Cool in the Summer

Over the 36 years I've lived in Miami, I've heard the occasional tale from an old timer about living here before the advent of air conditioning. I no longer believe these stories. Up north, they have the occasional summer heat wave, and it's oppressively hot, but sometime during the night, the temps cool a bit. Not in South Florida. The third of our three main A/C units gave up its ghost Tuesday night. The first two cool the living/dining room and the kitchen/family room. They were replaced by Danny, an affable Argentine thankfully referred by Norman. I called Danny Wednesday, reminded him I hadn't yet paid him for unit 2 (he was on vacation) and told him I needed the third and final 5 tonner replaced. He rearranged his installer Livan's schedule, and Livan came yesterday and put in the new unit. I'll meet Danny next week and give him a check for over $10K. Ah, home ownership and its joys... But when I visited the upstairs rooms late Tuesday night, to fetch stuff, it was 86! Again, untenable for civilized humans. Miami without air conditionin is the Amazon jungle.. The good news is we ought to now be ac-ed for the next 10 years -- probably longer than we'll be living here. Wifey and I are already pining for a condo rental -- probably in the Grove -- where maintainence issues or approaching hurricanes come down to calling the owner and saying "It sucks to be you." As a current homeowner, sometimes it sucks to be us... Also on the annoying front, my Herald subscription. I changed from daily to 4 times per week, and haven't gotten the paper since. I've called each day, and written three emails. The most I get is conversations with sub continent accented guys who promise to get it fixed. They've done as well as the Pakistani government has in stopping terrorism. Today I emailed the executive editor, telling her I know she's in charge of content, but content don't matter if you ain't able to read it. I purposely used bad grammar to get her attention, though these days, with the younger generation of some journalists, she might not notice. So for now my news habit must be satisfied only online. The obits aren't as easy to find -- I can't simply turn to them while in the bathroom and feel smug that I'm not listed there... Tomorrow Wifey and I, who thought about going to Key West for the 4th, will instead split the difference and go to Coconut Grove, as the Rodney Crowell song said. The Ritz had a summer rate -- and with AMEX it includes an upgrade, breakfast, and a $100 spa credit, which D1 has already claimed and scheduled a massage for the 5th, as her payment for watching the hounds while we're away. Ah, my Ds -- they do love being pampered. D2 called from MIA on Wednesday -- crowing about the new Centurion Lounge where she ate and drank well while waiting for her plane to LaGuardia. May their pampering continue -- and their newspaper deliveries never be halted...