When I lost my job at the end of 2009, I also lost all of my vacation time (I was up to 5 1/2 weeks of vacation after 13 1/2 years on the job). I'm exceedingly fortunate to have a new job but am still mourning the death of my vacation accrual. ("Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death . . .") So, needless to say, I won't be taking any elaborate vacations this summer. But, I do plan to rock the hell out of every weekend. I have just about every weekend planned from now until Labor Day, because you know I like to schedule fun and not leave anything to chance or spontaneity.
Aside from hitting every festival I can find, I also have a few goals for the summer:
1. See a live concert if it kills me. I am always scanning the concert calendars and listings, but when a show comes along that I want to see, it's either two hours away on a Thursday night (and you know I'm way too much of a pussy to stay out all night on a workday) or the ticket price is comparable to my car payment. But, I'm going to try harder to get to a show this summer. The bigger challenge might be to find someone to accompany me to a concert.
2. Purchase and prepare a vegetable that's unfamiliar to me. Yes, I know I said this last summer, but I'm going to try again. Yes, I sometimes leave the summertime farmers' market with nothing but a glass of Riesling in my belly and a bag of kettle corn under my arm, but really, I am capable of accomplishing something more meaningful at the market. I swear it.
3. Work on getting my dogs out of the crate while we're at work. I'd like for them to have the freedom to roam the house while we're gone, but Gideon has some degree of separation anxiety and every time we've tried it in the past, he has made a bad decision of some sort (such as tearing down the custom blinds in the front window). Gretchen is a few years younger but is in some ways more trustworthy. Part of my incentive is that we have a smallish house and I hate having crates everywhere. We'll see.
4. Finally, try to get back to my goal weight. I had the nerve to show my face at Weight Watchers yesterday, and I'm feeling pretty motivated. It's certainly easier to be active in the summertime. I'm anxious to get my bike out, but it actually snowed here on Tuesday so I'll need the weather to be a wee bit more cooperative first.
In honor of the coming season, here is a summerish song, "Summertime Clothes" by Animal Collective. I actually find the video a bit disturbing for some reason, so listen to the song but close your eyes or something.