May was nice. June too. But now it’s July and scenes like this are fading memories.
We’re in a prolonged heat wave. They say people in Phoenix are being hospitalized with second-degree burns (third-degree in some cases, per CNN) after collapsing on 180°F sidewalks. If it’s happening in Phoenix, it’s happening in Tucson. Walking the dogs? Pretty much not. Two nights ago I went out back at 7:30 and the patio bricks were still hot enough to make me hop from one bare foot to the other. An hour and a half later, same evening, the outdoor temperature display showed 102°F. When I got up at 4:30 the next morning to let the dogs out to pee it was 85. Hail Satan, am I right?
I saw a guy walking his dog on our street today at 8:00 A.M. It was already 80°F and I’m guessing the street surface was at least 10 degrees hotter. There was one day last week where, at 6:15 A.M., it was only in the 70s. We threw some clothes on and took the pups for a stroll. Once it hits 80, though, no way. And except for that one morning, all the days start in the 80s.
Note to self: run indoors before falling to the ground.
The southern Arizona monsoon, such as it is (and it’s never much) is finally producing some rain in and around Tucson. We got some last night and are supposed to get more today. We’re hitting the interstate to Flagstaff on Thursday, and with any luck we’ll get some cooler weather up there. Yes, we’re bringing the dogs!
I share book reviews and banned book news roundups on Daily Kos, along with air-minded aviation posts. I get more reader engagement there than here, but that’s because DKos has a huge following and this little blog doesn’t. But whatever I post, you get to read it here first, so there’s that!
When it comes to numbers and interaction, Facebook is where it’s at and I use it a lot. Reddit’s okay, but as with Instagram, my interactions there are mostly with strangers, who often misunderstand my sense of humor. Twitter’s toast now and I’m gone. Mastodon and Threads? I’m not getting any interaction to speak of on either site. Still waiting for Bluesky to let me in, rando loser that I apparently am, more inclined every day to say fuck it and pull back from every social media site but Facebook.
I read a shockingly assholish comment (not directed at me) on a Facebook wristwatch group and marveled at how hostile people can be toward others, and for no apparent reason. Another group member speculated that the toxic commenter was autistic, and that made some sense to me. Not that autistic people are assholes (autistic behavior varies widely and most autistic people know how to get along with others), but sometimes they can come across that way, responding without social filters.
Just gonna admit to it: I’m not good with abnormals — crazies, manic-depressives, the severely autistic (like the asshole on that Facebook group, if indeed that’s what he is), reality deniers, substance abusers. I don’t have the patience to deal with them, and while I might intellectually understand why some folks behave the way they do, I have no empathy for them. It’s a personal failing.
One of our children is bipolar (that may no longer be the approved label, but that’s what she is). It started in her teens, was very bad during her twenties and thirties, and though less debilitating now still affects her as she approaches her 50s. I’m horrible toward her during her manic/depressive peaks, more so when she’s depressed. I can’t relate to what she’s feeling and have zero patience with her behavior, but at least have learned to keep my distance lest I make things worse. Thank goodness Donna has the empathy and understanding I lack. I could never work in the mental health field. Which is why I suspect I may be a bit autistic myself.