cat days of summer

Seems like the dog days of summer (or cat days, depending on your pet bias) may finally be over. Today in Valencia, CA it is a cool, crisp 87 degrees. This as opposed to the mid 90’s of last week, and weeks and weeks of triple digits, leading to a climax of 116 degrees during Labor Day weekend.

So, 87, heh, I’ll take it! Now this is coming from an ex-coastal dweller. Until 5 years ago, I spent about 20+ years in Ventura, CA, a lovely little beach community north of Los Angeles. A place where no one even knows what A.C. stands for, and you either wear, carry, or wrap a sweater around your waist all during the summer months. Seldom does the mercury rise above 75 or drop below 55. Heaven!

Living in Ventura, I looked forward to summer. No need to plan all my activities around the danger of suffering heat stroke. I could take a walk, go for a run, dash goofily about and otherwise exert myself at anytime of the day. There’s a lot of freedom in that.

These days, summer is something to dread. While running simple errands, I’m sure I must resemble something right out of “Dawn of the Dead”, as I shuffle from my car to the grocery store, only coming alive again once I’m hit in the face with a blast of A.C. (I do know what that stands for).

Tonight, there is a hint of Autumn in the air, I can actually smell it. I can feel my will to live slowly return. So, I’ll pour myself an iced tea, more ice than tea, and pray for rain.

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another day in paradise

You know that store, the quirky store you go to when you are having a social gathering? The one where you can get all those fun cheesey, triple layered dippy, appetizer thingys, chocolate covered soy beans and meatless meatballs, for a fraction of the price you would pay anywhere else? The store that has all the micro-brewery beers with the adorable, edgy labels, and the wine, oh the wine…where else can you get such drinkable wine for 2 dollars? I ask you? Don’t you just love it? And don’t even get me started on