So Long Sweet Summer

[Kamuro]

[SIZE=1]With the summer days twindling away I thought it appropriate to post a thread and see what all of you have done. People often have great expectations of summer, things they'll do, places they'll go, and some of us actually do them. But I find that summer doesn't usually work out the way I expect it to, and although I don't do everything I want, I still have plenty of experiences to share with people.

This isn't all, though. Many people base their lifes on this very time, a period between grades, schools, careers, lots of life changing things can happen during the summer. So the questions are...

- What have you done this summer?
- Did it live up to your expectations?
- What do you have planned for this coming year?

And now I leave you with the words of Dashboard Confessional, lamenting our summer...

so long sweet summer
(so long sweet summer)
I stumbled upon you and gracefully basked in your rays
so long sweet slumber
(so long sweet slumber)
I fell into you, now you're gracefully falling away

hey thanks, thanks for that summer
it's cold where you're going
I hope that your hearts always warm
(hope that your hearts always warm)

I gave you the best, I gave you the best that I had
(gave the best I had)
passed down the letters and passed down the best that I had
(passed the best I had)
so long sweet summer
(so long sweet summer)
I stumbled upon you and gratefully basked in your rays
so long sweet slumber
(so long sweet slumber)
I fell into you, now you're gracefully falling away[/SIZE]

[Lafleur]

[color=DarkRed]My summer, frankly, lived up to my expectations. Hell, it surpassed them. But that isn't really a good thing. I'm one of the minority of people who actualy [i]hate[/i] summer, with an icy-cold passion. I hate, more or less, everything about it. The heat, sucks. The weather, sucks. I hate beaches and I hate most outdoor summer activities. I don't even like the fact that there isn't any school! Most of my friends live 25 km or more away, so walking is out of the question and I can never get a ride. The only place I ever see my friends is at school, everything about summer pisses me off. Plus when I sweat I stick to things.

I'm a winter person. If I had it my way it would be Winter Break and not Summer Break. I love the cold. It's not that I don't get cold (Though I do have a high resistence) hell somtimes I'm freezing, it's just that I [i]love[/i] the icy cold, the deep freeze, everything about it! Having a massive snowball war, skiiing, Hockey, just lying in the 3 meters of snow with a 2-4 and some buddies, it's FAR more enjoyable for me.

In conclusion? I did **** all all summer. I sat in front of my computer, placed NHL2005, CS:S, WarCraftIII, surfed the net, and *****ed about the heat.

I leave you with the words of The Traigcally Hip... Summer's Killin' Us

Does summer exist in its praises?
Does summer exist in its praises?
Summer lives here in its praises.

Come on up here we got something to show ya
Wanna show you everything we know
Wanna show you we can vanish before ya
Wanna show you we got our blind roads

And does your family know your wishes?
Cause this chorus'll do ya like the dishes

Summer's killing us
It's just sing sing sing all day
It's as if summer existed in it's praises

Come on over I got something to show ya
Record sunshine it's the Shadow Band
We can have strictly cactus relations
Telling the waves to stop cra-sh-ing

And does anybody know your wishes?
Cause this tune'll do ya like the dishes

Summer's killing us!
It's just sing sing sing all day
It's as if summer just exists in her praises

It's a time for more to happen sooner
A time to be a person you still know
To float awhile on your shore power
Til you say
'Canada lost. Go home.'

Where summer's killing us!
Where we sing sing sing all day
It's as if summer exists here in its' praises

Summer exists in a doorway
Summer exists at the fair
Summer is forever changes
Summer's taken me unawares

[b][color=DarkGreen][size=1]Ilium, I've had to edit your post for fairly serious swearing. "[/size][/color][/b][/color][b][size=1][color=DarkGreen]Swearing and offensive words, in any format, are considered spam at our site,[/color][/size][/b][color=DarkRed][b][color=DarkGreen][size=1]" as the Rules put it. It's [i]always [/i]better not to swear at all than to take your chances with the auto-censorship, which sometimes misses things.
[/size][/color][/b][/color] [right][color=DarkGreen][size=1]-Raiyuu[/size][/color]
[/right]

[Sandy]

Well, my summer has been an exceptional one, and despite the fact that I didn't have a summerjob and thus had to loan money from my granny in order to make a living, I still consider it to be the best summer I have had so far.

All thanks to this goes to my first (and hopefully only) boyfriend that I hooked up with in May. We have spend absolutely fantastic three months together, and we are both quite sure this will continue to the day we die.

