Afterglow

Today was a beautiful day. One of those days where it doesn't seem right to have to be in an office for eight hours. It's okay though, three day weekend coming up baby! Very excited for that. Memorial Day weekend is always such a nice way to enter summer.

Rodger made guacamole last night courtesy of Vince and Peggy's avocados. There's something about dipping a salty tortilla chip into fresh homemade guacamole that screams summer to me.

The past couple of days while I have been sitting in my office I have been daydreaming about summer's past. I am not exaggerating when I say that a warm, happy feeling rushes over my body.

Summers past hold such wonderful, beautiful, fun memories for me. Camping, family road trips, beach trips, swimming, going to Aunt Peggy's, playing all day long. When I was older renting a bunch of movies with my sister and laying in bed watching them together. I always made her watch "Drop Dead Gorgeous" over and over. One summer I think we watched "Never Been Kissed" every single day. ("Asses and elbows people"). In fact it was during one summer that we saw Drew Barrymore filming that movie on Myrtle. She waved to us.

My parents always took us on fun summer trips, road trips to Arizona, Utah, Nebraska, Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, San Diego, etc. Sitting in a car lead to a lot of whining by me but quite frankly those trips are some of my most cherished memories. I remember seeing a deer at Zion National Park, and swimming in Utah during a thunder storm. There was the boat ride on Lake Tahoe, my mom was very brave. We went to caves in Colorado and Arizona, the Four Corners, the "Cornhusker Museum", Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, Devil's Postpile (for about three minutes), Mount St Helens, the Jelly Belly Factory, the hot springs in Colorado. We had a big trip to Nebraska with other family. Vickie, Matt, and I talked about the boat ride on the Missouri River for years.

Camping at Morro Bay was always a Summer highlight, picking out the camping spot, playing Frisbee golf, smores, bacon egg burritos, Foster's Freeze, riding bikes, playing games, going to SLO to watch a movie and go to the Farmer's Market. Morro Bay gives me nothing but nostalgic happy feelings.

We also went to Catalina a few times. One trip we saw Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale (sign of the time I was much more excited about Gavin than Gwen). We always got Big Olaf's ice cream, ate fish and chips on the pier, and went snorkeling. Looking back now more than anything what made those trips so special was that I knew how much my parents loved us. They wanted to take vacations with us. Not every kid has that. We are lucky. My parents wanted to be with us and still do and vice versa. (I just finished reading "The Glass Castle" so I am feeling so grateful for my loving, normal, nourishing childhood.)

Those trips were something to look forward to about Summer. I know I was probably bored most days of summer vacation. I am sure I complained all the time. But gosh how I want those days back. Not having to work, sleeping in, watching "I Love Lucy", "Days of our Lives", and "Little House on the Prairie" every day, hanging out with my cousin Matt and Vickie, my mom getting me a soda and apple pies from McDonalds every afternoon (remember that summer in college when I didn't have a job, Mom?). Swimming in the pool in the afternoon and weekends, having nice tan skin, walking into the house and having the cool central air conditioning blow on your warm skin. I love that feeling, such a summer feeling. There was swim practice, meets, and swim finals at the end of summer in Irvine. Everything always enveloped in fun, sun, friends, family, and love.

I'm lucky that when I'm stuck in an office I still have so many great memories to look back on and of course, so many great times to look forward to.