Well I'm not completely writing this summer off yet, but I'm getting close. With a wet start and a hotter-than-hell middle, the last half of this summer has a lot of sunny-and-80 days to make up to us. My biking goals are out the window, my hiking for 2014 is off my calendar, and I have accomplished 1 out of 6 goals I set for the first half of the year.
Adversity can sometimes be relative, and in my case, I am still doing pretty well despite nothing going according to plan. If nothing else, a few unexpected pleasantries have come out of 2013 - and a few unexpected "holy shit" moments, kind of like this: the Wood County Fair is in less than a week as I write this. This summer just moved by too damn fast.
So with the fall season in the back of my mind, it's time for my usual look at what's ahead for the eventual Big Cooldown of 2013.
July 26: Chevelle
This was unexpected. Chevelle is a solid rock band, no doubt, and they are playing a show at Hollywood Casino Toledo. A small opening band, good food, a nice venue, a casino, and hopefully great weather will make this show the kickoff to a long weekend that leads right into...
July 29 - Aug 5: Wood County Fair
The Wood County Fair is typically my "oh shit, fall is here" moment, but this year things will have to go a little differently. I've had too short of a summer to consider it over quite yet, so fair week will simply be a fantastically busy mix of work, friends, fair, and food.
Sometime in August: Sandusky Trip
I was pleasantly surprised earlier this summer to have stepped onto a party boat and set out in Lake Erie with some friends from Sandusky. It looks like we will get round two of that experience, or at the very least, a trip out to Cedar Point Amusement Park. I don't get to see these great people very often, so it's a treat to make the drive every so often.
Aug 30 - Sept 5: Fulton County Fair
Well, shit, I'm going to be on vacation for this one. Okay, next.
Aug 20 - Sept 5: Vacation in Gatlinburg
I've been taking a week-long vacation every year since I began working in 2001, and most of those vacations have been quiet and relaxing - and at the least, not very adventurous. Last year's trip to Kalahari in September taught me that getting away from home is a better use of vacation than video games and Reddit. This September I am venturing off to Gatlinburg, Tennessee by my lonesome to enjoy the sights and sounds of Appalachia. I'm hoping to squeeze in some photography practice and spend time on the Appalachian Trail itself to field-test some of my gear.
Sept 21: "The Wedding"
This September I will get a very special role in a major wedding: chair warmer. That's right, I will be keeping a chair warm for several hours while a good friend participates in her brother's wedding. But in all seriousness, this should be a pleasant day overall. I don't get to many weddings, so this will be a nice change of pace for me.
Oct 19: The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess
A treat to myself for my 29th birthday: a trip up to Grand Rapids, Michigan to see Nintendo's Symphony of the Goddesses, the second official symphony tour of Koji Kondo's masterfully-written music from the Legend of Zelda series. This is a perfect blend of culture, gaming, and nostalgia. This is easily worth the hundreds of dollars that I am spending to attend.
A Few Indians Games
Cleveland Indians baseball became one of my favorite new weekend summer getaways, and I have at least a game or two left in me before the regular season is up. A probable August game and a definite September game are in the mix.
And Everything Else: Festivals Galore
Waterville's Roche de Boeuf festival and the almighty Grand Rapids Apple Butter Festival are among my favorite fall activities. In addition to these two regulars, I will try to make at least one trip out to a new fall festival. There is no shortage of small towns hosting weekend festivals, so a little diversity this year should be easy to come by.
B3 out.
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