Things I Love about Summer

It's officially starting to feel like summer outside... today it was about 95 degrees, humid, alternately very sunny and then kinda stormy. I'm not so sure how I feel about summer starting, I sort of wish it could stay early spring or late fall forever, but I thought I'd share some of the reasons that I decide to tolerate summer (as opposed to moving to Antarctica for the duration of my fourth favorite season).

1. The beach! While I almost never go (ie. one trip every other year) summer is certainly the best time to take a trip down to the outer banks (the only beaches worth going to). There is nothing better than the soft beachy air, playing in the waves, and walking along the water at twilight. Oh and reading books on the beach and pretending that I have the ability to tan isn't all that bad either :)

2. The cut grass smell. I love the smell of freshly cut grass and it often permeates the air in the summertime.

3. My Birthday! Yay for birthdays. Since my birthday is in the summer it makes me like the season just a little bit more :) Although this year will be the first year in a while that I'm not celebrating with my Vermont family and that's kinda sad...

4. The free iPod touch with a mac purchase deal. Yes, I finally broke down and replaced my laptop with a shiny new MacBook Pro. Thank you Apple store for throwing a shiny new iPod Touch into the deal! And thank you new computer that will close without a heavy object on top of it to keep the lid shut.

5. Summer flowers and the vegetable garden. Spring is pretty because lots of flowers are blooming and the trees are flowering and all that, but for some reason I like summer flowers better. I think they smell nicer or something. And there is nothing better than eating steamed zucchini and yellow squash straight from the garden!

6. Visiting Vermont. We have taken a trip up to Vermont to visit our family up there almost every single year in my entire life. Summer and Vermont are synonymous in my mind. (It took me about 12 tries to figure out how to spell synonymous... literally).

7. My new bathing suit. I haven't purchased a bathing suit in three years. That's right. Three. That's how often I go swimming/have a need for a suit. Unfortunately, over Christmas when I was in Florida and needed a bathing suit, I realized that all the elastic parts in my favorite six-year-old bikini had dry rotted and that my newer three-year-old one no longer fit. So I hit the streets and searched high and low for a suit that fit my slightly smaller than normal chest and pretty average rear. It was difficult, stressful, and quite frankly a little depressing but I finally found a miracle in the form of spandex that actually made me do a happy dance in the fitting room... For once, I think God actually smiled on me!

8. Cute critter shorts and flip-flops. Nothing makes yours truly happier than a pair of shorts decorated with cute little whales or zebras. Also summer is a much better time to wear flip-flops.

9. Bug noises. Not the bugs themselves, those are one of the low points of the summer. But I love sleeping with my windows open and being able to hear the cows mooing and the crickets chirping and the cicadas singing. It's such a friendly noise.

10. The reality TV season. By reality TV, mind you, I do not mean to imply that trashy stuff like the Bachelor or Bachelorette, Dance your A** Off, Jersey Shore, or likewise. When I say reality TV I refer to such quality television as So You Think You Can Dance, The Next Food Network Star, Design Star, and several other gems. So excited.