Goodbye for the Summer
Posted by Jillian Burns in Jillian Burns, Uncategorized, tags: free time, summer, to do list, TV shows
I’m down to the last few days of a deadline, so I beg Blaze readers tolerance if I recycle an old blog from The Sizzling Pens Blog a couple of years ago (with a few updates) and save my brain power for the book.
This time of year it’s always sad saying goodbye to our favorite TV shows for the summer. But there is a positive side to the TV show hiatus. Think of all that free time I’ll have in the evenings. Maybe I’ll…
1. Write. Since there’ll be nothing to watch on TV, this is a good time to work. Especially since, beginning June 5th, my kids will be home all day, every day, for an entire three months (Ack!) and I certainly won’t get any writing done during the day.
2. Catch up on my reading. My To Be Read pile—ok, PILES–are getting so ridiculously high I’m afraid they might topple over and give me a concussion while I sleep. If I don’t start reading some of them, I might be forced to cull through the stacks and pare them down. And how could I do that?
3. Have meaningful conversations with my kids. Without new episodes of Medium or House to watch, I might talk with my kids. That is, about something other than homework, school projects, upcoming band concerts, volleyball schedules, PTA meetings, or their bad grades. Instead, we can talk about boyfriends, girlfriends, clothes, makeup, skateboarding, video games, movies, malls, and the money they need for all of the above. Um, when does the New Fall Season start again?
4. Ditto for my husband. Hmm, a conversation that is NOT about the kids. What does that leave? I’m not sure I remember how to talk about anything else with the man I’ve been living with for over twenty years. 
This may require a date night and alcohol. Who knows? Maybe he’ll get lucky.
5. Take a long soak in a Bubble Bath. Which leads to…
6. Paint my nails. I haven’t painted my nails since before I was pregnant with the last kid. How sad is that?
7. Go out to dinner with my girlfriends. Ahhh, more alcohol (D)
8. Have long phone conversation with a friend who lives far away
9. Cook a magnificent gourmet meal. I’ve been dying to try one of Isabel’s yummy recipes.
10. Clean out my office closet. 
Okay, I’ve gone too far. I’ll NEVER be that desperate!
So, what will YOU do with your lazy, hazy summer evenings?
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For me, it’s just about getting through July. I always say, “I’ll read (since there’s no shows)” and a lot of that does get done (thanks in part to the library reading program), but I also have to shuttle kids places and still get the ‘chores’ done. Sigh.
Hi Katie!
I have always loved our library summer reading program! And now for a mini rant. Dallas has announced it’s closing multiple branches of their libraries due to budget cutbacks. Excuse me?? :-O We can afford to pay for A FREAKIN BILLION DOLLAR FOOTBALL STADIUM, BUT WE CAN’T AFFORD LIBRARIES???
I am SOOOOO FURIOUS!
Where are our priorities?? And then people will complain about the next generation of kids who can’t read! Geesh!
Ok, rant over, whew! Sorry. :-$
As alway, love you, Katie. Thanks for listening
J
You can rant to me, anytime. I don’t understand it, either. You can always email me, too (you know my email).
I finally figured out my boys’ summer (well, not really, but I figured out what Oldest is doing). I am so freaky scared of July. Seriously, between you and me, I don’t even want to sign up my other two for anything in August. Whatever happened to lazy summers?
Sigh…sigh…sigh…
P.S.our library has a ‘reading program’ for adults (as well as kids), so it’s totally fun. Makes me feel less guilty for reading my Blazes!
Our library has an adult reading program too (Arlington, not Dallas) and I remember when my kids were younger we all signed up for it. I’ve always been a huge reader, and 2 out of my 3 kids are. Funny, how you can encourage it, but in the end, you can’t make someone be a reader. But hey, she’s a great cook!
You’re a better mother than me. I always did Vacation Bible school and maybe one gymnastic or Karate class for 6 weeks, but other than that, we were pretty lazy. Oh, and we always take a trip to Memphis for a week to visit my sister.
I’ll be spending most of my evenings at the ball park. Nothing better then sitting outside watching the ballplayers in their uniforms. Plus i get to see all my baseball friends and meet new ones.
I watched the Braves play the Mariners once when I was in Atlanta for the RWA conference. I was told I would see cute butts in tight uniforms. :-P Well, I thoroughly enjoyed the game, but their uniforms were sagging in the butt area. I was disappointed. (U)
I’m lucky, there are three guys on the team with nice tight pants in that area
The best part is I sit right behind on the on deck circle. I have a great view every game.
Hi Jillian
I miss you so much & I miss the other Sizzling Pens too. You keeping busy writing is okay for me though. I play tennis or watch hubby or son play. Sometimes we’re all on the same night. I plan on doing lots of reading as usual too.
((hugs))
tennismom
Hi Mary!
Thank you for sticking with me here! I miss the Sizzling Pens too. Did you know 2 of our Sizzling Penners are finalists in Romance Writers of America Rita contest? The Rita is like the Oscar for Romance novels. There’s a huge awards ceremony at the National RWA conference and our own Elle Kennedy (*) and Tracy Wolff (*) are both finalists! I’m so thrilled for them and will be hollering for them on the night of the ceremony in July.
I a voracious reader too, and I can’t wait to turn in this book Monday so I can get back to reading my fave authors waiting for me on my toppling to be read pile. Although it has been fun writing this Alaskan bush pilot story. Got me out of Vegas for a little bit. Next I go back to Vegas to finish my Air Force fighter pilot series.
Ok, I’ve rambled on enough,
Big hugs to you!
J
Hi Jillian! Well in my house we really dont have lazy summer evenings. My 10 year old is Autistic so we try to stick to our routine as much as posible. Does it always happen, no, lol! But we try. One fun thing we do do on summer nights is grill out, then watch a movie as a family. We all just hang out together, which I love doing.
Have a great night! (*)
ahhh, cooking out and a family movie night. Sounds like heaven, Alina. I hope our family can do a little of that this summer too.
Thanks for coming by and saying hi today!
Hugs!
J
Hi Jillian!
I am so glad to hear that your book will soon be done. I can’t wait to see it in print! I know it will be a great read. And I too need to chime in on the fact that I miss the Sizzling Pens. I stopped there whenever I had the time.
I’ve been MIA for a number of reasons. Most recently for the lack of a computer. My Hard drive died. (Cry!) But thankfully everything stored on it was saved. I also FINALLY found a job. It’s only part time, but it’s the job I’ve always dreamed of having. So I am VERY content. I have faith that in time there may be room for me full time there, doing something.
Hope all is well with the rest of the gang from SP. I hope to be back here a bit more now that things are returning to normal.
Big Hugs to you all,
Pamela J.