heat wave

I don't believe the temperature went below 90 F last night, and it's already climbing this morning. According to the weather forecast, this is the final day of the heat wave, and we'll be greeted tomorrow morning with thunderstorms and 20- to 30- degree cooler temps. The power has been off several times, probably the result of the few air conditioners in the village being used. When our digital camera is working again, I'll have to post some pictures of the tangles of electric wires that hang through the village; I don't believe most Americans would believe me otherwise. It's a fairly primitive setup, so it is understandable why the power goes off when there is just a hint of rain. The wind has already picked up considerably; methinks it's going to be one doozy of a storm. Less than 24 hours, that's how long it took for Almendena to comment on the now shabby appearance of our house compared to her newly painted one. I forgot to mention how she followed the painter all day with her bucket and scrub brush, cleaning up every spot of misplaced paint as soon as it hit the ground. I think she even wiped down our plants, and I know for sure that she washed our front door. Anyway, when I walked the dogs that evening, she was sitting on the Herb Thief's front step, and I said to her, "Que bonita casa!". She replied, "Y tu casa, no!" But she had a good laugh about it. I still think I'm going to have to speak to Pepe the landlord about having our house done, and maybe we'll even split the cost with him. It's important to maintain good harmony with the neighbors. The official contract for Big Jim's new job arrived yesterday. Very exciting. Our good friend C. has offered to drive us to the airport Sunday, which will be a big help. That way I don't need to worry about my fragile emotional state and driving our stupid English/French car. I have a love/hate relationship with airports. I love traveling and going to meet friends and family, but the tearful good-byes are never easy. And over the years, Big Jim and I have had more than our fair share of these. Still lots of work to be done before Sunday. Big Jim has many shirts to iron. He's a strange one, though, and loves to iron. When I first met him, he ironed everything, including his tee shirts and jeans. I managed to convince him that it is completely unnatural and just wrong to iron jeans, so he has relaxed a bit on that front. It will be an adjustment for him to wear suits again every day, considering that during the summer months here he has only bothered to put a shirt on when he leaves the house. We've received lots of nice messages from our friends and family---thank you everyone for the good wishes. :-) Off to take my first of what will probably be several cold showers today. hasta manana, mylifeinspain