It's the end of my Summer finally. Time to get back to work and school full time. Summer is a season that I sometimes wish was longer. The warmth, extra daylight, vacations, barbecues and friends & family are just a few perks that I relish about summer. However, as the saying goes, "all good things must come to an end," and I, along with many others, feel the summer blues.
To keep a little summer in my life I have downloaded the memories from the camera and put on display. For those days when I need a burst of summer I bought some air fresheners. When I need a summer fix I'll be taking a whiff of a tropical scent to get my head back in the game. I've also got a "staycation" planned next month. Just to keep a sense of freedom similar to that felt during summer.
I also switch the closet around so that it fits the upcoming season. I took some things over to the thrift store too. Feels good to get rid of some of the crap I haven't seen all year.
The end of Summer also marks a time to get my head screwed on straight. I've been feeling like I'm all over the place these past few months. I think I've finally come up with a good system that will work and keep me motivated.
Hopefully everyone has a plan of attack now that summer is over. If not I'll try and keep you motivated through the craziness that consumes my life.
Monday brings on a lot of things. Some good and some bad, but it is filled with the joys of starting off on a “good foot”. Luckily I have a short week ahead of me. I’ll only be working today and tomorrow. I have a jammed packed week of traveling ahead of me this week.
I foresee lots of beer, food and relaxing in my near future. I decided to go ahead with the Arizona trip. It will be a nice turn of events for me. The weathers been difficult here, so some sun could do me some good. I feel a tan coming on or at least my first summer coat of blackness arriving.
I’ve still been spending my weekend exploring Portland and all that it has to offer. I’ve been forgetting the camera.
In other news, I got to see a really hilarious movie this weekend called The Hangover. The movie is about a guy named Doug and his three friends. They drive to Las Vegas for a blow-out bachelor party they'll never forget. But, in fact, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can't remember a thing. The movie unfolds as they start to find clues. The movie was funny from beginning to end. That’s just my opinion though. I urge you to see and tell me I’m wrong. I haven’t laughed that hard in ages. I guess because my expectations were so low, it was so good. They even managed to make Mike Tyson funny, which I thought would be impossible.
Hope all is rolling with the rest of you.
The week seems to be flying by at a rapid rate. I’m not complaining about this at all. I actually really enjoy weeks when they are like this.
I’m finally getting back to my regular routine of life. It’s taken me a little longer than usual, but I’m there and I’m feeling good about the direction that my life is taking. If I could complain I would, but I can’t and won’t.
I’m knocking out the workouts at the gym because the summer is on its way and I want to be shirtless for as much of it as possible. I also just found out that my trip to Arizona has to be canceled because I have finals that week and just can’t skip it. As bad as I want to go, I want to pass my classes even more. There is always next year. I’m thinking of taking a solo trip alone and just relaxing and discovering what it’s like to just be a nomad. Traveling at own pace, beating to my own drum and relaxing in a pool with some beers and shots of tequila just sounds right.
It’s times like these when I get a little jealous of that white people can tan and I can’t. Lying in the sun does nothing for my skin, but dries it out. I want to get all oiled up and lay out while people run past me. I want to ask some stranger can you rub some lotion my back. Is that too much to ask? I haven’t really decided on what I’m going to do. I’m thinking this will happen before summer quarter begins. I think I have a week gap in there somewhere. At the least I’m buying a lawn chair, getting some sun tan lotion and laying in the shade.
Its days like this that I hate the most. I we are always supposed to be happy for a holiday, but the next day after really sucks ass in a major way.
I find it hard to get myself out of holiday mode. My body just wanted to keep rolling on through the process. I will say that I really enjoyed the time off. I kind of let myself go. I ate and drank everything in my path. I've done no calorie counting, no protein intake watching, and no nothing, just pure and utter chaos. I’ll make myself pay for it in the coming weeks in the gym.
It was really quiet around the home front. I attended a few low-key BBq’s and mustered up enough energy to finish a term paper. I’m almost finished migrating to the new computer, but I still have a few things left.
I’m dying for school to be over this semester so that the summer can begin. I have a jammed packed summer this year. I am getting jittery for it. I have 3 trips this summer. Arizona. Kentucky. Louisiana and the occasional trips to Seattle (Brad and Carrie I’ll see you on the 15th of next month.). Hopefully I’ll be able to add to the list. I just want to want to spend the least amount of time cooped up in a house. Hopefully I get all this accomplished.
A lot can develop over a cup of coffee. Endless hours of procrastination, long hours of work, chitchat, sleepovers and business deals are all partial without coffee. I’m not championing a cause or anything; I just love good coffee (I don’t actually drink coffee. I tend to drink the less harsh beverages.) and good conversation.
I’ve come to realize that people are more open and forthcoming with information and feelings over a good cup of coffee. I guess you can say that coffee is the like a cold glass of your favorite micro-brew, just in the morning though and no embarrassing side effects or naked stories.
