Summer Nights And Sleeplessness
Without Prejudice
Its hard to imagine how hot it is here in the Great Land Of Oz at the moment. I went to the Supermarket and spent two hours in air conditioned comfort and everyone was chatty and friendly. I guess thats what happens when you are all going through the same experience. There were three grizzly children and I thought how miserable that is for the parents.
My parents had a son that never slept, David, My younger brother. On hot nights in Port Augusta we would drive and drive the lonely roads until he finally fell asleep. I will always remember those hot nights with the windows of the car down and the smells of the dry bush. A radio playing softly in the background and Mum and Dad chatting up front.
It felt like we were in Never Never land. Just the quiet and the endless road and the warm breezes flowing in through the windows, my siblings asleep and I would be wide awake and would lean forward on the hump in the middle of the car floor and chat with my parents. I felt special and protected and so very happy. Glad that my little brother slept and was not fretful, he so small, dressed in a singlet top and nappy.
Tonight I think of him my baby brother and know now he could sleep standing up. And as ever I am awake in the wee witching hours. The babies in the house at the front are asleep, the slothy Husky, Kayko, asleep on the outdoor table. The well muscled cat, Nicholas asleep on the front grass. His eyes gleam at me as I inspect the front garden with a torch. All around me hum the evaporative Coolers on the roofs of houses. I think of sensible old people and animals that sleep as much as they can in the heat.
I inspect the back yard too by torchlight. I have no idea what I am looking for. Maybe just peace and safety, checking on all my charges and the garden that seems almost burnt to a crisp. The boys pool has deflated and the dogs water is full of dirt. I clean it, holding the torch in my mouth and refresh the water. Kayko drinks from it as it is running and licks my hand at the same time.
I am tempted to water all the plants but dismiss the idea as it will be too noisy, the neighborhood in darkness and sleep. All the sensible people. I alone can not sleep but its something I am used to and am also an early riser. I vow to water the plants then as tomorrow will be cooler they say. There are savage bushfires burning out of control in Tassie and I hope my Sister In Law and partner are OK.
The dry hot conditions are perfect for bushfires and I often wonder why each and every time they come as a surprise. I saw the empty paddocks of grass near us on the way to Safeway and thought how easily the would burn and jump the road to the new building estate. A full on fire burning out of control and moving at the speed of an express train, ash and embers flying in the air and igniting eucalyptus trees full of oily leaves that catch and explode.
I shiver a little at the thought and can only imagine how terrible an out of control fire can be. A beast that feeds in on itself and spreads fiery fingers through the dry air. Set to go off feeding on the dry grass and dry trees, a disaster waiting to happen. I think of the tireless fire fighters who must swelter in protective clothing and fight the fires with such bravery and resilience. Thank God for them.
In the supermarket tonight people were laughing and joking. I realised that 40 odd degrees is what Abu Dhabi is most of the time, day in and day out and wonder at the people that live there. They must be used to it. For us its not normal and we act like the heat is out to "Get Us" I can only imagine the people in the Emirates going about their daily lives, doing all the normal things and we are so zapped out of it in just one day. Its impossible to go about our normal day on days like today, tasks are put off, rest is the only thing or the beach with its several degrees less of temperature.
But who wants to go there in a hot car, sticky vinyl seats and heat coming in through the windows. Drivers in air conditioned comfort are better off but after a while it feels like the air conditioning is not working and tempers fray and drivers yell at each other in frustration. The water is cool at the beach and the best time to go is late at night when the crowds have gone home. Packed up their shade tents and picnic chairs, their eskys swilling with slushy ice at the bottom and empty pie wrappers.
There of course is also the Public Pools with crowds on beach towels cheek by jowl. Icy poles drip down their arms leaving sticky trails of green and red and washed off in the tepid water. The queue for the canteen long. Kids being told off for running and dive bombing and the sheer joy of the water as you first enter. You feel cocooned and bouyant and the water like silk on the skin. Almost a sensual pleasure and you feel the need to void your bladder but don't. You realise people not as moral as you have probably peed in their, anyway but the pool is so vast and so well chlorinated you don't care.
And at the end of the hot day, red eyed from swimming under water and skin all pruned up you hers the kids back to the hot car with its aluminium sun shade protecting the steering wheel so you can touch it without screaming in pain. The windows go down all at once and the kids are quiet for once as you head up the packed highway to home. At least there will be no sand inlaid towels to wash and you are glad of that. You know you can feed the kids and get them to bed early after watching Toy Story once again.
And now its the wee hours and I finally feel like eating. I slice and dice iceberg lettuce, vine ripened tomatoes and a lebanese cucumber. I plop on top a small tin of tuna in springwater and some low fat Caesar Dressing and love the fresh taste and crunch. I have added salt as well as I have low blood pressure, always, so I can have it. Tomatoes do not taste as good without salt. I am back to healthy eating after stuffing my face with Christmas food for the last four weeks. I can't resist a little Christmas Cake and mince pies with cinnamon custard.
