Evidence that the cat likes to explore. This isn't our window. This IS our cat.

We've been having the best weather - low humidity that makes your skin feel cool after a jump in the pool. Tolerable bike rides even out of the shade. As I sit here writing this, the windows are open the breeze feels nice. Blue Jays are fighting for the chopped pecans on the porch - I ran out of bird seed.

Sleeping in has never been my thing, but getting up early is even more necessary than before with the addition of another person in the house. I think I might every well be one of those "get off my lawn" people because as much as I love these folks, the early mornings are still hands down the favorite part of my day. Maybe it's the coffee. No, it's the quiet.

Yesterday, the 3 of us had the day off. I went for a run, and then we loaded the bikes on the car and headed out to the Silver Comet Trail for a ride. Later, a dip in the pool, a trip to the bookstore, and off to the taco place. We also went to Olympic Park to eat ice cream after dinner, and sat on the stoop to watch the pre-firework preparations going on. We all agree that the crowds will keep us from going back tonight, so we are going to find a more local place to spread a blanket, pour some cheap red wine into plastic cups and watch fireworks. I'm reading "Plenty of suck to go around" by Cheryl Wagner and I want to steal a few hours today to read.

There are only a handful of things you can do to escape the miserable heat of Atlanta in the summer. We managed to get ourselves to one of those things on Saturday. I have been rafting down the Ocoee River in the past and enjoyed all but one trip led by a new guide who was too worried and fearful.

We packed our suits and headed out around noon for a scheduled trip at 2. When we stepped out of the car, the heat was stifling. You could hardly breathe. A storm had come through and unlike the Midwest, summer storms in the south manage to ratchet the humidity up even a few more degrees. We were packed like smelly sausages on to a school bus with our paddles, helmets and worn life jackets. I put my nose into Victor's t-shirt and just tried to breathe, but I was feeling sick from the heat and the worry that neither Katie or Victor would think this was fun at all. I had M come along as well because she turns up the fun dial everywhere she goes.

All worries disappeared when we got on to the river. Our guide was also the bus driver and the seasoned elder who gave the safety speech at the beginning of the trip. This would mean we were the last boat to go down and we would be the "rescue team" for other folks thrown out of their boats. His stern demeanor faded and he turned into this laid back pro who steered us through the series of class 3 and 4 rapids. We were even the only group to get stuck spinning in a rapid called "the Hollywood bowl" after watching other young guides try to maneuver their boats into the hole. At one point, he said "when you fall out, swim forward." Katie and I looked at reach other and said "when? did he say when, not if?" just as the entire front of the raft went under and we were tossed. We both loved every minute of it. The water was clear and cool, the smile on everyones faces confirmed that it was the right choice to come.

We got back on land and changed into some dry clothes. M. drove us in her speedy little car to the taco place, where we sat in front of a huge fan on the patio as a thunderstorm passed through. Wet, happy.

On Sunday, a little sore from our death grips to paddles and the raft, Katy and I managed a hike up Kennesaw Mountain and a swim in the pool. A few visits to grocery stores for lunches, and a few episodes of an HBO series "The flight of the Conchords".

It’s later than usual, the sun is already up. 6 am? The cat tried like hell to make this happen earlier, but then gave up and went out to the deck to sigh and sleep. There must have been an open window because I have bugs crawling on my computer screen even though it is officially full time AC now (95 today).
Last night I drove to Midtown to give Katie a ride to the Botanical Gardens for a concert with my boss and his family. His daughter is the same age and also home from college, so they invited Katie to go along and she said yes. I think she wanted to say no, because it would have been easier not to, and I understand this motto very well, having lived it for the past few years. "It's just easier not to" is usually the truth behind the myriad of excuses I give for not doing things to this day, although lately I am realizing the power of saying yes. It's a slow process though, plenty of sliding back. We sat at my kitchen table yesterday morning before work and talked about the ways in which we could say yes. I had come home from a run near the river, sweaty and high from the run, and Katie was cleaning the kitchen and ready to cry. She is good at choosing her words and told me how stressful life is for someone who is asked at every turn what she is going to do with her life at least once a day. To her, this equals pressure to not let anyone down, and I get this. We both admire her mom for the ways in which she does not get her wheels stuck in the mud, and chuckle a little about inheriting the indecision gene from our Dad. I am stuck in the mud too, but we all know how easy advice flows when it is just offered to someone else. Since we are so similar, I tell her what helps in these situations: say yes and use the entire experience as a writing exercise. Come home and write about the way the park looked at night, the people you saw on blankets with plastic glasses and expensive wine, the food, the skyline.

On the way home from work, I saw the traffic back into town and decided it made sense for me to drive her to the park. I called my friends L&P and asked if they wanted to meet for beers, and they said yes. I don't see these guys often enough so it was a "yes' for me too. Victor joined, and M brought a friend for a short while. Katie had a glass of ice water and a few bites of our conversation before walking down to the concert. Our impromptu happy hour and the concert ended at the same time, so we walked together back to the car in the sticky heat, thinking about cool sheets and air conditioning, both happy we said Yes.

