Last night we went out to eat in Waco and when we got home, it was 80 degrees in the house. After fiddling with the thermostat controls, we concluded that the air conditioner was broken. We turned it off.

I live without air conditining at home and I don't mind it at all, but here I found it absolutely terrifying. Tyson joked that he was going to head home right then and there. I ripped the palstic insulation off our bedroom window and taped over the holes in the screen. It was, in fact, cooler outside.

We paced around, every once in a while saying outloud how hot it was. Then Tyson had an idea to turn it on again and maybe it would work. A desperate effort, I thought, but it worked. It's amazing the things we take for granted. I am so grateful for that air conditioner.

I saw the headline of an article recently about how the invention of air conditioning had changed the world. I didn't actually get to read the article, but it spurned a conversation between a few people. Someone mentioned that the southern United States wouldn't be populated the way that it is without air conditioning. People wouldn't retire to Arizona and Florida.

Today, I found two mice in the half dozen traps that are set around the house. Every time I see a dead mouse like that, horror movie music plays in my head. Poor mice. At the same time, I don't want them in the house. I was finally able to answer Tyson's question: why did Mom leave a box of disposable rubber gloves? Of course Tyson wouldn't have anything to do with them so I had to remove them. He insisted that I shoudn't have to do that. What should I do - call a neighbor? let them rot?

I read Tyson's screenplay today. It is awesome and slightly autobiographical so that I had a knot in my stomach the whole time. When you see it, you'll know what I am talking about. It's called The Red Room.