6:15 AM and already 95*... Its going to be another one of those days...

Parker is supposed to have tennis lessons this morning. I've been up for about an hour and its already gone up about 4* just in that time, so I am thinking we may just skip today. When there's a heat advisory out for children and the elderly, running around a hard tennis court is not what I consider a good idea... I am sure Parker will have something to say about that, but hey - I'm the one with the keys!! :-)

I am still singing the praises of Mr. Eddie, my AC Angel, for his astute handling of our situation - and for returning my house to the zone of relative comfort! It will be very curious to see what our electric bill looks like next month as we are finally running "efficiently". The skeptic in me can't help but wonder if there is not some small conspiracy brewing between dear old APS and the local contractors who handle systems - since clearly the only ones who benefit from such shoddy work ARE the electric companies!! Keep 'em running as ineffeciently as possible, and we make the big bucks!!

We've been able to spend quite a bit of time over at Mom and Dad's lately, and that's been very nice. Dad can certainly get around the house very well in his wheelchair - and is much more active on 4 wheels, or perhaps mobile is a better word, than he has been on two feet in a long time! His attitude remains good, although I know it is very hard for him to accept his limitations now. He is so used to being the "IT" guy, on all levels, for our family, and he has had to hand over some of those responsibilities to those around him. But it is nice to see he and my mom being much kinder and far more gentle with one another than they have been in a long time! And, the bright spot, at least for right now, is that there is no pain for him. He is not even taking his pain pills - right now he feels pretty good!

I was talking with Steve the other night - Father's Day night, I think, about what a blessing it is in many ways to know in advance of an impedning end-of-life situation. It has bothered me for a long time that someone famous, take Audrey Hepburn or even Ronald Regan, who is in the public eye, and then drops out, dies. We have not spoken of that person in ages, and then they are gone. Everyone comes out of the woodwork to sing their praises - and that is how it should be. But I cannot help wondering if folks bothered to say these wonderful things to the person when he or she was still ALIVE??!! I mean, it is good to remember them with fondness and respect, but did we take the time to tell these things to the person who needs to hear them most??

If there is a blessing in this prognosis for my dad it is that people from all areas of his life are reaching out and letting him know how much he has meant to them, how he has touched their life... be it by giving them their first job, being a good neighbor, or just a wonderful friend. And while I surely dont' want anyone speaking ill of him once he is gone, I am so glad to know that people are willing to tell him NOW how important he is and has been. That, for me, is the most precious gifts we can give...