…to be a leeeetle more on the positive side.
I don’t even mind that this weekend is HOT. I really don’t! I’m in awe of how wonderful, amazing, stellar this summer has been — all of May, June, and July have been jaw-dropping. True, 90-deg. temperatures are a bit much to handle around these parts, where we’re just not accustomed to it! And we’re told that the upcoming days just MIGHT hit that 100-deg. mark. Geesh. And then there’s my friend in Maine who has had the wood stove going, has been wearing sweaters, and has described the oh-so-familiar POURING RAIN that has been occurring there on a constant basis. It’s like we’ve switched coasts! Like a polar flip, except latitudinal! WTF?
Here it is afternoon on Sunday, and in a couple of hours we’ll be off our butts packing up to head home. I’m so dreading tomorrow (work day) that I’ve spent far too much time of this gorgeous day in the bathroom. On a *positive note* at least it’s relatively cool in said bathroom, what with the A/C pumping in the trailer. But I've also spent as much time as possible this weekend out here on the deck (yes, in the heat, but in as much shade as possible, AND with a little fan blowing on me). The view is heavenly. It would totally be healing if it wasn’t for the fact that I’ve been stewing about the weekend ending all weekend long… and that end is now in sight. (CHANGE GEARS!)
I did say I’d TRY, right?
I’ve had my iPhone near my side all weekend, hoping for another call from Nate, but it hasn’t happened (yet). I’m hoping there will be a letter from him when we get home (forgot to check Friday night before we headed down here). We’re on the down-slide! He’s been at boot camp over half-way now, and I’m just counting the days until his PIR (Pass In Review…graduation). He still has a lot to go through between now and then, including firefighting training, which is very intense. And towards the very end, they have what is called “Battle Stations.” It’s the culmination of everything they have learned in boot camp. It isn’t until they have passed it — which is a 36-hour grueling ordeal — that they are officially sailors. Once they are told they have passed, they are allowed a 15-second phone call home to “state” that they are now a sailor, and we’ll then know for absolute certain that he’ll be graduating.
And with that, do you know that these recruits (who not only work their asses off but only gross about $1,200/month) are required to PAY for their uniforms? At a cost of $1,500! It’s taken out of their paychecks! I was just seething when I heard about this. Oh, yes, I can just hear the politicians bragging to the well-heeled republicans that “we will save taxpayers money,” on the backs of our young recruits who can’t EVEN make any kind of living…
Hmm. Still grumpy. Maybe the heat is getting to me after all.