I feel so happy that I have found my true love already at the age of 21, as I feared it would never happen. We are both young and have our whole lives ahead of us, and there is no one I'd rather spend it with than my precious, loving boyfriend.

The summer is truly almost over, but this sensation of love won't fade away with it.

[Kitty]

[size=1][color=#003aaf]Ah, summer. My favorite season.

Well, as many of you will be doing, I'll be mourning the end of my 3 month vacation when the time has come, but for me, it isn't over yet. Since my birthday is late-summer, I don't consider the summer officially over until I'm a year older, and school has started. That leaves me with a little over two weeks of more summer, so I'm going to do what I've been doing all summer.

Party, hang out, and sleep in 'till one in the afternoon everyday.

To answer your second question, Kamuro, of [i]course[/i] it did. Every summer gets better than the last in my opinion, and this one was especially nice because I got more time with my dad instead of spending the whole thing with my mother. And I went to a lot more parties than any other summer I can remember. No booze though. D: I did spend a particularly large amount of time on the computer this summer as well, but only because I had more time to spend. Normally, I'm wrapped up with swim team and whatever other nonsense I'm forced to do ( I think I did two plays last year.. o__O; ). So yeah. This summer was great. :3

And as for your last question, I never really plan what will happen during the next year. Of course, there are elements planned before hand (as in my Japanese and guitar lesson schedules) and what sports I'm going to do, but other than that, I have no idea what I'm going to do. After all, I just moved across the country a few months ago, so who knows what nutty stuff I'll be dragged along to do.

And since both of you did songs about summer, I'll give you part of one that represents summer (for me) because it's a song I played at a rock camp I went to this summer. So, here are the lyrics to "Dammit" by Blink 182.

[i]It's alright to tell me what you think about me
I won't try to argue or hold it against you
I know that you're leaving, you must have your reasons
The season is calling your pictures are falling down

The steps that I retraced the sad look on your face
The timing and structure, did you hear, he ****** her
A day late a buck short I'm writing the report
On losing and failing when I move I'm flailing now

And it's happened once again, I'll turn to a friend
Someone that understands, sees through the master plan
But everybody's gone and I've been here for too long
To face this on my own, well I guess this is growing up

And maybe I'll see you at a movie, sneak preview
You show up and walk by on the arm of that guy
And I'll smile and you'll wave
We'll pretend it's okay
The charade, it won't last
When he's gone, I won't come back

And it'll happen once again, you'll turn to a friend
Someone that understands, sees through the master plan
But everybody's gone, and you've been there for too long,
To face this on your own, well I guess this is growing up

Well, I guess this is growing up[/i][/color][/size]

[Goodbye, Face]

[font=trebuchet ms]Well, if anything totally awesome came out of this summer, I'm getting a new room put in where the bonus room was supposed to be in the second story of our living room. It's really hard to describe unless you've been to my house.

A lot of my electronics have been breaking this summer, including my surround sound reciever, my PS2, and at one point, this really cool computer.

I spent a lot of time doing nothing due to the construction. I couldn't have friends over nor just invite myself over to someone's house, so I've basically been lounging around doing nothing all summer. Hell, the reason I re-joined these forums was because I'm bored out of my mind.

It's tough waking up to nasty surprises like random holes in my bedroom wall thanks to a wiring mix-up. My house was originally built so bad that a lot of stuff had to be fixed that we had no idea about.


If I was to set an objective for this coming school year, it'd be to get closer with my friends. I have a lot of friends, but I'm not that close with any of them anymore.


I'd have a summer song for ya as well, but I wouldn't put it here. It's a lot of sex, drugs and rock n' roll by Christiansen called "Cocaine Summer."[/font]

[Retribution]

[SIZE=1]It sucks summer's almost gone. Threads like this don't help me forget about the little time left! >_>;;

I start back to school September 2nd, but that's a Friday, and it's Labor Day weekend after that, so I really [i]technically[/i] start until the 6th. So I have time... *weeps*

Seriously, I love the summer. It's hot, there's no school, and there's plenty of free time. See, my school works me to death, so even the whole 'friend factor' most of you are talking about doesn't outweigh the burden of the work. It really, really, REALLY sucks to have to go back. But once you start back up, it's not as bad.

