Lawrence of Arabia

There's a scene in Lawrence of Arabia, where a rider on a camel slowly materializes out of the desert. The searing temperature off the sand & the dancing heat devils makes the rider appear seemingly from thin air. It's a neat optical effect but, it didn't look like a fun place to be. That's what it felt like painting yesterday.

Once again high temperatures were predicted. We're getting so close to being done with this freakin' house project that it's not funny. I was working on the dormer section above the front porch. Monday after work I scraped the whole section & primed most of the trim. I sweat like hell & finished up around 8:30.

Yesterday I got up at 6 & was painting by 6:30. I was profusely sweating almost immediately. It was brutal. I did one coat each of the trim paint & the siding. The heat chased me inside by 11 AM. DW had stayed home from work & had driven her relatives to the train station. She complained she felt dizzy from the heat. I thought of several comments (like "Try joining me on the roof.") but, chose the saner "Why don't you go lie down & rest." She did.

I stepped on the scale after I came in & I weighed 173 lbs. That's about a 3-4 lb loss from sweating. My clothing was totally soaked. Gross. Took a shower. Picked some veggies from the garden & we had lunch.

The plan was to go back outside in the late PM, when the temps were cooler. DD went to "The Devil Wears Prada" with a neighborhood friend. DW & I did too but, at a different theater. We didn't want to traumatize DD by being seen by her friends (teenagers!)The movie was very good, the air conditioning was fantastic.

I went back out on the roof at 5. Putting back on my "painting" pants was like changing into a wet bathing suit. Ugh. The temperature had dropped & there was a cooler breeze blowing. I finished the second coat of the trim & siding by 8. DD & DW made dinner & went for a walk.

I kept getting odd looks from neighbors walking past the house throughout the day. Winston across the street was sitting out on his front porch just watching. Were people taking bets if I'd fall off the roof? Most people in this neighborhood pay other people to paint their houses. I think we're seen as eccentric.

Anyway, we have one more section left to do. I'm at mile 24, so to speak. DD & DW are going camping this weekend. I'm supposed to be working but, maybe I'll take it off too, rent a cherry picker & finish that section this Saturday. I'd love to get this monkey off my back. Next weekend is the "guys" annual camping trip & I love to go without any unfinished business left at home.