Inside the Sun

My air conditioner went out yesterday.

The timing was less than perfect.

Two more days and we’d have hit another break in the weather that is supposed to come with rain and temps so low they seem Fall’ish.

Few more weeks and I’d have had windows that opened throughout the whole house so that the beautiful morning low temperatures could seep in. There’s not a breeze stirring, so the two windows I did open last night didn’t help. I didn’t feel safe keeping the back door wide open so I slept as long as I could with a wet towel draped over me and the fans going…but the fans…ugh. Just blowing around the thick, dead air. I’m up now, gritty eyes, weary body, but the doors are open. All of them and it’s so nice outside that hopefully the house will cool down. It was 90 in here when I went to bed last night. It’s cooled of to a frosty 88 presently.

My guy Mark is coming to service it today. Hopefully before it heats up again. The poor cats are just flopped everywhere. Kikimama looks like a wilted southern belle.

This unit…I’ve been baby-ing it since I bought the house. Literally the week that I moved it, it started breaking. It’s just one of the things my batshit Realtor/seller air conditioning guy who checked it-not my current savior but another one– screwed me on. If I was going to pay the full price to get the house (which I did) and the closing costs (plus extra) I should’ve had a new heat and air unit. But no one advised me on that. And I did this thing by myself. And as a first time home buyer I just didn’t know any better. That doesn’t make that “you’re stupid for not demanding this” voice go away.  So. For five years, every summer, I live in fear that it will break. Every year, for five years, something has happened and it’s been fixable.

I’m hoping that this  is fixable, too.

Why not just get a new unit and duct work, you ask?

Surely. I’d love to. But nothing is easy with this house. Every service guy I’ve had out here that’s looked at the old unit just cringes and speaks with wonder at its age, and begins to spin the yarn of impossibility when the time comes to replace it. So I’m paranoid about it.

Yet…surprisingly calm. I’m not freaking out. I know that today will bring answers, one way or another. Any repairs and upgrades that I make this year, should I sell it next year and move, will help drive the price, and I will honestly be able to look someone in the eye and say “it’s a good house…godspeed.”

Until that day, I’m going to go make me some iced coffee ala my soul sister Linda (who called yesterday with all kinds of information from one of their a/c specialists in New Mexico)–I’m going to go outside and lay in my hammock, and soak up the morning before the sun fully wakes up.

Yesterday was devoted to finishing another book…have you read A Discovery of Witches by Diana Harkness? I just finished the second in the series called A Shadow of Night. I really like them. Today will be devoted to getting the house cool, calling insurance to tie up loose ends re: repairs, and who knows what else.

The Olympics are over. School is beginning this week for many. Mine begins a week from today. There’s a lot of change this week. Change that is much easier to handle with cool temps! So, here’s hoping!