Why The End of Summer Sucks!

While Summer officially ended on September 23rd this year, it has been flitting away from us for several weeks now. The end of summer sucks! It means trading in the shorts, tank tops and flip-flops for jeans, sweaters and boots. Since I am 9 months pregnant, this end of summer also shows that I have no fall clothes that fit, so that makes it all the more fun! Mimi needs to come soon as I will look ridiculous walking around in shorts and a winter jacket!

Summer also means the closing of all the pools, but that does not help when Indian Summer comes around. Last Tuesday, Tom and I had the day off, it was 87 degrees and we could have used a pool. We were stuck with the options of sitting inside in air conditioning or becoming sweaty messes at a Corn Maze. There is something wrong with this picture!

The end of summer means socks! I detest socks, I love to wear flip-flops and cute sandals. It is a 6-month waste of pedicures that are still necessary so your feet do not turn in cow's hooves.

Football takes over as summer ends. While it is fun to tailgate and watch the games, it is not fun to have to plan your day around the traffic patterns of 109,000 something fans who forget how to drive weekly in their search for affordable and close parking. It is not fun to show up at the tailgate dressed one way only to realize you are boiling or freezing and have made a bad wardrobe choice. You need to carry a duffel bag of clothes with you where ever you go so you can be prepared like the Boy Scouts!

Summer signals the end of baseball, something I follow with the passion of a fat kid who loves cake! It means the playoffs (yeah), but also the 5 long months before spring training where there are no good sporting events to watch on TV every day.

While Fall is fine, summer rocks! With summer ending, we are just a quick blink away from dreaded winter!

Things that Make Me Happy

As the winter rages on here in Michigan (thanks Puxatony Phil for nothing), my mood deteriorates. There is nothing to do. I feel unsettled, blah, logy (a new word Scottie is using meaning sluggish) and just downright pissy. So as I try to cheer myself up, I decided to think about what makes me happy. Here we go (in no particular order) -

1) Sangria at Dominick's - even though a gallon costs more than a movie for 2, it makes me think of warm weather and the U of M students being gone for the summer.

2) Vacations - I love the planning, organizing and executing a vacation. It is time to start planning our Buenos Aires trip that is in a couple of months. Florida in 6 weeks is already well planned out.

3) Putt -putt - It just rocks! My goal is to play the semi-pro course with the longest fairways at Disney World in a few weeks. Did I mention that I am obsessed?

4) Dinner and Drinks Outside downtown - just don't stick me under a buggy tree, but the people watching is out of this world!

5) Baseball - spring training here we come! I miss you Derek, I miss you Tex, hurry back Swisher! I might be a little stalkerish in Florida, but I will get your autographs!

6) Wine Tours - going from winery to winery in Traverse City, singing "Papa Don't Preach" at Madonna's Dad's winery and eating way too much cheese!

7) NYC - We weren't there for JCI last year, but we will be this year, so I need to find the latest and greatest things to do. The city that never sleeps makes me crazy happy!

8) Flip-flops and Tank Tops - my summer uniform - need I say more?

What I don't like? Snow, Cold, having to stay indoors, no sun, all typical characteristics of Michigan winter. All things that have occurred in the last week in old Ann Arbor.

With it being Valentine's Day weekend and all, I probably should say my husband makes me happy, my family is cool, all that mushy stuff. While they do, I said I was focusing on Things that made me happy, so sorry you did not make the list! There will always be another list!