I'm hoping Junior year is easier than Sophomore year. Perhaps the workload will indeed be lighter, but there's too many outside influences. National Honors Society service hours, my standard school service hours (40 by the end of the year), PSAT and SAT, Soccer, and all sorts of other crap.

So, in a week and a half or so, my world crashes. I return to the prison.[/SIZE]

[Sinistra]

[FONT=Palatino Linotype]Summer...alas, parting is such sweet sorrow.

[quote name='Kitty']Party, hang out, and sleep in 'till one in the afternoon everyday.[/quote] Cheers to that, Kitty. And then some.

A lot of weddings and birthdays were going on this summer for my family and friends, so I that was practically my schedule along with some soccer and traveling to Canada a lot to see some old friends.

This summer has surpassed my expectations. I actually got to see more of my family and get closer with them. What a rarity that is.

[quote name='Retribution']I'm hoping Junior year is easier than Sophomore year.[/quote] You and me both, Retri. School's in Session on the 6th. It's "Regents Year"...yay...not to mention the AP courses infamous "Testing Week". More 3-hour tests, just what I've always wanted.

- What do you have planned for this coming year?

I plan on returning to Europe with some classmates of mine in February for 2 weeks for the school trip. That's one of the few things that I look forward to. My 16th birthday is also up in November, so hopefully by next summer I'll be driving my own car.[/FONT]

[silpheedpilot]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=Blue]A terrible shame that summer is ending, though mine was a blast. Friends, Gaming, Traveling. Yep. I did it all.

The start of the summer I went to Colorado to visit my Papa. He and my Mom divorced and I seldom get to see him so it was quite fun going up there to see him. I was there for a month.

After I got back to Kansas from Colorado I threw myself a 'Welcome Home' LAN Party! Which was a blast but that one turned into like 15 or 20 more LAN Parties throughout the rest of summer, which was cool but we didn't play much else other than Halo 2 and Ghost Recon 2.

Towards the end of summer my family and I traveled to Texas to see my bro graduate from the Air Force BMT. San Antonio is not a place I'd like to visit again because everyone is rude and NOTHING is bigger there! I did get to see the Alamo which was so awesome, me being a big Davy Crockett fan and all. Good stuff.

Other than that I didn't do much, but me being a big gamer it far surpassed my previous summer when Halo 2 wasn't around![/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Sage Kaley]

(laughs) Ok my summer is going to sound so boring compared to everyone else but that's alright. I slept. A lot. I also played a lot of video games, mostly rpgs. I read, I listened to music, I searched for jobs...

Mostly I've been sitting on my butt playing games or writing. Most of my friends have been busy this summer and I don't invite myself over >_< Ah well, tis ok. Oh yes and much net surfing has been done. Huzzah.

Hm...it probably didn't live up to my expectations but I suppose I figured my first summer free from high school would be different. At least it was relaxing, if a bit boring. The only real events was a funeral and various other drama.

Now I have my first year of college coming up, my 18th birthday and job hunting lol So really I don't have anything planned. Just trudging along at this point and seeing where it takes me I suppose.

[TheShinje]

[size=1][color=Gray]While it may be the dying days of summer for you up in the north, we lucky few down in the south are experiencung the dying days of Winter.

As the days get longer, and the temperature heats up, I look forward to a great summer, this has really been the winter of discontent for me and I look forward to what the sumemr will bring.

The irony of world-wide gatheirng forums. ;)[/color]
[/size]

[Stuart]

[FONT=Trebuchet MS]Some of you already know of my adventures, and there are tons of them, but I don't think not all of them are too appropriate, lol.

I've had a pretty regular schedule all summer. At the begining of the summer I had to attend summer schoo for six weeks, which took only two hours out of my day, so I'm not complaining. It was actually fun at times; I had a crazy class. SWIMMING! Ah yes, I can't think of a day that I didn't go swimming. A friend of mine owns an inground pool, so it was hard to go a day without not jumping in. When I wasn't swimming I was hanging out with friends, either sitting around the house playing games, watching TV or just chatting, or we were outside, walking, riding bikes, hanging out around the town. There surely was never a dull moment. I've done a lot of exciting things throughout the summer, which I won't be forgotting for awhile. The occasional "joy ride" with my friend Kandace was always a blast. We'd drive around, not knowing where we were going and we really didn't care, but we had fun doing so. I love being around the town; There's always someone to run into, and always something to do. There were somedays that I wasted inside on the computer. When I didn't go outside on a nice day I always regreted it afterwards *sigh*. This summer was a major improvement to last summers, that's for sure. Like I said "There was never a dull moment" my summer was full of excitment and there was always something to do. Full of laughs and fun, that surely lived up to my expectations.

