It's 97 *, and no rain.

*98. Just heard the weather. So, the only rational, sensible thing to do is...buy boots. I haven't bought a pair of boots in 20 years. I really like these, they look comfy, and they are Rockports so I am reasonably sure a size 7 will fit. My feet like Rockports, and my feet are moody. These boots are a leap of faith that by January I will be somewhere cold enough to really appreciate them. But even if I'm still here waiting for the Money Pit to sell, I will get to wear them a few times on chilly days. There's another pair with a lace-up front that is just like my favorite boots of twentysomething years ago, and I'm tempted by them too, but these plain ones are more practical.

I have had boot envy for a couple of years, ever since Girlchild scored a really cute and comfy and sexy pair at Aerosoles while we were on one of our rare shopping expeditions, and her stupid mother passed, because she was being practical, and then I coveted those goddamn boots every time I saw her wearing them. And no, I can't borrow, she's at least 4 inches taller than me and wears a larger size.

But buying boots right now seems deranged. The heat is unreal. Miserable. And the tropics are quiet - not that I'm looking for a hurricane, but a nice, slow, soaking tropical storm would be most welcome right about now. That huge, awful rain NYC got? That should have been ours! We was robbed! We are used to rain like that and we have the sand to absorb it, that was our kind of weather, and we can't get a good rainstorm for nuthin.

In addition to buying boots like a deranged daydreamer, I am also working away on the Barbizon sweater from Morehouse Farm. Because, yes, when it's 97, a girl needs a pile of wool in her lap. I am almost finished with the right front. I'd put it aside for weeks, because I was working my way around the body, and it was an endless slog of purple Cascade 220 in stockinette. I love purple, and I love Cascade 220, and I love stockinette, but an oversized sweater in the round can kill even the most passionate fondness for mindless knitting. But now that I'm working my way up to the front, I have a sense of accomplishment, and a real admiration for the author of this pattern. It has that elegant, geometric simplicity and clever construction that sucks me in every time. I didn't use Morehouse Merino's yarn, though I love it, because I already had a boatload of the purple Cascade 220 in the stash.

Otherwise, I've been very productive cleaning out the pantry, admitting I'm never going to make those chocolate chunk cookies because I'd rather be thin, and finding a shocking amount of canned goods with an expiration date of 2006. And I've been bagging stuff for Goodwill, laundering, and generally tidying my world. I had a lot of Stuff standing around in my bedroom post-painting, things that needed new homes, clutter, and all of that has been addressed, so my room looks serene and decluttered. It's not Done yet - new carpet is not just a want, it's a dire need, and the trim has to get painted when I do the bathroom.

But my world looks much better to me, and maybe it's the bedtime music, but my mood is much brighter too.