Forget What the Calendar Says, Summer Has Arrived

I walked outside my office building the other day just as one of our maintenance workers was doing some exterior cleaning. I was overcome by sense memories as I smelled the fresh cut grass and the water from the hose hitting the warm concrete that had been baking in the sun all morning. It is summer time and I’m starting to feel alive again.

You could say I was destined to be a summer loving person. I'm a blue-eyed, blonde-haired girl born in the San Fernando Valley in June to two native Californians, and my Mom worked for 20 years as a pattern-maker/designer for some of the most well-known swimwear and sportswear companies in Southern California.

Each year, my summer was equally divided between lakes, beaches and Grandma’s pool; which meant I could swim before I could ride a bike. Everyone’s first car was a convertible VW Beetle, including mine which was blue with a white top. I crave warm weather and I hate being cold. And after a long day in an air-conditioned building I love the feeling of walking outside and standing in the pounding sunshine and letting the warmth thaw out my body and frayed nerves.

So, even though the calendar says summer doesn’t start until June 21, I just can’t wait anymore. I know everyone with children has to endure a few more weeks of school, but I have declared summer officially underway.

Do you really need a bigger event than the to kick off a season? I didn’t. But nevertheless, I threw in a trip to the beach, a summer blockbuster movie and dinner party for friends last weekend, just to be sure.

There were a few ulterior motives for that dinner party one of which being new ideas for this column that is supposed to be all about life in Sierra Madre. But my friends let me down. We didn’t really talk about Sierra Madre. Instead, we just talked about life and our plans for the summer. And so far, my summer is feeling a lot like the summers from my childhood.

A few Dodger games already. As many outdoor dinner parties and days at the beach as I can possibly manage. Trying to rack up as many points as I can in the which can be done poolside, lakeside, oceanside, or on my balcony. (I’m ashamed to say that I rather want the Kindle they are giving away.)

When it gets too hot then a lot of movies, because summer is also about escapism and the magic of hiding away for a few hours staring at that 40 foot screen. Outdoor concerts and outdoor movies, if I can find any. I may even brave a trip to Disneyland.

A few road trips. And one good week-long vacation to somewhere I have never been which will sadly take me out of Sierra Madre for , but I wasn’t ever here for that holiday when I was a kid either.

I hear there will be a new ice cream store in town soon. The is looking closer to its potential debut, and I still have to try . There will be concerts in the park, new shows at the , and I will cheer on my more athletic friends as they play softball at Heasley. And maybe I will finally get back to a few of those local touristy type sites that I haven’t been to since I was a kid. My friend, Catherine, just wrote a column about her , and she has given me some inspiration. Even if you get a chance to travel this summer, treat every day at home like the summer vacations from your childhood.

Now if only I could find a sprinkler to run through without people laughing at me.