It was a sunny day in the city of Miami Florida.
Actually, both the city and the state were having a perlong heat spell.
The longest one in decades.
On this day,Blanche Deveruaux enter the kitchen of her home, opened the fridge and grabbed a pitcher of iced tea.
As she was doing it, Blance noticed her roommate and friend Dorothy Zpornik was on the phone.
Not wanting to inturupt the call, Blanche pointed the beverage to Dorothy if she wanted some.
Though still on the phone, Dorothy nodded yes.
Blanche placed the pitcher on the table, before grabbing to glasses from the cabinet.
By the time Dorothy hung up, Blanche had two glasses ready for them.
"Thanks Blanche, this is just what we need on a day like this," said Dorothy.
"Oh don't I know.
It has just been so dang hot these last few day.
Especially, with the air conditioner not working," said Blance in her thick southern accent.
"Well, we better get use to it, because I'm not having any luck getting a repairman to come over.
I've called seven that were in the phonebook and because of the heatwave, they're all booked up.
In fact, the last person I talked to said that he can't come to the house until Monday morning at 10 am."
"Dorothy, what's the problem with that?"
"He meant Monday morning at 10 am, two weeks for Friday, and today is Wednesday."
Blanche took a sip of her iced tea and said, "I really hope this heat wave end soon.
Although there is a plus side to all this hot weather.
"What's that?" asked Dorothy.
"All those shirtless male joggers who've been passing by the house.
Showing off their six packs.
By the way, I'll replace your binoculars.
They somehow slipped out of my hands from the sun lotion, when I offered to rubbed it on this one guy's shoulders."
"So you weren't really bird-watching?"
At that moment, Blanche and Dorothy's roommate and friend Rose Nylan entered the kitchen from the back door, carrying a few paper bags of groceries.
"Oh boy, is it hot out there, said Rose as she began to empty the bags, This is reminds me of a winter back in St. Olaf."
"Rose, don't you mean summer?" asked Blance.
"No, there was one time in winter that we had a terrible heat wave, Rose replied, as she was about to tell one of her many stories of her childhood town, This one winter, the tempetures were up to the high 70's.
Our town mayor Tim Tim Doyle wanted to cancel the annual winter carnival, but the town's people wanted to keep it on, espeically me, since I was part of the snow queen's court."
"The snow queen's court?" asked Dorothy.
"Why yes, the commitee picked the prettiest girl from our school, Lulu Buckman, despite the fact she had a large mole on her face, that was shaped like the state of New Jeresy, was crossed eyed and had a snaggle tooth.
Of course, I was in the running for snow queen as well, but she beat me in the spelling competion during our trial pick.
Anyway, after much convicing, Tim Tim Doyle keep the winter carnival, but was it a disaster.
Lulu, along with the members of the court, including myself had to wear these crowns made of ice, and right at the begining of the carnival, the crowns started to melt.
All that water drenched our hair, messed up our make-up, soaked our fannal ballgowns."
"Fannal ballgowns?"spoke Blanche.
"Well, the carnival commitee thought barlap wasn't formal enough for the occasion," Rose pointed out.
Just then, Sophie Patrilo, roommate along with mother to Dorothy came into the kitchen.
"Any luck finding an air condition repairman yet?
I've got sweat under my wrinkles," she said.
"Not yet Ma.
I've spent the entire morning calling, but they're all booked due to the heatwave," Dorothy replied.
"If only we can find someone to fix our air conditioner," added Rose.
"Wait a minute, I just happen to know the right guy for the job," said Blanche.
"Who?"
"My "friend" Tony, he's a repairman.
I bet he can fix our air conditioner."
"You're not talking about that Tony from the television ads?
Tony the toolman, graentee to fix anything?" asked Dorothy.
"That's the one," answered Blanche.
"Of course.
He's the only repairman I know to come and fix a squeaky floor board at 1 o'clock in the morning."
"Yeah sure he fix the squeak in the floor and it moved onto the bed," Sophia pointed out.
A short time later, Dorothy, Sophia, Blance and Rosie were sitting in the living room waiting, while Tony the toolman was outside checking out the air conditioning system.
Just then, a middle aged gentelman, dressed in a dark gray jumpsuit, work boots and a gray that matched his uniform, who entered from the kitchen.
"Well ladies, I've got some good news, and I've got some bad news, said Tony, The good news is, I found out what's wrong with your air conditioner.
It's dead."
"What's the bad news?" asked Rose.
Dorothy just shook her head at the statement.
"That's it's?
It's dead?" Blanche asked Tony.
"I'm afraid so.
The unit's comeletley out of date, the company doesn't even make parts for it anymore," Tony replied.
"Well then, what do we do?"
"You're going to have to buy a whole new system."
"And you call yourself a repairman.
You couldn't even stand by your graentee," said Sophia.
"This visit today was free of charge," said Tony.
"Works for me."
"Well, looks like we're going to have to get a new air conditioner then.
Thanks for stopping by Tony, said Blanche, who handed the repairman a brown colored belt with tools attatched and said, "By the way, you left this in my room on your last visit."
Tony took the toolbelt and said, "Thank you Blanche.
You know, if you're still having isusses with that squeaky floor in your bedroom, just call me."
"I have your number on speed dial," said Blanche.
"Along with the cable guy and the entire Miami fire department," Spohia pointed out, who earned a glare from her daughter.
Once Tony left Dorothy said, "Well, now that we know the air conditioner is no longer working, there's only one thing we should do."
"Learn how to make furniture out of ice cubes to stay cold?" Rose asked.
"Replace the system.
We have to look for a new one."
