All That Heat

After weeks of temperatures in the 104-109 ° range, we had a shift in weather over the weekend — a fifteen-degree temperature drop and a soft breeze.

The heat is giving Angelenos a much-needed break from its tyranny.

Thank you!

Hot weather — sweltering to the point you can see it — makes it hard to think straight. I didn’t bother with decisions outside ‘need ice-cold water.’ At times, even that seemed too much for the cortex to handle.

After all, brains are organs. And like all other organs, the decision-making centers need energy to function. Energy in the form of glucose. And that energy was expended trying to keep cool … to breathe.

The air-conditioning universe seemed ready to explode into smithereens, and simply say: ‘We had enough.’

But this weekend we dipped into the upper 80s, and a beautiful breeze graced us with its presence.

Los Angeles missed you dear spectacular, godly wind.

Cognitive functions are returning to some sort of normal. I actually wrote a paragraph, edited a page. It’s not much, but hey … full recovery takes a while.

Now … I’m mindful of what’s happening not far from here, in Colorado — the flash flooding and displaced people. They had it so much worse.

Thinking of you, Coloradans.  

So, how are things where you are?

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Images: susanwhitcomb.com; clipsahoy.com

Run from It

Don’t take too long to run.

It took a moment before I knew I waited too long.

So what, I thought, I’ll get a little wet. It’s only water.

Two drops fell from the sky, stinging my arms. More followed … and more. It was a shock beyond plain wetness; brutally cold raindrops hitting like shells.

I should have hurried earlier. I should have run back home.

The wind ripped through, bending the top of the trees. How could a weather front bring such cold air in the middle of summer?

How could life go from bright and light to dark so fast?

But it did.

Now, the sun dipped below the horizon and the dark clouds rolled in quickly, casting strange shadows across the landscape. It was upon us, flinging itself at the world, moaning, as if trying to talk, to curse … or maybe cry.  A giant of a storm.

~~~ Visit Today’s Author and Write Now for prompts and more.

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Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons – public use

 

Like No Music You’d Heard Before

You enter the restaurant and are plunged into the ambiance, all senses stimulated at the same time.

The look of the place, the smell, the visual textures, the temperature … but the music — the melody heavy with mood — takes you somewhere, and a story plays in your head — one about lovers and secrets.

The music is designed to leave a mark, or at least a favorable first impression.

It’s trendy, it’s new, and it makes you wonder if the designers spent any time worrying about the cooks or the menu. The food probably tastes like cardboard. There is too much ambiance for the food to matter.

It takes you a moment to realize you are surrounded by a marketing concept — design with a selling purpose in mind.

You’re torn between walking away and staying, when the young maitre d’, wearing a silky brown dress, struts her way past a row of tables and toward you.

The combination of stylish art and neon lights pull you in. But more so the tune — they call it music, but it’s like no music you’d ever heard before.

There is still time — not much — and you must decide. Should you stay or should you go?

~~~   Visit Today’s Author if you’d like to participate or see more.

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Image Credit: music art on tumblr

Poll: Majority Of Americans Approve Of Sending Congress To Syria

Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine.  

With all that’s going on in Washington these days, I turned to The Onion’s satirical wisdom for the latest view on things. And as usual, America’s finest news source came through with this article.   

Here are a couple of excerpts:   

The New York Times/CBS News poll showed that though just 1 in 4 Americans believe that the United States has a responsibility to intervene in the Syrian conflict, more than 90 percent of the public is convinced that putting all 535 representatives of the United States Congress on the ground in Syria—including Senate pro tempore Patrick Leahy, House Speaker John Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and, in fact, all current members of the House and Senate—is the best course of action at this time.

And:

When asked if they believe that Sen. Rand Paul should be deployed to Syria, 100 percent of respondents said yes.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that sending Congress to Syria—or, at the very least, sending the major congressional leaders in both parties—is the correct course of action,” survey respondent and Iraq war veteran Maj. Gen. John Mill said, noting that his opinion was informed by four tours of duty in which he saw dozens of close friends sustain physical as well as emotional injury and post-traumatic stress. “There is a clear solution to our problems staring us right in the face here, and we need to take action.”

“Sooner rather than later, too,” Mill added. “This war isn’t going to last forever.”

So …. I think the people have spoken. And there is a sense of urgency here — a sense of justice — because as the members often say: we have to do what’s right for the country.