Friday Favorites - Not.

You guys, it's here. 

The post I've been dreading for about 362 days.

The end of summer post*.

I feel ya, Dawson. I feel ya, buddy. 

*I should warn you...proceed at your own risk.
This post ain't pretty.

I know most of you know that because I live in Minnesota, I live for summer.
I know most of you know that because I live in Minnesota, I drink a lot from late November thru April to help me forget that I live in Minnesota.
For those of you who do not know this about me, or if you just need a refresher, read the end-of-summer post from last year right HERE.
I'll go drink a bottle of wine while I wait.


This year my end-of-summer depression is even worse than usual.
Hard to imagine, but it's true.

Remember the cruel trick Mother Nature or God or Willard Scott played on all of us lucky folks in the midwest this spring neverending winter?
No? Here's a few of my pictures to remind you.

Isn't the END OF APRIL beautiful in Minnesota?

THIS lovely mid-April forecast made me want to move to Alaska, WHERE IT WAS WARMER.

Take that, Minnesota weather. 

It seems that after dumping two feet of snow on us in April, the weather gods thought it'd be hilarious  to make spring start in June and then last all the way through summer.  

I'm not kidding, this summer's weather sucked. It was cool, windy, cold, windy, rainy, overcast and when we did have an occasional hot day it was so damn humid my nose hairs sweated. 

And now it's over.

The three months I wait all damn year for; that I suffer through the worst weather known to man to get to, is over, and I feel robbed. 

The fact that the forecast for this last weekend of summer was "Sunny and 82°" and it looks like THIS outside right now isn't helping - 

So as you can imagine (which if you've read this far — or at all this year — won't be a stretch) I'm feeling like a real downer today and not very favoritey...

...which might help explain this week's End of Summer NOT-Favorite's List:

1. NOT swimming in the lake -

If you read most of my posts last summer, you might remember how I love to swim in the lake. Oceans? Oh, Hell no. But give me a fishy and mossy smelling lake with unidentifiable things floating around in it and an occasional weed that tickles your toes and I'm happy as a Kardashian husband in a crack house (too soon?). But this year, SINCE IT WAS LIKE 60° AND WINDY ALL SUMMER, the water never had a chance to warm up, and SINCE IT WAS LIKE 60° AND WINDY ALL SUMMER, if you did happen to brave the water, you'd die of hypothermia when you got out. 

Nah, not really, I'm just a wimp when it comes to freezing cold water. 

I was planning on swimming a lot this weekend to make up for it, but if you refer to the above photo, no way in hell it's happening today. 

2. NOT floating on my raft - 

Despite what it looks like in this photo, I'm not really enjoying myself.

Why, you ask?

Because while it was a lovely 75° day and my alabaster skin (which might be blinding you and for that I apologize) was enjoying a rare taste of Vitamin D, the water was so cold that anytime it washed over my tummy with a passing wave I'd tense up so tight that I'd get Charley Horses in places where you shouldn't get Charley Horses.  

3. NOT taking a midnight swim -

Last year about this time we did something that became one of our family's favorite memories of all time: We went swimming in the dark lake at midnight.

The nervousness and anticipation of "are we really gonna do this?" to the moment we all jumped in the cool (not cold) water to the giddy laughter once we were all in that "we really did it!" to floating on our backs, holding hands and looking up at the eleventy-billion stars to the getting out and running --screaming -- back to the bonfire to warm up...we still talk about it and probably always will. 

And we couldn't wait to do it again this summer.

There are still two nights left, but due to the cold water and the unbelievably low water level which means you don't just feel those weeds tickling your toes but grabbing your legs, I'm highly doubting there'll be a repeat midnight swim. 

Listen, I know these are high class complaints.

I know I'm lucky to have the opportunity to float in icy cold water every weekend and not go swimming at midnight and stare at the gray lake with white-caps from behind my closed sliding glass door all summer. I know. 

Still doesn't mean I can't be pissed at Al Roker.  

But for those of you who want back the Michelle who poops rainbows and sunshine, here ya go. 

Because despite the monumentally craptastic weather we've been punished with for the past eight months, despite being cheated out of the perfect summer weather, there were a whole bunch of moments that were favorites this summer...and that might just make me look like a liar. 

So goodbye baby loons, bike rides, board games and bonfires. 

Goodbye pizza and ice-cream cones every weekend. 

Goodbye late nights watching stupid shows on Netflix and sleeping until we wake up.

Goodbye to the Herons and Osprey and Bald Eagles. 

Goodbye sunset cruises and drinking too much wine.

(Oh, who am I kidding. I'll still drink too much wine.)

Even though I spent far too much time in my sweats and not nearly enough time in my swimsuit this summer, it was summer...and that's 'favorite' enough for me. 

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