Dome

"I didn’t want to open a window."

It’s hot.

But I don’t need to tell you that.

Thirty states are currently under a heat dome. When I happen to be outside for a minute and walk by a stranger, we both say “wooooof” and then fan ourselves. “Heat dome!” I say, and they nod.

I’m not outside much, of course. Yesterday was my retreat to the mall. Today I’m actually going into Boston. It’s a bit of a long drive from Northampton, but my car is air conditioned. It beats being in the apartment.

Last night there was a rain storm and lightning knocked the power out for an hour. It was a tense hour. I was just winding down to go to sleep when everything shut off. This included the AC, of course. The room is fairly well insulated, so it held on to the cool air, but I didn’t know how long that would last. I didn’t want to open a window. It was still eighty out there.

When the electricity clicked back on, it was alarming. I had dozed off, but suddenly there was light and the roar of the AC and I jolted awake. I had actually tried to avoid falling asleep for exactly that reason. I didn't want to go through the jump scare. It took a good half hour to settle back down and fall asleep.

Now I’m in Cambridge feeling sleepy and drinking coffee. I’m seeing a history thing downtown and I want to be awake for it, and for the drive back.

I would have skipped it, but I’m feeling so mad that our America 250 celebration had been pillaged and diminished by the crook in the Oval Office. He’s done worse things, but this one really gets to me personally.

The program I’m seeing, a discussion between two historians I know, was originally going to be in Old North Church, but there’s no AC there, so it was moved to a smaller space that does have AC. I’m going to pay money to park in a garage so I won’t have far to walk to it. I’m configuring my whole life around the heat.

It’s hot.