For me life is one endless summer - one of the many perks of retirement. I confess that summer is NOT my favorite season in any way, shape or form. I do not like heat and I despise humidity and its effects on both my hair and armpits. Gross, right? Give me temps in the 70s or even low 80s and I am one happy camper. Anything higher and I am holed up inside with the AC blasting. Mind you, I am sitting inside now and it is a picture perfect day, but I am tired and wanted to do absolutely nothing today but play on my MacBook. Drives Lindsay crazy! She is convinced I am addicted to my laptop...and you know what? I am! As I have explained to my daughter, I worked 28 years to earn the right and privilege to do nothing! I do not, however, consider it nothing, playing on the computer. It keeps my brain working, and we all know that an idle mind is the Devil's workshop...or something like that! I do some of my best "work" on my laptop. I converse with friends, read about the world, check Facebook, vote on Capture My Chicago (hey, I am helping to shape the coffee table book in which one my photos was published - a full page - last year in the contest), and yes, I do occasionally SHOP online! Any you know what? I dig it. Every last minute of the time I spend on my laptop. It keeps me busy, and off the streets.
I do get out, and I even subject my body to some exercise - swimming in our swim spa. I am one with water. I've said it before. I don't even mind the giggles and sneers people give me when they learn I was a synchronized swimmer...but that is old news. I've blogged about that before. Getting back to this endless summer thing - although I don't love this season, I appreciate it because I know that in a few short months (weeks?) the weather will turn and then I will be crabbing about how short autumn is and how lllllooonnnngggg winter is! I have lived in the Chicagoland area my whole life. Why then do I hate winter more and more every year? Could it be that my aging body aches, throbs, and is angry all winter long? Arthritis has seen to it that the dreaded winter season makes me even more crabby. I have knobs and bumps on my hands that make me want to wear gloves even when INSIDE! Midwesterners get the short end of the weather stick, don't we? Long winters, short springs, dreadfully hot and humid summers, and short autumn. Why do we stay? Every winter I plot my revenge against the Chicagoland winters and am convinced that this will be our last winter here. I dream of the "perfect" place to live, and you know what? There is no such place! Those places along the Gulf and oceans may have great weather, but they also have hurricanes. Places that have mountains have lots of snow and cold. Other places, like San Diego has its share of pitfalls too - way too many people, including lots of illegals crossing the border. I have always dreamed of living in Asheville, North Carolina. I know they have nasty ice storms. We may have lots of snow and cold but we have few ice storms. Last year's ice storm brought some of my best photo ops.
And let's face it, the real reason I am still here - year after dreaded winter - is family! My kids and grandkids, my mom, brother and sister (despite our differences, of course) my sister and brother in law on Artie's side, and all my nieces, nephews and their kids too. Artie and I had our experiment at living in another state and we hated it! It just wasn't home. So, when this endless summer ends, I guess I will be bearing down and preparing for yet another long, horrible winter...but at least I will have company!! All of you that stick it out with me year after year! For that I am willing to stick it out.
