Medicated

I forget what it was that was bothering me -- cultural isolation, something like that.

People are people, not all the same, but then why keep track of the differences?

I'm writing a story today called "The Buddha in Texas," which makes everything completely clear.

I had a good week at the newspaper. My office is homier -- Pam said so. I have some of my favorite old books, a plant, and a jar with three dead beetles. I'm hoping to get some tooled leather or some rattlesnake bones to add to it.

What may have changed my attitude was the heat on Monday -- 100 degrees -- the first really hot day of the year. I liked it.

I like the heat in Texas. It is a very substantial presence, and not anything you can argue about. It is just there, and knowing that you are at least 500 miles from a cool breeze encourages acceptance. No forgetting AC.

Summer in Texas -- it's cool early in the morning and there are so many song birds at this time. Early morning is the time for exercise.

Summer evenings -- after work -- just being outdoors as it starts to cool a little bit -- very special.

Watching the kids play Little League baseball in the park, or driving into San Antonio to a beer garden that I know about.

I'm better adjusted now.

Easy to be nice now. If only, when things get bad again, I could stop whining about it. You'd think I would know by now that it just goes away after a while.