summer's greatest hits

 

Earlier today I helped the boys rehearse their “What did you do over your summer vacation?” speech by asking them to pick the best moment. Both boys were stymied by that question because there were so many awesome times. Thank goodness. There were many moments this summer when I thought I had finally scarred them for life. Or that they had scarred themselves because the boys engaged in a lot of fighting. But we all agreed that it was one of the best summers ever. Winston’s high point was tubing and “lighting dynamite” (=shooting fireworks), which happened over the Fourth of July at my parent’s house. Simon thought one of his best moments might have been sleepaway camp. At times, I thought he might want to move to Camp Icaghowan on a semi-permanent basis.

In all fairness, I decided to compile my own list. I, too, am returning to school on September 6, and I will likely be asked this question. Here are the high points (please, don’t ask me to pick just one), in no particular order:

1. Visited a number of local museums using the Museum Adventure Pass: the Bakken Museum, the Foshay Museum and Observation Deck, and The Works: Hands-on, Minds-on Museum at [mostly] no charge, courtesy of the Saint Paul Public Libraries, which allows cardholders to “check out” admission for 2 people per visit.

2. Finished reading Freedom, Jonathan Franzen’s 641-page follow-up novel to The Corrections, which I had been carrying around since September 2010. Also, read every word of the business management textbook used in the class I took.

3. Had one of our best trips to Watertown, SD, over the July 4^th weekend: fireworks, fishing, reconnecting with old friends at a childhood friend’s memorial service, meeting brother Jeff’s girlfriend and her family (some of whom I knew from high school), and more.

4. Attending rescheduled concerts: U2 (from last summer), which rocked so hard I can’t stand it and whom I love more now than I did in 1980-whatever (Adam Clayton!). The 360 stage set is pictured above. What you can't see in the photo on the right is that it was pissing rain. Our seats were under an overhang so we stayed relatively dry. And, TV on the Radio, which rock so hard I couldn’t believe how excellent they were live. Lots of other live music, including my dear husband’s band, but these moments were truly outstanding.

5. Traveled to the North Shore for the first time. State shutdown meant that none of the myriad state parks were open. Instead we hiked the Superior Hiking Trail. Ate pies at Betty’s Pies, which, if you ask Simon, was the highlight of the trip.

6. Saw all the summer blockbusters. Pleasantly surprised by Transformers (great action, good humor) and charmed by Mister Popper’s Penguins. Also loved Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris.

7. Sent the children to sleepaway camp. Burst with pride at how happy they were in that environment.

8. Watched oldest son blossom as a reader. Marveled at the boys’ sense of independence as they rode their bikes to tennis each morning.

9. Enjoyed reconnecting with family friends and meeting new faces at Chris and Anastasia's wedding in Princeton, NJ. Then, had a fantastic week in the Adirondacks, pampered silly at The Sagamore, which was situated on an island studded glacial lake, surrounded by mountains. Heavenly.

10. Outran Tropical Storm Irene. The storm was predicted to hit New Jersey on August 28, almost exactly when our flight from Newark was scheduled. Determined not to be stuck on the East Coast for yet another storm, we reserved a rental car at Albany International Airport (Newark was already sold out) and left on Saturday. The drive took 20 hours. We drove 16 hours, taking only a few breaks, including an hour in Erie, PA, where we ate dinner and bought audiobooks at B&N. Just before Madison, WI, I pupped out and got a hotel room so we could take a nap. The last four hours were a piece of cake by comparison. 

Bonus: Aced my summer course (business management 3001), even with a bunch of free-loading group members and the distraction of taking my final exam from a hotel room while on vacation.

(Photo credit: wikimedia commons)