Summer used to start on June 21, did it not?
Now I got these smartypants kids who tell me, no, it’s
actually June 20 this year because of the blah, blah, blah and the effects of an additional
minute added thrice quarterly, take into account the tilt of the earth, and carry the one.
Anyway, apparently whoever is in charge of these things just up and decided when the solstice is and TODAY is the first day of summer, not tomorrow. What is this crap, I ask you?
On a related note, I woke up in a panic this morning.
I’m a full-time mom of four and for all intents and
purposes, a full-time writer, and every year the summer arrives and I stand
before its gaping maw and announce tremulously, “We’re going to have the best
summer ever, kids!”
Which is sort of like announcing that this phase of the war
in Afghanistan is going to go especially smoothly, for sure, uh-huh. *high
five*
Because high fives make everything seem possible, do they not?
So, yeah, summer comes, and I make plans to keep everyone
busy, myself included, but of course me and the kids are working at cross purposes as far as that goes. And inevitably,
despite my best efforts, things turn into mushy whining and squabbling and by
late-August—often far sooner—the household falls under the spell of grumpy
torpor that makes a prison cell in Guantanamo Bay seem cheerful by comparison.
By August 31, absolutely EVERYTHING will be lame, and even my suggestion that the kids "go steal some cars and see if you can outrun the Smokies like me and your uncle used to do back in the day" will fall on ears made deaf by sheer boredom.
But that’s NOT going to happen this summer. No, this year
will be different. I’m so sure of it!
 |
| Give my muse Ivan some skin, folks. |
Hell to the yeah!
*high five*
And what are your outlandishly optimistic summer plans, writing or otherwise?
Logging you in...
Steven J. Wangsness · 667 weeks ago
But first, we have to get rid of winter and out here in the (not-so) Great Northwest, that just hasn't happened yet.
Probably something to do with all that Japanese tsunami trash washing up on our beaches.
KLM 70p · 667 weeks ago
I used to like summer. But now it's like a mountain I must climb with no oxygen tanks or fresh supplies.
Dianne K Salerni · 667 weeks ago
Yeah, things don't always go as planned.
KLM 70p · 667 weeks ago
@AngelinaCHansen · 667 weeks ago
meghancward 86p · 667 weeks ago
As for boredom, I was bored a lot as a kid. Consequently, I read a lot of books and played a lot of four square in the street. My kids are never bored, and I'm not sure that's a good thing. Between gymnastics classes and swim classes and French class and birthday parties and trips we have planned this summer ... they're more tired than bored. I like summer because I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to make lunches every other day. They like summer because we get to go camping and visit my family in Michigan. Who woulda thought visiting Michigan would become the highlight of our year!
Sierra Godfrey · 666 weeks ago
adinawest 2p · 665 weeks ago
Hope you stay sane this summer! (never heard that solstice thing either - I always thought first of July...)