Usually by this stage of the year myself and the Alienettes have alienated Superalien ie we’ve abandoned him to the sticky sidewalk steambath that is a New York summer.
He actually loves this as it gives him the chance to watch TV at full volume and only use the overhead lights instead of the myriad of table lamps that I insist upon to give the right planetary atmosphere. But most importantly, he can complain about how hot it is whilst we are enjoying the somewhat cooler climes of the Emerald Isle.
This year however our need to renew a scrap of paper otherwise known as a visa is being affected by the scrapping of the local planetary governors otherwise known as Democrats and Republicans. We are as a result literally grounded and daren’t risk leaving these sunny shores for fear of not being allowed to set foot on them again in two months' time.
So we are finally getting our chance to experience up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and what’s worse, up to 100% humidity. The plus side is that Male Mini-Me and Mini-Mum don’t actually complain when I drag them out to the occasional museum or exhibition as anywhere is probably cooler than our apartment. This is after our old townhouse apartment revealed yet another of its quirks the other night when it stubbornly refused to allow us to have four air-conditioning machines working at the same time.
I secretly was quite pleased as our old units are so noisy you do actually need to have the TV on full volume to hear anything. Superalien did of course suggest only using the overhead lights instead of the essential table lamps to distribute the electrical usage better but what kind of stupid suggestion was that!
I secretly was quite pleased as our old units are so noisy you do actually need to have the TV on full volume to hear anything. Superalien did of course suggest only using the overhead lights instead of the essential table lamps to distribute the electrical usage better but what kind of stupid suggestion was that!
After years of rushing outside at the faintest glimpse of the sun for fear that I might miss that year's summer, I’m finally getting that the sun might actually shine again tomorrow and the next day and the day after that. I’ve even bought shorts (when in Rome…). The nights however are proving to be our biggest challenge when the wind drops but the thermometer doesn't. Then we find out why New York is the city that never sleeps.
But there are many times when it is more than bearable. Sitting in our little patio with the necessary candles (aha, no ceiling light option there) and having our umpteenth BBQ without fear of rain or frost. Or heading down to the river to watch an open air movie or a concert in the evening dressed in shorts (of course) and not worrying about a jumper (sorry, pullover). Or just marveling at the clear, true blue sky that seems to be permanently pinned over Manhattan.
So the general consensus is that if we are stranded on foreign soil for the rest of the summer, we'll survive. Granted prior family holiday plans are having to be re-thought to U.S. destinations which do not require passports and this initially caused some consternation on the part of the Alienettes. It didn't help when I suggested that we could use this time to explore the historical ancestry of our new planetary home and start by re-tracing the first steps of its current President. Cue theme music to famous vintage TV show with crashing waves and surfboards. They got it eventually.
Yup, we'll survive.
