Sunday, neato Sunday.

I have generally hated this summer. It has been hot and humid beyond belief and I have been spending lots of time generally working to much and not getting enough sleep. I have also been doing a lot of thinking, trying to remember what it was that I used to LOVE about summer when I was a kid. I have memories of warm summers without oppressive heat, lots of fun, saddness when the summer ends...

Today I was able to capture a little bit of what I loved about summer. The setting was perfect: it was 78 degrees, and a resonable amount of humidity was in the air. So I knew I wanted to be outside. In fact, I spent the whole day outside with Joe, riding bikes! First we met in Lincoln Park (1/2 hour ride for me) for an ice cream. Then we bummed around a bit, looking at a specialty card store. They had, for example, magnets that said things like, "Your proctologist called. He found your head". Or "I'll quit being bitchy when you quit being an asshole". I bought cards for Romeo and Paul, who don't have birthdays until October.. but these cards can't be beat.

While bumming around, we found a poster advertising a neighborhood polka band's performance later in the afternoon. Since it was a decent ride to the beach, we decided to go ahead and check it out. We got there early and hung out watching people play volleyball. Two of Joe's friends showed up for a swim, and we chatted with them for a bit. It was fun meeting them, one guy is Austrian, the other is Swiss, so I got to do the Deutsch thing for a little while.

Ok, so we walked over to hear the oompa band, which wasn't nearly as interesting as two dogs we saw - Jack Russell Terriers - who were playing in the sand. They were adorable! Running around, rolling in the sand, digging holes and every now and then, running up to complete strangers looking for attention. Very cute dogs. I want a dog.

But I digress. So by then we were hungry, so we rode up near where I live to a restaurant called the Secret Garden. This is a small establishment located in a park on the beach. Dinner was so so, but the ambiance was perfect! We had a lovely view of the lake, the city and we were close enough to the footpath so we could do some people watching. We were both in the mood for a drink, but unfortunately the Secret Garden doesn't have a liquor license. So after dinner, we road off to a neat little bar and took advantage of the $20 in free drinks Joe had managed to win from this place. (Amaretto stoned sour for me, whisky sour for Joe) and then it was time to call it a night. So we parted ways and I rode home.

It was a pleasant and short ride. It has gotten cooler out by about 10 degrees. I'd forgotten that evenings actually got cooler! It smells very good outside, sweet and salty, not dead fishy as it has been lately. This day is just what I needed.