incalescence
The city is fractionally vacant for this extended holiday weekend. But I remain, here in this place I know with nowhere else to go. And right now, that suits me fine. Oppressive summer heat pounds into the pavement. It curves and coils like a parabola across the sprawl of the city. Grit seems to hang and rotate like infinitesimal planetoids in the stagnant air.
I finally had to concede to the weather and install my air conditioner. Yes, it provides the sleeping experience with the ability to actually sleep, and not lay spreadeagled atop the sheets with a fan blowing a cascade of humid air across my body. Ah, and I have experienced that - my first couple of summers here in New York City I was sans air conditioning. It wasn't pleasant, and yes, I know I should have knuckled under and bought one back in those dog days. But I have one now, and though it shuts the bedroom off from the outside world, the trade-off is comfort.
So, here on this hot, humid holiday weekend, I have swung between lethargy and puissance. Sure, I found myself sprawled across the couch at around 7:00 on Saturday morning following a night of cocktails and bowling. And after I stumbled to my room (and fired up the AC), I slept several more hours. But I also managed to get some work done on Falling From the Sky, the short story anthology I'm editing for Another Sky Press. Plus I've put a sizeable dent in the book I'm currently reading, Polaroids from the Dead by the preeminent Douglas Coupland (he of Generation X repute). I also got through the rest of my Fawlty Towers - The Complete Collection DVD set. With John Cleese as a negligent, abusive hotel proprietor, Fawlty Towers is British absurdist comedy at its best.
However, the writing, reading, editing, and relaxation ends in about ten hours. Why? I am one of the unfortunate chosen who must work tomorrow. Nay, there's no four-day holiday weekend for this proletarian. This doesn't bother me too much, because I had no definite plans for the next two days, except to continue doing what I've been doing. And I also expect the city (and the subways) will be comparatively empty. I know that many city dwellers have made tracks to parts unknown - to anywhere but the here and now.
I finally had to concede to the weather and install my air conditioner. Yes, it provides the sleeping experience with the ability to actually sleep, and not lay spreadeagled atop the sheets with a fan blowing a cascade of humid air across my body. Ah, and I have experienced that - my first couple of summers here in New York City I was sans air conditioning. It wasn't pleasant, and yes, I know I should have knuckled under and bought one back in those dog days. But I have one now, and though it shuts the bedroom off from the outside world, the trade-off is comfort.
So, here on this hot, humid holiday weekend, I have swung between lethargy and puissance. Sure, I found myself sprawled across the couch at around 7:00 on Saturday morning following a night of cocktails and bowling. And after I stumbled to my room (and fired up the AC), I slept several more hours. But I also managed to get some work done on Falling From the Sky, the short story anthology I'm editing for Another Sky Press. Plus I've put a sizeable dent in the book I'm currently reading, Polaroids from the Dead by the preeminent Douglas Coupland (he of Generation X repute). I also got through the rest of my Fawlty Towers - The Complete Collection DVD set. With John Cleese as a negligent, abusive hotel proprietor, Fawlty Towers is British absurdist comedy at its best.
However, the writing, reading, editing, and relaxation ends in about ten hours. Why? I am one of the unfortunate chosen who must work tomorrow. Nay, there's no four-day holiday weekend for this proletarian. This doesn't bother me too much, because I had no definite plans for the next two days, except to continue doing what I've been doing. And I also expect the city (and the subways) will be comparatively empty. I know that many city dwellers have made tracks to parts unknown - to anywhere but the here and now.
posted by Walls Falling at 8:22 PM
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