I don’t like summer. There. I said it.
I sometimes feel like the only person on the planet who could happily live someplace where the temperature never goes above 75 degrees. I just don’t like being hot. And let’s not talk about the Virginia humidity. Gross.
I struggle every year at this time. Just as we are hitting the time where I’d like to spend all of my time sitting directly in front of my AC vent, my kids get out of school. I love my kids, but having to work to keep them active and entertained at precisely the moment when I am struggling to force myself out of the AC is not a good thing. It doesn’t help that a) most of their friends go to all day camp since both parents work full-time, b) there is no neighborhood pool, and c) I hate swimming, so going to the public pool (which would already kind of suck) is pretty much torture.
Thankfully, their grandparents are taking them to the beach for a few days, we have a vacation to Kentucky for a week, and we’ll do our usual 2 week visit to my parents’ in August.
Jones is supposed to make me a list of every museum/activity he wants to do this summer, but I’d love to hear from any locals
What awesome thing is a don’t miss in the DC area for two boys, ages 11 and 7?
And now on to food…
When last we chatted, I was cleaning up my diet. So far, that seems to be going well. I’ve been having an egg or eggs and veggies for breakfast most days, a large salad for lunch, and then protein and salad or veggies at dinner. To end the day, I allow myself a small sweet treat. I know Paleo recommends no sugar, but it a teeny piece of homemade cake or some Greek yogurt with maple syrup allow me to stay on track the rest of the time, I’m going with it. I don’t do well with deprivation.
But, before I started my clean up, I went out with a bang: our annual auction beer dinner. Once again, it was awesome.
First Course:
Lost Rhino Face Plant India Pale Ale
Starr Hill Grateful Pale Ale
Four cheeses (listed below)
Second Course:
Williamsburg Wheat (used in the salad dressing)
Port City Wit
Pear and Walnut Salad with Wheat beer Vinaigrette
Third Course:
Legend Brown Ale (used in recipe)
Devils Backbone Schwartzbier
Pork with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
Japonica Rice, and green beans
(This is so good, I could eat the sauce with a spoon)
Dessert:
Framboise (the only beer not brewed in DC or Virginia)
Blue Mountain Barrel Aged Stout
Chocolate Stout Cake with Raspberry Sauce
(I made the cake with Highland Black Mocha Stout)
I have to say that the beer and food paired SO WELL! Also? The cake was to die for! I don’t usually bake, but this one was totally worth it! Totally.
And I wonder why my shorts are tight…
Thanks, Jen, for another wonderful WIAW. Too bad there was no sensible snacking going on here…
From my view waaaaay over here on the west coast, it seems like there would be tons to do in DC with kids in the summer. Sadly, I bet it would be a lot of walking around outside in that humidity. Ack, I don’t know how you do it.
PS. Is it too early to remind you/hope that you will do Wisconsin with me in August 2014?
you had me at cheese. 🙂
We lived in D.C. for 6 years…the 6 years before we had kids…so I can’t think of anything except the gazillion Smithsonian museums. But I worked at College Park, MD, and there is a small aviation museum there that seemed pretty popular as well! Which reminds me, the air & space museum has an annex out in VA that is also growing in popularity. And never to early to do some college tours?? There is such great history at so many of the universities…
My sister just moved to Virginia and she hasn’t been impressed with the humidity either. I am with you on the hating summer and it should never ever get hotter than 75 degrees. I am hoping to get out there sometime while she is living there, I want to see the sights!
You are not alone. I hate summer too. Who likes to be sweaty all day and have limp hair?
Yeah I must admit I’m less and less of a summer fan – we don’t have a/c which just adds to my misery. I’m also trying to figure out how to keep the kids entertained – hope you get some good suggestions 🙂
Hate summer heat. Part of the reason I love Vermont so much although we certainly get heat and humidity.
Smoked blue cheese sounds so good. I am such a cheese lover!
Haha I’m totally with you on not-liking-summer. I find cold weather peaceful .. calm. Summer is so aah-my-face-is-burning-i-need-to-swim and too much hustle bustles wherever you look.
Oh no you are most definitely NOT the only one who doesn’t like summer. It’s practically un-American to feel that way, isn’t it?? But I hate heat, I hate the relentless bright sun that beats down on me from 6am to 9pm, I hate that for most of summer break it’s too hot for my kids to be anywhere except inside or at the pool. If I lived on the California coast or, say, Maine, I would probably have a much greater appreciation for summer. But I live in Atlanta where the heat index is going to be 98 today with a Code Orange air quality alert, so I’m not a fan.