Dear Weather,

Now that it's September, I think it's time we had a little chat. The thing is, I'm really kind of sick of trying to pick out outfits that look cute that I also don't mind sweating in. This 90° and 100° stuff you've been pulling since June has just got to stop. I don't want to sweat in my sundresses like they're athletic gear, but I don't want to wear ugly workout clothes all the time, either. Let's talk about moderation. Do you know what that means? Now that we're heading into autumn, I think it's a good time for you start practicing moderation in your temperatures and humidity. I think that if we work together on this, we can find a balance we're all happy with.

Hugs & kisses,
B

Dear B,

I know you're exhausted. I know that the one thing you want from this weekend is to sleep and not go anywhere or be expected to do anything, that your body is collapsing from sleep deprivation and office furniture, and your mind is overwhelmed with planning, organizing, and learning.

But this isn't the weekend you get to rest. Neither will next weekend, probably, or the one after that. In other words, your days of rest are over. If you're going to hold a job that keeps you out of the house for 12 hours a day and get things done like shopping and post office visits, you're going to have to get used to the dizziness that comes from sleep deprivation, the piles of things-to-do on every surface of your apartment, the sink perpetually full of dirty dishes, and the closet full of old clothes you'll have to wear because you don't have energy to go shopping for new ones. This sounds crazy to you after your freelancer days, but it's perfectly normal. You may feel like the waking dead, but so do all the other 20-something full-time workers out there.

And just think. Half of them have kids.

Hugs & kisses,

B

Dear JH,

Thank you so much for giving me an air conditioner on Tuesday. With nothing but 95° highs in the forecast, that little box in my window will surely be what keeps me from dying in my upstairs attic apartment. And although one of the reasons I came to Wisconsin was to get away from summers like these, the kindness of friends like you makes it all worth the move.

Hugs & kisses,
B