Friday, August 15, 2008

Welcome to Death Valley

Did I go to sleep at 1:30 am this morning and wake up in Death Valley? Yes, I do believe I did. This is wrong, wrong, wrong. Gimme a breeze. Please. And just imagine the homeless, and elderly, and fixed-income people who do not have air-conditioning. I expect to hear news of people dying from heat stroke any time now. This is NOT the California I was promised when I lived in the humid South. Nor the one I visited for (TH's) family reunions for a decade before we hauled ourselves out here with two unsuspecting children. I want a thunderstorm to go with this heat. I don't care about the humidity. Really, I don't. Plants and skin don't sunburn and wither in humidity. Where is Carmel when I need her? Anyone want to go in on a weekend cottage to rotate among owners? Given the prices we'll only need about 10 couples to pull it off. But seriously, this is sickening weather (in which our normally wonderful climate just completely and utterly slips my pathetic memory).

7 comments:

one art said...

Yeah, whenever the weather is particularly nasty-hot or nasty-cold-wet, I think of the homeless and the elderly...

It was temperate and sunny here - a bit humid towards the afternoon, but fine at night...should we stay here? Uh oh.

one art said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
auto ethnographer said...

it is just icky. and yes, you might want to stay.

one art said...

RE: iPhones

The following dialogue occurred quite recently:

CP (reading blog): So Auto E. got her iPhone.

The B (beside her on his own laptop): Errrm. How's she liking it?

CP: Loves it. Of course, TH has one already, and so does MP1.

(Mutual thoughtful pause.)

CP: I bet the prices are gonna come down soon.

(Another thoughtful pause.)

TB: There's always Christmas.

CP (brightens): That's true. I wonder if Auto E got the older model or the newer one. And does she have to pay more on her cellphone plan? I better ask her.

TB (nods): Mmmmm.

Exeunt omnes.

auto ethnographer said...

Newer model, cost was $199 (since we already were on AT&T's plan and had a couple iPhones in the family.) It's $20.00 more p/mo. for the service. Cut out one latte every 3 days each month and you're there. Plus--you know it becomes an everything--travel alarm clock, phone, notepad, iPod, GPS (no more getting lost/turned around in central park--just pull up a trail map)--oh, and it actually DOES work as a phone as well. Plus, you can google silly facts when necessary.

one art said...

New iPhone: What about bugs? Notice any bugs yet?

Has either you or TH tried to use it in an extended coverage zone? I mean, for instance, when we come here to Canadia, we have a plan that covers us here, with a completely different provider. Same for Europe. Does the iPhone do that? I read some small print that suggested it might not.

And how's it better than the old one?

Too many questions?

MP1 said...

I have an old iphone and I didn't have it when I went to Europe last semester so I don't know about extended coverage...I can still download all of the updates for the iphone even though mine is older...The newer phone is much faster and thinner and the cases are better. Its really useful and definitely worth it!