end-o-summer

the tell tale signs...

#1 - the CRUNCH factor. The last time I was at Mike and Janica's, we played with Emily out front. The big tree had cast off many shriveled, dead leaves, causing every footstep to make a fun *CRUNCH!*

#2 - monday night FOOTBALL. We finally get to push aside baseball ("America's Passtime") for FOOTBALL (America's Obsession)!

#3 - the SUN(set). the SUN is already going down way earlier than it was in August. I first noticed this when we had our Labor Day Picnic. Having the SUN go down earlier brings another fall-time feeling... one which I'm not sure I can properly explain. See, the way the afternoon SUN looks in fall is very distinct to me. It shines differently. And the tone of the light always makes me think of Halloween. I keep thinking - "it looks very Halloween-y outside."

#4 - a glorious COOL BREEZE. now is the time we enjoy the COOL BREEZE, because it's a sweet reprieve from unholy heat. this BREEZE is delicious and refreshing. for a time, I will be safe from the dangers of overheating. that is, of course, until the dreaded Santa Ana's arrive...

#5 - the transformation of my HAIR. every year around this time, I get the itch to darken my HAIR. Low-lights usually quench my thirst for darker locks, but there is always a possibility I dye it brown. Never, EVER black though, that I can promise you.

occurring separately, these signs could point to something different. but all together they shout, "le fin d'ete." (end-o-summer)

oh. Holy. HOT.

i'd like to talk about the fact that last weekend was insanely hot and humid. saturday, the air was so thick that i could taste it - and it did NOT taste good.

the past week has been so hot and now DRY. here's the thing though - it does not matter to me whether it's a dry heat or a moist heat. once you reach a certain temperature, it's just too damn hot.

i'm particularly sensitive to such intense heat - it makes it so i can barely function. Top 4 most miserable overheating experiences:

Elizabeth - you may recall a summer while i was in highschool and working at RailPros. we went to the Spectrum for lunch and then you wanted to walk around and window shop. i was FREAKING out because of the heat and it barely phased you at all. you kept saying that i was overreacting and being a baby and what not....

mom/dad/mike - remember the summer of '03 in NYC?? holy cow, when i think of that day on the ferry going to Liberty Island and Ellis Island, it makes me incredibly uncomfortable just to think about. i was so miserable that i started to cry. mom told me that i had to tough it out. true - but i felt much like a baby: helpless and frustrated that no one understood.

gabe - warped tour '08 in pomona! 107 degrees and NO SHADE! the only shade available was filled to capacity with stinky boys, making it as bad as NOT being in the shade. not to mention that the grounds were all dry and dusty, so by the end of the day, my legs were caked in dirt that clung to the sweat. once again, i cried at this event because i was so miserable and so trapped. gabe's the only one who didn't call me a baby, though. he tried to console me and made sure i stayed hydrated. i'm pretty sure we spent $45/each on powerade/water/lemonade that day. i drank so much but never peed....

this past week - the house gets like a little oven, and despite having all the windows and both doors open, it won't cool off if it gets past a certain temperature. the heat makes me so uncomfortable that i can't get a good night's rest and wake up with horrible headaches that barely go away during the day. these side effects make me grumpy and irritable - and forget about cooking.

needless to say, i'm looking forward to when i can say, "i'm cold." and trust me, i'll complain about that one too.