Heat and Ant cake

I am writing to you all from our attic room without air conditioning (Protestants are against it-almost as much as they are against ice cubes) or insulation, (which Portuguese are against), during a heatwave. We are somewhat thrown by the heat because it interferes with our non stop ball chasing- little white ones, and big white ones and little yellow ones and large beach ones. If an alien were to come down to observe our culture he would ask "what's with all the balls?"
I have no good answer.
The tennis though, has been fun: Thomas and I started out with one man who is close to his hip replacement surgery, and this was perfect. The court is an absolute frying pan; and really I would prefer to be fitter than the teacher. But after one morning trying to keep us (Thomas) entertained, he was replaced by my worst nightmare: a fit 45 year old handsome type who seems to think we need to "go for it". "Go for it go for it go for it!!! I need you to GO!"
The good news is I have become a whiz at the passing shot, because passing him means I get to take a break. I am really very hot.

Heat is one of those things that separates the weak from the strong-the clear headed from the confused; it separates those who leaped off the titanic and those who ordered another round. And in this house it is clear that the only real men are C and E. Honestly- they head out at high noon to start golf, because any earlier would mean a rushed breakfast. When they return, after having skipped lunch, they have a hot tea, followed by the traditional German 5 o'clock cake break. This I have always felt is pure genius. Cake and hot coffee at 5pm. A little heat wave does not stop them-nor it seems does an ant infestation. The cake pan was crawling with them, and Thomas pointed this out as one of the many reasons he did not care for cake.
Sigh. Such a disappointment that child. All this blather about cholesterol and insects and heat. They really do not know what to do with him.

When we think no one is home we engage in all sorts of subversive activities: ice cubed filled drinks, and brief interludes of air conditioning. I even invented a new past time I coined: "air conditioning tourism" where we take the children for a drive in the middle of the day, and climate control our way to happiness.

Little Luis S has been a joy: he does all the sports we ask, and then he comes and does knee bends on his own. He has only gotten heat stroke once (one little headache! don't judge) which for a person traveling with us in the summer is a good statistic; also he is an utterly reliable cake eater. Solid performance in any temperature.

Today we will take a break from playing or watching any sport (To my horror, Thomas has been dabbling in cricket watching again) to visit the town of Tavira-castles and beach, and maybe if we are very lucky, a few ice cubes in our cokes.


PS My tech department has taken it upon himself to add a "Puppy of the Day" section to the blog. Enjoy. xx