Get Off the Stage!

Tea: Blood Orange

Music: The Alarm, "Rain in the Summertime"

Time: Evening.

Were it not for the humidity, I'd swear the calendar had skipped ahead to September. It's cloudy, with the occasional drop -- and mercury in the 80s. More of the same is in the forecast for tomorrow.

Don't get me wrong. Summer has its place. It's perfect for sitting outside and watching fireflies, for example, and there's no better season for ... um ... wait, it'll come to me.

Sorry, folks. I like fall, and I can't wait for it. As far as I'm concerned, summer is like a mediocre opening act that overstays its welcome on the stage, playing encore after encore.

The hardest part is, the heat's supposed to come back later in the week -- and after this break, it's going to feel even worse.

Ah, well ... fall is coming.

Just not soon enough.

Catching a Break

Tea: Blood Orange with honey

Music: Bob Walkenhorst, "Stolen the Moon"

Time: Night.

The heat finally broke today. You can tell it's been miserable when 88 degrees feels like a cold snap.

I shouldn't gripe, though. A lot of people are doing without air conditioning this summer.

We live in the most privileged country on earth, and it's easy to start thinking of privileges as rights. But people have lived a lot longer without conveniences than with them -- so, obviously, they're not essential to survival.

Gets me to thinking a bit ... what would happen if people gave up a few privileges and luxuries, now and again, so others could have the basic rights of food, water, shelter and purpose?

I'm not going to climb into the pulpit or anything ... but if anyone here catches your eye and your heart, isn't the chance to help worth a few lattes?