Some Like It Hot... or Heatless In Seattle

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Hell, at this point I'd even take lukewarm. While the rest of the country is sweltering in record heat, our beautiful Pacific Northwest has been experiencing the coldest, wettest summer I can remember. Last month I kept referring to it as JUNuary. Now, in July, I am calling it JUvember. We're talking low to mid-sixties, clouds and rain. LOTS of rain. In fact, we have had a grand total of 78 minutes of 80+ degree temps this year. That's right... I said minutes. [Thanks, la Nina, you little bitch.]

Now, I'm a very positive-minded woman but even the most optimistic person is going to get a tad annoyed with this eventually. So, what to do, what to do? Hmmmm....

• Join the 'Debbie Downers' and complain? What fun is that?

• Continue to try to convince myself it'll get here before Halloween? Well, maybe. Nah...

• Remind myself of the many benefits? Sure!

1) we're saving a lot of money this summer on water

2) it's easy to put on a sweater

3) when the sun finally does make an appearance we'll appreciate it even more

4) if we were sitting here in 90+ degree heat, we'd be wanting our cool, wet weather back and our beautiful PNW would not be so beautiful.

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So, what do we do?
We are Washingtonians, people! And we are going to get out there and LIVE IT UP! And we will LIKE it! Let's get out the Hula Hoop, ride our bicycles, hike, kayak, get a coffee and sit outside until happy hour. Then we'll sit outside some more and enjoy a libation with someone wonderful. If we need to dress in layers, we will, because around here... that's-what-we-do. So simple we almost forgot it. I have a watercolor painting that reminds me to "Smile at the rain". Good advice. I have always taught my sons that life is not so much what happens to you, but how you react to it. Same here. So if I want to get my 'floaty thing' out on the lake in the rain, I will!

"Hey, Ria, do you want beer or wine?! We'll tan our boobs! Hoist the canopy!"

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Now... where did I put my umbrella and rainboots?










Photos courtesy of sheilacarsonphotography.com

Woop, here it is...

Yep. Middle age. The dreaded 'getting older'. Time for longer sleeves, shorter hair, mental-pause and the drying up of the va-jay-jay. [cue 'record scratch' sound fx here] zzzzzzzzzzzzp!! Or at least that's what my mother's generation and generations before hers would tell me. I am 51. I look ... well ..., that's up to 'the eye of the beholder', I suppose. I feel ageless. If I feel great and look great, why shouldn't I BE great? My husband, Pat, really IS my best friend but Ria is the one close friend I share my deepest, darkest secrets with. We laugh. We run through sprinklers on the golf course. We go pantiless under sundresses. And why not? Life isn't about stages or milestones or changes as much as it is living each day to it's fullest potential. I've heard the now-over-used phrase that when I die I want to go "sliding into homebase", basically saying I'm not going to give into other people's ideas of what my middle aged behavior should be and just sit down and wait it out. I'm going to keep on riding my bike, acting in theatre, laughing - loud and hearty, drinking good wine, enjoying intimacy with Pat, and more.



Clearly, I like quotes, whether they be inspiring, funny, sentimental... and one of my all-time favorites is "Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional." I have been saying this for years and I just saw it on a readerboard the other day. Made me smile. And then I took off my panties.