A Cool Breeze

Vacation! Even the word makes me smile. No telephones nagging to be answered, no paperwork looming on my desk, no salespeople to sort out (worthy product for us or not). No bills to pay for a few days. Most of all, it will be coo-ool where we're headed. I hate to malign Texas because it's my birth state and I do love it but it does faithfully burn us in the summer months, doesn't it?

I have to keep it all in perspective remembering that the people here are friendlier than anywhere I've traveled except perhaps the deep South. My customers are the most pleasant of people as are my vendors and the folks who wait on me when I go out to eat or shop. And of course with one exception, family lives here and that counts for a lot.

Nonetheless, balmy 70 degree weather beckons on that mountaintop in Colorado and I can hardly wait. Thinking back to the heat of last summer our maids were having such a hard time working in it that we started sending out heat advisory notices asking our residential customers to turn down thermostats the morning our maids come to clean. I know it doesn't feel too bad as homeowners leave for work in the morning but if the team arrives at say, 1:00 the interior temperature of the house has risen to 80 or even 85 degrees which is in itself uncomfortable. I was chastised once for saying that, like the maids were wimps to complain, but vacuuming is rigorous upper body work which by itself can work up a steam and the exhaust from the vacuum cleaner heats the ambient temperature of a room by 10 to 15 degrees! Even if the thermostat is lowered on arrival, it's just beginning to cool the air by the time the team is locking up to leave, so it's not too helpful.

Ah, warm and wonderful Texas ... goodbye for a few days. I'll do my best to check in while I'm on the road. I'd love to share my travelogue observations with you. Make it a wonderful week ... and stay cool whatever you do!