Temperature-wise, it’s been a strange week along the coast in San Diego. Usually the breeze and the marine layer keep things cool, even in the summer, but today it’s
eighty-five degrees in the house. That
may not sound like much (many people regularly endure far worse), but with the
humidity, it all adds up. I’m
not a fan of air conditioning, as I’ve lost much of the fat that most have come
to accept as normal. But this week, I’ve
been going into restaurants and businesses, and while at first it feels too
cold, I then grow used to it, and it doesn’t give me goosebumps or make me
shiver.
One of the book’s I’m enjoying right now is Between Planets
by Robert Heinlein. I read a chapter or
so to my wife at bedtime, and it’s an enjoyable way to end the day. In the story, Don Harvey, who is studying in
a boarding school on Earth, receives a message from his parents on Mars. They warn him that interplanetary war is
imminent, and he must take the next transport home. Unfortunately, not only do the Earth police create difficulties for him, but once he manages to take a shuttle up to
the space station, he learns that all flights to Mars have been canceled. He talks the authorities into letting him
take the next flight to Venus (instead of returning to Earth), and leaves
shortly before the space station is destroyed.
Once he’s on Venus though, he finds himself penniless, as the local currency has been changed. But even if he could afford passage, no ships will be traveling to Mars until the war is over. Heinlein’s Venus seems
an interesting place, as humans share the planet with the large Venerians, and
a species of semi-intelligent animals called move-overs, which resemble the
fauns of folklore. We’re following Don’s
adventures with interest, and I recommend the novel to you, if you’ve never
read it (or even if you have).
Have you ever had one of those low-carb hamburgers, you
know, where they wrap everything in lettuce instead of bread? I had a bacon-chicken sandwich like that
once, and even though I got it without sauce, it was the messiest thing I’ve
ever eaten. We were at Subway the other
day (where it was cold, but comfortable), and somehow the man behind the
counter misunderstood my wife’s instructions to him concerning the bread. Suddenly, he was digging into the bread, using
his forefinger and thumb to pluck out the interior fibers until all that was
left was a hard shell. Finally, we got
the situation sorted out with another worker, and he made my wife’s sandwich with
another (unplucked) piece of bread. I
had no idea that a lot of people, who are following low-carb diets, actually
order their sandwiches that way. I
suppose it does save a few calories.
While it’s not something I’ll ever order, it seems a less-messy
alternative to eating a sandwich wrapped solely in lettuce.
Finally, I’m making a movie!
It won’t be long, and won’t actually involve a lot of video, but it’s
proving a fun and enjoyable learning experience. I’m creating titles and end credits, arranging and manipulating photos, editing video, and even adding music and sound. As it’s a time-intensive process, I don’t
know when it will be finished, but hopefully it’s something I’ll be able to
share with you soon.
Well, that’s all for now, as even with the fan blowing
straight at me, the computer is getting too warm on my lap. It feels strange to be sitting here, with all
the windows open in the house, and not hear the usual background noises of dogs
barking, people talking, children shouting, crying or screaming (which seems a
natural part of play), or power tools droning, chugging, or whining. Instead, all I hear is the occasional growl
from a passing car, the sporadic roar of an airplane in flight, and the low
backbeat of birds chirping. I guess I’m
not the only one who feels that eighty-five (here) is too warm.
Sidelined by the heat,
Dragon Dave
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