It's going to be a fine day

Soon, not quite yet

But it's a few degrees cooler these days.  The lows are around 23 C and the highs around 35...I hope this means that the worst of summer is over.  I was told that August would be the worst month, and it's almost gone!  Still, I'm desperately craving a day like two Thursdays ago, something that doesn't get much above 30.  I need a break.  

I "jogged" 3 times last week.  It didn't feel exactly like jogging, or running, but verbs defy me.  It's smoother than a shuffle, but with a longer stride, but with the footstrike of a considerably faster pace.  Gliding?  On the one hand, it's lumbering and uncomfortable, but it's also forced a beautiful economy of movement.  At any rate, my centre of balance has shifted so much and I've put on enough weight that it feels like I'm "running" for the very first time.  Even walking is alien.   The dog and I walked about three miles today and I felt newly-acquainted with gravity.

Whatever, only 10 weeks or maybe 13-14 to go...maybe only 8?  In general, the grand entrance/exit has a 4-week window, assuming that there is one projected due date.  I do have one semi-official date, and two others that have been proposed along the way, spanning 12 days or so. Whatever, kid, it's cool; it's not like I got my shit together either.  So we'll go with ten weeks for now because it's a nice round number and the most comfortable: 8 is TOO SOON while 14 is TOO MUCH MORE. 

!!!

Thursday was AMAZING, weather wise.  I think it got up to only 32 C, and then storms brought that down.  Even better, my husband had the day off.  At one point in the afternoon, we were walking around outside raving how nice it felt.  I think that was the coolest day we had since leaving Canada.

I like being here, but with the highs still around 37-38 C everyday, I'm getting cabin fever.  There is stuff I want to explore, but it's just too hot.  We have acclimatized to the point where we can sit in the shade when it's in the low-mid 30s and feel fine, but walking around in the sun is another matter.  Fortunately, the mornings are still reasonable enough for short jogs.

Especially Friday.  It was only 23 C.  What?! It was a real treat because our apartment is set at 25 C.  I jogged with the dog for 25 minutes (admittedly, in 5 min intervals).

But perhaps it wasn't cool enough for her because she went swimming soon after!  Actually, she didn't jump in, but simply side-stepped into it during a moment of distraction. Since it's more of a canal, with vertical concrete sides, it's easy to fall in and harder to get out.  I couldn't lift her out in my present condition, but I wasn't too concerned because it's a small sluggish shallow river, and a boat ramp was nearby on the other side.  A kind passerby helped coax her over, and then I jogged up to and over a nearby bridge to retrieve her.

There's a $500 fine for "falling in"--the language was chosen to address the usual drunken excuse apparently--but I'm not sure it applies to dogs.  Since then, I've been looking around for other good places to get my dog out in case.  She's still rather young and repeatedly distracted, and my strength (and reach!) is limited.  Some portions of the river have railings or vegetation buffers, but there are quite a few stretches with very convenient water access.

The old dog would've loved it.  He was an avid diver and underwater fisher, and there are some pretty big tilapia here.

Today was hotter and less eventful.  Just 15 min of jogging and the new dog remained drier than I.

back in the saddle perhaps maybe

So I did run again this weekend and I couldn't have timed it better.  We've been here for not quite a month and there has been very little rain, but I managed to score the first morning drizzle.  20 minutes of near-comfort!  It felt nice and I even got to run on the non-shady side of the river for the first time! Even in the early morning, the temperature is at least 25 Celsius, and so I've been a creature of the shadows.

If I can do ~20 minutes of running three times a week for the next month or so, I'll be happy.  It's hot and I'm in my third trimester.  Yes, this is why I'm presently in Texas and not up in PA.   The weather is much better up north but the food and general scene is much better here, and the baby will emerge* in time for the awesome weather season.  I love winter, but I'm looking forward to Not-Winter this year.

Meanwhile, I've recently found out that my iron levels are low again, even though I'm taking almost 60 mg/day of iron supplements. 

* this is the kindest and least intimidating verb I can think of for this process.

~

Quick recap...isn't possible.

And I didn't even run today.  It was a nice morning, overcast, dry, and only about 27 C.  The dog and I merely walked, however.  I didn't have a lot of energy today: it was destined exclusively towards (more) unpacking.  We are downsizing somewhat radically, having slashed at least 1000 square feet off our living space--this is an excellent exercise for clarity, economy, efficiency, etc, but meanwhile we have to play horizontal Jenga.  So many boxes!  so much superfluous junk.