Technology and the Summer Wimp

So it is official. We have broken the misery records here in our cool misty environs. Records going back to 1891 according to Jeff Renner of local King 5 News. Why, they have even issued excessive heat warnings. Just in case you couldn't figure out on your own that it was TWO MILLION DEGREES outside. But hey, you can never be too well informed.

In honor of the Great SeaScorcher of '09 I have decided to remind myself of what a difference a few months and a few million degrees can make. Ahh, snow...

Anyway, it managed to reach 107 degrees today here in the cool piny northwest. That's right it was the same as Phoenix. Well by golly, it's like I never left! ugh.

I am up the side of a mountain about 1,000 feet so they tell me that it was actually actually hotter here! Like I needed that helpful tidbit of information. I pretty much figured that out the instant it reached 104 degrees and the power went out. That's right, just as I was complimenting myself on finding balance with the heat wave all the little things that I had in my arsenal of defense simply went silent. Just blip, nothing, Nada. The praise I heaped upon myself this morning for finally getting the pond water cleared up from the last fiasco on a scorching hot day, gone. Melted away just like the ice cubes two minutes after I plopped them into my tea. Gone was my smug satisfaction that the ice water spritzing combined with the fan on high was sure to keep me cool. Gone were my breaks into the cooler office to check the web for new ways to avoid working. All of it gone, just like that.

My stomach sank as I heard the last dribble of water come down the bio falls and stream beds. I was certain I could hear the algae dying and turning brown up there, the little fishes gasping for breath. The brand new smooth white plastic fan mocked me with its idle blades and plug tongs firmly in place inside the dead outlet. My ice water spritz bottle had gone warm, the ice melted away along with my hope. My survival looked iffy. The dogs even worse.

And then just as my panic was mounting modern technology and the power company's greed kicked in. Lights came on, microwaves beeped, water began to flow down the streams and my glorious shiny new white plastic fan began to twirl its miraculous blades again. I could hear the fishes sighs of relief. I rushed right in and filled up my spritzer with ice and plunked more snowy cubes into my tea glass. It was a glorious moment for modern technology and skimpy breathable Cotton clothing!

Tomorrow is supposed to be another toaster and all I can say is that I have my spritzer in the fridge and several bags of cool crispy ice cubes in the freezer. Why I may even have a few items I need to pick up in the frozen food section at my local grocery store. I don't know what those things might be so I may have to spend some extra time there thinking about it.