25 February 2015

Hot but with a Dry Breeze in the Shade

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I haven’t posted here in a while. We are getting daytime temps up in the brutal mid-90s*F, and the direct sunlight is unbelievably oppressive. Our “cool” season will be over very soon. I know that readers suffering through extreme cold in the great white north don’t want to hear this; but the “hot” season of March, April, and May is our own most dreaded time of year because of the hellish humidity.

I am determined to get air conditioning into our two rooms before the worst hits us. So when I’m feeling well enough I’ve been doing a lot of work clearing junk out of the way for when the guys eventually come to install the a/c. This being Thailand, there is no guarantee that we will get it in, but I dread another year of the heat without it.

I did the moving and cleaning early today but still was drenched in sweat while working inside. And my back started hurting worse than in recent memory – making it painful to even breathe. After de-frosting our ancient frig (which ices up quite fast) I showered and went to the neighborhood store for ice and especially for some cold Beer Chang.

Returning, I cleaned all of our major floor fans outdoors and left the parts out to dry. The final thing on the agenda was to be outside to receive the delivery of chicken livers for our two remaining cats. A woman rides her bicycle by and brings the liver between 14:00 and 15:00 hours every Wednesday.

As I had made a respectable dent in my agenda, I finally sat in the shade and went through a liter of beer with ice in a big mug. The breeze was surprisingly dry in the afternoon, and I stopped sweating – which is unusual for outdoors. The Beer Chang numbed my backache.

My personal sound system is the best I’ve ever had in my entire life, and I made use of it today. Waterproof (sweat-proof) phone and headphones from Sony. For “cleaning music,” Led Zeppelin is the best to get me moving, and I added some Queen later on; hard rocking fast-moving jumpy stuff. (The cats think I'm insane.) For “sitting in the shade music” later, I listened to the Dixie Chicks, and their song "Traveling Soldier" always makes me weep.

It’s evening now, but the house is still hot. The beer anesthesia has worn off and the pain is acute. I should have bought another pint. So I will stop typing and lie down.

-Zenwind.

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03 February 2015

Pipe Bombs Go Off Outside Downtown Mall

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Sunday night two pipe bombs with watch timers went off outside Siam Paragon shopping center in Bangkok’s center. No one was hurt even though it was during a busy time. I walk by that spot at least once a month.

Conspiracy theories have really taken off, and there are all manner of villains blamed. “TIT” (“This Is Thailand”) and I’m rarely surprised anymore. We will continue to be vigilant when out and about.

-Zenwind.

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