SummerSun

Come Summer

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People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy.
-- Anton Chekhov

As I wake up at 7:00 am every morning, I make a groggy note to subtract one day from my mental tally. There are only 9 days left in the school year and, though I’m reasonably sure I will spend most of the time at work, there’s something wonderfully tempting about the three months that will soon follow.

I am two weeks away from blissful summer, and I couldn’t be happier about it. (Just don’t tell my boss.)

Perhaps it’s the heat that scorches its way through our living room, turning my little apartment into a sweat lodge. Or maybe it’s the vague feeling of renewal that follows as my workload shifts away from talking to people and eases instead into dealing with shuffled papers and redesigned documents. Whatever the reason, a haze of promise looms in the distance.

But aside from a few conventions here and there, my summers tend to be pretty boring affairs. I’ve spent the last five years working straight through the heat, with nary a beach day or pool party to be seen. While players look to the new, I’m usually stuck wading through a backlog of socially stale (but singularly divine) titles. Instead of taking leisurely, refreshing rests, I stay up through the sweltering night and curse the morning buzzer.

Truth be told, summer isn’t especially exciting. Nor does it offer much that can’t be done in most of California’s 300 other days of sun. What it does present is a wonderfully escapist state of mind – the promise of summer.

Sometimes, that’s all I need to get through the week.

Comments

Odd.. I was just commenting to a friend on the weather when I checked GWJ and saw this post. Except I'm currently enjoying the beautiful weather of Western Australia, where it's the promise of winter that's currently floating my boat.

There's just something wonderful about a day with the occasional heavy downpour interspersed with bright warm sunshine. Amazing cloud formations, lots of rainbows, the clean smell of the freshly washed world, and just enough time between showers to hit MacDonalds for lunch without getting wet.

I think I might take a walk down my driveway and stand at the beach next time it rains....

Summers in Chicago have been fantastic for me. Even more so than my first 25 years in California. But, aside from spending more time with my daughter (time I would not trade for anything), Summer is almost no different for me than the rest of the months.

Sure I don't have snow to shovel, but my schedule is still the same. The chores and other real life duties are still the same. I still have to pay the bills. No, I think that the True Summer dies shortly after high school (and we spend the rest of our lives enjoying our nostalgia).

EDIT: Ok, maybe Summer does have more Oogaba to enjoy than the rest of the year...

Fyedaddy wrote:

No, I think that the True Summer dies shortly after high school (and we spend the rest of our lives enjoying our nostalgia).

It kinda bleeds into college/university times too. I remember being so happy to work for the summer between semesters because that's all it was - work. You go, clock your hours, do your tasks, and go home at 5 with no further thought until the next day. It was a nice change from the constant trickle of assignments and papers and exams, where even in your off-time you might feel guilty about not working on an essay or keeping up with course reading.

I like this post. Thank you Spaz. Although summer break is but a distant memory to me, I still get excited about summer. I think it’s like Fyedaddy said and it’s more nostalgia than anything else. Nothing changes for me in the summer (aside from the weather). I’d like to say I get to game more, but that’s generally not the case.

Speaking of summers, I haven’t gotten a summer tan since the summer after 7th grade. That’s when we discovered D&D and spent the next several summers completely indoors covered in Cheeto dust and rolling dice. After that I started to dig the albino cave dweller look and have it going on to this day. Chicks dig it…well, maybe not. Lucky for me my wife failed her saving throw.

Wisconsin summers are special because you never know when they're going to start and seem to bleed into the Fall. Chaos weather is the theme to keep in mind.
However, for me the start of Summer kicks off the Gen Con countdown clock. (Currently at 68 days until departure.) And your post, Spaz, really ignited the desire for a four day gaming bender.
Gen Con is like Christmas in August - it comes every year (since 1984 for me) and happens without fail.
So here's to a season of fun, both outdoors and inside.

[...looks at the calendar, wishes for early winter.]

I dislike summer... and in retrospect, always have!

[...and off to the server room I go, where it's cold... where I can feel at home.]

People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy.

I somehow read this wholesarticle as Magic Sun Dragon Little Italy. Nothing like California or Florida, fruit the ****. Summer sickness I guess. Great front piece again Alex, happyface

*grumble* wishing for summer here in south New Zealand. *whimper* we're getting heavy rain and snow *shiver*

Ah, Summer...

Where I live Summer is a mercurial season. The entire years is mercurial, come to think of it. Micro-climates, sudden and bizarre weather changes, you name it. Such is life in the tropics!

I just love the promise of free time. Sadly, I only have a couple of weeks vacation on average per year, so I can never squeeze enough into them.

brokenclavicle wrote:

The entire years is mercurial, come to think of it. Micro-climates, sudden and bizarre weather changes, you name it. Such is life in the tropics!

I've seen single-day temperature changes in Chicago that would have you wondering if Armageddon had come. I'm talking 25C swings don't seem so odd.

Haha, I live in Cali too. I go to UCI, and I'm off in 2 weeks as well. I'm hitting the beach right after finals.

Going into winter here. I hate winter. Even the fire of my hatred for the infernal season isn't enough to keep me warm.

I, for one, am looking forward to reading your research findings on summer.