Summer, summer, summertime time to sit back and unwind Here it is the groove slightly transformed just a bit of a break from the norm just a little somethin' to break the monotony of all that hardcore dance that has gotten to be a little bit out of control it's cool to dance but what about the groove that soothes that moves romance give me a soft subtle mix and if ain't broke then don't try to fix it and think of the summers of the past adjust the base and let the alpine blast pop in my CD and let me run a rhyme and put your car on cruise and lay back cause this is summertime - Will Smith, "Summertime" For me Memorial Day weekend marks the true start of summer. Like most children growing up summertime was a seemingly endless vacation where anything was possible. Nowadays summertime is dodging BBQs where there won't be a pool (or any body of water) and hoping no one decides to get married out of the blue. Focus: What are your plans for the summer? Alt focus: Most awesomelyfantastical summertime memory?
Despite some June gloom and crazy apocalyptic weather in various parts of the world, it's quite summery now. Share your summery-ness. Lord Summerisle thanks you!
I'm starting my music "career" by touring around the province playing at various smallish festivals. I'm in Vancouver now, where we did a radio show today and will be playing at the Vancouver Jazz festival next Monday. That's our biggest show of the summer, and I'm still not totally solid on all our songs, so it's a little stressful right now... should be a blast though. A year ago I never would have guessed this is what I would be doing right now. I started playing bass 11 months ago, loved it immediately, and thought it would be a cool hobby. Then the stars sort of aligned to give me this opportunity; I started making really good progress on the bass, I got a surprise inheritance that gave me some freedom financially, I found out I could take up to two years off from my education program (to become a high school teacher), and my good friend who is a musician needed a bass player this summer. So here I am, living the life!* *I'm sleeping in a tent in my friend's yard because his house is too full of dirty** hippies who are friends with his roommates. **And I mean dirty hippies. Like "I just hitchhiked back from Nicaragua and have been writing poetry about water" dirty.
This is shaping up to be one fucking awesome summer. I have literally zero obligations so I can do whatever the fuck I want all summer long. I'm staying at my parents house so I also have pretty much no major expenses to worry about. Who knows when I'll get this opportunity again so I'm living it up. I have a huge list of movies to watch, music to listen to, and books to read. I'm also taking a weeklong trip to Newfoundland which should be an amazing opportunity to do lots of hiking and fishing. Then I'm off to Chicago for a week where I'll be going to music festivals during the day and hitting the town at night. This will all be interspersed with trips to NYC for more good times. I honestly couldn't be happier.
This summer I am taking a couple classes and working part time, so I don't have time to go on any cool trips to distant places. However, there are always things to do here. I'm spending this summer getting back into shape by biking to campus every day instead of driving and by eating more veggies. Blueberries are about to be ripe so me and the best friend are going to pick the ones we have on a couple of our properties (they freeze alright, too). I think we'll probably get around 50lbs this year. I plan on having a couple BBQs this summer since I'm in a regular house with a yard and grill. That's what summers are for, right? I probably won't do it on the 4th of July or anything, since my mom and dad will be grilling at their house. I wish I had more time to do stuff, but living in a house with weekly repairs and fix-er-up projects is so time consuming. I knew taking care of property required a lot of effort, but I had no idea the magnitude of it all until I was living, basically by myself (the room mates are only responsible for their rooms, I take care of the house) in a large-ish house. Hopefully I'll still have time to do lots of fun things this summer before my friend leaves for grad school.
I'm taking a few weeks and spending them up at a cottage in Northern Ontario. A bunch of friends, a few cases of beer and wine, a box of Montecristos, small-mouth bass on the end of my rod, and this view from the hot tub...
Right now I'm in Costa Rica for two months. It has so far been awesome, and I'm assuming it's only going to continue to be awesome. My days have been full of hiking, swimming, playing with animals, drinking, smoking, hanging out with amazing people, and relaxing. Now I'm in a super remote area and I'm hoping to write something for myself for once. Then, August is probably going to blow. I have to leave my apartment in September and can't afford to live in New York if I don't have that illegally cheap - and therefore impossible to find again - rent. I'm going to go crazy trying to find a full-time job in the first two weeks so I can find a room or apartment in the last two weeks to stay in NY, even though I know it's a shot in hell. When that inevitably doesn't pan out, I'm going to spend those last two weeks stressing the fuck out about where to live because I have no idea. I'd really like to spend the Fall in Montreal, but if that doesn't work I'm probably moving back home. Yeah, I don't want to go back.
