Things I miss about Oregon in the Summer

In no particular order:

• The scent of my mom's strawberry rhubarb crisp wafting through the kitchen after dinner.

• Sleeping outside on the deck with mounds of blankets and waking up to the soft buzz of the sprinklers that makes you realize you have to go in the house and pee.

• Running off the Albany Tennis Club diving board under a clear summer sky as the last one in the water before closing.

• Feeling the burn in my legs from biking the Bryant Loop and Simpson Park Trail.

• Laying out in the backyard on an 80 degree day in a swimsuit with a good book, iced tea and lemon juice bleaching out my hair.

• Hiking across the Willamette River for gelatto and covering my feet in dust or mud on the Takena boat landing.

• Dressing up in ridiculous outfits with Anna, Heidi, Nicole, Julia, and Christie and proceeding to local eateries to make fools of ourselves and catch it on video. Sometimes, frequenting zealous Christian music festivals or Fred Meyers in our garb.

• Skinny dipping in the middle of lakes on camping trips with the girls and feeling totally one with the water and freed from the confinement of clothing.

• Preparing Italian dressed, cheese smothered zucchini and huge pots of mac and cheese.

• Inner-tubing down the ice-cold river hand and hand with a special someone, hammocking side by side, and laying by an open-pit fire to warm up.

• My friends laughing at me for devouring handful after handful of blackberries on the side of the road or by cemeteries, smearing purplish juice around my mouth.

• Playing capture the flag and sardines at Takena Park.

• Window shopping in Salem and eating chocolate cake from Jerry Frank's.

• Eating salt water taffy and a bowl of Mo's clam chowder in Newport after flying a kite and wading in the Pacific Ocean.

• Attending lots of weddings–– dancing, catered food, free drinks, yummy cake, dress-up, and (generally) bliss.

• Family vacations. There's never a dull moment with the folks. 'Nuff said.

• Driving to Junction City for Scandinavian Festival and feeling in tune with my inner Swed and Norway roots.

• Not feeling guilty for driving a car and instead, biking everywhere.

• Rollerblading with my metallic silver skater helmet.

• Making money–– not necessarily a lot, but enough that I'm not constantly draining my accounts.

• Not feeling like an inactive, lard-ass bump on the log.

• Going to church pretty frequently and being in touch with my spirituality.

• My dad barbecuing chicken on his grill and accidently burning off a part.