End of the Summer

I guess the official end of the summer was September 21, but tonight it really feels like summer is over. It's too cold to sleep with the windows open anymore. I love summer and being outside at night when the temperature is the same as your skin and the only way you know there is still air is from an occasional breeze. I start to feel gloomy this time of year when I have to start layering my clothes, but Brian loves it. I guess I would too if I got sweaty like he does! Of course I love football season and all the fun and food that comes with it, but in the back of my mind I know that chills and darkness are lurking.

We had some great times this summer. We went white water rafting in West Virginia with a group of friends. Brian and I had our first experience of setting up a tent together (and those of you who've done know it can make or break a relationship!) So, we survived that and had a great time.

We attempted golfing a few times and fit in numerous tennis matches. Brian continued his autocross events, made many improvements to the Neon, and even got me and my mom to sign up and race the BMW. We attended the Ohio State Fair, the Rose Festival (pictured above), the Greek Festival, and too many barbecues and backyard bonfires to count. We went to the weddings of our friends Cole and Lauren (where Brian was the best man and gave a great speech) and Pavlo and Nicole.

Our roommate Liz moved out, so now we have the apartment to ourselves which is nice, but now there's no one else to blame for the mess in the kitchen. Oh well.

We survived a whole summer without cable or air conditioning! We saved some money, helped the environment, and made better use of our time. We would recommend it to anyone even though some people thought we were crazy at first. Now that all the new shows are coming on this fall, I have just started watching them online. I don't think the cable is coming back, but when Brian suggested that we go all winter without heat, that idea was quickly vetoed.

As sad as I am to see summer go it wouldn't be Christmas without snow, and we've got to get there somehow. Maybe my mood is residual from the past 19 years of the fall meaning back to school. Maybe it's because I am not going back to school. At least we have a summer full of memories and some holidays to look forward to.

~Kate