Life in the Slow Lane

Life in the Slow Lane

Monday, September 05, 2005

The Approach Of Autumn

In my mind summer is officially over. I know many of you out there are still caught in sweaty heat but up north here the season is through. They turned on the heat in my building yesterday. It happens the same way every year. Suddenly a strange metallic and dusty smell permeates throughout the house from a long unused furnace. Then a slow trickle of heated air farts from the vents eventually turning into an intense desert sirocco lasting until late next spring.

Yoshi quickly abandons her normal sleeping pad in front of the sunshiny window for the one in front of the main vent; unused for months. I will not see her for hours at a time. I am officially forsaken.

So begins a relatively lonely time for me where my chief source of amusement and company will not leave her heater vigil except to occasionally eat and poop. I am a heat register widow.

The heat that emits from the main vent is very strong. And very hot. It never ceases to amaze me that Yoshi does not collapse into a heap of dandruff flakes. I am in wonder that she does not entirely chap. The amount of hot air she sucks up would otherwise turn a camel into fruit leather. Cats are talented that way, I guess.

So begins the slow decline of sunshine and the return to the rainy season.

13 comments:

eclectic said...

HAHAHA...'heat register widow'... you cracked me up, Kranki! Is your weather similar to Seattle?

Squirl said...

We're at about 83 degrees here today. In fact, I just shut off the airconditioning. I was feeling sweaty and warm after our nice long walk. It's mostly deserted downtown today. I don't know that I'm ready to think about shorter, cooler days. I've really enjoyed summer this year. And what is it with cats and heat???

SassyFemme said...

Oh how I wish it were cool enough to have to turn the heat on!

Our cat loves to hang out in front of the fan, and find the coolest spots in the house!

east village idiot said...

Happy cozy fall Kranki!

Opera Gal said...

I am a heat register widow.
~PRICELESS~

I'll share a story from Yoshis b-friend Linus: so I couldn't find the cell phone today - and I had to call it to find out where it was - and of course, Linus was sleeping on it, and he wakes up and looks over at me to say "you have GOT to be kidding".

ScottyGee said...

Thank God! I despise summer. It's probably different here in NC. It's about 3000% humidity and 98 degrees all summer long. It sucks. Fall is my favorite time of year. Leave, cool breezes, the ability to wear cool clothes, holidays, football and hockey... I love it.

Kranki said...

eclectic-I guess that makes me married to my cat? And yes, Vancouver weather is very much the same as Seattle's.

squirl-we are in the high 60s to low 70s right now. But sometimes it rallies for a few great days in Sept. I missed summer entirely this year. Dare I say it? Christmas is closer than we all think.

mrtl-wow! It is much colder than I thought in Alaska right now. I guess you will have long dark days to contend with too.

sassy-I can just picute the cat with it fur all blown back with the fan. How cute is that?

easty-it is sweater season now. Goody!

whfropera-it is uncanny how the beasties will do stuff like that. Linus is a little stinker. How funny. Yoshi does the same sort of things too.

scotty-I am with you. I prefer fall. The trees are so nice and the clothes ARE better too. And hockey. I love the hockey too. So glad that is back on again!

Opera Gal said...

hockey = yes. Bucky and I are currently drooling at the over-40 set in the NHL, and currently have a pact to give Martin LaPointe and Chris Chelios a really good time. :)

LadyBug said...

Awww, Kranki. That was a little melancholy and sad.

HUGS to you, dear.

Squirl said...

Winters can be pretty nasty in Michigan. If we could have Fall then skip directly to Spring I'd probably like Fall better. It doesn't even always stay nice "Fall" weather. We can get snow in October, so my love of Summer.

Closet Metro said...

"heat register widow" is priceless.

I hate Pacific Northwest winters. I'd rather have snow and ice and 10 degrees than 40 and raining for six months.

I love Pacific Northwest summers, though.

Katy Barzedor said...

Martin LaPointe...yummy yummy...

Now, where was I?

Kranki said...

whfropera-hockey players=drool. Humina humina.

ladybug-it is a little sad when summer ends. But I love fall better so it isn't too bad.

squirl-that is the bad part about fall - it leads to winter. BBBrrrr.

precisiongirl-well thank YOU! It is the least I could do. I didn't even think about the married name thing. I just used what was on the invoice. You'll have to change your Amazon info. That is quite a job I hear, changing the name on EVERYTHING!

closet m-yup, the rain can get pretty depressing but it is still better than digging out your car from the snow every morning. That is all I am sayin'...

Bucky-I have forgotten all my hockey lusts. I will have to get back to you on that one once the season starts.