This time of year

It's become something of a back-to-school tradition: the children return from summer break, and a week or so later I get sick. 

The kids came back two weeks ago, and seven days later I started to feel poorly. Sneezing, itchy throat, a burning in my chest. By that night I was coughing and aching all over, and my asthma began to flare. I ended up missing two and a half days of work last week and having to see the doctor. I'm still not 100% but definitely on the mend.

Yesterday a more recent back-to-school tradition took place: I had to go for jury selection. This has happened for the last three Augusts since I transferred to my current school. After missing half of last week, I hated to miss yet another day of work, but jury duty isn't negotiable. I'm just grateful that I didn't get selected, because they pulled jurors for cases for four hours. Almost everyone in the room got chosen for a case or two, so I guess I lucked out. 

This morning I'm finally back to work. Hopefully there won't be any further interruptions for awhile, because I have a lot of catching up to do.

Spoonerisms

 Just for fun. 

Good weather, lucky find

The weather this weekend has been wonderful. Friday saw the arrival of a cold front that blew away the "heat dome" that made July so miserable, and the air has been delightfully cool and dry since. The highs are only around 80F (26C) and the lows are in the mid-60s (18C) at night. According to all the forecasts, we're due for a full week of this reprieve. I sure hope they're right! It's actually been nice to go outside, and a few rain showers have made everything seem green and fresh again. 

Yesterday I went to Tractor Supply to buy dog food, and I noticed a shipment of trees off to one side of the parking lot. On closer inspection, I saw that they were young Crepe Myrtles, and wouldn't you know it, they had the "Muskogee" variety that we've been talking about planting beside the driveway. We already have five of them down the property line on the other side of the house, and we've been saying for months now that three more would be perfect. Not only did Tractor Supply have the variety we wanted, but they had exactly three! They were all sizeable, healthy, and an absolute bargain at $19.99.

Of course, they came home with me. How could I resist?

Since today was cool and overcast and that's supposed to continue for the next week, we went ahead and planted them this afternoon. Finding the trees was a lucky break, but so is the perfect weather for transplanting them--in August, no less! 

Today

There's a large spiderweb outside our bathroom window. It stretches from the edge of the roof over to one of the Crepe Myrtle trees beside the house. The trees are currently in bloom, so when the wind blows the lavender-pink flowers fly around and get stuck in the web. It's truly a work of art. I tried to take a picture, but my phone camera just wouldn't do it any justice.

Here's a close up of one of the blossoms. The flowers are so pretty, suspended in the intricate web. You'll just have to imagine.

I woke up this morning to an eerie looking sunrise. It cast a pinkish-orange glow in rooms with windows facing east, and when I stepped outside everything was awash in color and strange shadows. Once again, my camera doesn't do it justice.

Today would have been my dad's birthday. He would have been 72.

I don't remember this date bothering me too much last year (the first one after he died) but today was different. I'm okay, just kind of sad. No matter how busy I kept myself at work (and there was plenty to keep me busy) I just couldn't shake it. There was just this...heaviness. 

Delayed grief, maybe?

I'm beginning to realize I didn't get a chance to really mourn my dad when he first died. Things quickly got so bad with my mom and me that it kind of took over  And now that my mom and I have severed ties, it's like she's died. Recently I started to realize that all of a sudden (it feels all of a sudden) I went from having two parents to none. 

At first when my mom and I agreed we were "done" with each other, all I felt was relief. Things had gotten that bad. Now that I've had some time and some room to breathe, to process...some of the delayed/buried emotions are coming up. At least, I think that's what's happening. 

It's okay. I'm okay.

It's just been one of those tough days, you know? 

Heat Dome (or, some random circle of Hell)

This summer has been the worst I can ever remember for terrible heat. It's been truly awful, and there's no end in sight.

Okay, I know I complain about the heat every summer. It's just part of living in the Deep South this time of year. But. This is ridiculous, even for us. They say we're under a "Heat Dome".

From The Weather Channel's website:

What Is A Heat Dome? Explaining The Deadly Weather Pattern Behind America's Most Dangerous Summer Days

These expansive areas of sinking air can push temperatures up to 30 degrees above average during the summer while increasing the threat of heat illnesses.

They're known by many names: Heat dome. Ridge of high pressure. Death ridge. Blocking high.

But do you really know what these are and why they can produce deadly weather?

These expansive bulges of warm air can stretch for 1,000 miles during the spring and summer months and provide sinking air over much of the country.

It's that sinking air that is often problematic.

Descending air compresses and warms as it drops closer to the surface. Temperatures can often reach the century mark in the eastern two-thirds of the United States. In the West, these death ridges can push temperatures into the 110s and 120s in the desert.

Days-long heat waves are often the result.

This sinking, warm air also dries out the ground and the air above it. Thunderstorms have a tough time sprouting due to the suppressive motion of the air. Drought can begin or worsen under ridges of high pressure that last for longer than a week. The air directly under such a system can become still with little to no wind.

During the middle of the summer, this can become a vicious cycle of warming and drying.

These domes can strengthen and expand during this cycle until something comes along to push the high-pressure system elsewhere.

Heat is the No. 1 weather killer in the U.S., with hundreds of fatalities each year. Many of these fatalities occur under heat domes.

We've had weeks on end of daily temperatures reaching up to around 100 degrees (37C) with the heat index "real feel" of up to 112 (44C). With the humidity factored in, it's hellish. There's just no other word for it. And there's been little to no rain. Even the nights are unbearably hot. We've been under extreme heat warnings every day since the beginning of the month, and we have a least another full week to go. 

I can't tell you how much I've grown to despise summer!

Now I understand

Just a minute ago I clicked on a headline: US Supreme Court lets Trump Remove Consumer Product Safety for Now. Before I knew what I was doing, I yelled "WHAT THE FUCK?!" at the computer screen. 

I realized as soon as it flew out of my mouth that I do that on a regular basis these days when I read upsetting news stories. It's my go-to expression of outrage. Marco, of course, was right there beside me, listening. 

You know what this means, right? 

It's Donald J. Trump's fault that Marco has learned to drop that particular F-bomb! lol

Neighborhood Watch

 

Yesterday afternoon Poppy caught a glimpse of our neighbor dog, Alvin, getting a walk past our house. She went nuts, leaping around and barking and racing from window to window to try to get another glimpse of him.

George woke up from a nap and joined in the hubbub even though I don't think he even knew what he was barking at. It was chaos for a minute! 

And in the midst of all this noise, Marco watched calmly from the top of his perch, and then finally said:

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

!!

Never a dull moment.

Summer visitor

Taken in the zinnia bed early this morning.