Steamed Up

Whilst the out-of-doors is presently far beyond "balmy" --"suffocating" instead, anyone?-- I thought I'd dedicate a posting to the proverbial summer heat wave, the one that leaves us listless, draped over a chair somewhere in a near-puddle of sweat, swearing we are baking, broiling and longing for the inside of an igloo.

Naturally, we can't have igloos in upstate New York, so we digress to Eskimo Pies or Custard & Candy cones or blessedly cool air-conditioned movie theaters, or malls, or -- in a pinch, the ole stick-your-head-in-the-freezer-for-five-minutes trick. (Drat those electric bills!)

While the thermostat rises, so does the blood in the youth and/or the young-at-heart who start dropping like flies, victims of what some affectionately refer to as "The Love Bug" (not to be confused with the first of the Disney movies featuring the world's most popular VW, Herbie.) Naturally, when your daily work includes wedding coordination, you see the symptoms up-close-and-personal. (In the past six or so weeks, for example, I've attended three weddings as a guest and supervised hosting of some aspect -- ceremony, reception, photo shoot -- of nearly 15 others.) And this year, whilst we are in a drought, there seems to be no shortage of starry gazes, giggles, secret smiles and dispositions sunnier than the weather. It's enough to put the lyrics to "Summer Nights" on permanent replay inside your head.

But they say tempers can rise with the heat too. I don't doubt it, because I get pretty cranky myself in this kind of weather without an ice cream fix to tide me over. (And yes, in this heat, I will occasionally "cheat" on my beloved Shark's Custard & Candy with soft-serve, or gelato, or cold stone confections.)

This summer, I also have a bone to pick with the powers that be, who irrationally planned an entire Independence Day party near the City Pier, then postponed the fireworks --central to the festivities -- all the way out to Labor Day weekend after we got our first (much-needed) rain storm that day. In years past, rain has only delayed the fireworks for a day or so, and I cannot fathom why the powers that be have chosen to wait sooooo long to bring them back. Frankly, the Fourth hardly felt like a "real, live" Fourth of July without fireworks.
What on earth were they thinking?

I'd really like to get into this debate and take them to task for denying us all a "proper" holiday. Unfortunately, right now, I can't seem to muster up the energy to really rail into anybody. The heat has sapped it right out of me. I can hardly bring myself to move. (Sigh.)

Oooo, wait a minute. I think I left some ice cream in the freezer ....