Eleven Days Left...

...of my summer vacation.

With school looming in my future I keep thinking about the clusterfuck this past year was. I'm not necessarily dreading going back to teaching (I do, after all, adore my colleagues and the majority of the kids), but the rest I can do away with easily.

If I could sum up the climate of last year in a word it would be disgruntled. Not Michael-Douglas-Falling-Down disgruntled, but boy-I-suddenly-drink-a-lot-more disgruntled. Seriously, I can't tell you how often Michael and I came home and immediately opened a bottle of wine. Or made cocktails. I'm pretty sure a handful of us accounted for 40% of income at TGO after school some days.

Speaking of, M has moved on to "follow his dreams" and is starting grad school three hours away. He's moved in with his gf, S, whom I love. They will essentially be calling their guest bedroom the "Karen Room" with how often I will be visiting. I am thrilled for him, and them, and I hate that's he's left me here. Worst off, he took his cat with him.

My new roommate(s), J (and L), are a great fit for the house and we get along fabulously. She just completed an ironman in CA. An IRONMAN. I feel like I keep surrounding myself with people that could easily kick my ass. It's obvious that I'm subconsciously aligning myself with people that will survive the apocalypse. L has enough outdoor gear that he could live in the mountains for years.

Things I've Done This Summer:
1. Shopped at the farmers market. A lot.
2. Cooked amazing food.
3. Cooked some not-so-amazing food.
4. Read five books (it should have been more!).
5. Signed up for a fall grad class about American foreign policy.
6. Learned how to wakeboard.
7. Went to my cousin's wedding.
8. Started studying for the GRE.

In reference to #5, Thursday is going to make me it's bitch. I teach all five of my classes and then head straight to my 3 hour class that day. Hey kids, it's test day! Quiz day! Let's talk about current events day!