Summer evenings....

[Dannyalcatraz]

Mycanid, to answer your off-topic question in the cell phone thread...(http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=169194)

I went to Moscow & St. Petersburg for edu-tainment courtesy of the University of Dallas MBA program. Wonderful trip- great beer, great architecture, great history, and lots and lots of gooooooood looking women everywhere.

Part of the trip was about seeing how business is done in Russia, and how capitalism is (and isn't) working there. The other part was about seeing the sights.

The trip both confirmed and dispelled almost every story I'd heard about Russia. There was extreme poverty in some sections, while some of the malls rivaled anything I've ever seen anywhere else in the world.

Their craftsmanship and work ethic are the equal of anywhere else in the world...but they still have severe corruption problems that are crippling some of the advances that they should be making.

Did I mention the pretty women?

 

[Mycanid]

Ah ha. I see now.

Yes - I was in Russia in August of 1991 on a boat tour of the Volga River and up to the Petersburg/Ladoga region. On the other hand, since I am an Orthodox Christian in faith I also wanted to visit some of those beautiful places there ... and there were lots to see, as you know!

Yes - the women are pretty. And they are TOUGH. Man are they tough. Well, they had to be. Life under the (now) older regime was pretty difficult and bred intellectual toughness! Over the years 80% of the Russian women I have come across lose their good looks when they hit their 40's and turn into the classic babushka image of the Russian ladies you may have seen. And in some ways to me they become more beautiful - there is a beauty that shines out from deep inside one when one has experienced suffering and handled it in a good way. Kind of like how some patients in hospitals or even nursing homes can be totally changed by the difficulties that sickness or old age bring with them can become absolutely beautiful, precious people. Their best qualities somehow come to the surface and shine and their faces become ... well, radiant.

I know what you mean about the corruption and business situations over there at the moment. I still stay in touch with many Russians over there and here in the States and have been getting a "running commentary" on the state of things there over the years since I visited.

BUT ... perhaps all this is kind of off the topic of the thread. Apologies to anyone who was reading along in the thread and stumbled across this "aside"! We'll get back to things soon enough!

 

[megamania]

I live in a river valley I sometimes do this. I listen to the river and the frogs. It calms me down alot. Other times I walk into the woods and up the mountain side and lay down in the hay fields and watch the stars / Albany-Montreal planes over head. There you don't hear frogs and the river but the sounds of the wind in the trees and grass along with raccoons, deer and other critters. Equally calming but much more effort to do.

 

[Mycanid]

Sir Mega ... I hope you did something like this for your birthday after all your celebrations were finished?

It sound lovely.

There is a river near where I live, but it is ten miles away. It is actually in a gorge at runs next to a REAL "in the sticks" government campground spot, so the ten miles are majorly bumpy and the roads are in atrocious condition. But it is is wonderful to go down there and close your eyes and sit by the stream from time to time.

 

[Evil Monkey]

I live in Phoenix, AZ. There is a lot of concrete and blacktop, which sucks in all the heat during the day and is not very good at releasing it at night. Our LOWS right now are still 85 - 90+. So, no time spent under the stars for me, thank you. At least, not during summer.

As a matter of fact, last night, it was still 105.8 at around 11:00pm or so. At least, that's what the thermometer on my back porch (in a shaded area) was reading, and it's a pretty new thermometer so I don't think it's broken (yet).

 

[Treebore]

I live in S/E AZ, near the border of Mexico and Texas. Hot during the day, cooling down to the 70's by 3:00AM. Even better when the monsoons come through during the day like yesterday. Nice cool night!

I think people who live in Phoenix are nuts! I only visit during the winter.

It sucked when I lived in Charleston, SC. 100% humidity! 118 (heat index) during the day getting down to a cool 96 (heat indx) at night. With a 100% humidity. You don't sweat. You pour. And drown if your not careful, in your own sweat/pour off!

 

[Evil Monkey]

I think people who live in Phoenix are nuts! I only visit during the winter.

Haha, I agree! I didn't move here by choice - almost 17 years ago, my mom got transferred out here (from Detroit, MI) by the company she worked for, and I haven't had the opportunity to escape yet!

It actually wasn't so bad when we first moved here - even during the summer, nights were a cool 75 degrees or so IIRC - but with all the growth, we're getting that "urban heat island" effect you may have read about in the papers. Right now, it's almost 10:00p and the little temperature thing on my computer at work says it's 109 outside....