Summer 2020: Days 108-110

 My designated summer ended this week, and wow, it really came to an end.

Labor Day was sort of lazy. I grilled burgers for dinner. The day wasn't as hot, and we knew a cold front and wind -- so much wind -- would be coming through overnight.

The weather roared in. We awoke to gusts of up to 100 mph. I drove Ben to school and needed to backtrack several times because trees and branches were blocking streets. The power went out in the neighborhood, and I spent most of Tuesday trying to work a little without wasting the precious juice in my phone and Mac. The wind subsided eventually, and I walked Popcorn around the neighborhood in the chill and observed the tree damage and almost every block without power. It was all surreal, to say the least.

We settled into the night by candlelight and flashlights. I worked on logic puzzles, and Ben studied as we listened to music.  As frustrated as I was, the mellowness of the whole situation was kind of nice.

Unfortunately, we still didn't have power Wednesday, the last day of summer. I worked for a bit, then drove around for two hours trying to find someplace to work and charge everything. I was about to give up when Lori let me know that the power was back on. I returned home ad tried to get a normal day of work in, but everything still seemed off. I drafted in two fantasy leagues in the evening and went to bed early.

And just like that, summer was over. I'm not sure how I feel about summer 2020. It was filled with so much chaos and uncertainty, and the pandemic put such a damper on things. The weeks flew by with not much to show for our energy. The staycations were fun at times but also a little desperate, as if I was grasping for anything to make this summer normal. 

Oddly, I'm feeling optimistic about the fall. So much can go wrong, but it's all out of my control, and I'm choosing to be at least a little positive that the world will improve. If anything, our family is set up for a productive, worthwhile few months. As I've said often, there's no rush. Next summer will be here soon enough.

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