A miracle has occurred.

Yesterday, we were told that the air conditioner repair technicians could not run to the van and drive as fast as they could to our house to save us from the brutal, oppressive, totally unacceptable heat. We made an appointment for the distant future.

But then! There was an unexpected cancellation this afternoon. I don't know why anyone would cancel an appointment with the air conditioning repair people when it's 101 degrees outside, unless...

Oh shit, I hope it's not that someone died of heat stroke before they got there.

Anyway, there was an opening, and two technicians came this afternoon. I greeted them exuberantly and followed them to the unit, chattering anxiously about how I'd be happy to give them ice water or brownies or an unlimited amount of my parents' money, just please please oh please fix it.

They said pointedly that they would let me know if they found something. I retreated to the living room and watched them through the window, smiling brightly whenever they looked up.

The problem was identified. The unit was low on refrigerant, a magical substance that cools houses and unfortunately destroys the ozone layer also. They added more, turned it back on, and charged me (well, my parents) two hundred dollars.

And now my vacation (which is not really a vacation because I work on my dissertation every day. No seriously, I wrote three pages today despite the crisis) is saved.