Horrible Humidity

It's been dreadfully hot during the last week; and we all thought that after the cyclone up north, it would settle down and cool off, but we were wrong.  The heat has been just as bad and it's been horrible trying to get to sleep at night.

I've been taking showers where the hot water doesn't get used, eating salad wraps for dinner and turning the fan on at around 7:30am and turning it off just before I go to bed at 10:30pm... just to keep the place nice and cool enough for Little Miss Stevie.  And if that's not enough, I'll give her a spray from the water bottle to keep her feathers nice and cool before we go to bed; just a little so she gets to sleep without having to flap her wings to cool off.  I'm trying not to use the stove at around dinner time because the heat just seems to stick around afterwards and not go anywhere; even if I leave the kitchen window open.

Yep, this heat is dreadful.  I've slept with my hair in plaits and the bed wet down every night this week just so I could drop off to sleep.  And once I do, I kick off the sheets as it's too hot to curl up under it; and I've often woken up on top of it anyway to the cicadas singing away to the sunrise the birds outside screeching to the coming hot day... another one to carry on the Summer and sweat.

I've been escaping into the spare room with my computer and air-conditioner - which struggles to keep this room cool - and just fluffing around on here all day.  The fan is on pushing the air through the house as the radio plays all day with all the windows open; and Little Miss Stevie is by the front window catching any slight breeze she can to keep herself cool.  It's a bonus if a little bit of rain wets her; but she doesn't seem to realise it until I close the window how hot it really is.

I'd love to talk about how good it's been this week.  But really, I didn't get any mail until yesterday; an invite to a 30th birthday party.  I'll be going and taking a cool gift for the birthday girl; she'll love it!  And today, I received a very retro postcard from California; from a Bookcrosser who thought of me straight away when she saw it.   Otherwise, I've been trying to keep cool during the day and night; as has everyone else here in Australia.  People in Far North Queensland are trying to clean up after Cyclone Yasi, people in Victoria are preparing for floods and rain.  And people in Northern regions of America from Chicago to New York are suffering the worst snowstorms they've seen in 20 years (I think; don't quote me on it).  So, really, it's not just us suffering through something bad... I'm thinking about all of those right now who are either trying to keep water out of their homes, their homes together or trying to keep warm.  I hope you are too.  Until my next post, keep warm, dry and positive.  I'll still be here.