Spring and Summer Reflections

So I'm feeling like it's finally summer. I'm all done my exams - though I do have one more pesky essay for Harris due on Thurs. - and I'm beginning to get all geared up for travel, etc. As I get older, I enjoy summer more and more. I think it has to do with the fact that when I was young, I didn't really have as many responsibilities, and so I could really enjoy winter (I liked hockey and playing in the snow). Now, I have university, work, tutoring, bills (not that they stop in summer...but they should) and the like, so summer offers some respite from the grind, even if it's not a complete break.

I'm on campus this morning, picking up papers, trying to figure out when we can arrange this library session for my English 113 tutorial, getting my art portfolio. I love campus in the spring and summer. There's not as many people on campus, and the trees are blossoming, the grass is green, the sun is hot and soon the Marquis Hall BBQ will be starting up. I've enjoyed taking Spring Session classes for the last two years and it's always a good way to spend my time. Taking only one class means that I don't feel as stressed out and I can actually enjoy the work. Bartley's American Lit class, which I took last year, ended up being one of my most enjoyable classes. This year I'll be working on campus in May and June, which means I can keep up my tradition of spending my spring mornings on campus, but I'll get paid to do it.

Another thing that's great about spring and summer is that I can actually spend more time outside. Danny and I hit the driving range the other day, and my swing hasn't deteriorated too much over the winter. Apparently Kevin is a golfer too (and a much better one than me, from what I can gather), so it looks like we'll definitely be playing some golf soon. And tennis, which I just got into last summer. It was all the rage. Good times to be had under the Victoria Bridge at the Rotary Park tennis courts. It's a real city, summertime feeling.

Last summer Ewan got me hooked on Ryan Adams. I listened to his albums all summer, and it sort of became a kind of anthem for my summer. I find myself wandering through the bowl on a sunny morning and listening to "Firecracker." It's a great song, and just feels like summer.

Now it's time to throw on a good Beach Boys album and chill out on the deck with a cold beer.

"I'm picking up good vibrations." - The Beach Boys