SUPERMODEL!

The rain caught everyone off guard.  It was wonderful.  We sat in the pool, moved to the edge, and as the thunder clapped loudly, we all got out!  I was the only one (obviously) with an umbrella.  In fact, I had  two; one as a sunshade, the other a resident member of my bag content!  I loaned the Union Jack to my neighbour, who covered herself and belongings, whilst her son raced around to collect their gear.  One by one, the quintet left, leaving me to sit under said Union Jack, reading my book, until the storm departed, and the clouds fled once again!  As I left to go home, I received two messages.  One was from my daughter with a video of her thunderstorm, and the other was from my daughter with a recipe for cranberry and orange scones, and the attached message, "Tomorrow morning will be fine!"  

Glorious as the cloudburst had been, they did not quench the heat, and the advisory warnings were in effect again.  To a century and beyond was the warning, although not in such poetic terms!  'Triple digits' is the new phase covering the news announcements.  Once again, we were asked, (oh so politely,) to conserve energy, if we could.  A degree or two on our air conditioner, or perhaps not using the oven until later in the day, and maybe, if we could, delay the washing machine and dryer cycles until after dark.  I could cope with that!  I very dutifully raised our temperature, and delayed my laundry routine.  A little here, a little there!  

"I have competition", I announced, after I swanned into the office, wearing my designer dress, and shoes.  Of course, the word 'designer' is thrown out in a nonchalant sort of way.  All clothes are made after a designer has designed them!  However, sorting through the racks at the 'overstock' stores, allows me to swan in to the office as if I am on a (albeit geriatric) catwalk!   One of our office neighbours has a new assistant, and she is quite stunning.  Up the ramp she glided in a white dress, that only someone tall and with perfectly shaped limbs could wear!  As most will know, I consider myself slightly vertically challenged, and of course, it is a standing joke that I consider my own lower limbs to be of not excellent standard!  "The next Naomi Campbell is in the building!"  I suppose, as we are in Texas, I should have announced, "The next Jerry Hall", but the younger members of our community, office and beyond, would not be familiar with the icon that hailed from this neck of the woods, nor with her equally gorgeous counterpart, Marie Helvin, but I digress!  The elegant young, (oh so young,) slim, (healthily so slim,) tall, (anything over my height is tall,) picture of loveliness, almost wore this amazing dress, that covered just enough to be perfect for anytime wear!  "I am duly intimidated!" I announced.  I stood, as I said, in my fabulous dress, and fabulous shoes, and could not even say the words, "It's on!" as I knew it would never be 'on'!  Of course, everyone found this to be highly amusing, as my humour did shine through.  Like Kathy Bates in the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes", announces, "Face it girls, I'm older and I have more insurance", I recognise that I have been there, (well perhaps not there, as I could never have ever pulled off that look in that dress,) and I am out the other end, and very glad to be so!  Suffice it to say, I was now going to be watching to see what would be worn next!  

"The air conditioning is leaking again", came the announcement, as I was enjoying the fact that I was not wallowing in self pity.  Our system sometimes gets clogged up, and the engineers have to come and clear it out.  With the excessive heat, we are about due for a visit.  I acknowledged the problem and called the management agency.  The lady who answered the phone was suitably upset and sympathetic and promised she would let the right person know!  I thanked her and hung up the phone.  

The day got hotter and hotter.  By the end of the afternoon, we could feel the heat and the lack of cool air in the office.  No one had come to see to our air conditioning and I sent an email to our 'person'.  She was quite apologetic, admitted that she had not received a message about our predicament.  Within half an our, the young man who 'does' was in our office.  I had mentioned that I thought it was the 'tray', and it is an ongoing problem we have, as evidenced by the lack of tiles in the back room, because there is no point in putting up a new one, as it gets ruined every six months or so!  Actually, I think they just forget to replace it!  He had a look and told me that the tray was empty, and he could not see the problem, so he would get 'CSI' to come and look at it.  "No one is dead", I quipped, attributing the acronym to the  Crime Scene Investigation, but it fell on deaf ears!  Cool Serve is the name of the company used, and their initials are on their trucks.  I knew what he meant, but he did not understand me!

The model was slightly dressed down.  She still glided up the catwalk, but was wearing a smock like dress, not anywhere near as hugging as the previous outfit.  However, it smocked not, and reminded me of when I had a similar dress when I was around ten.  I was quite a slim child (barring the legs!) and when the smock dresses came out, I wanted to have one.  Unfortunately, due to my slimness, it did not smock either, and fell in around my waist.  I wondered how it would look now!  "Naomi is wearing a looser dress today", I announced, as I paraded along in my classic straight lined frock and felt rather sleek.  Maturity was not a problem.  

