Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Put some clothes on!

We live in a hot, humid climate. Sometimes it's so hot and uncomfortable that we shed a few articles of clothing around the house. We are not exhibitionists or nudists, we are simply dressing according to the weather. This is not normally a problem. However...

The other day I was sitting in the living room with the front door open. The screen door was the only thing between me and the outside world. I had taken my top off and had two fans blowing on me to try to stay cool. A Mexican came by and stood outside the gate at the street and called "Buenos". I grabbed a nearby throw blanket to cover my front and went to the screen door. I stood at the open door and conducted the conversation - hoping the guy couldn't see from that distance out at the road that I was wearing a blanket as a blouse.

We have been trying to get Luna to sleep on the back terrace at night to prevent her from showing up at 1 am and opening the patio screens and marching into the bedroom. The only fear I have about doing that is that I once caught the aggressive white cat in the process of climbing down the vines to get to the food on the terrace, and I did not want Luna to be trapped on the terrace if the cat showed up.

Sure enough, one night we were sound asleep when we were woken by a nasty cat fight. It sounded as if it was coming from the back terrace, and immediately both of us sprang out of bed and raced downstairs to break up the fight and rescue Luna. Picture two completely naked people, still in some state of sleep, old enough that our limbs are a little stiff when we first get up...marching naked and barefooted through the house. Not a pretty site...(and it turned out the fight was out in the front, not in the back with Luna - and we didn't go out front to check it out either).

Also another day I was sitting on the couch working. I wanted to sweep the floors but they were so humid they were sticky, so I closed the front door and turned on the a/c to dry out the air. I was hot, so I took off my blouse and laid it on a chair by the front door (learned my lesson from the blanket blouse).

A while later I heard a noise outside and got up and looked out the window in the front door. I saw a couple of tourists standing outside on the terrace, sort of looking around and trying to decide if anyone might be home. I pulled on my blouse and went out to chat with them, hoping they had not been able to see me sitting on the couch through the front window of the door. We chatted, and if they had seen me they were too kind to say so. They wanted to see the B&B suite, so I showed them around, including out on the back terrace to meet the pets (they knew them by name from reading my blog, I had to introduce them). Our house is not easy to find, but this determined couple found us, without a map, without instructions - I was impressed! (and glad I didn't make a bad impression on them with my lack of clothing).

We do dress properly when we have guests here, but when nobody is around - anything goes. We have a very private second and third floor, and don't think twice about how we parade around the house, or what we wear in the pool. We do have to be careful when workers occasionally climb the cell phone tower across the street to perform maintenance - I have caught them just sort of sitting there gazing. And sometimes I wonder about the planes that fly overhead - how high do they have to be before they cannot make out people on the ground and what they are or are not wearing?

I guess if anyone looks, then they deserve what they get.

7 comments:

Life's a Beach! said...

Kind of the way I feel when once in a blue moon I skinnydip in the pool at night. We have one neighbor who could see down into our pool from a balcony they never use. Oh well. If they peek, the scare could be what they deserve. : )

Bennie said...

Hey it's all about comfort. I'm right there with you. Just be comfortable and if someone works that hard to see you naked they deserve what they get. Of course I'd be afraid of them laughing at me. Oh well even so they at least they would leave with a smile right?

Island Nana said...

Hubby and I identify with that slightly tacky t-shirt we have seen on Isla. It shows a very chubby naked couple with the quizzical motto "Mission Impossible?". We walk around our house in a state of undress and if the neighbors are looking hard enough they can probably see us - but I have reached the age where I just don't care. If we ever get the hot tub under our big maple tree, they'll really get an eyefull!

Sue said...

Beck - I say enjoy the skinnydip and to heck with the neighbors.

Bennie - Oh, they WILL laugh at me, but do I care?

Nana - isn't it nice to reach that age where you stop caring about silly things you used to care about? Quite liberating!

KfromMichigan said...

Be cool and comfortable .. it isn't anything they haven't seen before!

IslaZina said...

You must buy the cotton underskirt for a huipil. Pulled up to your underarms, everything is covered. It's breezy and only draws the slightest smile from neighbors who have figured out what it is. I'm looking to start a trend.

Sue said...

K - you're right, but I wouldn't want to offend or have someone think it is done deliberately.

Zina - I have a housedress that I made (before my sewing machine broke), it's got spaghetti straps and is very loose. But even that is too hot - I just can't stand anything above my waist.