Kids shouldn’t be the only ones having fun in the summer. Actually, that blanket statement should apply on a year-round basis, but especially during the summer when it doesn’t get dark until 9:30 and you feel like you have all the time in the world to veg, explore, and play because you don’t have to wake up early or go to work until September (except that you do). Ted has a shirt that reads “Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.” Ted and I choose to be eternally youthful, and really, being kids and adults simultaneously is a pretty easy decision for us. Sure, we gladly shoulder the responsibilities of adulthood and marriage, have careers, pay bills, and maintain a home like respectable adults do, but we also think that making room for fun, relaxation and adventure is important for ourselves and each other. So we’ve made sure that the under 18 crowd aren’t the only ones hunkering down for a fun-filled summer! In the past week we’ve…
…seen a freakishly adorable production of “Winter Wonderettes” at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. It’s one of those shows that positively boosts your spirits. You leave the theatre grinning from ear to ear, humming folksy Christmas tunes and snickering at show jokes and memories days later.
…released our inner kid at Chuck-E-Cheese….where a kid can be a kid! Chuck-E-Cheese holds a special place in both of our hearts. I used to have awesome birthday parties there as a child and Ted worked at the Chuck-E-Cheese in Green Bay for seven years throughout high school and college. It was a fun job for him and he recalls a lot of great times and funny memories as a game tech/server/Chuck-E/etc. fixing the game machines, perfecting his mad gaming skills with coworkers after hours, wearing the Chuck-E costume and chasing kids into the ball pit or jungle gym, and downing pizza. Though we do actually (um, most of the time that is) pay for the tokens when we indulge in the occasional Chuck-E-Cheese escapades, Ted still has an entire bag full of tokens from his former life as well as over 2,000 prize tickets we have yet to redeem – hey, seven years of practicing has made him a jackpot winner when it comes to skee ball. So we bounded in, ordered a greasy pizza, drank sugary soft drinks, and took our cups full of tokens and went to town on the games! And guess what? It was just as fun as when we were kids.
…gone biking along the Little Miami Scenic Trail. Miles of bike riding along a gorgeous wooded trail is engaging, therapeutic, and a traditional part of a nostalgic summer. It’s exercise, sight-seeing, enjoying the great outdoors, and having fun all at the same time.
…caught a showing of the movie “Up” under the stars. A local church set up a projector screen in park and offered a free showing of this wonderful movie with unlimited popcorn, so we showed up, equipped with blankets and bug spray to enjoy a great night of cinematic excellence under the stars.
…spent a lazy day doing nothing but playing the video game Zelda on the wii and watching episode after episode of “Scrubs.” Actually, this was all Ted, but he totally deserves a day to do this. He’s usually either working at his job or working on freelance work he gets. When he’s not doing that there’s millions of other things that keep him busy, from paying bills to mowing the lawn, so this is the first time in a very, very long time he’s actually had a full day to veg out and do something totally relaxing that he enjoys. Video games and great television sound like a necessity of summer to me!
…played black light, glow-in-the-dark mini golf at Lunar Golf where the theme was, what else? Outer space! Not only did everything glow neon under the lights, but there was also all kinds of neat space and moon black light artwork decorating the walls at every turn, and the course itself had a bunch of cool twists for the balls to navigate like tunnels, bridges, and roller coasters.
So how’s that for summer fun, kids?
P.S. I also think you all should know that yesterday the heat index was 117 in Cincinnati. 117!!! As in, it felt like it was 117 outside. It was only a 92 heat index in San Antonio. THAT is ridiculous! You know something is messed up when it feels 25 degrees hotter in Ohio than Texas. And we exercised outside in that crap. It was miserable. Totally miserable. Ted’s glasses steamed up upon walking out of the grocery store. We had intentions of pulling up to the Drive-In theatre in Amelia for a nighttime showing of Cars 2, but even at night it was just far too steamy to be outside any length of time. But the drive-in is definitely on our list for the summer, just when it’s a tad bit cooler!
