Things I didn't do this summer (or every summer)

Every summer it’s the same. I have high aspirations of spending plenty of time out in the sun either reading on the patio, playing summer sports (like Frisbee “disc” golf, corn hole, or maybe badminton), riding my bike around the neighborhood, grilling out at least every once a week, maybe go to the city pool (which is within walking distance), roast some marshmallows and make s’mores, etc.

Every summer it’s the same. I go to work. Maybe go the gym afterwards. Come home. Make dinner. Do some chores (like watering all the outdoor plants since we get very little rain in the summer). By this time it’s usually between 8-9pm. The hour between 9-10pm is reserved for mutual television viewing. After that we get ready for bed. Lights out between 10:30-10:45pm.

As far as summer sports go, I bought the special Frisbees to play disc golf, but have never actually been to the course, though driven past it many, many, many times. My husband, at least, is honest when he told me he has no plans to ever try the sport, lest he make a fool of himself. Not knowing many people in Columbus, and certainly not anyone else who plays the sport, I’m not too concerned about it, so I guess I’ll go alone. We don’t tend to play badminton in the backyard because it’s too much of a pain to set up the net and sometimes too windy to play. I don’t really care much for cornhole; probably because I suck at it. If I practiced and could actually play with some skill, it might be a different story. However, not sure if I care to be a part of that culture. Bike rides around the neighborhood have become few and far between. I figure if I go to the gym, that’s enough exercise.

Last year I bought a new bathing suit after noticing the faded and stretched elastic on some of my old suits. The closest I’ve gotten to going swimming is when we went to a pool party at a friend’s house. Since the kids were pretty much monopolizing the pool, we adults decided to just watch while drinking our “adult beverages” from a safe distance.

I sat outside once and read part of one of my e-books. Last weekend I had my first roasted marshmallow courtesy of the son of one of my sister’s neighbors. Apparently he doesn’t like them “well done” (black) like I do, so I ate it before his mother discarded it. We use our grill maybe three or four times during the summer; that’s about it. When it’s hot and humid outside, the last thing my husband wants to do is stand in front of a hot grill flipping burgers or turning kabobs.

Hence, I’ve decided to give up on trying to enjoy most summer activities. For those of us without kids who work a regular 9-5 (or 8-4 in my case) job, summer leisure is a thing of the past. My only summer pleasure is less traffic due to all the parents who take the summer off, and getting to wear less clothing (but always a sweater or blazer to shield my arms from over air conditioned offices/shopping malls/restaurants).