I watched Dr Phil today and there were two extremely large ladies on todays show. One with her husband and one with her son. Both men desperate for the females to lose weight for their health but they have gone about it all the wrong way. One man even a behaviouhal phsychologist. And in deperation, they say, they have started berating the females, calling them names like Pig or fat guts. They are chastised by the good Doctor.
But then Dr Phil turns to the women and asks why they think so little of themselves that they have allowed this to happen to their bodies. That food is an addiction just like any other. And he praises the men for their care and concern but says there are better ways to go about it. Instead of berating them they need to encourage and support them. And here for me was the interesting part. That will power is doomed to fail. That humans don't have the will power and commitmant to lose weight all by themselves.
You have to give yourself the best help and support by making a choice, health. Health comes first if you want to add value to your life. I so totally agree. And I listen as to how we sabotage ourselves by not throwing out all the unhealthy stuff and buy only the stuff that is going to help us. I have relaxed my strict regime over Christmas and enjoyed every mouthful. But its time. I don't care that mince pies are down to 37 cents for 6.
Instead at Safeway I stock up on fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, skim milk, dry crackers, fat free dressing that is not full of sugar, diet lemonade for my treat. I work at home and will go to that fridge a hundred times a day and peer in. I always sigh but get off my lazy butt and chop and dice and slice instead of having something easy I can just scoff. I know my habits better than anyone. And lets face it if you don't you are just sabotaging yourself.
If there is nothing delicious in there like chocolate I can't eat it. Dr Phil states that you have to replace an addiction with another less harmful addiction. I did that when I gave up smoking. I ate instead of smoking, swapped lollies and sugar for nicotine. Ate kilos of sugary treats anything to soothe my fretfulness for a cigarette. Then Simon, my ex son in law, said pack a little tobacco in a pipe and look forward to tha.t. So I did and looked like a crack whore as the only pipe they sell these days is a tiny little metal thing.
So fires are getting worse and I have put my water cooler and fan in the bedroom, along with a fresh magazine. I am a great believer in preparation. I will have a cold shower and with hair wet on a towel and read and eventually fall asleep. Just before I do I will put lavender oil on my pillow and Body Shop White Musk on my skin. The smell so lush and sensual and on warm skin gives off the scent of lemons. Hot nights in the Great Land Of Oz, Bless
Love Janette
Its hard to imagine how hot it is here in the Great Land Of Oz at the moment. I went to the Supermarket and spent two hours in air conditioned comfort and everyone was chatty and friendly. I guess thats what happens when you are all going through the same experience. There were three grizzly children and I thought how miserable that is for the parents.
My parents had a son that never slept, David, My younger brother. On hot nights in Port Augusta we would drive and drive the lonely roads until he finally fell asleep. I will always remember those hot nights with the windows of the car down and the smells of the dry bush. A radio playing softly in the background and Mum and Dad chatting up front.
It felt like we were in Never Never land. Just the quiet and the endless road and the warm breezes flowing in through the windows, my siblings asleep and I would be wide awake and would lean forward on the hump in the middle of the car floor and chat with my parents. I felt special and protected and so very happy. Glad that my little brother slept and was not fretful, he so small, dressed in a singlet top and nappy.
Tonight I think of him my baby brother and know now he could sleep standing up. And as ever I am awake in the wee witching hours. The babies in the house at the front are asleep, the slothy Husky, Kayko, asleep on the outdoor table. The well muscled cat, Nicholas asleep on the front grass. His eyes gleam at me as I inspect the front garden with a torch. All around me hum the evaporative Coolers on the roofs of houses. I think of sensible old people and animals that sleep as much as they can in the heat.
I inspect the back yard too by torchlight. I have no idea what I am looking for. Maybe just peace and safety, checking on all my charges and the garden that seems almost burnt to a crisp. The boys pool has deflated and the dogs water is full of dirt. I clean it, holding the torch in my mouth and refresh the water. Kayko drinks from it as it is running and licks my hand at the same time.
I am tempted to water all the plants but dismiss the idea as it will be too noisy, the neighborhood in darkness and sleep. All the sensible people. I alone can not sleep but its something I am used to and am also an early riser. I vow to water the plants then as tomorrow will be cooler they say. There are savage bushfires burning out of control in Tassie and I hope my Sister In Law and partner are OK.
The dry hot conditions are perfect for bushfires and I often wonder why each and every time they come as a surprise. I saw the empty paddocks of grass near us on the way to Safeway and thought how easily the would burn and jump the road to the new building estate. A full on fire burning out of control and moving at the speed of an express train, ash and embers flying in the air and igniting eucalyptus trees full of oily leaves that catch and explode.
