I know it’s been awhile. Work has been all-consuming; I get home, take a shower, La and I eat dinner, we watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, take the dog for a walk, and by then I’m sleep walking to bed. My first week on call was 80 hours plus, which was insane, but worth the paycheck. In terms of time commitment, this summer of air con is like that first year of teaching all over again, but with a shorter, merciful “high work load” period.

HVAC is slammed during the summer, when teachers are off, but come autumn things slow down, while teachers are up to their eyeballs in work. Then things get slower still in the dead of winter, and ramp up slowly in the spring until the summer. This will hopefully lead to more writing and reading during those slow times.

Did I mention we got a dog two weeks ago? She’s a two year old black toy poodle named Sophie. AKA Sonic. AKA Struddle.

Sophie in brief: Craigslist special. Recycled from a failed marriage, mom took the kids and the dog, moved to an apartment, can’t have pets. Or maybe she just had a lot going on and needed minimize stresses. Either way, we got Sophie for a song, though she came to us with fleas, worms, mites in her ears, and dreads. Hadn’t been to the groomer in quite some time. Neglected. We got her bathed, shaved, and medicated, so now she’s cool and shadows Laura wherever she goes.

So that’s why I haven’t been so present. Add to that moving into a new home previously occupied by four undergraduate D&Ders, and all the crap you have to do to make a well-priced rental habitable. Free time has been short. But we are on our way now, gardening, composting, re-invigorating the lawn, collecting firewood kindling for winter, and trimming. And inside, the walls are painted, the floors are scrubbed, the bedroom doesn’t smell like cat litter anymore, and the guest room is ready for YOU, dear reader. You’ll have your own bathroom, TV, and access to WiFi. Come visit us when things cool down and the foliage starts to turn. We’ll take you to our “club” on the lake, and go hiking in the woods. And soon our patio will be an outdoor oasis with strung lights and citronella plants all around, ready for garden party dinners. Though Ray will not be in attendance.