Official Smather Blather

Today was the first day of summer school and one of the hottest days of the year. We are working in a school with no air conditioning or working water fountains; rather than teach the kids, the plan maybe is to dehydrate, grind, and box them into a high protein breakfast cereal. Inner City-O's. Passed Out Child Pops. Wasps Coming in the Open Window Smacks. Smell My Lunch Chex.

Now, to be fair, heat didn't kill me as a child and if you are in my age group the only public buildings that had AC were hospitals and only then sometimes. Department stores, lunch counters, supermarkets, nada. It became more prevalent in the sixties, and the public breathed and shopped even more to get out of the heat from at home. Schools, however, got the firm stare of the Puritan ethic this country has dined on for years.

It was only maybe five--FIVE--years ago that the county installed AC into its nursing home, meanwhile the prisoners up the street have been enjoying cool breezes for as long as I can remember. The squeaky wheel gets oiled. The dangerous crazies got the nice facilities, while Gram and Gramps grew all species of skin rash while sitting in what old people sit in when no one gets you to the bathroom or changes your diaper.

To alleviate the heat, the school is scheduled to get large "Air Transference Systems." Nope, not kidding. It means that giant fans are on their way, hopefully by tomorrow which is said to be another hot one. They will be welcome. And since the water fountains are not working, the city is sending in bottled water for the students, which is nice, but isn't it cheaper to fix the plumbing? There are 500 kids in the school I'm at; that's a lot of hauling AND furthermore, while I am on the soap box, a hell of a lot more plastic. The lunches, too, are shipped in from an outside corporation, I think Marriott, in clear plastic clamshell containers. Plastic is wonderful, but tell me we aren't choking the stuffings out of the ocean, out of the planet. Waxed paper didn't kill me either, back in the day. Grandma is hopping off the soap box now.

Well, even though the kids were uncomfortable, they were pretty affable, many of them good readers that didn't quite make the benchmark reading score of 125 words per minute. I think they just need a brushing up. It will be a fast summer.

Sleep will come quickly tonight, and early. Busy day tomorrow. There would be the days when it would be so hot that people would take pillows and blankets and sleep outside in the yard or the park. You know when in the night you half-awaken, and notice a slip of cool air coming in the window, cutting through the thicker, inside air? It's like water almost; the cats lift their heads to read the news from outside, enjoying the freshness as well. Sleeping outside is like that, except there isn't any thickness at all in the air that flows over you, liquid and serene.

Slumber in Nod then, where all air is clear, sweet, and celestial.