Today, I melted.

Assuming that I deliver the mail in a timely and professional manner each day (I do), I have approximately seven hours to walk around and daydream.  Since the temperature reached ninety-nine degrees today (and in case you didn't know, those fancy-looking trucks we drive around do NOT have air conditioning, so go ahead and add another ten degrees), I mostly daydreamed about ice cubes and swimming pools.  I'm pretty sure I even hallucinated a couple of breezes.  I was offered a cold bottle of water by one lady, just after a man told me to help myself to his sprinkler any time.  I'm not sure if he meant for drinking or running through, but just to be safe, I'll probably do both next time it's this hot out.  And in the midst of this horribly heated day, while sweat was pouring down my face and my back, I just kept thinking I'm so glad I don't work for Nelnet anymore. I always figured that when the weather becomes unbearable, I would have regrets.  I honestly and absolutely do not.  

Just last weekend, I finally found time to clear my old desk off.  It felt so good to throw away my giant book of procedures that I dug it right back out of the trash, announced, "I'M THROWING AWAY THESE PROCEDURES THAT I'LL NEVER EVER EVER HAVE TO USE AGAIN!!!" and promptly threw them away a second time, even though all in attendance (Kyler, Mae and Kenny) were sitting in the kitchen and witnessed the first throw-away.  It felt like when you dive off of the diving board into the swimming pool and plummet deeper than you anticipated, then frantically swim to the top because you are all out of breath and fearing for your life.  Throwing that book of procedures away was like getting that first big breath of life-saving air.  I might be making it sound more dramatic than it really was, but I just want you to understand how relieved I am to be working like a dog instead of a leach.  Dogs are much happier.  Or at least I think so because I've never seen a leach smile.  

And since I've mentioned swimming pools twice, I'll go ahead and say that we did go swimming today.  I met Kenny, kids and nephews at the pool when I got off of work.  I showed up during pool break.  Standing in the hot sun, Kenny immediately began quite the bitch session to me about how hot it is and how he just needs to jump back into the pool.  I said nothing but might have given him a look.  He quickly quit complaining and asked cautiously, "How was your day at work?" and then, "Here, let me put some sunblock on you."  

Fast-forwarding (or as three year old Kyler would say, "Front-forwarding) to the here and now, Mae's cat was laying on the back of the couch, fast asleep.  It fell from the couch-back directly onto my head...and didn't even wake up.  I gently lifted it back onto the couch and it still didn't wake up.  This is exactly how I plan to sleep tonite.  Good night, friends.