Summer is cool. Literally.

Let me present my subjective observations:

• calendar says June
• sun is still up for about an hour and a half of my work night when it used to be pitch black when I left
• people are going to the pool at our apartment complex
• bright colored clothing is being sold at stores

That being said, anybody seen summer?  I have to make this comment about the Seattle summer, not because I hadn't been warned, but because it is so surprising to actually live it! It is JUNE and the temperatures are in the 60s.  Given, we have had a couple good weekends in the 70s that have been beautiful (I was probably working and therefore sleeping during those days, but, nevertheless, they were there).  I visited home in May for my little sister's graduation (Go Laura!), and I was blown over by the humidity and unprepared with most of my wardrobe.  You know when you are in one climate and, even though you are literally looking at what the weather is going to be at your destination, you pack a little bit for the climate you are in? Yea, too many long sleeved shirts got into my bag. The entirety of my almost 25 years experience in the midwest completely flew out the window and it was reminiscent of the time I traveled from England to Spain in the same day --cold to so hot that I was sweating through my shirt in polite company and end up scoffing at the traditional espresso after lunch because when a hot beverage was mentioned the first thought that flew out of my mouth was NO and laughing at the hilarity of the suggestion...ooops).

Andre, Laura the IU grad, and me. I brought a cardigan to wear that day pshhhhh. My pale skin was burning.

 You may be saying, "but wait you said above that people are going to the pool." Yep in 60 degree weather they are going to the pool, and I see their point. If it's not going to be non-summery weather, PRETEND!  Tom and I have been pretending.  I bought shorts and cropped pants last week (chuckle and put those in an inconvenient place in the closet).  Tom has been wearing shorts when they are clearly not warranted and he knows it. Our biggest example of pretending that it is not inappropriately cool for summer things is our gardening trial.

 Like I've mentioned before people, just because the weather doesn't warrant it, doesn't mean that different things are in the stores during these seasonable times.  Like mentioned before, summer clothes are taunting us, swim suits are taunting us, and the supplies to have homegrown tomatoes/peppers/herbs in our very own little pots taunted us about two months ago.  We got seeds, we got the little starter pods, and we made ourselves an indoor starter garden in April.  Appropriate, right? After planted, Tom runs around the apartment with them trying to get the most light (I'd find them in a different place all the time), he googles what to do with them when they get a little white film on them, he spots water on them when they get dry. He does them well. I mainly make fun of him until he reminds me that if it were up to me they would most certainly be dead.  Out of laziness we had left them in those little pods way too long, yet where to put them? It's so cold outside, but I also don't want 12 pots indoors! Yesterday, we started up our very own game of survivor starring our little plants. We put them in pots, left them outside during the night, and to not look negligent of our seedlings put a sheet over them...it got down to 50 degrees last night.  A sheet. Ha! At least we will know that if any tomatoes/habanaro peppers/herbs come out of this that they are strong little guys! It will probably make us stronger eating them. To tell you the truth, we are looking at moving to an apartment that's only outdoor area is barely big enough to fit our grill with one of the arms taken off, so the majority of these plants may not make it anyway!

Our gnarly seedlings

The spotted days it has been nice we have tried our hand at hiking.  Lots of hikes are here for the taking, and the two we have been on so far have been beautiful!  To try to squeeze certain things in, I accidentally scheduled myself to work an insane amount of Saturdays in a row.  So, we haven't gotten to do any recently, but once the 5th of July hits (the rumored beginning of actual summer in Seattle) we will be rocking more hikes for sure.  Tom's beer brewing has been doing well, and he has made the transition to using all grain instead of extract. He is preparing to make a berry heavy beer by the end of summer inspired by a great beer we picked up by Dogfish Head, Black and Blue.  He and Jason have an Irish Red Ale bottled and almost ready to drink, and a wheat beer with lots of citrus zest in the fermenter.

Hike to Rattlesnake Ledge

Hike to Little Si

Things to look forward to this summer besides the weather getting above 50 degrees:

•  We are going on an orca whale watching day trip for our first year anniversary :) To think all that happened a year ago is mind blowing!  What a great year it has been.
• Tom will be in the wedding of our friends Jason and Caitlin in Burbank, California at the end of June/early July.  The trip will be great to see them be married and will be my first time to California besides a layover!
• We will be moving more south to the northside of Seattle which will put us a little bit more in the action than where we are now in little ol' Lynnwood.
• I'm going to be doing a full circle type of experience by volunteering to be a nurse at the Muscular Dystrophy Association camp in July.  Volunteering at MDA camp was the first place that put the seed in my head that I would like nursing!
• My parents are coming to visit at the end of July. AFTER that whole 5th of July thing, so hopefully I can show them the scenic part of this area and not the monsoon they visited last November.
• I'M GOING TO DAY SHIFT IN AUGUST!  Let the dark circles under my eyes rejoice. I'll miss a lot about night shift including the pace and people, but will enjoy having a normal schedule and a bit more of an impact in my patient's plan of care. Also I will no longer have to be like this.

Hikes! A break from humidity! A good possibility of clear, cool, beautiful weather if you play your cards right, come after July 5th, and jump on one leg 9 times before you get on the plane.  This could all be in your future if you come to visit this summer.  As long as you don't make us feel bad for committing plant homicide. You are going to want to bring your cute little spaghetti strap tops and shorts...don't do it.  You've been looking for a reason to break out those light jackets again, haven't you? So, go northWEST young people (and young people at heart)!

Just chhchhchhiiillliiiin' washINgton!