My situation...

I live and work in what is predominantly a retirement and resort community. I am a single father--again--as I try to raise my two children in a community of retired people, medical marijuna patients, and Canucks. Meanwhile I am like a fish out of water, and i mean this literally. I can only swim in pools here. My best thoughts come to me while I am in the water and the colder the better. Yes, I am the master of digression but as long as I explain the connections, it is all good.

I do still see Frankie from time to time. He is probably younger than the patrons of the piano bars where he sings and he drives his own convertible around the strip. From Palm Springs to Rancho Mirage, sometimes down the serpentine road across the wash two or three times, even to Indio. Then back to the cemetery in Cat City.

Other topics...

Perhaps one a month.

January... feast of kings and kings bread.
February...valentines day... good luck getting anywhere.
March... tennis tournament...good luck getting anywhere.
April... Coachella fest...now for two full weekends...good luck getting anywhere.
May... mothers day.
June... fathers day... state of confusion.
July... fourth of july... monsoon season brings egg smell and humidity.
August...nothing notable... more heat and humidity.
september... did i mention heat and humidity?
October... cooler evenings but hot days.
november... grass replanting. windy season. alergens.
december...christmas season.

Beginning of Summer, End of June.

I am Dee Tremens, back in the proverbial high tech... spirits.... I am the literary cousin to Sir Toby Belch and Falstaff. Be sure to call the former "Sir." He has been knighted you know, if it is a verb. Yes, knighted by Shakey himself. Forget Shakespeare: the issues before us are twofold; first, the landlady and second the heat.  The conversation goes something like this...

"Josh, when are you going to clean the windows? They are dirty on the outside too? When are you going to fix the blinds? You have one missing?"

"I'm on it... just as soon as the temperature cools off."

"What do you mean 'cool off.' That will be November. You need to clean them now."

"You have answered your own question then, you dingbat with one eye and one good leg. You better go inside then before the heat kills the rest of you."

"But Josh---."

"You are impeding my enjoyment of the property. You know the law, you still greedy ex-realtor. I will clean when the heat subsides."

The temperature outside? You reluctant reader ask. 122 degrees. And the landlady wants me to work outside. That is not even a record here, as once the mercury rose to 123 degrees.