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May 15, 2009 First, it's HOT where I live. We are on the way to breaking a record for the most days with triple digit figures during the month of May (it hasn't been below 100 degrees at my house for 10 days already.) This presents many problems the least of which is the a/c bill which is already over $100 per month. By the time summer ends my bill will reach the $300 plus mark. Couple this with other rising costs and you have a very dire situation. I would consider selling my home and moving to an area with cooler temperatures but my house is upside down and I would owe money if I sold it. I have been trying to get a loan modification (ala President Obama's new plan), but my bank keeps putting me off and telling me that their lawyers haven't worked out the details as of yet. This has been the stock answer from them since February. By the time they figure things out the interest rates will have risen and the whole exercise will be pointless. Second, my favorite television shows are all ending and I have been watching season finales. The sad thing about watching these end of the season shows is that some of my favorite characters are killed off and the new season becomes a confusing mish-mash of new faces that take some getting used too. CSI NY ended last night with the killing of a female cop, ending a promising romantic story line between her and one of the main characters. The usual tears, anger and "Blue Wall" behavior ensued and left me asking the question that I ask throughout the season....why are crime lab people acting like street cops? It was always my understanding that crime lab people (CSI's) are either techs or scientists and not actual members of the police force. For example, I can't figure out exactly what and who Gary Sinese is supposed to be. Is he a real cop or a lab rat? You seldom see actual crime scene investigators carrying weapons and arresting bad guys in real life. I shouldn't be surprised by this poetic license regarding the characters on any of the CSI shows because real cases and forensics are not solved in 24 hours nor does much of the equipment shown to process evidence really exist. Some of the sets look like they come from a sci-fi movie and not from a typical crime lab. Most crime labs are crowded cubicles filled with over-worked individuals and the time frame for processing real forensics (such as DNA and trace evidence) can take up to six months to process. Much of it is sent to other labs and some to the FBI lab at Quantico where things are processed in order of priority. This makes it tough for lawyers trying cases in front of juries who expect the forensics to be handled like they are on television. This is now known as the "CSI effect" and is a hindrance to most real practitioners of the law. Third, I know that summer has arrived because I can't figure out what to where when I leave my house. I am at an age where cute little shorts and skimpy tops are no longer acceptable and anything else that I wear is just too hot to be comfortable in. This is also the time of year where I spend most of my time dreaming of winter (such as it is here), and hoping that the coming monsoon season won't blow my roof off. I remember when I was a child and summer meant freedom and fun. Now it means discomfort, high bills and no good shows on television.
As Art Linkletter once wrote, "Old age ain't for sissies", and either is summer in the Southwest!!
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