I know.
"Duh, EMZ, you live in Arizona"
Seriously, I dread running into anyone outdoors lately for fear they'll want to stop and chat [outside]. I've lived here my whole life [college and all] so why the heck does it always seem like such a shock when it's so hot, come summer?
Clothes stick to my skin. Beads of sweat appear in places I'd rather not mention. And by the time my car finally cools down I'm at my destination and I have to step out into the fiery furnace, yet again. I hate suffering through these three months of sticky thigh sweat.
But this wasn't always the case.
I remember being a hot [like hot and stinky] 9-12 year old when hot days called for a Popsicle lunch and a 3pm crystal-light lemonade stand.
The outfit 6 out of 7 days was a bathing suit and jelly sandals [with yummy brown foot sweat]. The look was "burned white girl with freckles". I rushed through daily chores, like a tornado. Then I'd wait, while watching the Smurfs, for Shauna, Melissa, Amy, Brooke or Melody to call with the question. . . . . . . .
"can you come over and swim?" [we didn't have a pool] Sprinkler under the trampoline . . . YES. Pool . . . No.
So, I was off, like dirty chonies. On my blue banana seat bike to any friend's place that would take me.
We'd sometimes hop from house to house. If we needed money . . . we'd go to the Harward's ---- they always had crazy amounts of change lying around. awesome. If we needed food right then ----- the Pierson's [she bought all the good name brand stuff and let us sit sopping wet on her couch]. We went to the Westover's if we wanted a gourmet lunch with little pieces of parsley in our ham sandwiches. No joke. But never allowed inside until we were violently dry. [I get it now, Mrs. W.]
We'd play right up until dinner time then plead beg to have each other stay for dinner. [after figuring out who's mom was making the sweetest meal.]
When the biggest stress was thinking about who's mom was going to fork out $2 to let us each get a snack at the Apollo pool. No stress. No drama. No worries. Just letting each day pass with freeze tag and jump or dive contests.
I'd donate my ROTH IRA to go back - for just one more day.