There are a lot of people who I didn't get a change to hang out with this summer, so I'm looking forward for school to start up. I love the social interaction at school, and I'd say that it pwns over the fun I could have in a summer =P. Sad? If you knew me, and went to my school you sure as hell wouldn't think so.

As for what I have planned for the coming year, I plan for it to be twice as great.[/FONT]

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.

Like everyone else here the prospect of Autumn and then Winter coming haven't put me in a hugely cheery mood lately, though the difference for me can really be measured in the fact in a few weeks it's going to be dark by five-thirty PM where as about a fortnight ago it was bright until well after nine-thirty PM. We got a few good days of weather here and there, which I thoroughly enjoyed though back in July we got two great weeks of weather in the high twenties with a kind of cool breeze that made it really enjoyable.

I spent most of the summer indoors I'm sorry too say, though much of that time was either spent reading new books I've bought or got from the library, or working on new RPGs and story ideas for Otakuboards, or when I can find a spare bit of time between those two I'd do a bit of videogaming to relieve stress and help come up with some new ideas or augment others. Of course much of that would be later in the afternoon and evening as I wouldn't be up until about ten-thirty, eleven o'clock and after that I'd dally around and watch some TV and then go and spent two or so hours outside with my brother and after that come back inside and watch some more TV, so all terribly intriguing stuff.

One new thing I started doing this summer, well mid/late spring is to do an hour or so in the gym most evenings, I find it beats spending an hour sitting in front of either the TV or PC vegetating to quote an old teacher. That and we went on holiday to Turkey again, which meant I spent a fortnight in forty degree weather sitting inside all day in the air conditions and went outside at night to eat with my family, on the plus side I went on a really great boat trip on our second last day and met a guy called Don/Dom Rice who looked and sounded very much like The Truth from San Andreas. Real nice guy, and a daredevil of a diver.

My summer went pretty much the way I?d expected, though I can?t complain as it was very relaxing given recent stresses. As for what I?ll be doing in the coming months, aside from studying to complete high school (hopefully anyway) I really don?t know, I suppose I?ll play it by ear like I usually do.[/SIZE]

[Pumpkin]

[SIZE=1]Sounds like you all had a great summer, I'm almost jealous. Well, this summer I became an adult when I turned 18 and that meant searching for a new job. So most of my time was spent getting my college books ready, shopping, and trying to find a job. Although I did like the shopping quite a bit. I met with my counselors etc. I also got out of highschool later then the others so I pretty much had a month and a half of summertime to do everything. I'm sadly already on my second week of school (yeah I start early).

It makes me realize how much free time you have when your a teenager still, and I miss the days of when I could sleep in and not have to worry about things like getting a car or an apartment. But that's the way life works doesn't it? Still, I can say I had an okay summer for I met a bunch of new people. Including my current boyfriend. I also went swimming and got a really nice tan.

By the way Retri, junior year was hardest academically in my opinion, but it's even more fun picking on the freshman =)[/SIZE]

[Ryo the Tactician]

I called this summer, "The Summer of Dreams" for me.

First of all, I was doing a lot of stuff to try to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I went to Aviation Camp early summer (which was a ton of fun), and later on, I went to my much anticipated Robotics Camp.

Now that was great. I don't think I've ever not wanted to leave a place so much. Learning how to program a robotic arm coupled with a bunch of soon-friends, playing Halo and Melee until past midnight, then getting up, slumping into the shower, heading down to breakfast and learning how to program a robotic arm again. Repeat. Good times. It was so much fun, I miss them all...

Then, later, was Soccer Camp. I'm an academic all the way, and I used to play soccer. I decided to try out. In High School. I was beyond nervous, but I made it, and got on the Junior Varsity team. Schweetzness!

In between all this, I hung out with friends, IMed, played video games, read, and occasionally went outside. My family didn't go on any vacations, but that was okay. Everyone was too busy. I think it lived up to my expectations of this summer. And, for the first time, I know what I might want to major in:

Either Electric Engineering/Computer Science or Electrical Engineering/Mechanical Engineering. I want to build and program robots. NASA, here I come.

~R.E.

PS. Look on the bright side, Retribution. If you can make it through that Sophomore year, you can make it through just about everything.

