The Dirty Sitter!

Last night was the hottest night so far, very sticky. It was still 27 degrees at midnight. Surprisingly I did get to sleep fairly quickly and slept without much trouble on top of the sheets. It normally cools off in the the dark hours before dawn but not last night and it was already 29 degrees and rising when I got up at 8.30 am. I chose to get up at 8.30 this morning whereas yesterday there was no point lying there quietly due to the noise from the garage as Dulcie put her washing on.Yesterday I watered all the plants in the fernery and under the pergola before breakfast. Today I put some washing on and then I went straight out and watered the plants under the front verandah. Dulcie came out above to supervise."How are my violets, Nick?"They were brown, limp and dessicated under the steps."Not good...put perhaps this water may revive them." I said...it was about as likely as England winning the next one day match against Australia.The forecast was for temperatures up to 36 degrees. Dulcie shut the house up like Fort Knox and switched on the air-con.We played three games of cards after breakfast....Euchre, euchre, euchre....She won the first 2 I won the last. The three of us have been playing every night after tea. I couldn't even begin to explain the game here but each player has 5 cards and the idea is to win at least 3 hands by choosing your best suit as trumps. The player who deals turns over a card in the middle which they can take up as trumps if they have others of the same suit in their hand. The other players can order the dealer to take up the middle card if they feel that their hand is a winner with that particular suit. I am getting a reputation as a 'dirty sitter' ie one who should really order the dealer to take up the middle card but passes on it and then wins all the hands when the dealer takes it up.A few times now Dulcie has given me one of her terrifying glares across the table and called me a 'dirty sitter', (to be clear that is correct...without an 'h') and not the usual 'sit head!' ( the one with the 'h'). Will is loving stirring it and agreeing with her...shaking his head, tutting and saying "You dirty sitter!" as I try to protest my innocence and say that I really did not feel I had the cards to order up.Who would have thought cards could be so nerve wracking?..I get quite nervous each time I play.No cricket today but while I lay in the cool atmosphere on the sofa buried in Westeros and the battle for the Iron Throne, Dulcie was watching the tennis, the Australian open. It was hard to concentrate on the book with the sound of a ladies match in the background. One sounded like she was being poked with a sharp stick alternating with the other girl's semi sneeze. Dulcie is not impressed by these 'noisy bitches' as she affectionately calls them.The air-con is indeed most welcome. It did get up to more than 34 degrees outside but we were quite comfortable inside. Dulcie is still getting used to working it. I was there yesterday when she came to switch it off. When you press the 'off' button on the remote there is about a 10 second delay before the air slats slowly close and it shuts down."It won't turn off," she said, pressing the button 'off/on' button."Yes," I said "just wait"....the slats started to close but she pressed the button again and it switched back on and they opened again."See," she said."Right, press it again," I said, she did. We watched...the slats started to close but she pressed the button again and it switched back on and they opened again."Good God!""No," I said, "press it again" resisting the urge to snatch it off her. She pressed it..."Now wait," I said. The slats finally closed and it switched off."Oh, it's done it now," she said as if I had not been there to help at all.Sigh.