Sunday snapshot: Summer moments

The summer always begins and ends with lists.  At the beginning, it’s the papers and finals to grade, the students to see one last time, the meals that use up the lingering ingredients in the freezer, and the gifts to pick up for people in the States.  At the end of the summer, it’s the thank you notes to write, the people to see or call one last time, and the long list of supplies for the coming year that must fit into two 50 pound suitcases.  Ah, packing.  I have gotten better at it.  In fact, some may call me quite skilled. But I still haven’t discovered the trick to making 60 pounds of parmesan cheese weigh 50 pounds.  Ok, I don’t really carry that much parmesan cheese back with me.  Not quite.

As lists dominate my mind at this juncture of two more days left in the States, I thought I’d give you all a list of some of the more memorable moments from my time in the States.  Some you’ve heard about, some you haven’t.  Not all are extraordinarily positive, not all have photographic evidence, but all are truly memorable.  They are also not ordered in list of significance.  That would be cool, but I don’t have the mental capacity to perform that task at the moment.  So in random as they popped into my head order, here are my top 15 moments.

1.  Watching the Rays win with my sister, brother-in-law and nephew. Especially satisfying because I was the one responsible for scalping four tickets together at 50% off to an almost sold out game.  China bargaining skills, you came in handy.

2.  Long chat on the back porch in pajamas sipping coffee with a dear friend I met teaching in Asia.

3.  Spending two hours on the road in search of Coldstone.

4.  Being there for a final dress fitting.  So many moments like these I’ve missed out on in the past five years…so special to be there.
5.  Watching one close friend get married.

6.  Breakfast and books with a good friend from college.

7.  Watching another close friend get married.  Bawling during the rehearsal.  Stealing the bride and groom away for a few pictures during the rehearsal dinner.
8.  Seeing a dear friend and her husband as parents for the first time.
9.  Late night fried chicken with another friend I met teaching in Asia followed by an early morning flat tire that almost made me miss my flight.

10.  World cup celebratory ice cream with Noel & Greg.

11.  Drive-in with Mink.
12.  After sitting in traffic for over an hour trying to get into Chicago, turning around and heading to Rockford instead.  Monopoly Deal.  A late night run to the grocery store for Graeter’s ice cream.
13.  Hours and hours and miles and miles in the car driving to and from Texas to pick up the newest member of the family.
14.  Hours and hours and hours in the library doing research and scanning sources for a massive paper.

15.  Awkward moment crying in the Enterprise pick-up car.  Yes there’s a story.  For sometime else.  And no photographic evidence.

And there could easily be many more.  Thanks to all of you who helped make the summer so memorable!  See you in a year…