I shiver a little at the thought and can only imagine how terrible an out of control fire can be. A beast that feeds in on itself and spreads fiery fingers through the dry air. Set to go off feeding on the dry grass and dry trees, a disaster waiting to happen. I think of the tireless fire fighters who must swelter in protective clothing and fight the fires with such bravery and resilience. Thank God for them.
In the supermarket tonight people were laughing and joking. I realised that 40 odd degrees is what Abu Dhabi is most of the time, day in and day out and wonder at the people that live there. They must be used to it. For us its not normal and we act like the heat is out to "Get Us" I can only imagine the people in the Emirates going about their daily lives, doing all the normal things and we are so zapped out of it in just one day. Its impossible to go about our normal day on days like today, tasks are put off, rest is the only thing or the beach with its several degrees less of temperature.
But who wants to go there in a hot car, sticky vinyl seats and heat coming in through the windows. Drivers in air conditioned comfort are better off but after a while it feels like the air conditioning is not working and tempers fray and drivers yell at each other in frustration. The water is cool at the beach and the best time to go is late at night when the crowds have gone home. Packed up their shade tents and picnic chairs, their eskys swilling with slushy ice at the bottom and empty pie wrappers.
There of course is also the Public Pools with crowds on beach towels cheek by jowl. Icy poles drip down their arms leaving sticky trails of green and red and washed off in the tepid water. The queue for the canteen long. Kids being told off for running and dive bombing and the sheer joy of the water as you first enter. You feel cocooned and bouyant and the water like silk on the skin. Almost a sensual pleasure and you feel the need to void your bladder but don't. You realise people not as moral as you have probably peed in their, anyway but the pool is so vast and so well chlorinated you don't care.
And at the end of the hot day, red eyed from swimming under water and skin all pruned up you hers the kids back to the hot car with its aluminium sun shade protecting the steering wheel so you can touch it without screaming in pain. The windows go down all at once and the kids are quiet for once as you head up the packed highway to home. At least there will be no sand inlaid towels to wash and you are glad of that. You know you can feed the kids and get them to bed early after watching Toy Story once again.
And now its the wee hours and I finally feel like eating. I slice and dice iceberg lettuce, vine ripened tomatoes and a lebanese cucumber. I plop on top a small tin of tuna in springwater and some low fat Caesar Dressing and love the fresh taste and crunch. I have added salt as well as I have low blood pressure, always, so I can have it. Tomatoes do not taste as good without salt. I am back to healthy eating after stuffing my face with Christmas food for the last four weeks. I can't resist a little Christmas Cake and mince pies with cinnamon custard.
I watched Dr Phil today and there were two extremely large ladies on todays show. One with her husband and one with her son. Both men desperate for the females to lose weight for their health but they have gone about it all the wrong way. One man even a behaviouhal phsychologist. And in deperation, they say, they have started berating the females, calling them names like Pig or fat guts. They are chastised by the good Doctor.
But then Dr Phil turns to the women and asks why they think so little of themselves that they have allowed this to happen to their bodies. That food is an addiction just like any other. And he praises the men for their care and concern but says there are better ways to go about it. Instead of berating them they need to encourage and support them. And here for me was the interesting part. That will power is doomed to fail. That humans don't have the will power and commitmant to lose weight all by themselves.
You have to give yourself the best help and support by making a choice, health. Health comes first if you want to add value to your life. I so totally agree. And I listen as to how we sabotage ourselves by not throwing out all the unhealthy stuff and buy only the stuff that is going to help us. I have relaxed my strict regime over Christmas and enjoyed every mouthful. But its time. I don't care that mince pies are down to 37 cents for 6.
Instead at Safeway I stock up on fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, skim milk, dry crackers, fat free dressing that is not full of sugar, diet lemonade for my treat. I work at home and will go to that fridge a hundred times a day and peer in. I always sigh but get off my lazy butt and chop and dice and slice instead of having something easy I can just scoff. I know my habits better than anyone. And lets face it if you don't you are just sabotaging yourself.
If there is nothing delicious in there like chocolate I can't eat it. Dr Phil states that you have to replace an addiction with another less harmful addiction. I did that when I gave up smoking. I ate instead of smoking, swapped lollies and sugar for nicotine. Ate kilos of sugary treats anything to soothe my fretfulness for a cigarette. Then Simon, my ex son in law, said pack a little tobacco in a pipe and look forward to tha.t. So I did and looked like a crack whore as the only pipe they sell these days is a tiny little metal thing.
So fires are getting worse and I have put my water cooler and fan in the bedroom, along with a fresh magazine. I am a great believer in preparation. I will have a cold shower and with hair wet on a towel and read and eventually fall asleep. Just before I do I will put lavender oil on my pillow and Body Shop White Musk on my skin. The smell so lush and sensual and on warm skin gives off the scent of lemons. Hot nights in the Great Land Of Oz, Bless
Love Janette
