I'm Hot, Sticky Sweet...

It's freaking hot. And there is no way I can make that less of an understatement.

Thursday night the AC was acting funny - it wouldn't turn on, no matter what temperature we set it at or switch we flicked. It would come on, eventually, if it felt like it, and then turn off again after about five minutes, for another hour or so. Still, with all the cold air pent up in the apartment, it was ok.

Yesterday morning it was still acting strangely, so we went to the front management office. However, since it was Friday, it was too late to get a maintenance guy, and the earliest we will get one is *sigh* Monday. And meanwhile, the cold air has run out, and as of 10:41 pm, it's somewhere between 80 and 85 degrees in here. And neither of the bedrooms have overhead fans.

We went to Target and bought a stand-up, swivel fan, as well as a little portable one. The boyfriend has fashioned a strange air conditioner out of the little fan and a box and some ice, which helps a bit, and the windows are open, which helps a bit more, but still, 80 degrees at night, man. I've been sticking my head in the freezer.

Sadness

I found out today that Katie's mother, Linda, has passed away, with a service this weekend. This isn't entirely unexpected, as she's been ill for some time, but it's a sad day nonetheless. Katie and her family are simply wonderful people - they even let me live with them for a few weeks - and I know there are so many of us who fiercely wish they could be spared this.

Buggin' Out

Well, Morm is lucky enough to get bats flying around inside her house; we get a flying cockroach.

I think my first encounter with a palmetto bug was the day I moved to Florida. Sure, I was only five years old, but I remember my sisters, parents and I walking into our new house - and Doug having to immediately kill what looked like, well, a huge flying roach.

And that's what they are, basically. They like living in mulch. And they can grow to be HUGE. So you can imagine our delight when one started flying around the apartment a half hour ago.

The boyfriend and I tried to move away from it, to get a good vantage point, but it kept, you know, flying. And it would fly into the overhead fan, and get batted, and soar in our direction, so we'd scramble away. Finally, he told me to go into the office/bathroom wing of the place, which we had sealed off by closing all the doors. I hid. I heard some cursing, and some thumps. And finally, it was over, and the day was saved.

Afterward, the boyfriend and I immediately started talking about mkaing sure we don't leave food out, etc. But while I did tonight's dinner dishes, I started thinking. Unlike cockroaches, palmetto bugs aren't as associated with filth. If you ever see them in a house, they've usually come from outdoors, flown in through a sliding door or something. We have only the front door, and it's sealed pretty tightly.

And then it hit me. Usually, if they're in a house they might have gotten in somehow from the garage. We don't have a garage - but the boyfriend's parents do. And they were cleaning out their garage this weekend, and we were helping. And his mom came across a box of mics and stuff from the garage band days. She asked him to go through the stuff, but he said it was all his (he was busy helping his father) - so she put the box directly into the back of his car. Didn't sort through it or anything. And it wasn't even a closed box - it was an open-top crate full of wires and electronics. And he picked up the box, and brought it into our apartment, and put it on the dining room table - the very place we first spotted the bug coming from like a bat out of hell.

I've just informed him of my suspicions. He is less than pleased. Understandably, cause there's no way I am going near that box.

I'm gonna have a good time tonight, rock n' roll music gonna play all night

Actually, now that I think of it, I guess there is a gig tonight for John's band. Don't know if I'm going to go, though it would probably be fun.

Animal Kingdom was much more fun than I actually expected. I didn't really think it could compare to Busch Gardens, but it's actually better in many respects, namely the way they integrated the animals with the environment (ie, you're not gazing at a giraffe way in the distance; there's one not eight feet away). We definitely need to bring Marie there - she'd probably get a kick out of it, as well as the Dinosaur and Bug's Life rides, which are NOT designed for children. With the tall trees, though, the park has a very closed-in feeling, and it's about ten degrees hotter inside Animal Kingdom than any of the other parks. I was dripping all day, constantly refilling my water bottle. I hope Michelle does alright working in the new climate! Definitely a switch from The Great Movie Ride.

With all my CDs mostly still packed away, I realized I haven't been listening to my collection nearly enough. Last night I rediscovered Air - Moon Safari (now that brings back memories of sophomore year in the Cove) and today I'm listening to my Lost Boys soundtrack (a very good, used buy at Park Ave CDs from about a year ago). Wix was kind enough to give me a Mew track, Snow Brigade, and I'm addicted. However, he's in France, so I won't be getting any more for awhile.

AH! I had no idea that the cover of "People Are Strange" on the Lost Boys is done by Echo and the Bunnymen. Now THAT is strange.

I'm just babbling at this point, really.

Morning Report

Aghhhhh, so early....my stomach is protesting wildly at eating breakfast before 8 am. I do want to go to Animal Kingdom, I do...but it's...so...early.