Keepin' on - keepin' on

Summer seems to only come in small increments this year. A typical Philadelphia summer is nothing short of sweltering heat and humidity. How can it not be with only 30 city blocks between rivers? Usually it's 95° and about 95% humidity for weeks. But this summer has been mild; 80° average and not too humid. Not that I'm complaining mind you… we've had an incredibly beautiful and comfortable summer! But today was a little warm. And it wasn't even really that hot - just muggy. Whew! From about noon on, I was just dripping. Tomorrow it's supposed to be less muggy, and I'll be in air conditioning anyway so I decided to tough it out without air conditioning today.
First I went out and ran errands. Found out my beautiful, WPA architecture, 24-hour post office will close at the end of the month (moving actually)- no idea what will happen to the building after that. It's a real shame, the building and fixtures are absolutely beautiful. Real wood paneling on the ceilings … sigh… perhaps a post is in order.
Paid storage rent - where all my stuff is until my house is completely the way I want it. Forgot the key so I couldn't see what was there that I wanted. Off to Home Depot to help the economy as usual, and The Bread Co. in Chestnut Hill for my weekly stipend. They make the best multi-grain you've ever had in your life. Plus it was free because they have one of those baker's dozens card where the 13th loaf is free! :) Hot diggity!
I got home, parked and met Mr. El coming out of his front door. I told him I'd been out doing my part for the economy, he said, "What, burning fuel?" Well, yeah - then he ranted about those poor folks in Texas who are paying $5/gallon in Texas. For shame on those oil companies. Those people should be paying the least in the country right now!
Well, I moved all of my consumeristic expenditures into the house and got to work on gettin' to gettin'.
I did some work in the studio, which means making artwork, and while I was taking mental breaks from that, I'm still trying to unpack and organize. I managed to put up three shelves today.
One over the desk where I'm currently working and two in the corner behind the book shelves. Things are coming together in the studio, but very s l o w l y. It's really frustrating that I don't have time to spend a whole weekend just organizing. Sometimes I just feel like I'm moving things around because it doesn't actually look like I did anything. I got papers put away in the flat file drawer, shelves up to move necessary tools closer to the desk, a shelf to put tools on so that I can keep the table clear (we'll see how long that lasts), and created new space so that I can unpack more books. I should feel like I accomplished something - however - being the visual person that I am, it doesn't look like I did anything, so I fool myself.
I also put a chartreuse shelf up in the bathroom.
Yippee! Now I can keep things up on a sturdy shelf instead of balanced precariously on the edges of this ridiculous sink.
And now it's 10pm and I'm pooped. It's very hard to slog through a humid day. I think it makes one more tired, trying to get oxygen for all the water in the air. I will try to wake up early tomorrow morning and conduct some business. Hopefully Jacques will be a good alarm clock. He's been the best lately because…
he took over my chive plant.
Yep, I went to a nursery and they were have a super saver sale on herbs - something like two for one and 50% off to boot. I bought some parsley for Fred (who's fine by the way, just perkin' along), some chamomile grass, and chives. I put the herbs on the kitchen floor until I could deal with them and Jacques went after the chives like it was manna from heaven. Since he's an indoor kitty, and I don't want him eating the other plants, I let him have the chives.
Yes that's nice Tara, but how does this help Jacques be a better alarm clock you are asking?
Well, when he's hungry in the morning, before I'm up, he chomps on the chives. When he decides I've had enough of a lie-in, he jumps into bed and meows in my face with the chive-breath. Lovely.