Dana, you're just round the corner from me! The heat just broke here with a lovely big thunderstorm, so relief is probably on its way.

Yeah, it rarely gets this hot, so no air con as a rule.

It is fucking hot, and these people in Europe don't believe in air conditioning.

They don't in the UK, either. And are confused about the idea of iced Americanos.

Have fun in Austria!

Enjoy Austria, Dana! Despite the heat.

Ooh, Dana! Have fun.

I just spent several hours volunteering at the arts festival here, and I am covered with sweat. Also the tan lines on my feet are more ridiculous than ever. But I heard some good music! And got a bunch of people's contact information. For work, not for me.

Is this woo nurse that you frequently have to call when she's about an hour later than agreed upon?

She's been as much as two hours late--she did call and say she was late, but she didn't call for the first ninety minutes, SO. Yeah--you can't be both, otherwise I'm on high alert all morning, and that's not good for patients who is exactly everyone whose houses you're going to. Shouldn't be hard to remember.

I've decided to Teavana her and control the conversation so she doesn't recommend anything to me--but now I think that either a) she's going to go to her friends and say "I have this patient who's just ridiculous! She keeps talking about science and medicine like it makes any sense! It's awful..." b) she'll be hawking the coconut palm sugar I gave her as a cure for cancer (just add stem cells and mix thoroughly!).

But she *liked* the sugar. I explained glycemic indices to her, and the ratings of various sweeteners, and I had a baggie of sugar I'd been going to send to the sister (I just bought her a bag instead, so she'd have the labelling) and she was eating straight out of the bag while we talked.

I told my mother that my inability to ejaculate sperm was psychologically similar for me to my inability to recognise or reproduce pitch exactly--they are things my body does not do, and I don't attach much importance to either of them as far as a big picture--introducing my mother to the idea of rejecting deep etching of the gender binary. She was remarkably not that taken aback by me talking about having an erection, even insofar as saying "Only us have this conversation..."

This was my leadup to discussing going bald. She asked me to "just do something for me, ita--do something for your mother..." I think I talked her down to "This is not for or about you (except for the part where you never taught me haircare)." with her remaining response being "Don't tell me when, then." Since I doubted her ability to feel it in her soul.

She's growing her hair longer like my sis. They weird.

My ability to find horizontal surfaces to nap on on mornings of days I need to start cleaning remains epic.

Waking up pretty much ruins my sleep for me, but I am accepting that the reason I still resent abluting in the morning is because it's the final admission that I'm not crawling back into the sheets.

I hate vacuuming. It's like wrestling with an octopus.

I hate vacuuming. It's like wrestling with an octopus.

Clutching an anchor. Also a hater.

Shit, I need to add "Call cleaning service" to my task list. Polgara's recommended people were good, and I am bad. I'm trying to tidy as I move around so it's cleanable, but I need professional help.

I was flipping through the videos I have on my network, and I found "Departing Space Station Commander Provides Tour Of Orbital Laboratory" and I've never felt so spitefully jealous of astronauts as right now. I think I may understand my "Mars Ho" ex-roomie a bit better now, but I suspect she wants to execute science. That's not really a priority for me.

It is fucking hot, and these people in Europe don't believe in air conditioning. They just run around in 100-degree heat, looking all chic and continental.

Damn them and their chic continentalness! Where do they learn it?

Dim sum was had, though both friends who were supposed to come bailed--one texted, the other said she had thought we were meeting at 1:30, not 11:30. Oops. Ah well. Then we ransacked Goodwill. Yay, sister.

My ability to find horizontal surfaces to nap on on mornings of days I need to start cleaning remains epic.

Oh, yes! just thinking about cleaning makes me sleepy!

I too, bruise easily and I have my mother's nearly transparent skin so my veins look like road maps. You can imagine how well the bruises show. I discover new ones in the shower all the time. "wow, that's a big one, you'd think I would remember that happening!"

I can injure myself on anything. It's a proven fact.

I also hate vacuuming, but it's the noise. I'd rather use an old fashioned broom than put up with it. I keep my hair short so I don't need a hairdryer.