Nocturne, turn, turn

Today the thermometer hit the big 100, but thanks to a cool night last night the house didn't quite reach 80, so I didn't have to use the air conditioner. But tonight is going to be warmer, so even though tomorrow is supposed to be a couple of degrees cooler I'll probably have to turn the AC on by late afternoon. Nocturnal temperatures are creeping up, and the next ten days look pretty grim— highs in the nineties and lows in the mid-to-high sixties. Can't cool the house off sufficiently with those lows. But tomorrow we'll be halfway through July, and the end of July is almost halfway through summer, so the odds that I'll survive to see another fall might be improving.

Tonight there will be no moon. The crickets are chirping in the dark, and the sky is full of stars. The kids who were out playing somewhere nearby until an hour ago have gone in and are probably glued to their television sets or their computers or video game monitors, so the insects and the occasional passing car are about the only things enlivening the night. Oh, and other people's air conditioners. The fact that the only part of my HVAC that I have on is the fan makes me fell a little bit smug and self-satisfied every time I hear a neighbor's AC unit kick on. But then I think how much more comfortable they are indoors than I am, and the smug self-satisfaction is somewhat diminished. They aren't as smart as me, but they've obviously got more money. Weather is so unfair!