Summer Days Driftin' Away?

When I was a kid, Labor Day weekend marked the official end of summer. Well, of course. Because it was (back then) AFTER Labor Day that we went back to public school. In the 15 years since my kids were in public school, only ONCE did they go back AFTER Labor Day. Since then, there was no more of that. Yet many people still use Labor Day to gauge their summer's end.

Now that both of my sons are out of public school and into college, it's no different. Tomorrow (yes, that's what I said), we take Matthew up to WPI to begin his sophomore year. Can you believe it? It's criminal, I tell ya! Brian, on the other hand, doesn't begin his freshman year at college until August 30. That's STILL before Labor Day!! It makes me crazy!

So, I have already entered into the end-of-summer doldrums about two weeks too soon. Even Friday, when I had taken Matthew to get needed clothes before his send-off, I got depressed. I was driving home around 8:20 PM. The sun had already GONE DOWN!! I moaned to Matthew, "It's getting dark earlier! The days are shorter," as I mocked a sobbing state of mind. It's so depressing!

But I'll try to see a positive in it (this is so hard when Matthew has been saying he can't wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas!). TV rerun season will end relatively soon. That's good because TV sucks these days! I won't have to shave my underarms and legs as often. I'll stop getting pedicures soon. We'll save money on our electric bill since we won't have to use the air conditioning as much (Boy, has it been beautiful today!!). Foliage will begin. That's always beautiful. Oh, but wait. Is that positive? Living in a community called "Timber Village," can you only imagine the TON of leaves we have to RAKE every fall? And in the past two years, the snow has started early so the town hasn't removed the leaves (they use the same trucks to suck up the leaves as they use to plow -- different mechanisms needed to plow SO screw the leaves until April or so). It gets yechy looking with sand, snow and other dirt on top of leaf piles in the road. Then again, pre-season basketball begins in late November. I love that!

Yet, I cannot help think that I cannot wait until NEXT May. The time where summer's approach is imminent and exciting. "Summer Lovin' Had Me a Blast. Summer Lovin' Happened So Fast . . . "

Grease is the word. Just not always. I can moan all I want, but it's not going to change this New England climate. This squeaky wheel can't get the grease. So, it's probably better to try and go with the flow. I'll try, anyway.