By Wednesday, no one had been to our office.  As the air conditioning was working, and the drips were intermittent, I thought I would give the company the benefit of the doubt, as I knew that many people were calling them at this time, due to the heat.  

I did not intend making the scones on Thursday, but had some puff pastry over from making cream horns the previous day, and had planned to reinvent the pastries we had at our stay in Las Vegas.  Deciding to make Thursday morning a cooking morning was a mistake.  As cooking in the afternoon was going against the 'conserve energy' (oh so polite) request, the morning seemed a better option. However, despite knowing that I had a packet of dried cranberries in my cupboard, I could find them not!  Everything came out, and of course, once out, nothing fits back in the same way, especially when time is at a premium!  Tidying up the kitchen took forever, and the scones finally went into the oven.  It was only after they had been cooking for almost half their time, did I remember that I had actually forgotten to add the sugar!  Not only had they taken far longer than anticipated, and used up most of my yoghurt, an egg, and more than their fair share of flour, due to not being able to halve the recipe, due to said 'one egg'.  Once ready, I took them out of the oven, and took them with me to the office.  They were going to be eaten, one way or another!

Coming to the end of the day, there was still no word from the Crime Scene Investigators, so I thought I would email the management person again.  She was quite aghast at no one following up and came back to say that the engineers would be there either that afternoon, or first thing in the morning.  They did not show!

The scones were very well received.  It appears that the lack of sugar was not a problem.  I had used raisins which would have made it a little sweeter, but I think the saving grace was the orange peel!  I had finally found a use for my 'candied peel' and the 'candy' part had made up for the mistake!  "These are just right.  Not too sweet", was the verdict!  The only problem is repeating the candied peel procedure.  It takes days!

Nobody came to see our air conditioning unit on Thursday afternoon, neither did they come on Friday morning.  I wondered if I had read the email wrong, and they were going to liaise with my 'person', as to when they were going to arrive.  Naomi/Jerry did not seem to be suffering in her office.  Nothing, it appeared, would make her look like she was suffering!  Yes, I am stereotyping.  Naomi and Jerry both chose their professions, so I see it as complimenting!

As I went into the back room later in the afternoon, the stream of water was now like a shower.  We had emptied the bucket a couple of times, but it would not take long before it would overflow.  I sent a sharp(ish) email to my 'person', and then decided to call.  Pretty soon it would not be Cool Serve that was needed, but indeed, it would be the real CSI!  She was devastated!  Absolutely horrified!  (She sounded very convincing.)  I was as polite as the energy people, asking oh so politely, if they would come NOW!  Within twenty minutes the engineer was on site, looked in to say "Same problem", to which I nodded, and within another ten minutes the problem was fixed!  Still no tiles!  He is always so cheerful and happy to oblige!  The tray was indeed empty.  That was the problem!  If the tray is empty it means there is a back up somewhere else!  I hope someone explains that to the nice young man who presumably failed to pass on the message!  A ten minute job, which they knew how to handle, had taken a week to get done!  I emailed my 'person' to thank her for arranging the visit, but did not thank her for her patience in dealing with my several requests.  She thanked me for mine!

A cooler Saturday morning was most pleasant.  The pool temperature had dropped by about five degrees, which was significant!  Samantha and I went on our usual spree, and came back quite early.  I was surprised that I was only joined by one neighbour poolside.  She was chatting to her friend, and I could not help but hear the conversation. They were going out early, to see some bands, and 'check out the sets', and then hopefully, be home early.  As I listened, I realised that her 'early' was by Naomi/Jerry standards, and not mine!  Anything after midnight is now late.  A minute after midnight is late!  I remembered, with a smile, the olden days, when midnight was simply eight o'clock!  Did I enjoy myself then?  I suppose I did!  If my feet hurt, my feet hurt, and I persevered.  Breakfast at five , after a night out, was something we did on occasion, and were still raring to go again at 9am!  

Dana and I enjoyed a leisurely meal and came home around eight.  Midnight!  Never much of a 'party animal' he could not understand my sense of loss, but I explained it was more reminiscing than commiserating.  I'm older!  I am now reaping the benefits, e.g. going to bed earlier and not being called 'boring'.  (Well, maybe I am!)

Sunday, Sunday, here again, and what is in store for me today, and the next week.  Heat is still up, and rain still not in the forecast.  At least we know the office will be cool!  At least we hope the office will be cool.  I look forward to seeing Naomi/Jerry, and perhaps get an introduction!  Remembering days gone by is a good thing.  I still have friends with whom I am in contact who remember with me.  I hope Naomi/Jerry can say the same when she is my age.  Can she bake scones though?  Maybe I will find out in ............ another story!