Heatwave Continues

We're on a roll to break the record of 90 degree days.  Since we're forecasted to be in the 90s all next week, if it holds, that ties the record.  I can tolerate the heat, I just don't like it.  Although, given choices between hot and cold, I'll take hot first.  Once I'm cold, I can't seem to warm up.

I went to the interview at 8am with the county on Thursday.  Another panel interview with ten questions, which the three ladies asking alternated asking the questions.  It was a part-time filing clerk position in the HR Dept.  Obviously with 30 years experience, 20 years in a management position, I'm a little over qualified.  It's a job and it will get me in the door, if they choose me of course.

Lots of things I noticed.  I was asked to be there at 7:45 to complete paperwork prior to the interview.  The paperwork would be left in an envelope at the reception desk.  I arrived at 7:40am and checked for an envelope at the reception desk - nada, nothing.  I walked around and found a nice lady named Octavia who helped me looked for the envelope at the reception desk after I explained what I was doing there.  Still, no envelope found.  Octavia called and left a voicemail for Mary who telephoned me on Wednesday and scheduled the interview.  Mary was not in yet either.  Octavia went back to the area where Mary's desk is, I stayed in the lobby area.  Octavia reappeared a few minutes later saying she found someone who knew I was scheduled, they would be with me shortly.  While I was waiting, I noticed people coming off the elevator in t-shirts, jeans, and some in shorts.  I was shocked, I said nothing.

It's 8:10am and "Susan" introduces herself, hands me a clipboard with one sheet of paper on it.  The paper was a release acknowledging drug testing if I was offered a position, along with a question asking if I had worked for the county previously, I checked "No".  Mary arrived about ten minutes later at 8:20am to ask if I was ready (35 minutes after they asked me to arrive with no one to greet me?  Yeah, I think I'm ready!).

Once in the conference room with the three ladies, Denise introduced herself as a HR Manager.  Mary and Susan were there also.  Denise made light of the fact that they were running late this morning.  I acknowledged it was early.  Once their questions were completed, I was given an opportunity to ask some questions.  I have a standard list of five questions I ask.  They said I would be notified within two weeks.  I was surprised to see a lady in the reception area about my age, waiting.  I was sure she was their 9am interview.  If it is meant to be, it will be.

Friday, it was 104 degrees.  Heat warning telling everyone to stay indoors unless you had to go outside.  The heat was dangerous with the index reaching 110 degrees.  John was still off from work.  I did laundry, he did puzzles on the computer.

This morning (Saturday) is our Walking Group meeting.  Our venue was changed from the County Government Center, where we normally walk, to the local indoor shopping mall.  One member had scoped out the mall last Saturday when the weekly walk was cancelled due to heat.  I arrived this morning at our agreed upon 8:30 at the appointed mall entrance, I thought I was the first.  One of the organizers (there are six) Maryann, came from the mall toward the parking lot.  Maryann stated the air conditioning hasn't been turned on yet inside, there was no air movement inside.  This is the second time I met Maryann.  She came once in June to walk with the group.  Pam (our trainer) brought her daughter, and another member Kim arrived shortly thereafter.  Here's the mall entrance where we met.

A couple men showed up a few minutes later to sit on the bench outside and watch women walk by.  It made me a bit nervous.  There has been a report on the news about a man who is using a box cutter to slash young womens buttocks.  He approaches these young women from behind, slashes them and keeps walking, denying it was him.  He has been identified on security cameras and pictures from the security cameras are shown on the news many times.  These guys certainly don't bring any calm to the situation.

Maryann suggested we walk OUTSIDE the mall since it was ONLY 82 degrees and a slight breeze.  I certainly wasn't going to be the ONLY ONE to object, I said nothing.  Off we went walking outside the mall.  I would have much preferred inside, as the temperature was rising, it was humid, and there wasn't much shade from the sun, except when we cut through the parking garage.

Plenty of shade in the parking garage, which we cut through.  As you can see, there is lots of parking available at 9am, still not much open at the mall that early.

