Heatwave Burning

Recently, we’ve had a summer heatwave in Southern California. This is par for the course at this time, and I’m grateful the temperatures have been comfortable up to this point. I am longing for cooler weather as I fight my way through August with glistening skin. Glistening. Ha! Sweat is real. And then there’s the smoke factor.

The “Smoke” descriptor on my phone weather app was new to me.

Fires are burning in the greater Los Angeles area. That’s all part of the season. Thankfully, they are not too close to our home. None the less, they have resulted in two weather advisories. “Unhealthy Air Quality” followed by “Very Unhealthy Air Quality” warnings appeared on my phone weather app this week. You can see more of how to respond to that in a photo farther down in this post.

The smoke from the local fires carries dust-sized particles of burned matter for miles. That was a challenging day and added some additional layers of weariness to the pandemic limits, though we were grateful to be safe.

Notice how the day’s high was predicted to be 105 degrees and we busted right through that one. Overachievers.
We moved from “unhealthy” in the previous photo to “very unhealthy” later in the day. Masks actually served a dual purpose that day.
From my Internet search on “very unhealthy air quality,” here are the instructions.

If we closed all the windows and doors, we may suffocate from heat, but at least we’d have more breathable air. Some days you just have to take your chances. We closed up the house briefly and decided to take our chances with pollution and get some air circulating.

By the way, we do not have central air-conditioning. Our home is over 100 years old. With all its quaint and charming ways, it is a difficult (a.k.a. expensive) structure to air condition. We do not have central air. That’s a choice, not a complaint. We have had a strategy.

When the brutally hot days of summer hit, our strategy included working all day in air-conditioned offices, and then going out for dinner in air-conditioned restaurants after work. That might possibly cheaper than air conditioning and more fun. That also included no dishes to clean-up. We’d return home after dark when things were cooling down. We dodged the blistering heat. Not this year.

We both now work remotely, and restaurants do not have indoor dining yet. Thankfully, well-placed fans provide some relief. Our faithful kiddie pool is just enough to cool the feet and provide a break. The cooling power of evaporation has assisted me, too, with a mid-day shower or a damp bandana around my neck. And there’s always ice cream.

Heat and humidity often go hand in hand. As a child and young adult with midwest roots, I cannot complain. Here the humidity does not usually come with the heat. This week we did have some tropical levels of humidity, and I am well trained for that. I remember the days when drying off after a shower was a pointless activity. I am glad that is the exception not the rule in our climate region.

However, it did evaporate all ambition for the week right out of me. This post is late. All I wanted to do was sit still. Anything that required thought felt like a punishment. Today, I’m up on a Sunday morning in the cool of the day, currently 73 degrees, and sending you warm greetings with this quick post.

I hope you are managing the summer weather challenges well wherever you are. We all endure the heat and humidity. Some have more humidity than others. Some of you deal with the threat of storms, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Some of you have ideal temperatures day and night in the summer, and sit on your deck wondering why everyone doesn’t live where you live. Today, so do I.

And then there’s the fun kind of heatwave!

Stay cool, my friends.

Note: I want to recognize that there are those among us suffering from homelessness or other economic disparities that make these hot days even more crushing and difficult. In light of that, my issues are minimal. Let’s keep them in our prayers and stay open for compassionate ways to assist and also look for action to take to bring justice to community life.

A Sunday Sundae Fail

This past Sunday, I ordered a sundae. Maybe you are like me and limit your sweets for healthy reasons. I made an exception and decided to order a hot fudge sundae for a special occasion. That is one of my favorite desserts!

My expectations were high when it arrived. It’s a basic classic dessert, not tricky to make. The server set it on the table and that is when my troubles began. This did not go well.

First of all, it was set in the center of a large dinner plate. I would have been able to reach it, but getting the spoon of gooey, melty goodness back to my mouth without dripping or spilling would have me challenged. So I picked it up and moved it to a smaller plate, and set it closer to the end destination, my mouth.

Sundae Plate

Now my fingers were sticky. One of the many traits passed down from my father is that we cannot tolerate sticky hands. Simple to solve. I headed to the restroom to wash up, so that, upon my return, I could relax and truly enjoy my moment of indulgence.

I got back to my seat and reached for a spoon. The dessert was presented on that big dinner plate with four spoons, and there were only two of us at the table. And the Mr. had ordered his own slice of carrot cake. Needless to say, he was not interested in my sundae. Nor would it be likely for me to share. OK, I have learned to share, but back to today’s comedy of errors and the four spoons. Each of the spoons was resting in the goop on the plate. I just needed one clean spoon. That’s a simple expectation.

The plate was covered in caramel and chocolate sauce and four small piles of whip cream. Did I mention that whoever garnished the plate with the two sauces must have taken out some aggression or taken a dare to create a plate that looked like an explosion in a sundae factory. And the cherries, which I’d mentioned to the server to not waste on me. There were five cherries wasted on me. I could not use any of the spoons. Still the sundae sat waiting patiently for me to partake.

It was a very crowded day at the restaurant and service was so slow. We liked our server and figured everything was backed up, so we took the opportunity to enjoy a very slow meal together. However, I figured it would be some time before I’d see the server again, so I walked to the hostess stand and asked for an extra place setting. The place settings come wrapped in a napkin. I unfurled the napkin back in our booth and found a lovely fork and steak knife. No spoon. Duh. It’s kind of a burger and steak place. I should have known.

So I gave up and began to eat my sundae with my fork. The server came by and I asked for a spoon. She did return with it. By then my sundae was soupy, but I don’t object to soft ice cream. I then realized there was no caramel in the bowl of ice cream, though it had been promised in the description on the menu. There was no hot fudge near the ice cream, either.

Oddly, the goblet containing the ice cream had been dipped in hot fudge then rolled in nuts, so the chocolate and nuts were on the outside of the glass. So weird. I ended up scraping the sauce and peanuts off the outside and then taking a spoon of soupy ice cream. OK. That worked in an unsatisfactory way.

Sundae Dish

So I gave up and quit my sundae before it was finished. I don’t like wasting calories on something sweet I’m not enjoying. I pressed pause on that disaster, we’d paid the bill, and left. I didn’t even care enough to complain. I learned not to order a hot fudge sundae again there. Although the hot fudge was decent, the ice cream was average even for vanilla, and the whole construction of it was out of a joke book.

It was called a “Messy Sundae” on the menu, but I did not believe them. Now I do.

Stay charming, my friends, and definitely avoid sticky! Have a sweet week!