Summer's End

Happy Labor Day to the Misdirected family. I hope you are all out at the lake, or driving your RV, or drinking beer (but not all 3 at the same time) for this final blowout of Summer 2016.

While walking the dog over the weekend, Lor and I had a little chat about this summer. We didn't get to go camping at all. We had no resort weekends. (Hospital stays do NOT count as resorts.) We spent the majority of our time close to home: drinking protein shakes, recovering from surgeries, going to endless rounds of doctor's office visits.

And it was probably one of the best summers we've had in a long time.

Really, we got a lot done. We bought a house, for goodness' sake. We helped a friend move to Tucson. I began writing professionally. Lor restarted her crafting projects. And, oh yeah, there was that surgery/weight loss thing...

Seriously: Memorial Day 2016, Lor and I, as a household, weighed 486 pounds.

Labor Day 2016? 411 pounds.

When is the last time your household dropped 75 pounds over the summer?

Mainly what this summer has represented to us is an investment in summers to come. We gave up camping this year so that we could really enjoy camping and hiking in the future. We stayed close to home now so that, the next time we travel, we will be full of energy and joy. I have given up overeating as my main recreation of choice - meaning that in the future I will be able to enjoy things like swimming, riding bikes, and hiking longer distances. I went through surgery so that I will no longer be an anchor that ties those who love me down as they slow their pace down to let me keep up. Lor spent some time recovering from surgery so that she no longer has to deal with a daily chore involving needles and insulin injections. 

I think it was a good investment. It has certainly done wonders for our relationship: nothing draws you closer together than being accountable to one another for your new behaviors. We have become one another's coaches and cheerleaders. (And, in Lor's case, my fashion consultant.) Neither of us is wistfully watching the other succeed and feeling left out. We are succeeding together - which has made us stronger, and less apt to fall down on our faces.

Though, bad days like The Great Ice Cream Incident do still occur from time to time.

Thanks for dropping by and sharing your summer with us over the past few months. We've got even more exciting things coming up right around the corner, and are looking forward to what the remainder of 2016 has in store.

Heck, I am looking forward to having my picture taken at Christmas this year for the first time since EVER.

Next Stop: Halloween Costumes!

- Hawkwind