Cringe worthy? in A small but passable life.

The political ads started up on the TV this past week. All four of the candidates are obnoxious, with Bernie’s being the least obnoxious, but obnoxious nonetheless. The least “cringe worthy”?

Two months of desert sun has rendered me the color of two shades lighter than a good beef jerky. I’m not really sure what degree exactly a shade is but I’ll go with that.

Is five or six hours a day too much sun? I remember when I was working nights all those years I used to sleep all day in the sun (when it was over 80 degrees).

I finished reading “Year’s Best SF 11” which I’ve been reading one story at a time for about a year. I have no books on my ‘hold’ list at the library so I’ve continued with Lewis & Clark’s Journals on the Kindle which I haven’t used since last March when I was out in the woods, and the Masterpieces of Philosophy which I’ve been reading slowly. I also found a book on the Manhattan Project over at the RV park library.

So yeah, sunshine and words. A tough life.

I bought a thermometer and mounted it outside the window in the shade where I could see it from my chair. I goes all the way up to 140 degrees so it should be adequate.

My atomic clock still hasn’t connected to the atomic clock in Boulder, Colorado. I’m thinking the Superstitions and the San Juan’s and the Rocky Mountains may be in the way. It still displays everything, once I figured out how to manually set it. Well, except for the correct date and day of the week. No big deal. I don’t need or use those two concepts anyway.

I just looked at the forecast for back home. A predicted low of 29 degrees tonight with snow. Wow. I should be back there, camped out in the wilderness somewhere. I missed last October and now I’ve missed March. The two perfect months, weather wise. Oh well.

Theoretically I could have slept outside here all winter. I probably would be sleeping better. I wouldn’t even need my goosedown bag because it doesn’t get cold enough to need it. Maybe not even my summer bag, just a blanket or two. I could put a cot out back under the stars and call it good. (And listen to Mom bitch about it, just because.)

I’ve been out here four times now since December 2014 for a total of about eight months altogether and besides the lack of weather I find no redeeming qualities. There’s just something odd about four million people living in the desert. True, we’re way out here on the edge of the madness, but the madness still reaches with its tendrils.

The last time Mom and I ventured out I put the car through the automatic car wash. It did a shit job for $4. And then we spotted two self-serve places a few miles west. Next time we head over that way I’ll wash the car proper.

Mom still hasn’t got used to the whole ‘automatic’ bill paying thing. She would still rather write a check and mail it. Me? I’d rather not have to deal with any of the ‘money’ stuff. It’s been about five years since I’ve had to deal with money. It makes for a peaceful life.

It may be too warm to lay by the pool for the next several days. Predicted highs in the nineties, ten degrees above average, until a ‘cool down’ next week.

I may need to go to the grocery store. We’re out of milk, but there’s really not much on the list. Maybe some beast that’s on sale for $2.99 a pound?

It’s 10:20am and the thermometer says 80 degrees. I’m almost finished with my third cup of coffee so maybe I should pack up and head to the pool before it gets crowded.