Our air conditioner motor did not show up yesterday because apparently it wasn’t actually in Austin but may have been in Bryan or perhaps the repairman is just taking a hiatus and doesn’t want to work this week. All I know is that I am sick and tired of our living room and kitchen feeling like the equivalent of living on the sun. It’s making me very irritable. So I spent most of yesterday in a bad mood that I’m going to blame on a dangerous cocktail of no air-conditioning and hormones. Ladies, your late thirties do not play around. Honestly, after I snapped at no less than three people by 9:30 a.m., I felt like I should quarantine myself. Preferably at a day spa where they serve wine all day.
Instead, I dropped Caroline off at soccer camp by 9:00 a.m. and then headed back home to spend a little bit of time catching up on my correspondence. In other words, I read blogs and Twitter and Facebook updates. In that time I discovered that Jake and Vienna have broken up which makes me so sad because what is the world coming to when fake publicity stunt relationships don’t last forever? It’s like all those helicopter rides and bungee-jumping dates don’t prepare people for the daily struggles involved when two people try to share their lives.
After I felt like I’d gotten a good grasp of current events, I drove over to Everything But Water to look at swimsuits. And there really isn’t anything else to say about that but BLARGH. The salesgirl sweetly asked me if I’d found anything as I walked toward the door empty handed and I explained they really didn’t have anything that would work for me. She insisted, “But we have so much cute stuff!” Yes, if I were seventeen years old and a size 00, they had some darling things. As soon as I step into some alternate universe that turns back the hands of time, I’ll go back and try again.
Sufficiently deflated and foul from the swimsuit experience, I journeyed to Target to pick up a few things. I bought a ten pack of paper towels, some Triscuits, dental floss, self-tanner, and five cans of antiperspirant for P because I know his love language is bulk purchases.
(I don’t know why I just shared what I bought at Target. It’s a new low.)
I picked up Caroline from soccer camp and we came home to eat lunch and huddle in the bedroom in search of cold air. Finally, around two o’ clock it was time for us to head to the theater to see Toy Story 3.
Yes, I cried. I’m not made of stone.
(Also, see mention of hormonal issues in the first paragraph.)
After the movie was over, Caroline tried to convince me that we should go to the pool and eat dinner. I said no because I still haven’t recovered from the mediocre nachos I ate there the day before and also because I just wanted to get home and get us settled in for the evening. This decision did not help me win friends and influence people, especially my daughter who declared, “BUT MAMA, IT’S TEN TIMES WORSER AT HOME WITHOUT ANY AIR-CONDITIONER”.
Which actually isn’t correct because it’s at least SEVENTY TIMES WORSER.
Last night I made chalupas in honor of the new kitchen color and also because the only thing I happened to have on hand were some corn tortillas, beans and cheese. For dessert I made homemade vanilla ice cream using the vanilla extract I bought in the Dominican Republic two and a half years ago, which makes everything extra delicious. I’m sad to report that I have approximately one teaspoon left in the bottle and then I’ll have to say goodbye to extra tasty baked goods until the next time I can visit the Dominican or bribe someone to bring me back a bottle.
The bottom line is we sat in the un-airconditioned living room last night and ate chalupas with a side of guacamole. Between the heat and the food and the bright turquoise kitchen it was just like being in Mexico. All we were missing was someone trying to sell us Chiclets while a mariachi band played and a burro walked through the kitchen for no apparent reason other than lax health code standards.