RAIN

Truthfully, it has been a very long time since I prayed for rain. I mean really prayed, on bended knee, for relief from the heat and lack of precipitation. Now I'm not trying to exaggerate our condition; thankfully no drought is forecasted and we aren't plagued by wildfires.    [ As a brief note, I have friends in Colorado and my heart goes out to them for the extreme losses many of their neighbors are facing. I can not imagine what it is like to flee with only what you can carry, to outrun a fire  .  .  .  our prayers are with you!]     But I will say that the heat and lack of rain has been down right oppressive lately. So while I was supposed to be listening to the sermon yesterday, I drifted off for a few moments into my what if  zone  .  .  .  it's that place in my imagination where anything is possible. I won't bore you with the grey-matter surrounding my epiphany (yes I'm using that word because after all, I did have this idea come to me in the pew at the 11:00 service!) yet I will say that I ended up on an enthusiastic search for a way to stay cool.

Last summer, as you may remember, the Group Therapy founding club members experienced the trip of a lifetime by journeying to the tropical paradise known as Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. We knew no one, so we were less inhibited about our swimwear as we would be at say our local country club or rec. center pool. Don't panic, no thongs were worn (cringe), but we did sport two-piece bathing suits baring stomachs, just as we used to in our earlier sunbathing days (amazing what a little tequila will do for one's courage and self esteem). Our motto: brown fat looks better than white fat any day of the week! Please don't get the wrong idea, we were still southern 50 year olds and for the most part, acted our age  .  .  .  but we did feel a little provocative in our two-pieces. I guess the joke was on us!

As my dearly departed husband used to comment, just as I was moving from one tangent to another, while trying to tell one of my stories, "alright already, please get to the punch-line, I'm going to have another birthday before you finish this one!"  .  .  .  okay, okay, I'm getting there!

My excursion after church led me to several discount stores in search of that thing-that-I-would-know-once-I-saw-it solution to the heat, when I came across what I thought was the ticket! A small, "easy set up" above ground pool. (No pumps or filters required.) Eight feet in diameter, thirty inches high, perfect for one person to float in, in the privacy of her own backyard  .  .  .  Only takes 10-30 minutes to set up your very own backyard pool for summertime fun  .  .  .  wasn't this what I had been searching for? [As another aside, I did in fact install a much bigger version of one of these durable plastic inventions many years ago, so my familiarity pushed me over the edge, or ledge depending on your point of view, to buy this promise of cool-down in a box]  I pictured myself floating in my backyard at lunchtime, wearing my Cabo two-piece in totally privacy. People would say, "how do you keep that golden tan in this heat" and I would answer, "just lucky I guess" in perfect Carrie fashion. Could I really have a tan for the rest of the summer like I did before I got too old to tolerate the heat? And I wouldn't have to feel self conscious about the way I looked because no one would see me. Admittedly, I was getting a little ahead of myself. But it was HOT! 

Fast forward to two hours later, and several hundred gallons of water (can't wait to see my water bill next month  .  .  .  so much for the pool being on sale for a mere $30), I'm standing next to my own backyard solution to several days of triple digit temperatures. And I'm grinning from ear to ear! I rush in to get a towel, not bothering to change into a swimsuit. Grab my book and something cold to drink and realize that the blue sky has faded to a pale grey and it's sprinkling. Only a few drops, hardly enough to get anything wet, but just in case, I run back in for the umbrella; don't want to ruin my book. Carefully I step into the water (remember it's not even three feet deep) and lower myself onto the new float I also purchased. My shorts get wet but who cares, right. As I float blissfully I notice that the drops are falling harder and more frequent. I haven't opened my eyes yet, too busy congratulating myself on a job well-down. Then, as we say in the south, the bottom dropped out and it started raining cats and dogs.  Picture me on my float, in a flash summer thunderstorm. My bliss faded as quickly as the clouds had rolled in. The next reel that plays in my head is: "Tragedy strikes suburbia today when local woman is struck by lightning in her baby pool, details at 10!" S@#t!  I scramble out of the pool, lucky not to break my 50 year old neck and seek shelter. When I think the storm has passed, I get soaked again trying to put the cover on my little oasis (too funny how a $30 bargain will end up costing me a lot more) determined to keep the dream alive. It wasn't supposed to rain, much less storm. There's always tomorrow! 

It's still raining  .  .  .  NO COMPLAINTS because we REALLY, REALLY need the moisture, so my little backyard pool will just have to wait. Maybe Samantha and Charlotte can come over and we can take turns pretending we are back in Cabo. Not quite the Sky Infinity Pool, but it should be perfect for little ole me!

Sky Infinity Pool, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Too Funny, backyard,  Easy Set Pool

No comparison  .  .  .