The Summer of George is Over

The magic has left summer.

Let me explain: For the past billion summers, the family -- meaning all but me -- have gone to camp, whether it was Island Park Scout Camp or Treasure Mountain Scout Camp. Leaving me at home, of course, with the joke that I was the one earning the real money so they could go play all summer.

I reveled in the restored bachelorhood and found time to get chores done.

Then this summer.

I don't know what made the difference, but I've felt more lonely, more blah, and not all that motivated at all to get things done.

I've tried to get things done. I built a rail on the back steps. Twice. I've split some wood and worked on cleaning up the spot where the pine tree was. But it all feels mechanical. Part of it might be the heat. But I think traditional summer is coming to an end for me.

Part of me needs a vacation. But part of me wants that vacation to be me working on things around the house without having to fret over budgets and whatnot. I guess I'd better keep working so someday we can do that.

I'm trying not to be gloomy. But this year has been hard. Maybe next year, the Summer of George!

The Bacheloring

So it begins: The Bacheloring.

Michelle has been to camp off and on for a month now, but after a two-week break the whole family sans Lexi are headed to camp, even Isaac, who we thought wouldn't be going this year.

Michelle's up there as Cope and Climbing Director.

Liam is up there working in Nature and helping out with Trail to Eagle and the Astronomy Merit Badge.

Isaac, after a rough go of not really being welcomed back due to reasons, is going back as a commissioner, which thrilled him to no end because he's sick of working at Reed's Dairy and needed one more fling before he starts is mission in mid-August.

That leaves me and the dogs all alone. ALONE.

But I don't want to be alone. I'm no good on my own.

Take today: After church, I made dinner for myself. That's not so bad, because I only have to worry about what I want for dinner. But since then . . . I've taken a nap. I've played a video game. I've watched some YouTube. And that's about all I'll be doing for the next few weeks. At least I don't have to teach Sunday School next weekend.

I have a lot of yard work lined up for the next few weeks, though. Going to finish getting all the sticker weeds out of the garden, going to finish splitting the wood from the chopped down pine tree, and do some general cleanup in that area. Also have to mow lawns. And rebuild the rail I put on the back porch last weekend because the one that's there is a bit too short. But that'll be simpler since I've got the wood for it already and a general path forward on what the rail will look like.

Fun stuff. Whee.