It’s raining here in the District. Good, I’m tired of sunshine that I can’t enjoy. Being a cube monkey for 9 out of 24 hours, five days per week gets a bit…tiresome.
The temperature is hovering around the midseventies mark and me? I’m ecstatic. I’m thinking of all the things that autumn will offer – the real countdown to my wedding (1 year out on September 12), crisp weather, a trip to New England, the end of Marathon training (before beginning again in January), jeans and sweaters, autumn jackets, Oktoberfest, not sweating through clothes on the way to the metro, lower electric bills, scarves, hot chocolate, Dunkin Donuts.
I mean really, I shouldn’t be so anxious for summer to end but I am. This summer, like the last, was really the first summer of me being an adult (okay this was the second). No beach trips were had, I’m just as pasty as I was in February, and I haven’t sat out on a patio drinking sangria yet. The weather has been unseasonably…unhumid for the DC area this summer and while that’s been nice, where’s the real summer?
Oh wait, we don’t get those anymore. Instead, I spent most of the summer working 6 days/week, trying to get my ass off the couch, avoiding marathon training and spending money I didn’t have on God only knows what. Seriously, Fiancé and I have started to budget…I found out we spent about $950 on food this month – and a few other things like painting the living room, and the dog but really? $950 on nothing (well I suppose food isn’t nothing). That’s a whole paycheck!
But really, summer just isn’t fun anymore. When I was younger, I would spend days in the pool with my neighborhood friends, I would lounge out on my friend’s family boat, we’d be mall rats in the night, and I’d have a damn awesome tan. Even in college, we had friday’s off from classes – three day weekends FTW!!! We’d have beach trips, tanning in the quad watching shirtless dudes playing frisbee or wiffleball. There were parties outside, road trips, and when we couldn’t find anyone with a car? We’d take the T to the beach – a sketchy beach (Wonderland really doesn’t live up to it’s name – FYI) but a beach no less.
My last good summer? The summer I moved down here – aside from the fact that I was broke, I had groovy roommates who knew how to party and had ways of making me forget about my Debbie Downer ex-boyfriend that I moved away from when needed. We also had a grill and a backyard. Luxuries I could only dream about these days as fiancé and I have a roach laden Hibachi grill that sits in the front stoop and hasn’t been used since he burnt some burgers on it a year ago when I got it for him.
This weekend however, before the real start of autumn (i embrace you autumn, with open arms!), we’ll be zipcarring out to Rehoboth (with the dog boarded for the day/night), get back at the ass crack of dawn before i run 11 miles, pick said dog up, and then make some sort of goody for my roommate’s birthday bash bbq – a bbq and the beach! In less than 24 hours! All the summer necessities I’ve missing for the past TWO summers rolled into ONE three day weekend. DC may make you think that summer rocks with it’s stifling humidity and “august recess” but unless you have a hover craft that can jet you to the beach every weekend, and a boss who doesn’t care if you go on hiatus for 31 days, then you’re stuck in the beltway with the other losers who don’t have cars and crappy bosses who don’t even let you leave at 5.
Seriously 9-6 during August recess is the biggest waste of time EVER.
I digress, after this weekend so long as I get to frolick in the waves for a minute (we won’t be swimming but we will write A+H in a big heart with A&4EVER next to it in the sand) and have a grilled hot dog (roommate – that means DON’T BURN IT!) and a margarita….I’ll be happy.
Then I will put away my summer tank tops (that I might have worn…once…maybe) my cute madras print shorts from JCrew that i have been LIVING IN on weekends (they’re comfy and cute and i have matching flip flops so THERE!), and my flip flops…most of them, into the great under the bed storage thing that probably needs to be shuffled through and somethings either thrown out or put on ebay. I will start wearing heels again, and I PROMISE to stop shopping summer sales (they’re so good though!!!).
I don’t mind the high heels though. Or the sweaters. My favorite time of year is autumn. I like autumn and winter (not Vermont winters though. Nice winters with a right amount of snow that aren’t negative a bajillion degrees), I like nice shoes, and cute sweaters, and bundling up to take the puppeh up to Dunkins where Fiancé and I each get coffee (for him) and hot chocolate (for moi). I? Can’t wait for that. Unfortunately, we don’t get the pretty leaf changing scenery (better though, you don’t have to deal with shitty leafers), the GOOD apple cider, and fun fall football games at Parson’s (oh wait…those don’t hold a candle to some southern tailgating damnit)
I digress, clearly, in autumn you don’t feel bad about having to be a cube monkey. You don’t feel bad about letting all those cute summer shoes and clothes sit in the dresser, and you certainly don’t feel bad about not making to the beach.
To me? Autumn is better than summer, and while i love my cute Ann Taylor Loft halter tops and white pants…I’ll take a cute pair of heels with a nice cable knit sweater and worn in jeans any day.
So freaders, enjoy summer, and if you’ve made it to the beach? Consider this gal jealous. Send me some fake tanning lotion will ya?
