I might keep this short and sweet. Well, not so sweet, probably. Because I’m not really into sweets or cakes in the first place. And it’s so darn hot my energies keep going down the gutter. And I’m moody and a spinster – mostly. OK: sweet note first. A very special thanks to whoever yesterday bought the five Books of the Immortals on the Smashwords sale. Hope you enjoy! 🙂 Now brace yourself for a rant…

I hate the summer. But mostly I hate AC and the abuse everybody does of it. I hated it during my many US trips (the first 2 or 3 I caught awful colds, now I’ve learned to travel with a jumper for inside and t-shirt for outside – but once a room in LA during a Screenwriting Expo panel was so cold I actually had to keep my ANORAK on. Turn down the damn stuff, you crazy people!!!!) and now I hate it in Rome. Because I normally don’t go on vacation during June-August (the hotter months), I’m forced to AC at the office. And I’m forced to hear people say “well, at least you have AC at the office” or  “why don’t you put AC at home? Can’t you feel the heat?”.

Yes, I DO feel the heat, probably more than you do. I have low blood pressure, of course I hate the heat. But AC gives me migraines, belly aches and other nice things I’d rather be without. A fan – even if it moves warm air – is certainly better for my body and my mood. I hate waking up all sticky and sweaty, but I hate even more waking up with a headache from AC! So I drink a lot, sweat a lot – and swear a lot when I’m forced to spend hours in a place with AC. Might be quick if I go to McDonald (yesterday I ordered take away from the outside window, though) but the five working hours destroy me worse than the outside heat. Sigh.

I sure hope my roomie at Chicon7 will not insist on having AC on in the room… end of August should be cooler anyway! Anyway, end rant. (I could go on saying how I think this is technology abuse and if we survived all those centuries without it – albeit without the hole in the ozone – we should be able to do without it and besides it’s all our fault anyway, but I said end rant, so END RANT it is! ;-)).

To end on a sweeter note, I’ll ramble about reading. Like Michael Kingswood, I’m probably saying goodbye to print books very soon – I’ll finish the pile that has been waiting on my desk, but won’t buy anything new. I’m currently reading a paperback I bought in Lincoln City last October, and I look forward to get back to my Kindle. To fill it with books from my Smashwords library that won’t take any room on my bookshelves and can come with me wherever I want. I won’t re-buy e-books of books that I already own in print, but I will not buy new titles – unless they’re graphic novels, of course. Comics and graphic novels don’t look good on Kindle yet.

OK, one more thing. My mom&sis went to India (Ladakh and Kashmir – Himalayas and Buddist monasteries) and I got some souvenirs.

Yep, that’s a sari (and assorted souvenirs). I’m doing the close-up of the embroidery especially for Prue – made me think of her Adelina! (Which reminds me I still have to read her Lalita’s story… where’s my Kindle again? I had paper books of the first two Eirie books, but now it’s all e-books, LOL) 🙂

And yes, if you happen to come to Roma, you can have a cup of real chai (without milk, as I normally don’t have it in my fridge, but if you call before you come, I might get it for you! ;-))! And I’ll be very grateful if you can even tell me how to wear the damn thing! I learn fast, I only need to be shown once! 😀

That’s all for today! Have a great weekend and see you next week! 🙂