At home, while brushing my teeth and feeding the cat Vaseline from my index finger (yeah, I don't really get it, but she loves the stuff and it's good for hairballs) I thought about how badly I want to live "in the moment." Work and worry and thoughts of coyotes with Tabbys in their mouths consume me. The dread sneaks in when I first wake up and it's pretty much there ALL the time. But in between the worry and stress lay the good things: cool sheets and air conditioning, a big bag of rhubarb on the counter left by a boyfriend who loves to bake and mumbles something about making a crisp (my favorite dessert ever), sisters and friends who say yes to things.

Today we're heading to TN for white water rafting down the Ocoee river. I am the only one who has done this before of the 4 of us, and I will enjoy the looks on their faces as our raft heads into the scary parts. I look forward also to the part of the trip where we are allowed out of the boat to float with our feet in front of us.

This is the new spot for journaling in the morning, as someone has to protect plump, tasty tabbies from coyotes. The ground is hard but cool, and it is kind of nice not to have the distractions of TV and computer, and just write.

Speaking of the tabby - yesterday while we were off hiking the mountain, I got a text from V that said "Please call, we have a Raleigh situation." My heart dropped a bit because I assumed the worst, but when I heard a bit of a chuckle in V's voice I knew it was probably not as serious. Apparently, my neighbor downstairs left for work and didn't know that Raleigh was in her house. Victor was walking down the stairs and saw a familiar face meowing for help in the blinds of her side window. He didn't know that my neighbor had given me a key, and so I told him where it was and he went ahead and let her out. We haven't run into my neighbor yet to tell her and I certainly hope she finds the humor in it (and I hope Raleigh didn't leave any "presents" while exploring her place). I am also glad that he saw her because my neighbor works some rather long hours on weekends and we would all have been panicked and searching.

Last night we went for tacos and there was no line – the city is tired and dragging from the heat, no one interested at all in standing outside. We got our food and retreated to a table on the deck near a large fan. It felt like a good compromise, to opt out of the air conditioning and still stay cool. M and V do their thing and I am comforted at how easy things fall together. Katie laughs at their jokes. I admire their happy. I am the serious, tired one. It has nothing to do with my friends or family, and I know that I need to find my own happiness soon. On a walk in Virginia Highlands for ice cream, we laugh and sit on the busy curb while a cab runs his engine too near our backs. Sweat drips down my spine, but there is a breeze and I think we are OK.
We walked into Half Moon Outfitters – a store that replaced my favorite card/gift store – and M. tries on the shoes she has wanted since she’s seen Katie’s version. I have two pairs but they are older, with wider straps. I point out the other shoes I have on the wall – all pricey and earthy from my days when I cared about shoes but wouldn’t wear heels of any kind. M.. buys the black pair, along with a Nalgene bottle for hiking. The store AC feels so cool and comfortable that we all just want to keep looking at things we know we aren’t going to purchase. Back out into the heat, we walk on the dark cobblestone steps to our car – no streetlamps in this section. Odd, since VH homeowners are picky and controlling and certainly have the money for new streetlamps and better sidewalks. Guess it's part of the charm.

Another hot, sticky one ahead of us. I'll go for a walk in the woods soon, alone since everyone is still asleep here and it may be too hot later.

It's hot. Like, AFRICA hot. I managed a run this morning near the river and then dragged K. and M. to the mountain nearby ( a large, rocky hill, not really a mountain) for a hike. We rested at the top and gave the rest of our water to a thirsty doberman pup. K. is getting acclimated to the humidity and I admit to being relieved when we caught a breeze during the hike. Afterwards, we stopped for lunch at a diner in midtown, gulped down glasses of ice water with our tuna sandwich and fries.
A shower and a nap later and there's not much to do but rest in the AC on a hot afternoon and wait it out. I imagine the malls and theatres to be crowded...people trying to find relief. Raleigh stays on the sidewalk but looks as if someone let the air out of her a little.
Tonight we'll hope the line isn't too long for tacos at our favorite weekly place.

Katie is here, and has survived her first day at the office. I think we were both nervous, but maybe for different reasons. I think I still expect her to tell me that this entire scenario blows as she packs up her car and heads back up north. I can say that it is awesome on MY end!
Dad was here over the weekend, as he drove down with her and then flew back Sunday night. We were blessed with some cool air for hikes at Kennesaw mountain and the river. On Saturday night after a dinner at home, we all got into Monique's car for stroll in Olympic park for some ice cream. It was fun to watch the kids splash around in the fountains while we made summer plans to simply GET out more.
On Sunday, Victor made waffles and we sat around with the Sunday paper until it was time to walk off the butter and syrup down by the river. The trail is close by the house and the clouds kept the temps comfy. Cold steak sandwiches for lunch, a trip to the bookstore after dropping Dad off at the airport.
Off to read about your weekends....