And now, to make my post obscenely long, I'll post the lyrics to Summer's Picture, a Rurouni Kenshine ending theme. It's not extremely pertinent, but it's L33t like that:

[i] Ah... at the beach on a quiet afternoon
The summer flows by, sprinkling fleecy clouds.

The swaying shadow at the wharf
we were snuggling softly, too.
The couple, still turning it's back
Continues to fight playfully.

If I could cause just one miracle
It would be trapping this moment in a picture
Not knowing the noise of a changing era
I just want to stare at only you.

Ah... the bird that strayed from the flock
Disappears into the waves, searching for tomorrow.

Why is it that people are
Born crying without any reason?
With the setting off that will come someday
I'll be able to know falling tears well.

If there is sadness in the world that won't dissappear
There is refuge in a picture painted by an angel.
Always feeling the paradise in both our hearts
I just want to keep grinning, too.

If I could cause just one miracle
It would be trapping this moment in a picture
Not knowing the noise of a changing era
I just want to stare at only you.
[/i]

[Zhara]

[COLOR=Purple][FONT=Garamond]- What have you done this summer?

Started out by heading up North (I live in Oregon) to Mount St. Helens, and camped for two nights at this horrid, nasty, dead, COLD wilderness area. It SNOWED. We (my mom and stepdad) then went down several hundred feet and stayed at this beautiful camp area that had showers. We looked at all the observation areas, including Johnston Ridge, and the weather was perfect! I loved that, and it just got better! We then headed off to the San Juan Island and camped there for almost a week...That is the most beautiful place on the planet, not a 711 or Wal*Mart or Starbucks on the whole island!

Well, after that, I stayed at my dad's house for a couple weeks, and then I went home and had my breast reduction a week or so later. I love my boobs! And with the surgery, I have lost about thirteen pounds over the summer.

- Did it live up to your expectations?

Are you kidding me? I wish I was still on the island!

- What do you have planned for this coming year?

To ace Trigonometry and Chemistry...Or at least get B's. And work out now that I don't have huge knockers. Long live Upperclassmen![/FONT][/COLOR]

[Epsilon]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=SlateGray]I am personally, glad the summer is gone.

During the summer, I had Military Academy every week day but Monday. Lasting for not much more then six hours, it left me with a lot of free time. I then basically divided my time into three pieces.

[b]1.:[/b] [i]Continue to Practicing Martial Arts.[/i]
[b]2.:[/b] [i]Spending time with Spencer and Friends..[/i]
[b]2.:[/b] [i]Work and Studies.[/i]

However, there were quite a few things. (That I normally would have never really been able to do before.) That I had enjoyed. The highest peak was my Thai Land trip. Later accompanied by landing a new job writing. I also got to spend much needed time with my loved ones. This summer was well past my expectations.


Although I'll never seen any of my friends again after this upcoming school year. I'm still very excited. I'll be attending a private school focusing on various art types. And if I am able to do well, total A's or B's, I'll be able to get a few scholars ships. The two and a half hour bus rides will be worth it.

With the school year comes the Diamond Nationals.Many other Martial Arts tournaments and conventions come with the school year as well. Especially awaiting these because the school I'll be attending has it's own 'Fight Team' that I'll be working with as it's assistant instructor.

I really can't wait for the school year to begin again.
[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Frankie]

[size=1]- What have you done this summer?[/size]

[size=1]Well lets see... Drew, wrote more on my story. I even left the house a few times~! Well i did get converted from total tomboy to girlygirl over a few days. Not girly girl really just more punkish now... Spiked dyed hair (short) and makeup to a point that will bring out my blue eyes. [/size]

[size=1]AND I am stretching my ears... I plan on stopping at 4G because i already bought some awesome 4g talon skull snake expanders and plugs and like those quite well.

- Did it live up to your expectations?

Um... WHAT expectations? My summers are boring because I live in the dullest town in oregon! So Meh. I just did what I always do... pretend the summer isnt really there and hardly leave my room. May not be healthy but occasionaly I like it this way.

- What do you have planned for this coming year?

Go to school, FINISH school, and find a good college to go to. I want to be a writer/ author. Ill have to get some skills in other things too so i can support myself of course. Plus I am getting a few tattoos! A few and the very first mean a ggreat deal so i plan on making sure it gets done right! Aside from that not much is planned for this coming year. School mainly.[/size]