Looking at my blog stats, I saw one lone view last Saturday. That's one more than I ever expect, so I'm ahead expectation-wise. It has been quite some time since I posted, and now that family emergencies seem to be over (knock on particle board) and I am in a lull between summer classes, it is time.
Time for what? Seems between class activities I have plenty of time for a lot of nothing. It's high heat in this desert, some days it's too hot to even get in the pool! For several years between 2003 and 2010, I didn't really have a summer, since I was in a year-round hell at my then-center of employment. Summer consisted of the last part of June to mid July, usually 3 weeks, just enough time to take a short trip to San Diego. As fun as that was even after getting married, summer was once a dream.
Whoa! I feel like I'm in water, everything is all wavy and steamy, like an old Hall's cough drop ad. Oh yeah, must be flashback time! Let's see now, the farthest back my mind goes is 1977. That works because it was my first real summer vacation. Nursery school had ended. We took 2 vacations that summer. One was exploring Virginia. I don't remember too much about that, except we saw Monticello, I rode a horse, we stayed at several motels, and visited an Air Force museum in Norfolk. There was also a trip to Michigan that my dad did not go on, but my aunt and baby cousin flew from California to drive there with us. I always liked going to Michigan, no matter what age I was. Other than that, I played with Andrew Kirkner, Cindy Meckley, and Cindy Hewing, all of whom lived on my street. It was the way then, your friends were your neighbors when you were 4.
1978: We took a major trip to Disney World via train. I remember my dad psyching me up for weeks about it. We took a small train to Philly, then caught a big Amtrak to Orlando. Shortly after the train left, it had to stop in Washington D.C. to get the AC fixed! I don't remember much about Disney World itself, since there were a lot of rides like Space Mountain I was too small for at 5 1/2. Apart from that, I did some summer school activity enrichment. We also played with the Jenkins kids who stayed with us during the day while their mom worked. We watched TV and hung around outside. I vaguely remember this being a great summer!
1979: This was a summer of transition. Right after school let out, we moved to Wilmington, North Carolina. We moved into a brand new house that sat on a lot of sand. My dad tried to get a lawn going, but to no avail. It's tough moving someplace new away from your friends, and there were only a 4th and 5th grade sister team near us at first. I just played in my room, watched TV, and went wherever my mom needed to go. I was introduced to the 7-Eleven Slurpee that summer, and a new mall. Apart from that, just dealing with change.
1980: This was our final summer in Wilmington, and it was a big 180 from 1979. I had two friends, Mark and Tim Simpson, just down the street. We played and fought like boys do. I also played T-Ball, that was a fun time. Add the YWCA pool on top of that, and you have the makings of a great 3 month break. We didn't see my dad much, he had decided moving down south was a mistake job-wise and had begun working back in Pennsylvania, coming home every few weekends. It was tough on my mom and us kids. At summer's end, we made a trip to PA so my parents could do some house-hunting and stayed with the Kirkners. I remember the reunion being fun.
1981:Wow, talk about 3 very different summers three times in a row! We were now in our new home in Whitfield. Summer started sadly, with a trip to Michigan as my Nana Moore had died. Kristin and I stayed mostly with my mom's parents so we wouldn't have to deal with the adult drama. I was 8, and glad to not be part of that. It was my first brush with death. We took two more trips to Michigan that summer. One was an actual vacation to do things, such as visit Battle Creek to see the Kellogg's factory and visit our family friends the Badalucos. Apart from that, I played in my room and watched TV...a little too much at times.
1982: I was more active this time around. I joined the playground/park youth activity group, which had morning and early evening activities. I also played with my friends Eric and Jeremy a lot. Vacation-wise, we took a trip to Washington, D.C. That was fun...also hot!
1983: More playground group, playing with Eric and Jeremy. We went to Michigan, yay! I remember this summer being pretty fun. Oh yeah, played on my Atari a lot as well. Good movies that summer.
1984: Playground group, lots of bike-riding, week-long Boy Scout camp. I remember being homesick at camp since I'd never been away that long before. We also hosted a French exchange student and went to Michigan. This summer I hit a growth spurt and my voice began to change. More good movies as well.
1985: Not sure I did the playground group this time around. Scout camp again, this time it went much better. My dad was away a lot starting this year, as his home base was running out of work and sent their engineers off to other states. This particular summer he was in Crystal River, Florida a lot. He brought Kristin and I down with him on one of the trips to bind...yeah, my sister and I pent up in a motel room all day was recipe for war. We also did Michigan, always fun.
1986: One more scout camp. Also another excursion with my dad for bonding...did he ever learn? This time it was to the Bay Area in California, my first time in that state! We saw San Francisco a lot and ate at some pretty neat restaurants. We also did a 24 run to Yosemite...one should never rush that park, there is too much to see. When we returned, it was just me and my dad, my sister had flown down to San Diego to hang with my aunt. As it was summer, I stayed up late to watch "The Edge of Night" every weeknight.
This summer of 1986 is notable also for being extremely long! Why? Our teachers, at least most of them, went on strike and did not resolve/cave until early October. I suspect it was a cave, since our junior high teachers were unhappy most of the year.
