Mmmm, cool

The air conditioning is fixed, and the house is cool.

Very cool, compared to yesterday's 109. The weather service said the high was 105, but I don't know where they were smoking crack. It was far hotter than that here.

Our air conditioning unit was repaired by a worthy person named Eddie Caballero, of Airdynamix. Anyone who lives in this local area, make use of this admirable young man! He's just starting his own company, he's efficient, polite, honest, and KNOWS HIS STUFF. We called him in desperation after the company called "Service Star" stiffed us on service twice, and then not only didn't call us back to say when they could be here, but also disconnected their answering machine and stopped taking calls. Mr. Eddie C., upon taking our call, apologized that he could not be here the same day, but would come by to help us out the next day. He fixed our air conditioning unit (a large black beetle had most unfortunately placed himself in the contact points of a switch and shorted everything out) by replacing the burnt out switches, and now we are in bliss. Mr. Eddie C. is henceforth a fixture and a hero in this family.

Oh, yes, I'm a weasel, a pig, a coward, a slacker, whatever -- but I love having air conditioning on such a hot day. I can only make up for my weakness by praying for all those people in the world who are suffering in the heat. May they find comfort in cooling breezes and shade, in sweet rivers and cloud cover.

Howie is well again. What a relief to see my dog leaping and playing, flinging himself about with abandon! When he hears me pick up his bottle of pills, he runs to me and sits, anticipating. His anticipation is not for the taste of the pills, or of me sticking my finger into his throat to push the pills in, but for the reward of having me press my face against his muzzle when the dosage is done.

What a humbling response! He's willing to endure discomfort for nothing more than a gesture of love.

More about that kind of response soon.

blue=coooooool