It's that time of year...

[fenchurch]

One of the things I love about our house is that a good portion of the property line edges on a county park that is kept, mostly, wild (around here, that means forest) with a large lawn type area way down the hill, through the trees and not terribly close to us and with what used to be a parking lot (now closed to all vehicles) just down from our property line. However, every year around this time, it gets... noisy. And really, I don't begrudge people having a bit of fun with firecrackers down on that old parking lot... we're in unincorporated King County so there are all sorts that are legal (not that people are limiting themselves to those), but after a day or two, the popping and cracking and explosions become just a bit tiresome. Especially since some people seem convinced that the best time to set off illegal fireworks is at 2:00am, which always strikes me as supremely stupid... it's a time when it's VERY noticeable what you're doing, the local cops generally don't have anything better to do than bust you and there's no one else around for you to blend in with. Dumb.

Oh, and let's not forget the lovely nightly smell of sulphur wafting in from the park. Joy.

Yesterday I got that cookbook I'd ordered from my mom's old elementary school (the one put out by the PTA to benefit summer programs at the school) and it's marvelous! Everything I was hoping for! It's printed on 8 1/2x11 paper, but they used a really good weight, so it looks like it'll last awhile, and it's been spiral bound with a plastic cover... very easy to use when cooking. And the recipes! Sure, there are a few like the "Tomato Salsa Soup" (which is exactly as it sounds -- one can tomato soup, one container ready-to-eat salsa, mix well), but it's also got a very wide range of world cuisines: Chinese, Indian, British, Cuban, German... plus the added bonus of a number of rather yummy looking Vegan dishes! I'm really looking forward to giving them a try (and don't worry, if they're as good as they look, I'll be sure to share).

In other news, just in time for the rain to stop and the real days of summer to begin, our AC decided to quit working today. Hopefully it's something easily and cheaply fixed, because I do NOT want to have to spend my summer living in the basement just to avoid broiling.

Comments

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

I feel your firecracker pain. I have a church lot in back of my house which, of course, is just perfect for firing off M-80s and other delights. "sigh" The kite flyers and the model car people are just fine, even the street hockey kids in their day were fine but the firecracker nuts...

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Yep. It's the huge booming that annoys me the most... although loud crackling at 2am isn't at the top of my list, either. :-p

[rosiewook.livejournal.com]

I hate it when people set off fireworks. It's incredibly annoying and usually involves much beer. (Hence the 2am thing.) I feel for you.

It's bad enough that each night at 10pm we hear the show from Stone Mountain with cannon fire, gun fire and fireworks.

Thankfully, Maddy has learned to ignore it. Although it is kind of amusing when you have guests over. They wonder what's going on.

I hope the AC is happy again.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

You know, I'm not sure I ever noticed the fireworks when I was there for Dragon*Con... but then odds are good I wasn't at your house at 10pm.

I hope the AC is happy again.

Thanks! We were able to schedule someone to come out and look at it next Tuesday... considering the time of year, that's probably not a bad wait-time. And, fortunately, we've supposedly got a few days of cooler weather ahead of us, so I'm hoping it won't get too bad.

[psubrat.livejournal.com]

because I do NOT want to have to spend my summer living in the basement just to avoid broiling

I didn't even think of going into the basement yesterday when the power went out. Then again, I'm not fond of dark basements without windows. I don't think Boo would have liked that much either. But...it's an option if the power should go out again and we can't get to the pool.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that the AC is easily and cheaply fixed. :)

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Well, our basement is actually a daylight basement... and, technically, only one corner of the house is even partially underground (we're in a split-level, so even the "underground" part of the house is above ground enough to have a fairly decent sized window). It does, however, manage to stay much cooler than the main floor.

Being trapped down here is much better nowadays than it was before we had the AC installed... we've got the built-in bookcases in the Library done with the books neatly put away, and a few years ago we moved the computers down here too. Come to think of it, I often spend a good portion of my day down here anyway... I just resent being forced into it. :-p

I'll keep my fingers crossed that the AC is easily and cheaply fixed. :)

Thanks. We've got someone coming out to look at it on Tuesday... which, considering the time of year, isn't that bad a wait time, I guess.

Fortunately, we've got a couple of days of cooler weather ahead of us.

[nmissi.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain on the firecracker issue; I've been smelling the junk for days, wafting over from behind the apartments.

Congrats on the new cookbook. I think CJ needs to put out another one; It's been years since the Ewok book. And we've so many fantastic cooks!

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

There was a cookbook?!!? *sigh* I joined CJ way too late.

[pmgoose.livejournal.com]

Good luck with your A/C!

[zotel.livejournal.com]

I have this paranoid worry that our power will go out in the middle of summer - and the A/C with it. We have a walk out basement, but we'd probably pick up a small window unit and fire up the generator if the power was out.

I was always the pyro, but never at 2 in the morning. And I actually do enjoy the sulphur smell, but then skunk is a nostalgic smell for me since I was bussed past a chemical plant...

We work on 4 county's documents in Washington state, King, Snohomish, Thurston and Pierce. And King is the only one that doesn't suck. We mostly deal in real estate documents, but we run across death, birth, wedding, and divorce docs too. Including George - a crazy guy who flipped real estate but, put rants in with his documents...

[jerusha]

Good luck getting the AC fixed. It's surprisingly cool here tonight, so we have the place open, but it gets so darn hot and humid in the summers. I couldn't live without it!

And I know just what you mean about fireworks. We live on the western edge of town, so people aren't as careful about what they shoot off, or when. It's already started. *sigh*