summer [suhm-er]
the season between spring and autumn, in the Northern Hemisphere from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox, and in the Southern Hemisphere from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox; a period of hot, usually sunny weather; the period of finest development, perfection, or beauty previous to any decline
Synonyms include: summertime, sunny season, vacation

Labor Day weekend, for as long as I can remember, has always signified one truly sad thing for me: the end of summer and the beginning of the school year. It's been 7 years since I've had to grapple with this thorn in my vacational foot. After June 2000, I lost a certain sense of time. I was forced to abandon the academic calendar, which always began with autumn and ended with summer. Suddenly my new year of life began in January, and that was just weird. Now another summer is coming to pass. The weather hasn't been too forgiving as of yet. The 105 degrees I saw on a thermometer today shows no indication of the autumn that waits 18 days away. By the time we reach September 21st, we'll have something else to deal with - the end of this year and the beginning of the next. But I'll wait until September to get into that...Another indication of the end of summer for me are the birthdays that we celebrate. A beach bonfire to celebrate Rachey, Matt and Chris' birthdays was such the California thing to do. I'm not much of a beachgoer, but when I do step on the sand, see the ocean, feel the breeze (or in the case of that night, huge gusts of wind - it was freezing!), I always feel like the Southern California girl that I am.
Isa's birthday falls in the middle of August (yummy Little Caesar's in the brand new house!), and by the time we reach Rochelle's birthday, it's already the end of the month. No way did summer sprint past us like that!!!
We had dinner at McGrath's Fishhouse in Santa Anita to celebrate Rochelle's 28th. Our table was situated in what appeared to be a sunroom, where a whole wall was an open window to the outside. We dined on seafoord, semi-al fresco. We were dressed in short sleeve polos, blouses, tanktops, skirts and shorts. To think, in a month or so, we'll be stowing away such light clothing in exchange for scarves, turtleneck sweaters and jackets.
Winter has always been my favorite season of the year. I love layering clothes and wearing scarves. My cousins from the east coast always tease me because, compared to their winters in Ohio, Illinois or North Carolina, the months between November and February here are significantly more pleasant and fair.
In any case, the fact remains, summer will turn into autumn soon. A new season awaits more opportunities for change, for reminders, for looking forward. "Have a great summer!" our friends wrote in our yearbooks. It maybe have sounded generic back then, but such wishes only make me smile as I remember what pleasantries the last 3 months have brought: engagement celebrations, wedding planning, weddings, new babies, beach days, family reunions, birthdays, housewarmings, SEXYBack and the rest of Justin's new cd(hahahaha!), Danity Kane's long-awaited cd (hahaha!), skirt outfits, trips, a graduation, new friends and new things to look forward to. A great summer it really has been...