Farewell to summer.

By the time Labor Day weekend rolls around most kids have returned to school, families have taken their final summer vacation, and in northern climates men are breathing a communal sigh of relief that the lawn mower will soon be stored for the winter. For many, this long weekend is the last big hurrah before we bid adieu to summer.

As you take a moment to nostalgically reflect on your warm weather escapades, how would you rate your summer? I have provided a scoring system below to make things simple:

1 = My summer was nothing special. I passed the time in my cubicle at work as I would any other time of the year. The highlight was trying the latest lunch options from Lean Cuisine.

2 = My summer was okay. I tried to start a backyard garden, but fell into a patch of poison oak. After two weeks of impersonating the Pink Panther, covered in calamine lotion, I rejoined the human race. I salvaged the summer by planning some weekend outings with friends and family, keeping my distance from all things leafy and green.

3 = My summer was good. I took a few long weekends from work and spent lots of quality time with family and friends. I expanded my horizons by signing up for a Hip Hop dance class. It probably would have been more fun if the mean age in the group was greater than ten. I have concluded that there might be better ways to recapture my youth.

4 = My summer was excellent! I took six weeks of much needed vacation time, got everything done on my adventure check-list, and became honorary spokesperson for Jose Cuervo. I even had time to get some projects done around the house. I never knew the satisfaction of a job well done before mastering the art of delegation from a pool floaty.

5 = My summer was off the charts, the best ever!!! I spent three months sailing around the Hawaiian islands. I blogged my adventures on the high seas and was offered a book deal when I got home. My advance was substantial, so I have decided to quit my job to repeat the experience. Who knew blogging could be so much fun!

If you could have done it better or know that you did it with flair, I would love to have you share your summer fun by leaving a comment below. Like any other time of the year, summertime is what you make it, and luckily do-overs come around once a year.

Thanks for reading and be well.