Hot Town, Summer in the City

It is hot. It is summer, get over it.

We had ball practice yesterday evening, being a fat guy, my shirt was soaked before practice was half over, and I was not doing anything. The kids did not seem to mind so much, they were focused on the task at hand -- hitting, fielding, throwing.

We did not have air conditioning when I was a boy. Screens, fans, and a sprinkler were the methods of cooling down. Otter and I spent most summer nights sleeping in a tent in the backyard. Between Boy Scouts, Reenacting, and summer sleepouts, I bet I have slept outside 400-500 nights. Sometimes it was even too hot to sleep in the tent, then we would wait until the lights were out in the houses and run the neighborhood. Well, Otter did, I was a good boy who stayed in the tent like I was supposed to. Sometimes we would get up in the night and go inside to sleep. But it was hot in the house, and often as not, a sweaty, uneasy night is all we could muster.

On hot summer days we would hop on our bikes and head to the public pool. I think the year before high school my friend Jeff and I went to the pool every day. We spent the time hitting on the girls and trying to get a handful of boob or a quick feel of firm butt. I am not sure what we would have done had we actually got some girl to give up the pussy. The chase was half the fun, but young hormones make a boy crazy. I often wonder if the girls were supercharged too?

After swimming I would often ride up the street to my Grandma's house for a coke and some cards. We would play some rummy or maybe cribbage and cool off on the back patio. Grandma always had some flower or such she wanted me to see. Sometimes she would get me to pull some weeds, or haul some rubbish to the back of the yard to burn later when it cooled off.

My swimsuit and towel rolled into a tight roll and bungeed to my handlebars, I started the trip home. I would ride past the red haired girl's house, maybe a couple of times. She had the biggest boobs in Jr. High. I had a crush on her (or maybe it was her boobs?). She was never outside. Down Washington Street I rode, coming home to a warm meal and lots of love. Maybe I would have one of those homemade kool-aide popsicles and in the little tupperware things. Did you have those?

Summer, days of nothing that add up to a great boyhood.