To ward off bad Summer Spirits, I spent the morning placing stacks of lined loose leaf paper in different corners of the house. 8 stacks in all. I thought about including pens with the offering but decided it might be seen as presumptuous on my part as Summer Spirits are very particular when it comes to writing utensils and they usually carry their own personally engraved little numbers. No reason to offend them with a cheapo Bic pen bearing the local (now-defunct) car wash's logo. If all goes well, the spirits will spend the majority of their energy writing down names of those that wronged them during their time on earth or drawing pictures of exotic puddings and let me get some sleep. Come fall, I'll drop some iodine tablets in boiling water pots around the house. The smell should send the Summer Spirits back to hell for another year of torment and torture. Then the Autumn Spirits and I shall resume our lively reading circle. [Meanwhile, in the US, cats are in sinks.]

To ward off bad Summer Spirits, I spent the morning placing stacks of lined loose leaf paper in different corners of the house. 8 stacks in all. I thought about including pens with the offering but decided it might be seen as presumptuous on my part as Summer Spirits are very particular when it comes to writing utensils and they usually carry their own personally engraved little numbers. No reason to offend them with a cheapo Bic pen bearing the local (now-defunct) car wash’s logo.

If all goes well, the spirits will spend the majority of their energy writing down names of those that wronged them during their time on earth or drawing pictures of exotic puddings and let me get some sleep.

Come fall, I’ll drop some iodine tablets in boiling water pots around the house. The smell should send the Summer Spirits back to hell for another year of torment and torture. Then the Autumn Spirits and I shall resume our lively reading circle.

[Meanwhile, in the US, cats are in sinks.]

Chris Weagel

Chris Weagel writes about the intersection of technology and parenting for Wired Magazine. No he doesn't. He can't stand that shit.

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  • Those poor cats.

    Everyone knows they prefer sleeping on homework.

    Particularly mine…