A 21-year-old would like these gifts, yes?

Hell yeah!

I was just reading somebody's rather edenic summer memories.

I remember reading Daisy's fond stories of summers spent with her grandparents.

Anybody, want to share some summer stories? Homemade ice cream, long bicycle rides, floating downriver on inner tubes, rope swings, tree houses, coming home with library books, late dinners on the back porch, fireflies, listening to baseball on the radio...

What have you got?

Those sound like perfect gifts for a 21 year old. I'll have to remember that for when Kelly turns 21 (less than a year now).

No hugs or brackets, but lots of love to ya.

Ima give you hugs whether you want them or not! Okay, I won't if you really don't want them. How about long distance puppy love?

Dear god, I miss fireflies. When I went back east a couple of years ago, in July, I left the hotel early on the morning I was coming back to Utah and stopped dead at the sight of the early mist rising from the hills. I'd forgotten what a high ambient moisture content does, and I'd forgotten how beautiful a summer morning could be.

Fuck me. I brought over neighbor cat. Now I can't find the keys. She hates my crew.

We played Flashlight Tag every night after dinner during the summer. This statue [link] was home base. To the right of is was a concrete channel where one lake sent into another, behind is an underpass leading to the bigger lake and more statues and paths (I lived in a New Town and there were lots of paths, modern architecture and art all over the joint).

Between 10-15 of us played each night and it was so much fun. Moments of holding still all alone in the dark, hoping you were safe, and then moments of adrenaline pumping like mad as you saw the flashlight beam getting closer, and planned a getaway.

javachik, I'm in Oakland. Don't hesitate, and all.

Java, that is a fabulous 21 year old gift!! Heck, thats a fab 32 year old gift! Or whenever.

Sorry about the other thing though. I hope everything works out well, whatever that is.

Some idjit is driving donuts in the parking lot across the way. Man I wish I had a shotgun or something (and could actually hit his tires).

I want sleep but it doesn't want me.

Summer memories: Hanging out with my friends in the park or, better yet, walking down the ravine to the creek, taking off our shoes and walking through the creek to cool off our toes and catch crawdads. Even though we were surrounded by suburbia not one hundred feet up the hill, it felt like we were in the midst of nature because we couldn't see a single house down there, just trees and the creek. Dad would whistle for us when it was dinnertime (as long as I was within a four block radius, I'd hear it). After sis and I did the dishes, we'd go outside and play with the dog in the backyard until the sun went down, catching fireflies while the parents had a few drinks with the neighbors.

In junior high, I was in band so mornings were taken up with summer marching practice most days. I'd walk home (no sidewalks--had to be careful walking on the shoulder of the road since cars went by at 40 mph), and then either catch some rays in the backyard or I'd walk/bike the mile down to the library and volunteer for a few hours before bringing home a bag full of books to read for the next week or two. The parents were divorced by then, so sis and I would have dinner cooked by the time she got home.