Dog Days of Summer

Where oh where should I begin? Perhaps with Vacation Bible School and annoying snot-nosed, devil-kids who KILLED Charlie, the church lizard? Or maybe my sister's softball game or her fish tank and its colorous new additions? Perhaps my LACK OF A JOB is a suitable opener? Or maybe, dare I start here, my recent LACK OF AC!!??!!?!?!?!?! Oh yes, let us start with that...

So I went home the Saturday after July 4th to help my mother with Bible school. Me being the crafty individual I am and my mother being short of help, I was soon enlisted as the craft teacher. The Friday before I went home, my AC was on the fritz yet again. I called and politely informed them that it wasn't working AGAIN!! And then muttered horrible things under my breath in my usual passive way. Some young guy came, checked it out, told me I had a leak but that he would charge it up and it'd be good until Monday when a real AC guy would come fix it. Fine with me. When they charge it, it lasts a few days so I had no real worries. On Saturday, I called my mother and found out she needed me so I packed somethings (ie. two suitcases full of dirty clothes) and headed to the lovely county of Gates. I rested easy during my wee little "vacation" because I was assured my AC would be in tip top shape when I returned. I got back to the apartment around 3:30 yesterday, in blistering mid-90ish weather. I stood for a moment at my door, Scout anxious at my side, before slipping the key in the lock and turning. It was like opening the door to a furnace. Hot air billowed out and covered me. Livid, I turned the fans on, gave Scout a bowl of ice, and marched myself over to the main office.

"Yeah, I just got back to my apartment after being gone for over a week and my AC is STILL broken" (emphasis on still, emphasis which included a raised eyebrow and the crossing of arms) I asked if the AC man had intend come the Monday after the holiday but they had no idea. They told me the head huncho maintenance guy would be at the apartment shortly. Shortly translated into a hot, but mere 30 minutes. "It's not the same problem" he assured me. "We fixed the leak last Monday. This is something new." He shook his head and smiled like I was about kick him in the stones. The rest of the conversation involved a lot of me nodding, him apologizing and mumbo jumbo about what was actually wrong with my AC. Whatever it was, they had to let something "cool" so that they could fix it. I waited in my blistering hot apartment until 6 and it was apparently still "cooling" as they had yet to return to it. I began to wonder if they even would return so I called the office and talked to the manager, so much a Major Major character that I almost pissed my pants when she answered. She talked of the "cooling" and told me it'd be about another hour before they could start working on it but they might need a part to fix it, in which case, it'd be the next day.

"You do realize my apartment is oh... about 95 degrees, right? Are you telling me that I might not have AC tonight? Is that what you're saying?" I ended up getting a hotel room and found one just down the street that would let Scout come for an additional $25. Made a deal with the manager that I could deduct the price of the hotel from August's rent. So I went to Day's Inn and cooled off, in more ways than one. This morning, I get here around 10:30 and still, no AC. No sweat, I think. I put Scout in her crate, give her another bowl of ice and turn the fan on her before heading out with my list of errands. On that list, at the very bottom, in very small handwriting read "punch someone in the ovaries if my AC isn't working." Luckily for the manager's future children, my AC was working when I returned around 12:30. They had replaced the whole shebang so now I have a pretty AC unit amidst a bunch of not so pretty units. *sigh* Tommi is happy.

Let's see... VBS... So I did VBS this year and the theme was the Artic Edge or something like that. All about the artic so I was able to *help my mother* (ie. do it myself) create a log cabin like space at the front of the church. It was fun. My sister's DU woodburning stove, sleeping bags, Caribou antlers from my father's stint in Alaska, my tinsel tree and other such items actually worked well together. I was rather pleased. The kids, however, are satan spawn. Not all of them--just about 2-3. But that small handful is more than enough. One of these wee demons decided that Charlie would look better squashed. He stomped the lizard. Stomped. the. lizard. He's quite lucky that I did not witness said event. I have no qualms stomping on small children.

GOOD NEWS. GREAT NEWS. KARA IS COMING HOME FOR A WEEK!! I GET TO SEE MY KARA-LICIOUS and possibly go to the LONGBRANCH with my girls!! YAY. YAY. YAY.

My sister rocks at softball. She rules and makes me miss playing. That team would be nothing without her. Can't wait till she has kids that play, they'll be hella good. Her tank is expanding. She recently added two starfish (one looks like a snake... yucky and the other is red and spikey), some mushroom coral (which is doing phenomenal) and something that starts with a Z (She has two, a blue and a green one.. they're polypy things... Zoos... something or other) and something that starts with a R (it's green and pretty) overall the tank is gorgeous. The colors are simply stunning.

In other news, my mother has decided to keep Gus. I feel need to mention this for several reasons. Let me first make it very clear that she is in no way keeping him at my request. In fact, I had all intentions of bringing the sweet little guy back with me. But she's been hinting for weeks that she wants to keep him. He reminds her of our golden retriever that died a few years ago. Which makes sense because an aussie is supposed to just like a golden minus the friendliness to strangers trait. It was quite hard for me to agree to leave him with her but I know she's lonely in that house and with Gus and Maggie she has company and two different personalities. They're like two little kids and she needs that. So the sweet little Gus, all grown up at a whopping 36 pounds, is staying in Eure.