Welcome to Hell

(this was yesterday's post - until we lost internet...)

Imagine if you will a 35 degree C day (for you Farenheit folk - it's hot). Imagine a wind blowing that doesn't cool things down but only makes it worse - hot enough to evaporate half the sea I'm sure. Add to that a hall with an asbestos/tin type roof, no insulation and no aircon. Throw in mere smidgens of windows high up that are impossible to open.

Then imagine yourself placed in that building for an entire day, ordered to not go anywhere (other than lunch), but fortunately given an internet connection (eventually) to keep you amused.

Welcome to hell.

Yup, that's my day in a nutshell. We've had stifling heat the past few days, but I hear we're going to have to get used to it. Global Warming ain't that funny anymore (and we add to it by running the aircon full blast of course). Nights are an exercise in balance between staying covered up sufficiently to deter munching mozzies, and uncovering enough to evaporate any bedtime heat buildup (and not of the good variety either). Though I haven't yet resorted to dunking my curtains in water and re-hanging them (cooling by evaporation). Days are dragging-about energy-sapping shimmery hot. The poor kid trudges up a large hill with a very heavy backpack in awful temperatures at lunchtime every day - but aha! I have a plan. I greet him with a big glass of juice laced with half a tray of ice. Mealtimes are reduced to cool, light and whatever doesn't require cooking. And I'm sure I've had about 3 litres of water to drink already.

So tonight we go swimming. The kid's got no homework, and when that sun sinks we're going to hit the campus pool. Remember night swimming as a kid? Lying at the bottom of the pool, staring up through all that water at a milky-misty liquid moon?

For now though I'm joining the panting wandering dogs in seeking out the coolest corners of my house.
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And now today's post...

If yesterday was bad, today was worse. My brother reports 44 degrees in Cape Town! Fortunately I informed the boss I was moving back to my office (which was a necessity - I had too much to do to stick around the other building), and went back to where the aircon functioned.

Unfortunately the day culminated in a heated debate (literally and figuratively) in the boardroom, just under the eaves of the top floor. 2 hours of aircon hadn't even made a dent in the heat by the time we arrived!!! Now it's home to NO aircon, hardly a breath of wind, mid-30's heat still going strong and no urge to do anything about dishes or supper. I think I'll join the birds under the sprinkler instead.