I Prefer to Call Them The Periwinkles.

This is my favorite time of the year - Autumn. Yet, it brings a significant case of the blues.

Being less than a month departed from the annual "family" reunion I so cherish, I find myself yearning for my friends and the unique closeness we cultivate over the course of 3, 4, 5 days or so. This year's installment of the reunion brought new friends and new opportunities for awesomeness to come. I also learned how to properly winterize a wood burning sauna, good to know. Good to know.

This past weekend saw my bad self traveling to Duluth to hang out with one of those new friends, meet a host of new and interesting souls, take in some awesome live music, party and lodge in a mansion, and witness my first arrest made to a harmonica accompinament (which was comical, to say the least). I also had my first taste of Northern Waters Smokehaus food - I die. Shared a Cajun Finn and Sitka Sushi sandwich with a friend, both phenomenal. Go to Duluth, eat there, take some home - just beware the touristas who know not the ways of proper road laws.

My little northern excursion filled my post-reunion void, for the time being, but I see myself making many more trips up to the Port City for friends, fun, and some biking. There may even be photos. Maybe.

Well, shit...

Harumph. That's really all there is to say about it all, at this point, anyhoo. I've been busy being broken by 'The Man', being a student, attempting to be a homeowner, and failing miserably at being a social animal - which is directly correlated to being broken by 'The Man' (shakes fist in a general northerly direction).

My biggest goals this season:

• Help my bff Cari birth what I can only hope is not another 10 pounder. Her due date is any minute now (except this weekend - NO babies this weekend!);
• Get through summer classes without going postal;
• Caulk some windows and the bathtub (ummm... let's turn the water heater down from 380 degrees F, shall we?);
• Go somewhere fun for a few days and hang with friends - do not have to be simultaneous;
• Camp. At least once this season for fuck's sake!;
• Rebuild a motorcycle and have some good eats with my friend Tyler. Shooting stuff will likely also be on the agenda for the 2 of us;
• and, not least, and probably most urgent - get over myself.

So. There ya go. My enthralling catalogue of summer to-dos.