Thursday, August 28, 2008

What Did You Do This Summer?

Labor Day is Monday…school has already started in my neck of the woods. Summer’s over!

How did that happen? It went by in a blink for me, because I’m on deadline and have been writing writing writing. What did I miss?

In my family, Surfer Guy and Son 2 had an adventure vacation in Belize and Guatemala. The one that required shots and malaria pills…though the only bites Surfer Guy said he got this summer was when he came home from Central America and stepped into our backyard!

Son 1 has spent approximately 70 percent of his time at the beach playing volleyball. Another 10 percent has been at the municipal gym playing indoor volleyball. He sleeps the rest of the time, I think.

I did squeeze in the giving of a huuuge birthday party for Surfer Guy at the end of June. I think that was supposed to qualify as my summer “fun.” He did have a great time though and there’s no man more deserving for a super celebration. I also went to San Francisco for the Romance Writers Conference. Great experience, but I still haven’t managed to find the minutes to download my pictures off my camera. I spent one night sleeping in my old canopy bed at my childhood home, between the conference and getting back to my real life. That one night could almost qualify as a vacation in itself.

My last summer hurrah is a day at the horse races, where “the surf meets the turf” in Del Mar. I never bet more than $2 a pop, and I rarely win, but we’re going to watch the pretty horses and enjoy the ocean breezes and I’ll try to pretend that I’ve been summering for three months instead of one too-short day!

What was your best summer moment? Or do you have late summer fun planned?

18 comments:

Playground Monitor said...

The DH and I have a little trailer at a campground about 90 miles from home and we go there most every weekend from April through October. I enjoy the pool and the DH plays volleyball. That's pretty much my summer vacation. I did get a few extra days in San Francisco for sightseeing and had a blast.

Our "summer" vacation is going to happen in January though when we travel to Curacao, which is only 12 degrees north of the equator and will be sunny and warm while it's dreary and cold here. I can't wait! I'm shopping for the trip now since I won't be able to buy sundresses in December.

I've never been to the races. I think it would be fun.

Marilyn

Christie Ridgway said...

Marilyn: I love warm winter vacations! Even though we live in SoCal, we had a great time in Puerto Vallarta with extended family one Christmas. You are so smart to get your summer wear now (and while it's all on sale).

I can't wait until my kids are a bit older and Surfer Guy and I can get away by ourselves more. I would love to vacation at non-peak times, but since Surfer Guy is a teacher, our schedule is pretty much that we're off when so many others are traveling too.

The races are a hoot, BTW.

Michele Hauf said...

I'm like you. The summer passed me by while I sat clattering away at the keyboard. Just went outside yesterday and realized, yeah, it's fall here already. One day it was hot, now it's cool.

Not sure what I'll do before the flakes drift in. Might catch the Renaissance festival one weekend. Hate to miss that.
M

Christie Ridgway said...

Michele: Isn't it weird how the season seems to change on a dime? What I notice is the angle of the sun. It's still warm here...and September and October can be very HOT in SoCal (hence our firestorms) but there's just a different quality about the sunshine as it edges toward fall.

Next summer let's not work so hard!

Helen Brenna said...

Summer was here? Dang. Missed it again. LOL

Due to bookdeadlines here too, I didn't even try to cram things in this summer like I usually do.

We're going to the state fair on Saturday. That'll be the last hurrah!

Christie Ridgway said...

Helen: Enjoy your fair experience! I'm looking forward to a small getaway in October when my buddy Barbara Samuel is coming to visit me (and speak to my RWA chapter). We're going to drive up to the L.A. area and probably do some fun shopping and also jabber about books and writing

mslizalou said...

I guess my only vacations were when I had my 3 nieces for a week and when I was recovering from foot surgery. I was on the go all the time with the girls, and slept for the first week after surgery. Not very exciting. I think my sister and I are taking her oldest to NY for graduation in May, so that will be my next long vacation.

Fedora said...

We did a multi-day visit to Disneyland and Legoland last week which was probably the highlight of our kids' summer. That and the chance to hang out with their best friends all summer :) Ongoing summer fun! And now I can't believe it's back to school for them and back to schedules and nagging about homework! Yikes!

KylieBrant said...

I'm with you, Christie. Summer was over in a flash! First of all, I had to write two books this summer, which is not summer to be recommended. I wrote ten pages on one and five on another daily and did a lot of whining in between about not having any fun, LOL.

My kids always like to host a beanbag tournament at our place over the fourth. Their hosting duties usually involve showing up, LOL. I think we fed 85 this year.

Two of my sons decided this summer would be the ideal time to get married--a month apart. Talk about time flying!

Next year (my usual end of the summer refrain) I'll have more time to myself!

Unknown said...

Seems like the summer flew by for me, too! I spent several days at the beach. . . which you might think would be easy since I live all of 15 miles from it. But, like everybody else who lives close to an attraction they never see or do, I just don't get there.

So, I've gone several times this summer. And for the first time in a long time, I have a light tan. Yes, I wear sun block, but it does wash off and wear off and I end up with a "bit of color" I hadn't intended to get. And I'm swimming more in the pool-- nearly every day-- and doing water aerobics moves. Which brings me to my real achievement of the summer.

I've lost 16 pounds! And I'm firming and toning with exercise. Walking, swimming, and using my "Gazelle" when it's just too hot to make myself sweat outside.

The travel was just to San Francisco and was fine. But I think I need a "grands" fix soon and I'd love to see some different scenery in a fall mini-vacation.

Christie Ridgway said...

Liza: Ouch on the foot surgery! I'm a little bummed because my darling youngest nephew usually stays with us for a while each summer. But he was part of the Central America trip, and was in All Stars Little League and so didn't have time for us this year.

Betina: 16 pounds! I think I gained 16 pounds chained to my computer.

Kylie: Hey, a bean bag tourney sounds like lots of fun. The wedding hoopla too...but mother of the bridegroom stuff must be stressful. This is in my future someday, as the mom of two boys.

Christie Ridgway said...

flchen1: For years we've told people that our kids go to summer camp...in our backyard! We are usually the hub of friend-world and so there's always kids in the pool, bopping volleyballs around the house, etc.

This year they spent a lot more time at the beach. I didn't really miss them, given I had so much work to do, but I have been making very big dinners because usually someone stays beyond my own four.

Unknown said...

I simply refuse to believe summer's over. I'm keeping it until November even though I took way too much time off climbing mountains etc.

Keri Ford said...

Put me in the group of: Summer was here?

No vacation, no getaway, no nothing. Don't have anything in the forseeable future either! No wait. My sister is due for her second baby any down now, so when that happens, me and my baby will go to her house. A whole 2hour drive. Don't know if the hubby will make it or not. Vacation at a hospital. sigh.

Okay, pity party over, it's a beautiful day and I'm going outside!

Christie Ridgway said...

Keri: Don't despair! When you have a little one, there are some times like that. You'll have plenty of fun vacations ahead. (I keep telling myself that too, and I don't have a baby anymore!)

Estella said...

No plans this summer.

Christie Ridgway said...

Estella: Okay, we need to start our =next= summer's plans!

catslady said...

My oldest daughter got married last month and my youngest moved into her own apartment for college - that covered my summer lol.