Easy living, part 2

This morning I posted the list of what we did this summer, but if I had written that list in advance, what else would I have included? 

• Have dinner parties and see more old friends more regularly.  Epic fail.  Didn’t have anyone over for dinner once.  (We did host a super fun surprise b-day party for a friend, but her husband organized the whole thing.)  Never even made my favorite summer recipe, grilled marinated shrimp.  Heck, when it comes to cooking, we haven’t even made pesto! But there’s still time for pesto.  And since every fall weekend is going to be taken up with some sort of class or sporting event for Elizabeth, we should be around to invite people over. 
• Camped more than once.  Also a fail.  We did the one trip, and it was so hot and buggy, and we’ve been so busy otherwise, we haven’t been inspired or found the time since.  Although I am a coastal plains kind of gal, I suggested to Rich we try camping in the cool mountains.  Maybe another year.  We might be able to get some mountain time in the fall with a football game or two or three in Charlottesville, and while that’s great, but it’s not the same as escaping from the heat and humidity and heading to cooler weather in the summer.  Actually maybe next year we will combine seeing old friends with camping in the mountains and maybe travel to WVA and see some old FSU friends?  Perhaps an FSU friend reunion should be on the list for next year.   
• I’d have put see 3-4 Nats games on the list.  We managed one, and there’s still a chance to sneak in another, probably, but that’s likely it.  Last year we managed to make a few of the 4 pm games, but this year the Nats had no games starting at 4 – the 1 pm starts interfered with Andrew’s nap, and the 7 pm starts are rough on the bedtime schedule.  Not family friendly Nats, not at all.  Fingers crossed for half dozen scheduled 4pm games next year. 
• We mooched off a few friends’ pools, and hit up one of the DC public pools, but I definitely wish we had gone more. 
• I still want us to check out National Harbor.  Although sited at the conflux of two rivers, DC does a terrible job of taking advantage of river views.  We did one of the little Potomac cruises, but I’ve still got National Harbor on the list. 
• Garden.  Another epic fail.  Luckily Rich’s sister gave us some small basil plants that are flourishing, and most of our perennials are doing ok, but there are too many weeds and not enough flowers.  We’re a little unkempt.  I’ve twice seen one hummingbird on our honeysuckle, but I’ve also fallen down on the bird feeding.  Oh well, there’s always next season, as I say every year. Turns out gardening is something I really, really value in concept but absolutely despise in execution. 
• Picnic.  Another epic fail.  Not once.  I envisioned us packing up a picnic and heading to the zoo or rock creek with bikes and scooters and spending a fun evening outdoors.  Nope.  No concerts in the park, no outdoor movies, no let’s just have a picnic ourselves.  This is tied into gardening – maybe some summer we’ll upgrade our backyard patio and actually enjoy nights out there.   
• Plan my high school reunion.  As my friend Doug said last time I saw him, when we were elected class officers 26 years ago no one told us it was a life term.  But in reality I’ve just fluttered around the past few reunions so it is time for me to do the heavy lifting.  Current plan: Thanksgiving weekend. 
• Blog post our adventures in a timely manner.  Ha.  Hahaha.  What is worse that epic fail?  

So, a lot we didn’t do.  But I have no idea when we would have fit any of it in!  How was your summer?  Did you do everything on your list?  What’s on your fall list?