Paraguayan Summer

909pm, 91’ Too hot to sleep, trying not to snack, can’t lie down, can’t play any more minesweeper or my hand’ll fall off. It’s cooler outside than in this brick oven, but I can’t go outside in my skimpy pajamas. Kids are setting off firecrackers outside, wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. We have reached the level of hot known as dripping, a step above merely sweating and just barely below DYING. I wish I had a fenced in little patio where I could drag out my mattress to sleep outside like many Paraguayans do, but I’d end up sleeping with the roosters so that’s not an option for me. Pouring water over the cement floor and various parts of my body to encourage evaporation only makes me think that it’s helping, I don’t notice any actual difference in temperature. Hopefully it’ll rain tomorrow and I’ll be back again in the world of normalcy, able to do something other than sit upright and sweat.

Fortunately, to get me through, I have recently acquired a refrigerator. I can think of no single possession that I value more these days! Cold water, ice, fruit juice popsicles, fruit that lasts longer than a day, leftovers, and even cheese!!!!!