Because Summer isn't Over 'til the Calendar says it's Over...

Well.  I've had a pretty busy summer.  Before we go any further, let's go ahead and acknowledge the fact that I'm talking about summer in the present tense.  Know why?  Because it is still. freaking. summer.

(What?  You've put a small soapbox in front of me?  Oh, how kind.  Why, I don't mind if I do step up there for the briefest of minutes, at all actually.  Ahem.  Summer goes from 6/21-9/21.  Just like every other season on this lovely planet we call home, it gets 3 solid months.  Yes, when I was a kid and I had to go back to school after Labor Day, I felt like the summer was over.  And it made me very, very sad.  But now?  Now that I'm a full-fledged, card carrying member of the adult community?  I get to acknowledge the fact - particularly as I now work year 'round without that cherished summer vacation - that summer does not end until the day after my birthday.  (Ahem, again, for those just tuning in - 9/22 would be the Autumnal Equinox.)  I know people love the fall.  I get it.  But for some reason, summer is always rob of it's due time.  You know hear people rushing into winter, do you?  No.  But there's always that person - IN AUGUST - who is cheerfully talking about Ocktoberfest beer.  This just kills me.)

Ok.  I'll give you back that soapbox now.  Thanks.

(Also, I am allowed to talk a bit of smack about those people who get excited about Ocktoberfest in August because my brother is one of them. *As she shakes her head sadly.*  Sometimes, it's like I don't even know him anymore.)

Anyway!  Where was I?

The summer!  My brother!  A heck of a lot of overdue photos in this post!  Right.

So my brother and his girlfriend came to visit over Labor Day weekend, flying all the way out from San Diego, just to get a good dose of Dunkin Donuts coffee.  (My brother was really excited about the return to the East Coast and the land of Coffee Coolattas.)

Since they were in town for a good chunk of days, we decided to do more than just sit around sipping coffee and eating donuts.  We drove up to Maine one day, crossing off another state entirely for Stephen's CA born and bred girlfriend, and another little port for my brother.

 Obviously, we ate lobster.
Ahem, I mean, lobstah.

Once back in the city, we played tourist for a good number of days.  Checking out The Paul Revere House - I can't be the only one who had this song in my head the entire time we were touring the spot, can I?

 From there we wandered over to The Old North Church, home of the famous "One if By Land, Two if By Sea" signal we all learned during our history lessons on The Revolutionary War.
(If I may, here.  This is the sort of thing that rather boggles my mind about living in Boston.  Throughout my childhood, in every history class, I heard the story of Paul Revere's Midnight Ride and the famous lantern signals.  Not growing up near Boston, I never toured this area as a child or as part of a school field trip. So now, to be an adult, seeing the actual spot where all of this history took place?  Well, the history loving geek in me thinks it's really, really cool.  That's all.)

 We hit up Faneuil Hall of course, clearly opting to take the most serious picture we could with the Samuel Adams statue.

 

I suggested a duck tour at one point, thinking it'd be a nice way for my two guests to get an overview of the city.  I'd been on one once before - years and years (and years) - ago myself.  They're not exactly the type of thing you spend your Saturday doing if you actually live here, but let me tell you.  They are really flippin' fun.  And I learned all sorts of fun facts to impress my next set of guests with. 

(I think it's only fair to point out how well I coordinated my outfit with our duck boat.  It's like I just knew we'd get the turquouise boat when I got up that morning.)

 

 Unfortunately, the Sox were on the road while my brother and Mary were in town, but I still managed to get my brother into Fenway Park - for the first time in his life - on a tour.  You guys know how I feel about Fenway Park, so I can pretty much go ahead and say that touring this 100 year old ballpark with my one and only brother was one of my favorite moments of the trip.

 They left way too soon - just as I was really whipping out my tour guide guns - but oh I'm so glad they were able to make the trip at all. I find it's a nice treat to play tourist in your own town once in awhile.  It serves as a nice reminder of what a cool spot you live in.

***

Since I'm clearly on a photo kick with this blog post, and I am recapping a few recent SUMMER events, I might as well tell you what I did last weekend.

I went apple picking.

 

For the first time in my life.

How I made it 32 years without picking an apple is completely beyond me.  I mean, I literally grew up with multiple "pick your own" farms a mile from my house.  Finally, finally (!) this past Sunday I went with two of my favorite friends who have an adorable little boy who is not quite two.  It was his first time apple picking as well.  With a 30 year gap between us, clearly he and I are bonded for life.  (I'd go so far as to say this guarantees me an invite to his wedding one day in the distant future...but we'll let him decide.)   

After the initial picking, my friend and I wandered the rows of apples, deciding which varieties we'd like to take home.  "So, what'd you think of apple picking?" she asked.  I smiled, sort of shrugged my shoulders.  "It's fun," I said.  "I mean, it's great.  It's just...I always thought there was so much more to it, you know?  In the movies there's all this big to do - barrels, ladders, wooly sweaters, days and days of harvesting..." 

She laughed and nodded.  "It's kind of like sex.  Still fun.  But nothing like how it's portrayed in the movies."

And this is why I love her.

Now.  There are technically two full days of summer left.  Get out there and enjoy it, would ya?