We had the rain all last night -- I guess it moved south? Heat broke, though -- it's maybe 75 right now and absolutely gorgeous.

I'm sorry, java.

javachik, I'm sorry.

Brenda, I hate nights like that with the freaky dreams.

Ha, I have apparently discovered the secret to making myself the most desirable man on earth: reminding someone that they've flaked out on previous attempts to meet up and declaring that I'm not wasting any more of my time.

Ah, the "you can't have it, so now you want it" syndrome.

Summer memories:

Directing the thin wheel of the ten speed JUST right into the rut by the sidewalk that led down to the pool and zooming down it smoothly.

Laying on the hot, wet concrete, cheek on the damp towel, heat burning up through it, eyes closed, smelling Coppertone oil, listening to Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue" on the radio for the 100th time that day.

Skinning up the rough bark of the tree on the hill on a hot, still day until I got to the taller branches, where I could -- carefully -- navigate from one skinny branch to the next tree.

Wrapped in my comforter with one side of cotton that felt like silk, the other side velveteen, in my damp swimsuit, in front of Duran Duran singing "Rio" on MTV, eating Prego pizza in the AC with my sister, on a quick lunch break from the pool.

Summer memories:

Exhaust pipe burns on the inside of one calf from riding on the back of my junior high crush's moped.

Epic kickball games with all the neighborhood kids. Running for the ice cream truck.

In high school, day trips to Point Pleasant Beach in one of the girls' rattling VW Bugs, turning over on our towels every half hour when the guy on the radio told us to.

When we lived in England, we used to take road trips in the summer across Britain. They're my only specific summer memories...in Jamaica I never really dwelt on the seasons.

I loved the excursions. We did Wales, the Lake District, Scotland, random cathedrals. Lots of car reading, and I do remember driving my parents batty when I decided to memorise and recite out loud all the hobbit poetry from Tolkien.

Thank dog for no carsickness on British roads (I still get queasy in Jamaica--the smell of sugar cane fields goes right to my nausea centres).

Ah, the pony trekking and the rowing on lakes and bed and breakfasts.

Ii Waves

I am in Portland killing time before my flight. I have reliable Internet access again, but I still skipped a bunch. Happy belated birthday Sarameg.

What else did I miss?

I feel it's necessary to mention that my junior high crush (who was actually also my elementary school crush) was named Dean. My first love! So appropriate.

We used to take car trips in the summer, too. A lot of summers it was NJ to WV for the family reunion, and those weekends were just wall to wall cousins we didn't know that well, and staying at my great-grandmother's tiny house, with the wood-burning stove still in the kitchen and the creek that ran alongside the house, and mounds of potato salad and coleslaw and homemade pie and Coke in bottles out on the back porch.

I remember walking down the tractor ruts on my grandparent's farm, looking for wild strawberries in the grass between the ruts. Riding on the trailer behind the tractor, kicking my legs in the tall grass, pushing and shoving at brothers and cousins until one of them fell off and then ran to catch up and jump back on. Climbing the pear trees, which was a huge no-no and could get you a licking and playing target practice with the dinner bell and a bb gun. Rowing the skiff out into the middle of the fish pond and swimming in the water from there, but never touching the bottom of the pond because of the leeches. Walking down country side roads looking for glass returnables for the pocket change when we went into town.

It kinda makes me want to cry to think about, because the farm doesn't exist anymore, sold off to developers after my grandparents died. But I had so much fun there every summer, it's nice to recall those idyllic times.

Summer memories:

Feeding the seagulls at Rocky Point while eating clam cakes and chowder.

Contests to see who had the most lemon pieces in their Del's frozen lemonade.

Visiting the Newport Mansions.

Going to Narragansett to visit friends and play on the beach.

Mini golf with my grandfather.