This is not the summer you are looking for...

So I'm watching my friend's facebook posts and looking at their vacation pics, and I realized something - This summer was dull. With a capital D dull. I didn't go anywhere, I didn't do anything, I accomplished none of my major goals (except the door), and now, first week of August, I regret it. I want something, I just don't know what.

I want to be in a tent somewhere, with a canoe by my side. I want to hike a trail in the mountains, I want to see a castle in Scotland, I want to ride a coaster. Hell, I'll settle for an ice cream in Cottam at this point. Anything. I'm stupid bored.

My summer has consisted of babysitting 5 cats - 3 of which are 12 week old kittens, born here in the spring to a mother we took in as an emaciated stray, close to death. WHO KNEW SHE WAS PREGNANT? So now, the kittens, as cute as they are, are very destructive. I spend most of my day picking up after them, sweeping, flea control, emptying the cat box, and constantly feeding the little lovelies. They're cute, but they've taken over. The old saying that dogs have owners and cats have staff is absolutely true here. I'm a zookeeper in the feline enclosure.

My summer has also been spent fixing things. The new back door finally went up, so we've done away with the redneck door lock. We can open, close AND LOCK our back door at will. Silly thing, but it made me feel better. Then the hot water tank died. Woo hoo. Normally it would have been a simple phone call to have that replaced, but not here. Here, we had to empty the room of it's constituent junk (cats included), then haul out the old tank, clean and dry the damage under the old tank - the floor had a crack so big that we had 2 trees growing up through the basement floor. After a ton of concrete and a 24" patio slab, they were ready to drop the new tank in.

We tried gardening this summer too. It's growing well, we've got a plethora of cucumbers, and some very small but tasty strawberries. The watermelon are going slowly, but they're growing. We should have them by September. Several other crops are creeping along. Not bad for our first attempt. Next year will be better.

This summer has seen my children have more vacations than Kim and I. Bug has been to camp three times, and my son is presently on route back to Canada after another week in his grandfather's truck. This time they went to West Virginia and Quebec, with all parts in between. He'll come home tonight, play with kittens, and pick up his guitar.

This summer I found out that getting back into the military will be really tough. I found out that my last clearance was a "5F" - or put into civilian terms, unfit for further military service. Looking at my records I'm sure it's because the paperwork was a real mess on my release four years ago, but I'll have to prove that. Anyway, I'm looking at six months before the army makes a decision on whether or not to let me back in. In the meantime, I'm working with the Corps as a civilian instructor. Better than nothing.

Just to add to the hell of the army paperwork, while sitting on my porch yesterday enjoying sunshine and a good book, walked up two Windsor police officers. Two months ago, while REALLY pissed off, I kicked the front end of a meter maid's car as they ticketed me for double parking in front of my house. The 4-ways were on, but they said I'd been there too long. I tried to talk my way out of the $30 ticket but they would have none of it. I booted the front of their car. Yup, shouldn't have done that. Now, two months later I'm being charged with a misdemeanor - damaging the car. Yup, it took two months for them to realize "hey, someone kicked our car 2 months ago, we should charge them!" The police claim that since that day, the door won't open properly. Funny, I kicked the FRONT end. I think they damaged the car somewhere and I'll be the fall guy. This will look great when I go before the admissions board for the military.

All the while, the evil kittens just stared out the window.

I've taken a total of two vacation days this summer. Two. Not even good ones. I'm covering for other people's vacations, simply because Kim is still relatively new in her job and hasn't got enough time banked yet for a real vacation. So I've been taking a day at a time. So instead of going to some far off land, I've managed to scam a few three day weekends. Time well spent cleaning up after kittens and getting in trouble with the evil meter maid department.

The kittens are staring at me. Probably 'cause I haven't fed them in a half hour or so.

I intended to get into shape this summer, that failed too. I've gone running a few times, even visited a gym and considered handing them a pay cheque or two, but alas, nothing. I'm still a skinny, out of shape 40-something couch potato. There's still some summer left. I've got time. I was running with my son, maybe when he comes home tonight he'd be willing to go for a jaunt.

The last kick in the teeth this summer is my bike. It was again, stolen. Again, while locked up somewhere else. Again, I'm walking. I have a special relationship with my bike(s), I love the peace and freedom of just going for a ride somewhere, the whole wind in your hair thing, the energy it feeds me, but now, nope. No bike. I had to pay for other things this summer, hot water tank, door, other household repairs, and oh yeah, kittens. Did I mention I have a house full of kittens? So no bike this year. Sigh.

There's still some summer left, there's still time to salvage this. Next week is the Military Muster at Heritage Village. A huge event that I'm volunteering at. I'm considering the offer from the organizer to dress in WWII battledress and act the part, but I'm on the fence with that. 100% wool in 90 degree heat. Not good. Either way, it will be fun, and everyone should come out and honour our vets. There will be over 60 restored vehicles, live bands, demonstrations, fly pasts, helicopter rides, and 40s era swing party, veteran's parade, mock battles, period encampments from Romans to Vietnam era, and vendors. Lots of stuff to see if you've got the historian's itch. And regardless, just supporting our veterans and current forces is all that really matters. All proceeds from the weekend are going to the Canadian Transportation Museum at Heritage Village. I'm camping there the weekend, not exactly the camping I had in mind, but I'll take it. The canoe will have to wait.

So this post hasn't been exactly rosy. I'm seeing people coming and going to cottages and theme parks, visiting family in far off lands, or having people show up on the doorstep from far off lands (thanks Shelley, for bringing Ingrid down!) I don't want to begrudge anyone for having a great summer, you all deserve it. and eventually, so will I.

Once I'm finished my job as a cat nanny.

Cheers.