It finally feels like summer.

I really miss the "Ray of Light" Madonna. I still remember cruising around in my VW blaring this music. Whenever it's oppressively hot out I'm reminded of the piece in Rolling Stone I've saved since that album came out (1998!), because I remember totally agreeing with it. Here's an excerpt:

"... Actually I like the summer better than the winter. For one thing, I like the heat better than the cold – I still don't have air conditioning. I hate air conditioning. Because I don't want to be tricked. I want to know exactly how hot it is, and I'd rather just adapt to the heat, because that's what we're supposed to do..."

"... I think New York is the best place to be in the summer, even if the heat and humidity make everybody grouchy. It may be more civilized in California, because it always gets cool at night, but it's so boring to be there. It's always summer in LA, so no one appreciates it. When summertime comes to New York, everybody seems to be celebrating for three months; it feels like the city comes to life..."

I feel the same way about summer in Chicago, and I completely hate air conditioning. If it weren't for guests, I would never turn it on. I'd rather lay in bed sweating in my sleep than be under blankets with processed air pumping out the vents. I don't get the point of freezing all winter waiting for warm weather and then bundling up to tolerate being indoors when it's 90º outside.

That's why when the heat and humidity finally hit this weekend, I just put on a tank dress and reveled in it. I love summer.