The weather numbers have finally hit that sweet spot. The one where, no matter what combination of digits I see in my app, I'm filled with an overwhelming sense of "meh." That magical range of numbers that seem to keep shoes off of my feet, and my supple bottom planted on the couch.
All this chilly weather has me stuck inside, reminiscing about the good times. The warm times. The days when the app showed me numbers filled with both relief and potential at the same time. That magical time of the year where even the most isolated of cave dwellers feel Mother Nature's call to emerge from their holes... Summer!
I actually had a pretty good summer this year. That's not unusual for me, but a win is a win. Plus, nowadays you just can't afford to let a good win go unappreciated. Why was it a good summer? I think it's because I did some new things. Nothing ground-breaking, but new enough to make my brain churn a little more than usual.
To you, this is either pretty cool or pretty lame depending on a lot of factors. For me, it was one of the coolest things I've ever done. I used to skate a little in high school, but quickly fell off of it (no pun yadda yadda...) after I couldn't figure out how to ollie. Yeah, I was pretty basic. Fast forward to this summer where I said "Fuck tricks" and decided to just cruise around town, getting from A to B faster than walking. SO MUCH FUN.
I've gotten way more comfortable on a board than I ever thought I would back in the day. Even though I'm not popping ollies, I still feel awesome just shredding the streets and sidewalks while on my way to get donuts, or some other bullshit. It sounds weird, but it's really gotten me out of my shell. I'm a pretty shut-in person usually, but when I go out skating I feel like I belong out there. I belong out on the streets where everyone else is, going about their days. Even if I'm the old-ass lame-o on the skateboard, I feel like I'm adding to the vibe of the city. It's a small leap from sitting at home all day, but it feels good, man.
This is definitely a "find better things to do while I'm hiding out at home" thing, but it's been nice nonetheless. At first, I wanted to make this a journal. Something I could deposit constructive thoughts into over time. It's definitely that, but it's quickly evolved into a trash can for my unspoken thoughts about video games, life, and who knows what else. That's fine, I don't have a problem with it. It makes my brain happy to know that someone somewhere might read my mental slop!
This website has also been apart of a seasonal foray into more "techie" stuff. I've learned a lot about HTML and CSS by making this site, it's pretty wild. I was never into social media back in school, so I sort of missed the whole MySpace/GeoCities "learn-HTML-while-you-rot-your-brain" craze (back when that was a thing.) But I will say, NeoCities feels like a nice simile of those bygone sites. I've also branched out into microcontrollers like Arduino this summer (Spurred on by a vain attempt to make my garden self-hydrating.) That's been really cool, something I'm hoping to get further into while the cold weather keeps me inside. Keep an eye out for some blog posts on that. TECH! So hot right now.
It's not a whole lot when I type it all out, but it sure felt like a whole lot while I was living it. So many tiny things happened that would be impossible to recall, but like most things in life, it adds up. I pushed myself a little bit more out of my shell, and I'm really proud of myself. I'm gonna push myself a little more I think, and it's nice to know I'm a little further along than I once was. If it's not obvious, the rum is starting to hit. I guess I should wrap this up.
So long summer! It was fun while it lasted. You brought new changes, and new memories. I'll see you next year (I hope.)
P.S.
R.I.P. my garden.