En fuego

So it was 88 degrees in my backyard on Saturday night. At 10 pm. It has been so frigging hot for days on end that I apparently cannot do anything but sweat. No really, I can't read, can't talk, can't clean up, can't sit at my computer and apply for jobs.

I went to the library today and the a/c was not on. Can I tell you what an unpleasant experience it was to stand in the racks, continually wiping sweat off my face? I went through four shirts today. Watered the plants twice and stuck my head under the hose both times. I was dry within minutes. Apparently there is not a fan to be bought in the whole bay area. We are waiting for our ebay delivery of fans, I kid you not.

Yet beyond my own parochial interests, there is death and destruction in many parts of the world. I may be sweating my ass off but there are no bodies strewn around San Jose, I know I will wake up in my house every morning, my family is all healthy. I am not worried about getting hit by a rocket when I drive in my car.

It also seems the feds do not want to tell the idiot in chief that there is a civil war in Iraq. What world do these people live in? They broke Iraq, have made a shambles of thousands of people's lives and the people in charge don't want hear about it? No wait, they don't want to use the phrase "civil war" because it is too pessimistic. That is why the Shrub has not been given an assessment of the situation since 2004. I don't know but it seems kind of odd that he hasn't asked for one either. I mean dude, the HOUSE IS ON FIRE, don't you want to know? Apparently not. "I would like to continue riding my mountain bike, chewing like a cow in public and treating Tony Blair like my little poodle, thank you. Life is grand that way." It's a new version of don't ask, don't tell.

There is also no progress on the job front. No interviews, no phone calls, nada. Today at the library I saw a guy writing words out of a help manual on how to write cover letters. I can write cover letters in my sleep but can I get an interview??? Noooo. Can I even get a return phone call? Noooo. It is also fairly difficult to keep up my spirits when I circle the phone all day waiting for calls. Not to mention self-esteem, that one's a killer.

It has been so long since I have had to look for a job, I had forgotten how vulnerable I can feel when trying to put myself out there trying to get hired. It is amazing to me that I can't even get an interview in almost three months of looking.

So instead I guess I just sweat it out, literally and figuratively. But at least I am not responsible for the downfall of countries while I look for work. I can live with that.