It's hot. Real hot. Too hot to type. Way too hot for a witty, fabulous, thought-provoking post. If you ever wondered about the insulation quality of your basic fibro cottage, I have to tell you that it's a very low quality. Like non-existent. If it's 40 degrees celsius outside, it's probably 42 degrees celsius in here.
In here, where I am trying to write as the sweat trickles down my arm, dropping into little pools on the keyboard. My fingers are sliding into nchytsl - whoops, sorry. Typos are part of the territory.
Anyhoo. I'm hot. But I'm not cowered in my house with my precious documents double-wrapped in plastic and my five precious children gathered close. That would be my Cousin A. In Townsville. Awaiting Cyclone Yasi. In its path, along with other members of extended Fam Fibro.
I rang her this morning. She told me it was eerily still. No birds. Not a breath of wind. I asked if she was okay. "Oh yeah," she said. "Just waiting."
"You're not leaving?"
"Where would we go?" She has a point. The storm is apparently 500km across and due to go as far inland as Mt Isa. It is big.
A is the most practical woman I know. I travelled in Europe with her for two years and it is because of her that I managed to find my way home. I have the sense of direction of an indoor plant. She is a homing pigeon. We would walk out of a hostel and I would unerringly turn in the wrong direction - away from the station/church/okay, pub that we were looking for. She would gently grab my arm and haul me and my backpack back on track.
I am sweating for her. In more ways than one.
Fingers crossed for a cool change in the Fibro - and an all-clear text from Cousin A.
A light breeze is a blessing. The rest Mother Nature can keep.
Update: finally got that text: All well here. Relief all round.
Oh Al. I pray that you get that all clear text too.
ReplyDeleteTerrifying.
And I can relate to the fibro heat. A few houses ago we were in a fibro. My chunky candles melted on a hot day. Wine bottles popped their corks as the liquor boiled.
xxx
I hope your cousin (and everyone in North Queensland) stay safe. It must be incredibly frightening.
ReplyDeleteHave done fibro house in high temps too. Not pretty, not pretty at all.
Oh dear, sweating for your cousin too. A-M xx
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts and prayers are with your Cousin A and the rest of Nth Qld tonight & over the coming days. Such a beautiful part of the world and I'd really like it to stay that way. I agree, sometimes mother nature is a little too liberal with how much she shares. We are sweating under a tin roof, with no air con to speak of, but I have no doubt fibro would still win that battle. Sending cool thoughts your way :o)
ReplyDeleteIt's nuts...this weather!
ReplyDeleteNorth, south...all over.
But this 'storm', OMG!
I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to be in the middle of that.
Prayers for your cousin, and thank you for another beautifully poignant post! xx
I am wishing all-clear texts and wishing that said storm could just go and take a detour via Mars. Crazy crazy world...Thinking of everybody in Oz today, been a harsh few months : ( x
ReplyDeleteSending lots of positive thoughts to your family. And I can relate to the hot, hot, hot ... we don't have aircon, and are in an old house. My desk at least is under a rickety ceiling fan!
ReplyDeleteAlso really hot tonight but grateful we are not sheltering against a cyclone. Cannot sleep as I'm too worried about my friends/family in FNQ. Stay safe everyone. xo
ReplyDeleteLet's hope we hear lots of good news soon :O) You really have to wonder what mother nature is doing to QLD atm.
ReplyDeleteGosh, too scary! I hope you have had a good news text by now, will keep you in my thoughts x
ReplyDeletePS Sounds like we have the same sense of direction!! Living in London I was the only person who never left the house without her A-Z AND STILL MANAGED TO GET LOST!
I look out my window and see this cold raging snow storm, yet your writing gave me the (at this moment) glorious feeling of hot. I could imagine the sweat stinging my eyes, and this is probably the only time of year when I would comment on how great that is!
ReplyDeleteSo mush sadness for you all - the floods and then this scary cyclone. Prayers for you all!
Poor Queensland. Hope your family stay safe.
ReplyDeleteI hope some good news comes through soon. xx
ReplyDeleteCould you please send those gorgeous young men with palm leaves over here if you're not going to use them?
ReplyDeleteI hope your rels are safe? It must be truly terrifying. I must admit, I wouldn't have stayed. I would have driven....somewhere....anywhere....to try to get away from Yasi.
Trish
x
I know what you mean, I feel kind of ridiculous complaining about the heat (but seriously, it's ghastly!) when there it is so much worse in QLD right now. Thinking of all of them...
ReplyDeleteSo relieved they're safe.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't believe the size of that cyclone. It must be absolutely terrifying.
That was me by the way. Premature pushing of button.
ReplyDeleteIt's Thursday now, so hoping you've heard that your sister and kids are okay.
ReplyDeleteI'm also very glad that Adelaide isn't cyclone territory.
It is b****y hot here too though.
Not fibro hot inside though, since the landlord put an aircon in the lounge last summer. With a nice hike in the rent to cover his costs. The rest of the rooms don't get the cool from it though.
I'm sitting in one of the few places on the planet having beautiful weather. I feel a little guilty.
ReplyDeleteI've given you an award on my blog. You're supposed to copy it and post it here and tell us 7 things about yourself, then pass it on to more deserving bloggers. (But I won't take back the award if you don't.)