bruce was there as well, of course. the work wasn't bad in the morning, but once the midday sun started to come out, i started to sweat buckets, drops of perspiration dotting the bricks and stones i was busy pounding into the rock dust with the rubber mallet. i also got a chance to chip away at stubborn bricks that didn't seem to want to fit into awkward positions, shards of red clay flying in every direction. 
we stopped 30 minutes for an al fresco lunch break, dennis making us tuna sandwiches, along with ice lemonade, cherries, and slices of watermelon. our neighbor jeff came by while we were eating and engaged us in conversation during that whole time, leaving only when we had to get back to work. the final blue stone slab went into place as we bricked around the edges all the way to sidewalk. when everything was done, i left dennis a handwritten invoice in his mailbox, eager to get back home to take a hot shower and clean off all the sweat and dirt.
i relaxed in the air conditioned comfort of my living room before i changed clothes and went out for a run. it was kind of crazy, having just worked for 6 tiring hours in the hot sun, and now i was going out running. it'd been a while since i ran, and i really didn't want to put it off for another day, and since i traditionally run on mondays anyway, i didn't want to break away from tradition. it was so hot that i didn't even bother wearing a t-shirt, figured it'd be sweat soaked by the time i got to the charles river anyway. i am in no real good shape to run topless (i have some mild 29 year old love handles that i'm not particularly proud of), but it's almost a question of necessity due to the extreme weather (i hate carrying my t-shirt anyway). there was nobody else running, just a few bikers whom i didn't even bother making eye contact with. i stopped a few times, not out of exhaustion, more because i had a cramp. but the time i came all the way around the charles river, i was thoroughly sweat soaked to the point of being slimy. i walked home, the all-encompassing heat like an extension of my skin, feeling some cold chills which i took to be signs of dehydration. it wasn't even that hot today, temperature in the 80's, but this coming from a guy who runs in shorts when it's 40 degrees outside because it's too warm. coming back, i picked up a children's book called "science, health, and safety" that someone had thrown away, from the macmillan science-life series, published in 1959, with fascinating topics like "getting ready for school" or "having check-ups".
i came home to my 2nd shower of the day, then lounged around in the house. andrew came home and then went back out, while i ate the leftover barbecue meats from last night for dinner. i watched the graduate on AMC, a movie that i've never really seem before from beginning to end. a loud ring at my door turned out to be susan and bruce, coming by to deliver the check for the work i did today (and if i'm not mistaken, an extra $20 to boot, for a job well done). i gave susan, who's never seen my place before, a quick tour of the visual eye candy that is my house. andrew and meghan came back from jens' farewell dinner, while bruce and susan left to go back to their place. the rest of us watched the graduate before meghan had to leave as well.
though it's surprisingly cool weathered outside, it's still very stifling inside. this evening will end with my 3rd shower of the day. i have no plans for tomorrow, and with my paving work done, i find myself with no jobs. perhaps it's time for me to look for more work, although i hear tomorrow's weather will be in the humid 90's. maybe it might be a nice day just sitting around eating ice cream with the air conditioner on.