I’ve come to enjoy the morning debates over who got kicked off a reality show, why Paris Hilton was the hot topic on the favorite local news channel, and of course the crazy outfit that Karen (Everyone has one of these, though her name might not be Karen.) wore to work.
A chance to share thoughts with others, in mostly friendly banter, is something any of us hardly ever avoid. Since most of us are extroverts, conservative/liberals, and not unusual to have to raise the voice an octave or two, or invent vivid language, just to be able to make a point once in a while. To an observer these conversations might seem a bit loud, unruly, and filled with hoarse laughter, but to us it’s our way of avoiding the work. Maybe one can even say “throwing a little caution to the wind”. My only regret is that I won’t be able to hear the astute comments, opinions, and laughter all day.
I’ve finally made it to 300 posts. I probably should have it that mark sometime ago, but haven’t really been able to make it to blog.
I seem to be moving in a whirlwind. It seems like I’m in the same little bubble doing the same things over and over again. I have set myself up for a pattern and can’t seem to get out of it. I’ve been working and kicking a little ass at school. School has also been kicking my ass too, but I think I’ll come out on top when it’s all said and done.
I’m still exploring all that is Portland. Hopefully by weeks end I’ll have some better post, pictures and a list of my latest travel. If you get tired of waiting, you can always keep up with me on Twitter and Facebook.
Hope all is well in the blogosphere.
I'm finally starting to knock a dent into your past blog post. I didn't think that I had gotten that far behind on reading others blogs, but I guess I have. I think I've missed everything except the birth of someone's child.
So as school starts to take off, I can't help but feel like the year that I've taken off has damaged me more than I thought. I can't seem to ever catch up and do what I'm exactly supposed to do. Even when I think I'm ahead of the curve, I'm actually right where I'm supposed to be. I actually had to drop a class today because I think I bit off more than I can chew. I only have 3 classes to focus on now. I've pick up a part time job at a logistics company. I'll be pulling down 25 to 30 hours a week, which is plenty for me and my schedule. The only one missing out is the dog, but I'll make it up when I can with extra walks and treats.
As I was driving away from school, I passed the day care that sits at the entrance of the school. The kids were reveling in the Spring day playing what looked like soccer or maybe it was kickball. I'm not really sure, but the look on their face said everything. You could still see the innocence and joy of just being a kid. You could see no worries about bills, work, school, or relationships. The spirit of being a kid was all around them like bees to honey.
I can remember those days like it was yesterday. I remember running for hours straight, playing hide and seek, football in the middle of the streets and letting the Popsicle drip down my hands because I new Mom would wipe me my hands off with a warm towel. She would always say, "Now go back and play.", in that voice that only a mother could use.
As I sat waiting for the light to change reality set back in and I could only wonder who had inherited my innocence. I hope that they were putting it to good use. I hope that they didn't let it distract them from the fire ants like I did pretending to BBQ in the old cast-iron pit out back. Innocence can do a lot of things, but it can't tell the fire ants that you didn't know they lived there and that you were sorry for disturbing them. If only I knew while I was disrobing my clothes and running towards the house that those days can only last for so long, I would have stood there a little longer absorbing those bites. Once it's gone it's gone folks.
So I'll end this by saying no matter what's "eating/biting" you, let it, but try not to let it consume your life.
I'm working hard to catch up on all the blogs. It feels like I haven't been on this thing in years. I'm at the 2 week spot of reading blogs. With the sun out and school later today, I probably won't get caught up til this weekend sometime.
The first day of school went smoothly to say the least, sike. It was horrible. First off, I parked on the wrong side of the school and had to walk halfway across campus to get to my class. I think I sweated more walking to class than I do at the gym. The teacher turned out to be a huge math geek with a dry sense of humor. There is nothing worse than a bad joke, but someone laughing at their own bad joke really takes the cake. Not only was the math class equip with one smart-ass-question-asker, it came with a sidekick. I think they asked every stupid question possible that someone could ask. By the end of the class everyone was just giggling about all that they had to offer. I've never gotten a grasp of why people just don't wait til after class to ask some of the things that they ask. It would make life a tad bit more easier for them or at least save me a few good minutes of sanity.
After class I went to the book store, which was jammed packed with students. I thought I was going to be smart by waiting to get my books at the last minute. I was wrong, because everyone else had the same idea in mind as me. Guess all us school folk think the same way. Guess I really can't be mad at that part really. I just sucked it up and waiting in line with everyone else. Not that the day at school couldn't get any worse. The young lady behind the register says, "That'll be 175.85.". I know what you're thinking that's not that bad, but I assure you it is. That was for only one class. I still have to buy books for my other 3 class. I'm a little hesitant about finding out what the final total will be. At this rate I will have paid more for the books than what it cost me to actually attend the school.
I'm off to take a nap before school. Keep your scalps greased. I'll be back after school to post a little more.
Summer...Gone. See you in a few months, Dude.
