The Girl is happy. Saturday found The Girl, The Boy, and the Gang at the lake. Harley, David, Luke, Sean, Nova, Gabe, Seamus, Coco, Pinky, Jill, and Woodrow were there. They stopped by the grocers, picked up some chicken and some chips, and headed out.

The day was hot. Not just hot, but HA-OT. Someone said it was hot as Hell, but The Girl suspects Hell is more of a dry heat.

Time for some math:

The formula for the Heat index (HI) = -42.379 + 2.04901523(Tf) + 10.14333127(RH) - 0.22475541(Tf)(RH) - ((6.83783 x 10-3)(Tf2) - ((5.481717 x 10-2)(RH2) + ((1.22874 x 10-3)(Tf2)(RH)) + ((8.5282 x 10-4)(Tf)(RH2)) - ((1.99 x 10-6)(Tf2)(RH2))

So when the temperature (Tf) is 90° degrees and the relative humidity (RH) is 80, your body thinks it is 113°, which is hot as shit. (HaS)

Even the water was hot. No breeze came to relieve or even lessen the blast furnace. The crew floated and baked. Baked and floated.

Nova interrupteded the sweat bath when he lugged out a gianomous raft, Big Bertha. After it was blown up every one took a turn riding Bertha around the lake. Harley and David went first. Jill and Woody were next.

The Boy and The Girl were third. They climbed aboard and straddled the sides of the raft as if it were a horse or a lover, gripping with their thighs. Hunkering down, they grabbed hold. Bertha humped and bucked, but they couldn't be thrown off. Round and round they went. The raft bounced behind the boat, with The Boy and The Girl clinging to its back. When the boat turned, the raft cut a wide arc, leaping over the boat's foamy wake. Still Bertha couldn't shake their embrace.

The Girl and The Boy know one another as well as any two people can. She is practiced at reading his signals. He is practiced at steering her body. The Girl tried to sense the nuanced movements of The Boy as they rode the raft. When he leaned out, She leaned in. When he leaned toward her, She leaned away. In this way they were able to ride the raft for a substantial length of time. It was glorious fun.

The spray created by the raft cutting through the water was a welcomed relief. At times it was a mist. At times it was a tsunami. But always it was wet and cold. Big Bertha bounced them about as violently as any roller coaster ever had. Dips and turns and twists. Crazily riding up one side of the boat's wake and pitching back down the other. The Girl was exhilarated.

And exhausted. Holding on to the raft was a great upper body work out. She still aches.


After everyone had taken a spin on Big Bertha, the crew headed back in. They went to a little restaurant on the lake. After guiding their boats into slips they wobbled on sea legs up to a set of picnic tables. Each of them ordered a lunch and most of them ordered a beer. They munched on their hotdogs and burgers and laughed and joked. The Girl soaked in the warmth of her circle of friends and ate a hotdog. She was happy.

The Girl is so very in love with The Boy. They are buying a house. She is so happy. The happiness arises not from just the material joy (that said, hey, who doesn't like to get stuff?), but from the comfort and the safety. The Girl will always love The Boy for giving her a home. She wants to make it a home for him, as well. She has been collecting color samples and decorating magazines and fabric swatches. She is overwhelmed by the prospect of decorating an entire house. Function, mood, and harmony...On the cheap.

The Girl will finally have a home. The Girl is happy!