1987: We started late as the year ran late due to snow days and playing catch-up after the strike. Watched lots of "The Edge of Night", rode my bike a lot of times, and hung with friends. Trip-wise we as a family went to Yosemite for about a week. We got to do lots of hiking, some horseback-riding (yuck), and driving. The end of that trip was memorable as our flight from Minneapolis to Newark was canceled and we had to take a flight to Chicago and another to Newark. Running stressed through O'Hare is an experience! Near the end, I also flew solo to Michigan to hang with my mom's folks and my now-10 year old cousin Erica. As summer wound down, I began taking Tae Kwon Do classes.
1988: This summer's highlight was a long trip to Los Angeles. We got to be in the audience on a low-budget sports trivia show (we still have the tape) and took an excursion to Las Vegas. My impression of L.A. then: crowded! Hasn't gotten better since then. Apart from that, friends, bikes, Tae Kwon Do, "Edge". A sadness occurred that summer also. My grandfather had been stricken with cancer. My mom and I went out to see him when he was in the hospital. That was tough for me. Terry and Erica rode back to PA with us on Labor Day weekend, just before high school was to begin for me.
1989: A big change: I GOT A JOB! It was McDonald's but a job is a job. Apart from that, friends and biking around. We went to Michigan I think because we had no better plans. That trip wasn't all that fun as I recall. In fact the whole summer seems blah in terms of memories. No more "Edge", that had ended in January.
1990: A much more active summer. The problem was, I was smitten with Amy Erb. Yeah, she told me plainly it wasn't reciprocated months prior, but I was a slow learner. I spent much of the summer riding my bike into her neck of the woods and riding past her house . Amy, if you're reading this, just know I lost some good poundage off the gut riding up Green Valley Road's steep uphill climbs, so the rides weren't entirely wasted! We also traveled to Michigan for the last time for my grandma's wedding. That wasn't the only trip, I also went to Wildwood with the church youth group, I remember that being pretty fun. Towards summer's end, I got a job at Ponderosa Steakhouse.
1991: Graduated from high school, I quickly took a job at Gilbert where my dad worked. I was on the outdoor maintenance crew. After a shaky start, I got the hang of things and it ended up being a fun job. I didn't have much time for friends or anything else that summer. In fact, often I came home, ate dinner, and went to sleep early.
1992: Another major change: we were now in San Diego. I actually arrived there from West Virginia where I'd attended college for a year. This was like North Carolina, a transition time. I didn't have a car for the first few months. My mom and I both took extension classes at UCSD, she in learning to be a paralegal (which she never did go into) and me in screenwriting. My dad and I took a trip out east to get my sister's things from PA and her car from North Carolina and bring them to CA where she was in the Navy. Even though we were in a slower-than-normal-traffic in a Hertz rental truck, I saw some great country, especially the Rockies.
1993: Taking classes at Miramar Community College. That actually took up most of my time as I took 12 units. I also wrote stories at home on the computer. Hadn't really met any friends yet.
1994: Still taking community college courses and doing writing, and hanging with one or two people. Still lonely. My dad and I took a drive to Rohnert Park for orientation at Sonoma State University and on the way back saw a naked guy running on I-580 in Oakland, not to mention Big Sur.
1995: Parents were divorced now (no big surprise, but that's another post). Split my time between my dad's house and my mom's apartment. All that time, I worked at the Ticketmaster phone center. Got to see my toddler nephew Ian quite a bit!
1996: This summer, I stayed in Rohnert Park in an apartment I rented with my buddy Scott and worked as a dorm painter on campus. We took a cool drive up to Oregon one weekend. That was a fun summer. Toward the end, I flew to Washington to see my sister and her kids...mostly her kids, she and I never did have a close bond.
1997: Besides graduating from college at last, I am not too proud of this summer. Scott and I moved to an apartment in Santa Rosa. I spent a lot of this time going out to lunch, sleeping in, and watching a LOT of TV. In a nutshell, I was depressed., ate a lot of crap and gained weight.
1998: Worked temp jobs mostly, nothing special. Life was in a rut, really.
1999: Worked a cool temp job at OCLI on 12-hour shifts, that took most of the summer. Life was good.
2000: Between semesters back at Sonoma State in the teacher credentialing program. Also back at OCLI, this time on the 12-hour NIGHT shift! That took my sleep schedule and turned it upside down. Also took a brief trip to PA...it wasn't the same and that depressed me a bit.
2001: After getting my teaching license, it was major depression. Watched a lot of TV, slept in, didn't really look for a teaching job. It wasn't until the fall that my grandma kicked my ass into gear with one scathing email. She felt bad about it, but I thanked her profusely...she really saved me from myself.
2002: This summer was spent getting psyched to move to Las Vegas and start a new life as a teacher. My mom and I took a trip to Vegas to get me an apartment and check out my school. In August my dad helped me with the move and until school and trainings began, I was getting acclimated to my new home and truly being alone fir the first time.
And that ended summer vacations as I knew them until 2011. I cannot go back to year-round without a loaded gun being pointed at me. Oh don't mind the title, I was going to mention good summer barbecues but it got long as it was.
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