Watch the sun rise

1) It has been quite the Shaker filled weekend. On Friday night, there was an engagement party for Maria and Cameron @ the Mohawk Golf Club. A great time seeing friends and other people that I hadn't seen in a long time. There was some great ice cream cake.

2) Last night, the basement band has a show @ Red Square. Saw more friends, even some from Geneseo. Naturally, bb rocked the house, and I had an easy time staying up until 2am. This is something that rarely happens, as many of you know that I get grouchy and cranky later at night.

3) Last Sunday we went to a Valley Cats games. They were losing in the 7th when it got rained out, but it was still real nice to go. We bought tickets a half-hour before the game, and we had sweet 3rd row seats right in front of 1st base. There was a good sized crowd there, and it is nice to see professional sports gaining a strong foot-hold in the Capital District. Some of my earliest sporting memories are going to Albany-Colonie Yankee's games with my dad and brother.

4) Lincoln Park is only a 10 minute walk from our apartment, and recently on the weekends we've been going to lay out by the pool and take a swim. Much different than the CTP. It's just a big bowl, not even really a "pool" in the traditional sense. But it still does the trick.

I've been trying to get into The Omnivores Dilemma for a while now, but it's just not the summer reading that I want. So yesterday I pulled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows off the shelf before going to the pool for another read. Much easier.

5) July is quickly fading into August, but there is just too much to do for the summer to be over in 4 weeks (for me, school begins on the 25th). We figured out yesterday that there is free music every Mon-Thursday within walking distance of our house, and some Saturdays as well. First Friday's is this week, as well as West Side Story in the Park 6 nights a week.

Although it is noisy and warm in our apartment sometimes, the location has been great for stuff to do this summer. Anyone who says that there is nothing to do needs to pull out a Metroland, or simply walk around because there is a plethora of stuff to do.

6) In the same breath, it is equally as nice to leave the city, and have peace and quiet. There have been situations in my life (college, sports teams, etc) that I didn't realize until they were over how lucky I was to have been a part of them. I knew going into both, but especially my first summer @ Camp Fowler that I needed to enjoy and appreciate where I was, because I would never be able to have these opportunities again. The physical beauty, and yes, peace and quiet, put me on a trajectory much different than had I not gone. And this is a good thing!

I think I know now more about myself than ever before, but I think more importantly, where I want to grow and what I want to achieve.