Sizzling Soderstroms

I decided to come home.

After a blissfully cool week in Mom’s air-conditioned house, I knew I had to at least make an appearance. So, on Saturday, I came home. I got caught up on laundry, dishes, and bunny chores in our little hothouse.

Brett was glad to have me home, even if he did have to break the bad news on our air-conditioning situation.

Now, I’m going to use quotes here, because I don’t actually know what any of these words mean.

Apparently, our whole “unit” has to be replaced. The “blower” doesn’t work. The “capacitor” is broken, and of course, our “motherboard” is fried. It sounds so serious, you know?

Anyway, we had a professional company come in and do the analysis, and then we asked my cousin Dave (who used to work in heating and air conditioning) to give us a second opinion.

We were so grateful to Dave for being willing to come out and give us a second opinion. Even if he did have to confirm what we’d already been told.

It’s going to cost us a MINT. And we don’t have a MINT, obviously. With Brett being unemployed, the non-existent MINT is already melting.

So, for now, we are left with no choice. We can sweat, swelter, or simmer in our simian shelter.

It (I can’t help it) sucks.

So, I sit here wearing an outfit I would never, never wear normally. Spandex biker shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt. I look like a chubby extra from My Name is Earl.

Necessity is not the mother of modesty. But, I will tell you that all those half-naked photos in the National Geographic are starting to make sense to me.

I’m seriously debating a return trip to Mom’s for the upcoming work week.

For those of you who think I’m just being a big baby…let me explain today.

I had to work today (Sunday). I slept in our sauna of a house last night, got up, and tried to get ready for work this morning.

I showered, blow-dried and set my hair, and put my make-up on. By the time I got to work, my hair was slick with sweat (it looked like I had just showered) and there wasn’t a part of my face that wasn’t awash with sweat.

Ann-Marie does not do well with heat!

It was a hassle, more driving, and having to pick up one set of work clothes after another during the work week last week. But at least I could sleep at night and look professional at work during the day.

Hence my waffling here. If I’m gone during the week, I miss my husband. I miss my bunnies. I get behind on chores.

BUT…if I stay…I’m miserable.

Conundrum.

Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a big deal if I didn’t HAVE to look polished and professional. But I do. And if I’m honest with myself, I would still want to look my best.

And my best is not pouring perspiration on everyone I meet.

So, anyway, I’m sure these whiny, woe-is-me, heat-hating posts is grating on your nerves. I’ll stop…I’ll try to stop.

I will, however, relate a conversation a friend and I had recently.

She said, “Ann-Marie, you never would have made it as a pioneer.”

To which I replied, “Only in space. Only in heavenly, air-conditioned space.”