Summer Highlight Reel

The middle of September is still indeed summer, but we all know that's a technicality. Football is back, the relentless humidity has let up (for now) and pumpkin spice has a monopoly on everything in the supermarket. I have to confess I had a pumpkin beer over the weekend, resplendent in a cinnamon sugared rim and bringing me more happiness than I care to admit. 

The unofficial start of fall seems as good a time as any to look back on my summer bucket list and reflect on all the ways I came up short these past three months. 

-Bike at least 3 new trails

Done, done and done. This one was a smashing success and Brent and I are now legit cyclists. Legit cyclists make pit stops for bottomless mimosa brunches mid-ride and then proceed to crash into each other on the trail ride back, right? 

-Learn how to grill

Whomp whomp. I can count on one hand the number of times we grilled this summer. To me, grilling is definitely something I like the idea of rather than the actual activity. Maybe this is because I don't know WTF I'm doing out there? 

-Play more tennis

LOL. I completely forgot this one was even on my list. Brent and I played once this summer and it must have been right before I made the summer bucket list, because I don't know why else it would have been on my radar. Sure, I'd like to play more tennis, but I'd also like to enjoy a summer day without a gallon of sunscreen; we don't get everything we want. 

-Bake out of my comfort zone

Definitely did this in the beginning of the summer, starting with a lemon thyme granita around July 4th when the first heat wave rolled in. To me, granita seemed like a pitiful, non-dessert that I could never muster up enthusiasm for, but on sticky, humid when the real feel is 102 degrees, those flavored icy chips are everything. I also made a cherry clafouti that was just beautiful. 

-Visit Martha's Vineyard 

Check. 

Other summer highlights included kayaking with Brent for the first time while managing to not dump him in the river, a Pixies and Weezer concert, and dressing my cats in bandannas to watch with glee as they try to bite them off. What can I say, I'm a monster simple girl at heart.