Summer's Greatest Hits

What??? Summer’s over? Where did it go? Feels like I just started to enjoy it. It’s hard to measure up this summer to 2011 – which was just super awesome. This year’s crazy weather – it was sooooooooo hot – made it rough, especially on my poor tomato plants.

But I did have some good times. Here are summer 2012’s greatest hits!

1. Birthday Week/Staycation I

Monet's garden

Yeah, I love celebrating my birthday! This year I had an awesome karaoke birthday party to ring in year 36. I also went to the New York Botanical Gardens and explored the grounds and Monet’s Garden. It’s one of my new favorite places in New York!

2. Good Eats!

Blue cheese burgers, Chicago style dogs, cucumber salad, homemade salsa = All-American 4th fest

Something about eating outside makes food taste so good! We had some great bbqs – especially our Fourth of July All-American fest. And then there were lots of good things to eat at Big Apple Block Party, Renegade Craft Show/Brooklyn Flea, Smorgasburg and the Parked Festival. We also had fun times with Aunt Lorraine and my cousins at Blue Moon and for mom’s birthday at Rumba Cubana. And now that my tomatoes are finally ripening, I’ve been making lots of yummy food and salads. But my favorite thing to make all summer has been frozen treats in my Mickey Ice Pop holders.

3. Movies!

I'm Batman

This has been one of the best summer’s for movies. Some of my faves: The Avengers, Dark Night Rises, Brave, Men in Black III, Snow White and the Huntsman, The Amazing Spider-Man, Ruby Sparks. Lots of great superhero action and good times with my sister and even my nieces.

4. Reading/Watching…

I love the Guild. 

I just discovered The Guild – Felicia Day’s web series about a band of gamers. It’s brilliant – and short!

I also loved the reboot of Dallas and have been watching stuff like True Blood, The Newsroom, Weeds, Episodes, Drop Dead Diva, Royal Pains. Summer TV is just so fun and fluffy. Ok, maybe Newsroom isn’t fluffy – it’s pretty serious, but that Aaron Sorkin writing can be pretty funny. And I re-watched all of How I Met Your Mother on Netflix.

I finally finished listening to The Outlander saga and moved on to another great John Green book, Paper Towns. I absolutely love this guy. Where was he when I was a teen? Oh yeah, he was in high school. He’s a year younger than me.

Some other books I read this summer: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, The Secrets of the Fortune Wookiee, The Wizard of Oz, I’ve Got Your Number, You’re Not Doing It Right, Slaughterhouse V, Certain Girls, Deadlocked.

5. Olympics

Go Gabby!

I am not a big fan of sports, but I love the Olympics. All the sports all at once and then that’s it! My kind of event! But I really do get caught up in the stories and drama. I’m amazed at how the gymnasts move and how fast those swimmers can race. Some pretty crazy opening/closing ceremony stuff this year, too.

6. Staycation 2

 A balloon fish

I had a week off in August and it was super awesome! I saw some exhibits in NYC – the Terracotta Warriors at Discovery and the Enterprise at the Intrepid. I did some shopping.  I went to the beach with my friend Francie and then went to another beach with Penny! And I got to spend some time crafting, shopping and laughing with my good friend Melissa and her family.  

Penny at the beach!