The ladies wanted to go to Starbucks inside the mall after our walk.  I declined, I was tired, hot and sweaty.  I wanted to be in front of a fan with a COLD glass of water.  I said I would see everyone next Saturday.

Once home, I enjoyed that cold glass of water with lemon and watched the news.  I defrosted some steaks for grilling this evening.  Again, too hot to go outside to do anything.  I played some computer games and watched a movie.  John played more computer puzzles.  Later in the afternoon, John got the grill fired up for the steaks, they were delicious.  Nothing better than a grilled steak (prepared by Chef John).

There is some waiting time involved in grilling you know!

Make the remainder of the weekend a good one, enjoy!

Imagine

Imagine today's weather staying like this all year round that would be my wish.  Another day with 40% humidity reaching a high of 91 degrees later this afternoon.  This morning was perfect, crystal clear blue sky and a slight breeze.  At 9:45am and a balmy (almost) 79 degrees, I headed out for another walking day.



I apologize for my pictures, some came out a little blurry, so don't think your eyesight is going - it's my pictures!!  As always, I want to share some the beauty and oddities I came across.  Isn't this Crepe Myrtle and Black Eye Susan one of Mother Nature's prettiest handiwork?

One of the neighbors has his own painting business and works out of his house.  He had a bright yellowish van he uses for transportation and jobs.  The van recently received a paint job itself.

Continuing on my walk, ahead I saw the sidewalk was blocked.  When I got closer, this is what I find.

It's a cement mixer.  The side of the van "Dura-Stone" was parked next to the cement mixer.  Looks like some one is getting a new driveway.

Today, it was so nice, I walked to the very end of the street, it was another beautiful 30 minute walk today.  Looks like a long sidewalk, right?

One driveway I passed, this surprised me.  Mulch season is over, that happens in the spring.  Maybe that pile has been sitting there for a few months?  One of those thing that make you go "hummmmm".

Here's another one that had me saying "hummmm".  At first I thought it was as swing.  Looking closer, I believe it is a planter without a plant.  The holes are too small to put a child's leg through.

My last picture of "hummmm" is corn growing in the FRONT yard?  Notice the rocking chair on the front porch.

I'll bunch the flowers pictures together, they are too pretty not to post.



John came home a few hours early today informing me he's taking the rest of the week off, although he is "on call" if needed.  He decided to wash his pickup truck and gave my car a washing too.  He also gave the Hostas by the lamp post a drink while he had the hose handy.

I found my first ORANGE tomato today (yay)!!  Won't be long now before they all start turning, then again, maybe not all at once.

I got a call for an interview tomorrow morning.  This is for an administrative position, part-time with the county.  I'll say it again, if this is meant to be, it will be.  I refuse to get my hopes up.  Seems once the interviewer sees that I'm over 50 years old, the "thank you for your time" letter (or email) follows shortly - coincidence?  I bet is doesn't happen to men of the same age as often, I'm just sayin.

Ugh, the humidity returns tomorrow.  I've enjoyed these past couple of days getting out and walking.  I don't have a treadmill, wish I did.  I'm not going walking before my interview tomorrow morning at 7:30am, maybe afterwards.  We'll see what tomorrow brings and thankful for a new day.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Just gorgeous today, couldn't ask for a better day, reminded me of the Spring days we had back in April and May.  With yesterday's rain, it wiped out our humidity until Thursday, thank you God!  This morning around 9:45 it was a balmy 78 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.  I headed out for a walk around the neighborhood, join me.

The sidewalk heading down my street was covered with leaves.  It's a bit early for Fall.  Looks like the lack of water has taken a toll on the trees, or at least some of them.  Leaves covered the sidewalk.  You can see the tree turning a golden brown.

I decided to take a side street and loop around to the next side street.  Here's my view down the long sidewalk of the first side street.

Along my walk, I spotted some odd items, as I always do.  I heard the phone company stopped delivering telephone books, apparently, they haven't here.