I'm working alot, got some major bills to settle. On my off time, I will play with the kiddos, swimming and bike riding, camping and hiking. I will also be working out ALOT starting in a couple weeks, waiting for doc's approval to start lifting again. I can't wait, I feel like a fucking fat ass. What's cool is I've lost my interest in drinking so much. I feel better overall. I've even cut back on smoking my herb, what's wrong with me... My favorite memory is riding and working horses every summer for years. I miss it.
Headed to Peru for 12 days, of which 7 days will be hiking the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu - ~45 miles. Going to a beer fest in Asheville, NC. Also going to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO - technically that's in the fall but fuck you, it's gonna be awesome, so I'm counting it. Alt focus: some of my favorite memories of summer are waking up early and taking the kayaks out on a lake with my dad, watching the mist burn off the lake and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for breakfast.
I've never really gone to concerts my 24 years on this planet so this summer I said fuck it and I'm now going to LollaPalooza which is like 100 concerts in one here in Chicago. 3 days of music, partying, and hooking up with random women. Other than that, I'll be working my full-time job and doing a lot of drinking on patios. Hopefully catch some baseball games and what not. First summer where I have "Fuck it" money so I anything can happen. Vegas is being planned, me and my friends can go now, but we want to go balls out when we do go. Also, birthday is Friday, so there will be hotel bar/lounge hopping. I will be drunk stories above beautiful Chicago...
Nothing special for me, as summer lasts for 9 months down here... However, I AM looking forward to taking Li'l Bandit back to Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels again, and I am trying to figure out how I can make that trip coincide with Dia de los Toadies ( a two day Toadies concert; I have missed the Toadies three times in a row, and I'm gonna see them, dammit!) in the same town. I don't think he's old enough to go to a rock concert yet (he's not even interested), and I can't just leave him alone in the motel room. I'll have to figure something out.
I'm doing jack shit. Working, fixing stuff, that kind of thing. Hoping to get an old (late 60's) drop top to cruise in with the kids for the summer, looking around for one now. Probably going to sell my Bronco, I don't feel like dealing with it. Going to the RI National Guard Air Show on Saturday, which should be fun. Oh, and training Tonka. His balls are getting cut off soon, too.
I'm not getting any vacation this summer beyond stat days. So I'll be riding my motorcycle every weekend, pretending to be a complete fucking bad-ass pirate, and then go back to work on Monday wearing a shirt and tie.
Taking two trips to LA. One in July, one in August. The July trip is to look for a place to live and establish some connections for when I move down there next year. August is a double trip to LA and Vegas. If anyone in that area is free to hang out in July or August, PM me and let's hang out. Going to Chicago for Lollapalooza August 2-8. Should be fucking awesome. In between all that, I'll be working and going to the gym.
Hosting a trampoline party. RSVP, SVP. Having the parents come and visit for a few weeks, in a few weeks. Planning a 2 day jet boat trip up to Hells Gate to do some sturgeon fishing and overnighting at a hotel with the folks. The BC mountains from the base of the Hells Gate canyons is mind blowing. Having another friend from Toronto come out to visit for a week or so. Hitting the local mountain lakes in the new (to me) Jeep and massacring some fish on stupidly light tackle. Shifting more of my work to the night so I can enjoy being outside and relaxing. I basically live in a big cottage on a lake, so don't really have any overwhelming desire to go elsewhere. Planning some local hunting trips for fall. Never hunted in BC before, as I've always gone back to Ontario to hunt with my dad and friends at our hunt camp. 27 years worth. Looks like we've finally had low enough interest that it's not worth while, so I'm going to stick around here and see what I can find.
You don't know trampolining 'till you've tried it while wearing nothing but a sombrero on a hot day. You will win the neighbourhood that day my fine feathered friends. I'll have a cottage for a week up in Sauble Beach on Lake Huron for a week this July. I haven't stayed in one since I was a kid with my parents and haven't stopped missing it for a second. I look forward to sun, barbeque, lotsa beer, bocce, maybe some golf, etc. I haven't had a vacation away in 2.5 years so it will be nice.
This is the month before I start med school, so I'll be taking a mini-road trip throughout Midwestern cities to visit college friends. I'm hitting up Chicago and am secretly hoping I can drag my friends to one of the gastro pubs there, like The Bristol. Otherwise, it's just relaxing until I have to hit the books again.