Under pressure

Yesterday's blog entry really felt kind of forced. I hadn't blogged in a little over a week, and I felt some pressure to do so. OK, it's not like I'm filled with witty observations about life, just the rambly day to day stuff that only those who know me might be interested in.

One thing I would like to clarify is how I really feel about the MS3 knitalong. I have found the whole thing quite amusing. I don't feel the same drive to be part of the Internet community, and I'm sure there are other knitters out there who just wanted to knit some lace. I have found it fascinating to see there are some people out there who must comment on every little item that gets posted to the list. In fact, I'm starting to see some of the same people on some of the other knitting lists I've joined. I'm amazed that with all the stuff that these people say they do (and there are so many more women out there homeschooling!) they have as much time as they do to read these endless, many times pointless messages and respond to them. I have the greatest admiration and sympathy for Melanie having to slog through all of them. She's a trooper. I scan the subject lines and hit delete quite a bit. See, not a bit of snarky commentary here.

It's a lovely day in Hotlanta today. The high is around 100 with an absolutely abysmal air quality. How I yearn for September. As we approach the autumnal equinox, at least the nights will begin to cool off slightly. The jet stream will shift, blowing out the humidity and bringing with it cooler air from the north, if the north pole hasn't melted by then. Even keeping our a/c at a not that comfortable 78 F, it runs constantly. I've found a volunteer oak tree that will shade our west facing house sometime in the next 10 years, but at only 4' tall it doesn't do much yet. It's been miserable ever since we had to take down the 2 sweet gum trees that were out front. They shaded the house and kept the temps somewhat lower. Unfortunately they had both been struck by lightning during their lifespans and were diseased and weakened from it. I miss them intensely right now.

This is Mr. Chubbikins, one of the few ferals I feed. He's been looking for a cool spot to hang out while waiting for breakfast. I'm not sure why he's decided this planter is that place, but he looks so cute. He still needs neutering, but since I've spayed all the available females, I think he can wait a few more weeks until the weather is a tiny bit cooler. Even the garage is toasty, and I don't want him to be horribly uncomfortable post-op. Behind him you can see the yarrow and mint are not enjoying the heat.

Here's Monster, freshly shaved last week, lurking in the cool wild violets. The cats won't stay out for very long with this heat. They rush out to potty in the garden, then melt on the pavement.

As usual, I am avoiding housework. I should be mopping, but I just finished some food prep. I went for the annual poke and prod today, where I get the fun of discussing my weight with the doctor. It turns out my doctor, a very petite woman, does 1 hour of aerobic exercise every day, 7 days a week. Obesity runs in her family, and she works like mad to stay healthy. I had planned to go grocery shopping at the farmer's market afterwards anyway since I skipped it yesterday. I was inspired to leave those delectable carbs off the list except for some whole grain organic cereals. The problem with eating fresh stuff is that you have to fix it, and each week I spend some time doing food prep. I have cleaned celery, baby carrots and cucumber. I have steamed broccoli and chopped/deseeded watermelon. I did skip the gym today, and I told myself that I would pack up tonight so I would have no excuse not to go tomorrow. The most recent case of poison ivy is almost all gone, so I won't gross out anyone using the weight machines after me. (Very mild case this time, only 2 small blister areas.) I think next time I pull weeds I'll have to find something disposable to cover my arms. Poison ivy is an irritant that has a cumulative effect. You can be exposed to it and not have reactions for years, then all of a sudden you will start reacting. Lucky me. I hit critical toxin mass earlier this year which has been a real inconvenience since it grows all over the place. I have to wear a hazmat suit to pull it up.

I've goofed off enough now. Time to tackle the futility of mopping a white kitchen floor. Next time I'm going for Georgia clay red.