This is very odd, how could someone drop (or lose?) a sack of potatoes?  Yesterday was trash day.  I bet it was left behind by the trash truck.  If left on the street, they'll probably be french fries by week's end when the temperature reaches 100 degrees, lol.

This house had a beautiful bush with red flowers on it.  They weren't roses.  They were like huge red lily pads.  I didn't get close, from a distance, they looked like velvet.

As I headed back home after my 30 minute walk, I saw a woman coming at me on roller skates.  I was on the sidewalk she was on the road.  I tried to get a picture of her, she went by me too fast and turned a corner, she was gone.

After I walk, I have a certain amount of energy.  If I sit down, I lose my momentum, so today, I kept going.  I had to make the trip to Giant Food to pick up a couple of Newman's Own (frozen) pizzas for our Friday night pizza night. 

Heading back from the grocery store, I went by the community pool.  It didn't look busy today.  Oh how I would have loved to have been there during the past two weeks.  Unfortunately, our neighborhood pool is "members only".  Apparently, memberships were assigned one per household when our subdivision was built in 1969 (we bought here in 2003).  Back then it was up to the homeowner to sell or keep their membership to the pool.  We were not offered a membership when we bought out house.  We can "buy" a membership for $400 a summer - uh, no thanks.  That's too expensive of a swim for us.  John would never go, and I would go maybe once or twice during the week, never during the weekends when it is packed with screaming kids.  Like most pools, it is only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, which is ashame since the weather for swimming here is actually May through October.

I picked up a salad from the salad bar at the grocery store for lunch.  I also picked up more fruit.  It was about 12:45 when I returned from the grocery store.  I had my salad and decided to get the fruit cleaned and put away.  I chopped the apples and made my fruit salad (apples, grapes, raisins, pineapple, chopped walnuts, pecans, and strawberries slathered with an ice cream scoop of Fat Free Cool Whip.  I made a huge batch, that's my snack for the remainder of the week.  By day's end, we reached a high of 95 degrees with no heat index, yay!

Thanks for joining me today, I enjoyed your company.  Hope you enjoyed your visit.

Rain Finally!

That time again...to go to the grocery store.  With Johnny back, I waited to see if there was anything specific he needed or wanted, there wasn't.  I had reviewed all the local grocery store flyers to see who had what on sale.  I'm so tired of going to several grocery stores just to keep up with the sales.  I made the decision to go to one with a short trip to another.  Armed with list in hand, I headed out to Shoppers Food Warehouse (SFW).  For the most part, the have the best prices.  I picked up most of the items on my list.  One item that we buy for our Friday night Pizza night is Newman's Own (frozen) Pizza.  Shoppers doesn't carry Newman's Own, Giant Food does.  A trip to Giant Food this week is needed, sometime.

As I was leaving SFW, there is an Exxon station straight across the parking lot.  Two things caught my attention, I reached for my camera.  I quit smoking two years ago (July 6th).  At that time, I was buying cigarettes by the carton.  I was spending $40-$45 week for a carton of cigarettes.  Seems the price hasn't changed.  When I was smoking, it seemed the price went up weekly.  I also noticed the price of gas at this station is reduced if you get a car wash.  I guess you'd have to weigh your options on the car wash, depending on what a fill up costs.  Depending on the type of gas, it was about 20 cents off per gallon.

 

Driving home with a trunk full of groceries, I see the sky darkening.  They've been calling for rain (a chance of anyway) for the past four days.  We got nothing, nada, zip!  Why would I think today was any different?

Heading down my street, droplets appeared on my windshield.  I had just backed into the driveway to unload the groceries from the trunk and whoosh, the sky opened up and down came the rain. 

Of course, today being Monday, it is our first of two trash days this week (Thursday being the other).  You think the trash people would have showed up before I left for the grocery store and it WASN'T RAINING?

