Book Board Chat

Good evening from a blistering Southern California. It is in the upper 90s and low 100s and has been for awhile. Not only that, it's actually humid due to storm activity in the Pacific. Even us transplants from the east are complaining, since we can't say "at least it's a dry heat." My electricity bill this month was a staggering $600+. It has been high before, but never that high. The AC runs a lot more now that the adult kids are back in the house. Time for them to foot some of the bills...

It is very common in this area for homes not to even have AC because we are in relatively temperate coastal towns. For those people without AC these few weeks in July through September are absolutely miserable. We live several miles from the ocean so when we bought the house 20 years ago we insisted on the AC. I'm glad we did. I'm also REALLY glad our clients for this weekend's estate sale have AC. They are in San Juan Capistrano, which is about 5 miles up the road from here and a minimum of 5 degrees warmer on a hot day. It's been 101-103 the past few days, so staging and pricing the patio has been a bear. Pricing stickers are wanting to curl and come off. Estate sales are poorly attended when it's really hot out, so all my ads mention the AC in the title - ha! I think I may add "Air Conditioned" to our signs, too. Remember when motels and restaurants along the highway proudly displayed signs when they had AC?

The next estate sale is in a mobile home, also in San Juan. The AC is broken and it was 88 indoors before noon today. We left a message for the realtor because if they can't get the AC working, everything inside that place is going to mildew.

So has everyone heard of the Salmonella outbreak? It has apparently been pretty bad (as Salmonella outbreaks go) in Southern California. Unfortunately, Pam and her family appear to be in the statistics. They had a lovely dinner at a nice restaurant in L.A. on Sunday and were sick by Monday. Her daughter is the only one who didn't get violently ill. Apparently the salmon crostini had cucumber on it, and the DD is the only one who didn't eat it. The restaurant is currently denying any issues, though their Washington DC restaurant has had 9 reported cases. Pam's future SIL called his doctor, who insisted he come in immediately, and then insisted on calling the restaurant and the CDC. Pam and her DH have Kaiser, who told them don't bother coming in since there is nothing we can do for you anyway. Sheesh! Last I heard Pam and the DH were going in to urgent care anyway not because they are THAT sick (the worst is past) but because if it is salmonella they want the CDC and the restaurant to know. That Kaiser makes me SO mad...