PPPHHHEEW - Hot Isn't It ? Observations From an Old Person - Posts From the Past - May 2012

 As we are currently having a lovely spell of warm- even hot - weather, I looked back at what was happening in Mays gone by, according to this blog, anyway. Seems I was referring to myself as an old person then, so no further comment needed on that.

Apparently in May 2012 it was very warm too, so here are my thoughts from back then, not so different from today, thirteen years later . 

                                                  

It's probably just me, but I don't think I'm so unique. 
I am old though and many things get on my nerves, most of the time.  I get on my nerves most of the time, so I do sympathise with everyone else on this. 

So, the sun is shining brightly and there's hardly a cloud in the sky and it's definately, hot. Great ! In this country we're always waiting for hot weather, and when it comes we do try to make the most of it. But the things people do and the 'rituals' we seem to go through are irksome, aren't they ?                                Firstly, barbeques (BBQs). I mean, why ?        

Can anyone honestly say that they have tasted a beefburger, sausage or chicken drumstick which has been barbequed and tastes better than one done in the kitchen in a in a frying pan or even under the grill ?          

Ok if you like food burnt to a cinder or black and sooty on the outside and soggy in the middle, then you go ahead. And all that preparation ! Either pouring 3 bottles of lighter fluid onto a few charcoals or lugging a great object from the bottom of the garden where it has been stood all winter, and the cover (which cost almost as much as the bbq itself) is covered in leaves and bird poo that needs to be cleaned off before you start. That's to cook on gas when you have a perfectly reasonable gas cooker in the house. Maybe someone can enlighten me on the joys of this.

Then there's the males of our species who take off their tee shirt at the first rays of sunshine and walk around the streets bare-chested with the shirt in their hand or slung over one shoulder, or sometimes tucked into the waist of their shorts or jeans. No thanks. I was told the other day not to look, but I don't think that's my responsibility. Some females, of all ages, might as well take their top off  altogether for the amount of cleavage, bare back and stomach that they have on show. Gross. If you wish to expose your bare sweaty flesh, please do it in the privacy of your own home or garden - and in the case of my home, only do it if you are getting in or out of the bath or shower or getting into your bed.    

Then there's the screaming kids bouncing constantly on trampolines and jumping into paddling pools, like a You've Been Framed video (or these days a Tic Tock video) and wondering how they've ended up with two black eyes and a broken arm from diving head first into 4 inches of water. Sorting out the pool  is a nightmare in itself. It takes half the morning to fill it up and then the kids moan that it's too cold to get in. So kettles full of hot water are ferried from the house until the temperature in the pool is 85 degrees plus. They'd been complaining that they were too hot and now the water's too cold !                    

When you can at last get yourself settled in the shade to read your 'summer book' with a nice cool drink, all the neighbours get their lawn mowers, strimmers and hedgecutters out and start playing 'music' loud enough to be heard over the machinery. Its Bedlam.

As I said, it's probably just me, being a miserable old so and so, but I'm taking no chances today. As it has also been forecast that today (27th May 2012) is The End of Days, again ... I am going to find the highest, loneliest, most peaceful mountain that the car car will climb to and sit on the top, with my dogs.

And I'm taking a picnic of cold, uncooked, unsmoked food.