We had a nice downpour for about 30 minutes.  I was soaked through to my underwear but it felt good.  You know when it is really hot and it rains, you feel refreshed?  That's how I felt.  Everything seemed to slowly turn from brown to green.

Woohoo, no dragging the hose all over the yard tonight!!  I was doing a rain dance in the driveway today!

I took a video of the downpour with my new cell phone.  I thought I did anyway, but I can't find the recording, oh well.  These pictures tell the story.  I could hear the (brown) grass sucking up the water.

After I got the groceries unpacked and put away, the rain had stopped.  I figured I'd checkout the back yard.  I love the smell of the air after a rain, so cleansing.  The rain gage showed we got an inch of well needed rain.

As long as I'm outside, I might as well take a peek at the tomatoes.  I'm pleased to say they're coming along nicely, don't you think?  Notice they've grown over their fencing.

I took a close up picture, see how large the tomatoes are getting?  Now, if they would only turn orange!

I haven't been walking in awhile, since this heatwave started (embarrassing).  Our Saturday morning Walking Group was cancelled last Saturday due to the heat.  A member of the group went to the local mall early that morning on her own to see if the mall doors were open.  We have a Blue Law, I think that's what it is called.  The stores don't open until after Noon on Sundays.  She wasn't sure if the doors would be unlocked, they were!  Sara emailed the group, she found several people inside the mall walking, although no stores were open.  The air conditioning did activate until 10am, the doors were unlocked at 8am.  Apparently, it was still cooler in the mall at 9am when Sara was there checking than it was outside.  We have a backup plan now to walk the mall in cases of weather interruptions.

The rain today was brought by a cold front that will only be here two days according the the weather folks.  So, today and tomorrow, although temps expected to be in the low 90s, there will be very low humidity, which is tolerable.  I plan to make the best of the next two days for walking.

Hope your world has cooled off or warmed up if you're in the Canadian Maritimes where temps are below normal.

Into The Fire

As the saying goes "from the frying pan into the fire" is what this heatwave is feeling like here.  Each day it seems to get hotter. 

I got out for awhile on Wednesday to get my nails done.  Morgan, who does my nails, had just returned from her first trip to Virginia Beach with her family.  Her parents are visiting from Korea.  This was her parents second visit to the United States.  Morgan is married and a mother of two.  Morgan's sister, Vivian (who also works at the nail salon), is married with two children also went to the beach with the family.  Morgan was so cute, she wasn't wearing her watch.  She pointed to her wrist, where her watch would have been "see my tan line" she says with a smile.  "The water was really cold, we used the pool", Morgan informed me.  From what I could gather, they must have stayed in a hotel/motel.  I told Morgan I had forgot she told me she was going on vacation until I called Monday for an appointment.  I was informed Morgan was on vacation until Wednesday.  I'm glad she had a good time with her family.  From what I gather, they don't get to spend much time together as a family (with her parents living in Korea).  Morgan and her sister work six days a week at the salon.

Other than that, I've been sticking in the house, chillin in the air conditioning.  This was the temperature around 9am Wednesday morning.  Note the Heat Index is 84 degrees.

I did have a visitor yesterday, it wasn't Sneaky.  This is a female (no antlers).  We had a stare down, she ran off, I won.

When I turned on the news this morning they said we almost had a record temperature...for the highest low temperature.  The warmest low temperature on this date was 89 degrees.  Apparently, 88 degrees was the lowest temperature we reached this morning.  When I turned on my computer shortly after 9am this morning, it was already, almost 90 degrees.  Notice the Heat Index at 98 degrees.

As the day wore on, it kept getting hotter.  I'm so glad I've been watering the tomatoes each evening.  I can almost hear the sucking the water in.  Once again, we hit triple digits.  Notice the Heat Index is 114 degrees.  Kudos to you Happyone for walking in this soup, even the mornings are miserable!

