Kate and I came over to Panera about 20 minutes ago. Since returning from Memphis on Wednesday night, we have not had heat or air conditioning in the house. The “motherboard” that controls the system went out. The company that services our heat and cooling has ordered a new one, but it has not yet arrived. That leads me to explain how we happened to come to Panera this afternoon. We had been out at lunch, then to Belk’s to buy Kate new shoes and new socks for me, and then to Lowe’s for more plants before returning home.
When we got back home and unloaded the plants from the car, Kate remained outside for a while. I had noticed that it is warmer than usual in the house. Not really bad in terms of temperature, but feeling warmer without the air conditioning. When Kate came inside, she was hot. She found the inside intolerable. For quite some time, perhaps 3 years or so, she has been sensitive to heat and cold. In either situation, she wants it resolved quickly. She literally groans. If someone else were to hear her they would think she is in agony. I guess she really is in terms of her perception. Anyway, I suggested that we come over to Panera where we could sit in air conditioned comfort and get something to drink as well. She gladly accepted; so here we are.
We looked around for a good seat. I finally suggested the small booth we are in because it seemed to be out of the direct sun which neither of us likes. She concurred. Then I walked over to a store in the same shopping center to buy an HDMI cable to connect a new TV in her room to the cable box. When I got back and sat down with her, I said something about our sitting in a good place that was one of the cooler spots because we were not in the direct path of the sun. She said, “That’s why I chose it.” I just smiled. I didn’t remind her that it was I who had selected this table.
It is hard to depend on anything she says. This is just one example. While she was trying on shoes at Belk’s, she said she liked a particular shoe. A few minutes later, I showed it to her again. She said she didn’t like it. This kind of thing goes on all the time. She says she likes or dislikes something only to contradict herself sometimes only moments after expressing her original opinion. Like most things she does, it is a small, unimportant matter. I only mention it to document this particular habit.
