sick

E has a "summer cold" I think. Cough, runny nose, irritable, but no fever and still eats well. Just doesn't sleep well, which means I don't either!

There are still many more photos I haven't posted, and things I haven't written about. Maybe I'll use these few minutes to try to catch up. When she wakes I thought "she should probably get some fresh air". Then I remembered, "but the fresh air is stifling hot!" I am not a summer person. People making small talk say things in May and June like, "It's almost summer!" and "Any big plans this summer?" And I remember that other people like summer and they do crazy things like take summer vacations. They sit on porches, dig in gardens, go to pools and beaches, cook on grills, and they love that stuff.

I haven't looked forward to summer since I got out of school and learned that "summer" meant nothing to me if I couldn't sleep late and I still had to get dressed and go somewhere. I used to look forward to going barefoot, but that's not as appealing now - because I live in the city and besides this is the Land of Gumballs, Red Clay, and Rocks (aka the piedmont of north carolina). Barefoot country is eastern NC, the Land of Sand - if you can dodge the Red Velvet Ants and the Sticker-Briars. The only thing I like about summer now is the longer daylight, because it feels like there are more hours in the day.

I hate the North Carolina summer heat so much, I'd rather take vacations, go swimming, go barefoot, sit on the porch, etc., in the spring and fall - even the winter (except for swimming). Summer to me is a time to hibernate in the air conditioning. I dread getting in the car, and that's another reason I don't do much in the summer. I wait for it to be over.

When I was on my trek in Nepal, I told my companions, "my body wasn't made for the heat". They (all from places like Chicago, NY, California) laughed, surprised. They said, "Well then why do you live in North Carolina???" My turn to be surprised. I thought, "Why wouldn't I? It's where I'm from." I never thought of moving away for the weather! I would have to weigh up whether that's worth it. And don't worry grandparents, it wouldn't be worth it YET, not with a little girl who needs you in her life! And three other seasons in North Carolina are just fine by me. Yes, we have ice storms, but that's a little short-lived excitement I can deal with. And no place I know doesn't have some kind of natural disaster threat about it, especially with global warming.