My cousin in Newfoundland and I stay in touch almost daily via email.  Here's a picture of what is it is like up their way.  ICEBURGS!!  The Titanic sank off the coast of Newfoundland after hitting an iceburg (and that was April 1912).  You think these iceburgs would have melted by July.  My cousin tells me they melt from underneath the water.  The water is still cold.  What is showing above water is only about 1/4 of the iceburg.

Didn't that just cool you off a bit?  With 37 states feeling this heatwave, you're bound to be one of us suffering.  I hope we all get a break soon.  We haven't had rain since John left two weeks ago.
Tomorrow John comes home.  He called tonight and everything wrapped up today.  He wasn't sure initially if things would wind up on time.  He was fearful he may had an extended stay.  I could hear the giddiness in his voice when he called.  I've missed him and can't wait to see him tomorrow afternoon when I pick him up at the airport.

Have a great weekend, try to stay cool.

Staying Cool

It's all about staying cool, so I decided to stay home inside all day today.  We're at day 36 of 90+ degree temperatures this year.  Forecast is 101 Thursday, 100 on Friday and 99 on Saturday.  Let's see if they get it right.  I certainly wish I had access to a swimming pool or one in my backyard.  I wanted to buy one of those four foot around and 12 inches deep plastic ones in Walmart for 19.99.  John said no, it would attract bugs, ugh!

I had a four legged visitor this morning.  Mystery picture, can you see it?

There was enough to do today to keep me busy today indoors anyway.  I made it through those pile of papers and envelopes in our "office".  The place where paper seems to have babies.  Every time someone stopped by, we'd picked up the latest pile of junk mail and moved it to the office to be sorted later.  I'm trying to be mindful to sort incoming mail the moment it comes out of the mailbox (destroying the junk mail).  I seem to hang onto coupons that come in the mail, which I never use and have to toss them six months after expiration.

I did apply to one job today for an HR Administrator.  I noticed the jobs listings are getting fewer and fewer, not a good economic sign.  I have my resume posted on Monster.com ONLY.  Today, I received a telephone call from "JD" who saw my resume posted on CareerBuilder (another internet job board).  Red flags went off, he named the wrong job board for the posting of my resume.  He asked if I was interested in an "opportunity" from AFLAC.  After a few questions, the job involved cold calling to sell AFLAC.  Ummm, NO.  I'm not a sales person, I can't sell, I don't have the personality to be pushy.  I'd starve if I had to work on commission.  This is problem when having a resume posted for "anyone" to see.

I pumped up my new exercise ball.  The other one I have is too small.  I'm 5'4 and the 55cm ball was for anyone 4'9" to 5'4", and the 65cm ball was for anyone 5'4" to 5'10".  The difference is incredible.  I did some exercises with the new ball, which is much easier to do on a larger ball.  The new ball is also weighted to where it always returns to the same position to enable the perfect start point.  Notice the red dotted lines on the lower left side of the box indicating what I'm trying to describe.

It also comes with an instruction booklet.  The smaller ball had a DVD which I'm using as well.

The Red Dot is where the weight is inside the ball.  I have it braced to take the picture of the weighted side.  Normally, the weighted side faces the floor.

I tried a Skinny Cow candy bar I bought yesterday.  It DOES taste like a Kit Kat bar (crisp/crunchy).  I bought the Peanut Butter flavor.  It's pretty good for 110 calories (6g Fat, 75g Sodium, 14g Carbs, and 8g Sugar).  Although, for $2.49 box (of 6), they should put 12 in a box, they'd sell more.  At that price, I doubt I'll buy more.  I'll spend money on fruit instead.  If you think you might want to try them, they're in the "candy aisle" of the grocery store (if they carry them that is).

During this intense heatwave that arrived yesterday, I'm making sure the tomatoes stay nice and moist.  They're coming along very well.  Can't wait until they change from green to orange!

Doing pretty good for only being planted June 3rd.  They should be ready in just a few short weeks.

Hope you are finding your way to stay cool.  Remember to hydrate, drink water and often!  I'm getting my exercise too by going back and forth to the bathroom from staying hydrated.