I have a sunburn that would make lard on a southern griddle hold out for just one moment longer out of a sense of camaraderie. It’s one of the more bizarre physiological sensations to experience heat emanating from your skin in waves, but when I looked at my shoulder in the mirror I had to rub my eyes twice to make sure the heat distortion wasn’t a cataract.
It wasn’t a cataract.
The weekend was a solid one, more surprising and interesting and generally acceptable than I was expecting. Over the years I’ve gained a family cynicism that borders Ted Kaczynski-like mania, mostly due to the fact that my family is more volatile than a shot of bourbon in a housefire, and that goes for almost any arena you might think of. Politics, religion, musical tastes, relationships; all are deadly combat zones with about a 100% casualty rate and a take-no-prisoners policy on all sides that usually leads to some of the world’s finest fireworks not made in China. Einstein’s E=mc² describes the behaviour of light, but perhaps more appropriately describes the immense energy field surrounding any given Lewis family reunion.
So it was that I was expecting a weekend of fun family mayhem. The attitude was misplaced, however. Maybe age has tempered everyone in the upper echelons (though I hardly believe that myself). Perhaps it was the indolent weather, the invitation of the pool or the shaded lounge patio; whatever it was, I don’t recall an incident or argument that wasn’t made in jest and play or that didn’t end as quickly as it had begun. In short, the usual science got turned on its head for a day. Blessings and wonders will never cease, it seems.
My car lost another portion of its anatomy on Sunday as I was driving home. The AC compressor unit decided to lose any semblance of operational bearing and began grinding, metal to metal, like some sort of horrible industrial mating ritual, screeching out a sound that can only be described as “deathlike”. I drove it the rest of the way home not knowing the problem (I got it diagnosed and…fixed…on Monday) and worrying that with every cycle the blue book value was dropping by two dollars. Needless to say, it’s not so good that my AC is gone, but to fix it means dropping more money on it than the car is legally worth. The funny thing is, since buying the car five years ago, I’ve only used the air conditioner a couple of times.
Mostly I prefer the open window. I think it’s my rebellion against a society inured to the idea of an outdoors. Climate control for our houses, our offices, restaurants, gymnasiums, theatres, indoor gardens, and rock climbing facilities has rendered us forgetful of what it’s like receiving hot blasts of humid air and wiping away the sweat as it pools into the small of your back and the underside of your legs.
So it goes…