Thursday, August 27, 2015

52 and Hot (not THAT way)



So far, I've had a lovely birthday. I had an early breakfast with my astral twin Debra (we have same exact birthday) and then a little later breakfast with my oldest friend Moye. I've received texts and telephone calls and Facebook greetings. We are waiting until 5:30 when The Air-Conditioner Man comes and replaces our air-conditioner with a brand-spanking new one. I am hoping that he gives it to us, out of pity for it being my birthday and 95 degrees in the house and all. If there's anything I've learned in my 52 years of life on the planet, all you have to do is ask and ye shall receive. In the meantime, the boys have built what you see above -- a sort of hacked air-conditioner that my friend Mary Beth directed me to the other night on Youtube. It kind of works. That's a cooler filled with ice, with holes cut into it for an insulation tube (the silver thing) and a fan. The video claimed it cost $8 to make, but we spent closer to $17. It blows surprisingly cool air, and I guess it's as good a day as any to remember the days of my youth, nearly thirty-five years ago or so when I lived in a dorm at UNC with no air-conditioning. Since we started school in mid-August, I spent my birthday there for four years, and the dog days of summer in North Carolina were brutal. We would take a cold shower, soak the towel in cold water and wrap our heads, then sit in front of the window fan to cool off. We've put the hacked AC in Sophie's room since seizures and heat are no good. I am waiting for her bus to get here and then will move out of the way and plant her in front of it. in the meantime, I'm reminiscing about some of the best years of my life and those left to come. Thank you for helping me to celebrate!

9 comments:

  1. Happy birthday and honey, that's a damn fine $17 air conditioner you got there.

    XXX Beth

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  2. Happy birthday, gorgeous. And now you know why I put an ice cube on the grave of John Gorrie every time I pass it in Apalachicola.
    Good Lord, but I hope that AC gets put in and Good GOD but I hope someone baked you a cake.
    Love, love, love.

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  3. ♥♥♫♪Happy Birthday to you ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥¸
    ¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪♫•*¨*
    •.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Happy Birthday, dear Elizabeth !!! ♪♫•*
    ¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ Happy Birthday to you! ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥

    It is 5:32 as I write this and I am sending the Air-Conditioner Man love and he is giving you the air conditioner as we speak.

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  4. Happy, happy day. You look awesome in front of that contraption. I am having a glass of wine in your honor and will go outside and dance in the rain (finally - we've been waiting all summer!) for you tomorrow morning when it arrives.

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  5. Happy birthday!!! I love that photo of you, the abandon. Xo

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  6. I'm glad you had a good (and slightly cooler) birthday! I lived without a/c in Morocco for a couple of years so I can imagine what you're going through. Hence the creation of the siesta!

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  7. So glad to hear that it was a good day. I wish I could treat you to lunch on your birthday; it was wonderful to celebrate mine over lunch at Alchemy with you. XOxo

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  8. Happy Birthday! Wishing you a happy, fulfilling and seizure-free year (followed by many more of the same).

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