being uncomfortable.... Oh, don’t get sulky! You started it, riding me for how hot I keep the house.”

I know: you don’t get mad, you get even.

“It’s the only way to live.”

a piffling little rain

It’s raining. I’m not so happy about this one. I had steeled my nerve to mow this evening.

Bo falls to the floor laughing, “Right, I’m sure you are all broken up not to get out there and get to work.”

Well, it’s not the worst tragedy, I admit. But, seriously, I was ready to go, and now I’m going to have to do all this head-work again to get my nerve back up over the weekend or next week. And I was on a roll today. I washed my clothes this morning and I cleaned my toilet, not to mention the regular chores of Grocery Day.

I hate to ruin a roll like that, because after you enjoy one of those, you can feel better about taking a whole week off from doing anything else even remotely strenuous, because you know you have earned some down time. And now this rain just drags things out. Worse yet, it’s just a piffling little rain - just hard and long enough to ruin a mowing and throw me off balance.

turkey burgers

I had asked for Butterball’s ground turkey. I need something to make up for the possible loss of hamburger meat in my diet. Things weren’t looking good when Pop couldn’t find it anywhere, though. But he called and told me that he found turkey burgers that are put out by Butterball. I would have said ‘forget about it’ if I were not in desperate need of something to put on my menu.

As it turns out, I was surprised by how good it was. I was too thrilled, though. I needed to remember that this was not an alternative to Ronny’s veggie burgers. This was definitely meat; it just wasn’t burger meat. This turkey meat is healthier than beef, but it’s still meat. I don’t mind losing some health points, though. I badly needed something that could take the place of the commissary’s hamburger meat, and I may have found it.

“Gemma”

I’m on the last pages of “Gemma”, and I have one more novel coming to me. That means it is time for the random selector. I went with the Web and used Random.org. It landed on “The Inquisitor”. I wasn’t actually thrilled with the pick and was even sorely tempted to pick again, but I went ahead and ordered it. It may even prove to be a great read.

Gabe says, “What, you aren’t going to get another book about a little girl getting beaten and raped over and over again?”

No, I find that one should really spread those books out.

“Hopeless.”

Hey, this one was written by the famous actress Meg Tilly. It was quite a surprise. She has a real flair for writing. “Gemma” isn’t mere pornography, though it does get into the wet work and the darker side of psychosexuality. I was surprised that you can do that in mainstream books, and I wonder why there aren’t more out there. Seriously, I was not just rifling through the pages for the hot parts. I read it like a real novella. She can play with phrases and associations. She creates good characters, and her scenes keep you into the story.

“She is also delving into her own abused childhood. She isn’t trying to get you off.”

She apparently doesn’t mind trying to sell some books, though. I don’t think Meg minds trading on her dark past to tease with men’s dirty minds. Sex is a very morally complicated matter.

“Especially for a dirty old man.”