What a difference !

The swamp cooler has my house feeling so comfortable, much more so than in other years.  I can only figure it's the windows contributing to the wonderful inside temps.  I'm told you need to leave one or two windows cracked when using a swamp cooler, and whatever the reason I'm cool as can be and very happy!

Jeannie & Donald are with Autumn on a field trip this week - last week they were with Arianna on her field trip.  So the whole time Ara is staying at their house to be with the left-home child!  It has been a problem with Arianna because Ara has to be at work so early, so this morning I drove to their house, followed them in my car to the school, and then stayed with Arianna for about half an hour until school started.  Autumn is in band which practices early in the morning, so there wasn't a problem arriving at school early during her week at home.

I have been to their school many times although mostly riding in their car.  I followed Ara this morning but when it came time to return home I turned left on a street where I should have turned right.  I wasn't sure of my mistake until I had driven a good distance in unfamiliar territory, but finally got myself turned around and back home.  I wanted to cry, but I won't let myself do that.  A few people honked their horns at me this morning.  (I didn't drive Arianna to school myself, which would have been the most logical, because I will no longer drive a child anywhere unless it's an emergency - not with my deteriorating vision.)

Knowing how Arianna loves pork, I bought a big container of pork carnitas which we will have for dinner this evening (I'm joining them).  And because she has so many food allergies and can't eat anything with dairy, I bought a coconut-milk-based  ice cream for dessert!  I won't touch anything coconut, but it's for her and not for me.  I'm just looking forward to the carnitas with rice and maybe a corn tortilla or two.

I took my Serengeti's to the eyeglass repair shop, and for $58.50 they will be repaired by this afternoon.  I'm willing to pay that much because it would cost me over double that amount to replace them, if I could even find some like them in that brand.  I don't think they will ever be like the originals, but I'm hoping they will be comfortable enough to wear this summer.   The nice thing about the lenses is that they have more of an amber tint which lightens my view considerably, and which is really important for someone with mac degeneration.   

And speaking of macular degeneration, I know my driving days are numbered.   When I got lost this morning I was wishing I had a GPS that worked.  I have two, neither of which has enough storage to hold billions of "Points of Interest", which are mainly retail establishments.   That is overkill if you ask me.

And before anyone suggests I get a smart phone for the GPS feature, I want to say I've ridden with many people who use that type of GPS, and their phones are constantly held in their hands so they can refer to them.  At least with a dash or window mounted unit I could take a quick glance at it.  As it is, I was telling my son this morning that if I'm going to turn right 8 miles ahead, I drive the entire distance in the right lane so I don't have to ultimately change lanes.  That's how limited I am with taking my eyes off the road.  When I'm following someone who is driving, such as my granddaughter this morning, they automatically drive in the lane with the least traffic because it's much easier for them to get over at the last minute, whereas it's nearly impossible for me.   So a phone in my hand while I'm driving could be deadly!

With the high temps in the house yesterday my fan quit working.  The light still comes on when I turn it on, but nothing happens.  So this morning I made a quick trip to Walmart to buy another large fan.  Unfortunately, it is on a stand and I have to assemble it, but as cool as it is right now I don't need it.  I don't think there is a whole lot of assembly required, but it's more than what I would like to do.   I think cooler temperatures are heading our way by the weekend, and it will stay cool for a week or two with some rain possible.  I wish we could enjoy rain throughout the year rather than just winter/spring and then arid for the rest of the time.   One of my kids came home from school years ago with a saying I had never heard:  "You take what you get, and you don't pitch a fit!"