Daily Report: Poolside With Pattayan, Bedsponge

I haven't felt like writing lately. It happens from time to time. Unfortunately it usually happens when life is most interesting... and tiring.

Too much partying for starters. I won't even begin to describe last Friday... Jeebus I got smashed. I chucked too, which is exceedingly rare. That was in between lots of dinner dates, Eagles meetings, more Star Trek, a brunch party, two pool parties... and on and on and on.

Simon, co-owner of Shenanigans in Pattaya, was in Jasaan this week. His wife is from here, so he came over from Pattaya. He invited me out to Crystal Pool Resort today. Actually I had never met Simon before. He's a big, big fellow; he used to be a linebacker playing American football for team Australia. He has a little baby boy Nathan, who is already passing 25 pounds at 10 months of age... and has been walking for 2 months. (And never a cuter and happier baby could you hope to encounter. Actually, it seems like all the mistizo babies I see are unusually happy.)

In the evening, Epril and I had Simon and his wife, Charity, over for dinner. We didn't do anything too spectacular: I just served some pizza, and kid-sister Ednel made a nice cream-of-potato soup that she had learned in cooking class recently.

I've been trying to sleep without the air conditioner... just a fan pulling in outside air through the screen door of the balcony. Tonight was our fouth night in a row. It ain't working. Hell: The money I save on electricity is going to go to replacing the mattress every 2 or 3 months. Well, you know what the sponge in your kitchen sink is like after 2 or 3 months of repeatedly soaking up water and then drying out? Yeah... similar to that.

I did get my first electric bill after installing the electric timer that I purchased though: Instead of having the A.C. run from 9 p.m. until I wake up at 7 a.m., I have the timer set to turn off the A.C. at 3 a.m. The room stays cool enough without the sun shining through the windows, and according to my electric bill, I'm saving 1,500 pisos per month... from 6,000 pisos down to 4,500. Hmm... by my math, if a 40% reduction in A.C. usage results in a 1,500 pisos decrease, then it is (was) costing me 3,750 pisos to run my air conditioner every month. Ouch.