On my day off, Stockton takes me to lunch. It’s stuffy outside even after the quick-passing thunderstorm. “Do you know what the solstice is?“ I overhear someone ask the bartender at the local seafood joint. Silently I answer from a few feet away at the white plastic sheet covered table Stockton and I share. I finish my lobster roll and sip iced tea.
Stockton drives me home and I kiss him see-you-later. The terriers greet me at the door. The dogs settle on couches and I call a friend in California.
After we hang up, I fix myself a refreshing banana smoothie. On my tablet, I go back to a bookmarked story. It’s about a paranormal romance writer suing for allegedly being poisoned. It’s out of this world dramatic.
When I finish the long read, I’m feeling sort of toasty. Well, cool at my feet, but warm around my head like when sunlight washes over part of you from a window. But my shades are drawn. Hmmm heat rises.
I stand up and set my empty on the kitchen counter. It’s humid in the room. I check the thermostat: 85 daytime default. I manually overrides to 78 degrees for the A/C to kick on.
I put my hand above the radiator and without touching the metal I feel the heat is on. This is not good. I grab my magnifier and check the main radiator control. Hmmm. It was not on the Off position so I push it from Heat to Off. The terriers continue to lounge on their couches.
Stockton found a bat flying in our attic last night and now this. Does the house know we purchased an A/C unit this week and is it trying to thwart our nightly cool-off. Is my house possessed by Mr. Heatmizer. It’s like a paranormal story.
After a bit, I check radiators and they seem slightly less surface-of-the-sun. I text Stockton. He says he’ll examine our boiler after work. Every half-hour I touch the radiator to will it cold. Whatever happened was weird, but things are slowly cooling.
The day is long. As I make dinner I realize my magnifier rests in my pocket. I walk to the magnifer’s drawer, I touch radiator one final time. Not warm. I let out a long breath as I shut the magnifier drawer.
How are you staying cool this summer? Tell me about it.
Adventures in Low Vision 