Seattle 52, or Heat

Summer baby I may be, but heat takes the writing out of my hands. I haven't felt like updating in almost two weeks, but the heat spell has finally broken, and my fingers are remembering how to do this.

First off, it was not as bad as anybody told you, the heat. It was child's play, compared to a typical East Coast summer. The temperatures reached the low 100s, but I never felt like it was more than 90 because there's zero humidity here. Odd, given that the city is surrounded by water, but utterly true. There's no swampy feeling, no death pressure to stay as low to the ground as possible. It's just kinda hot. Nothing worth crying about.

Nevertheless, I'm grateful I live so close to a lake. I've been swimming a few times in the last week, and I'm so grateful for it. Nothing like that first plunge, dancing across mossrocks until you find yourself splashdown in the water, which is suddenly much warmer once your head is in. I floated on my back for maybe half an hour, trying to hear the lake's heartbeat. Heard only the distant whine of boat motors. Said thank you to the lake anyhow. I miss Labelle this year more than usual.

Last night, I dreamed that I found my grandmother in my garden. I woke up terrified that it meant something.

I haven't been to the farmer's market in two weeks. Shaul and I have vague plans to go today, but there's not much I can buy, since I'm leaving for Florida tomorrow.

Oh, yes. Have I mentioned that I'm going to Florida for a week? I'm headed to the National Poetry Slam.

Here's the commercial - that's Anis Mojgani, a Portland poet who swings up to Seattle quite often.