The Seeing Sideways Podcast

Summatime! Is it Same As It Used to Be?!

• Boomer • Season 3 • Episode 7

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0:00 | 55:21

It is SUMMER! And the living is...easy? Is it though? What does summer mean for us working adults who no longer have the luxury of laying around for 3 whole months of doing whatever we want. Because we have...responsibilities and shit now. But can summer still hold value even as grumpy adults? Come join us and lkets discuss!

SPEAKER_04

Hello, everybody. Welcome back to the Sideways Podcast. We are the podcast that shares tools, resources, and relatable stories to help you navigate this maze or mess we call life. My name is Kyle. I'm here with my co-host Jessica.

SPEAKER_00

Hello.

SPEAKER_04

And returning, returning champ guest Trent. What's going on, Trent?

SPEAKER_03

Now much. How are we doing today, folks?

SPEAKER_04

Good man, good man. It's always good to hear your voice, especially your voice, Trent. It's always like soothing and relaxing, and reminds me that you know I have no troubles. Everything in life is good. So thank you for having that voice.

SPEAKER_03

You're welcome, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

You're welcome. Uh but yeah, no, uh how you doing, Jess? How's how's life treating you?

SPEAKER_00

Life's busy, it is just busy. Lots lots going on in the background. A lot going on in the background.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. Yeah. Well, hopefully we can um maybe share a little bit of it uh on today's episode because this is kind of like dovetailing in a sense from what we've talked about the last few um where we've kind of been diving into nostalgia a bit and looking back back the way things used to be, I think when we were younger. And um as of the as of the recording of this podcast, we're recording this in July. Uh, we are we are in the heat of summer. And I don't know, I've been thinking, yeah, literally, uh, it's been a hot one this year, too. My god, like have you guys been getting to heat waves?

SPEAKER_00

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Absolutely ridiculous. What the hell? Yeah, it's been um I don't know, man. If you need further proof that global warming is a thing, I don't know, you know, I'll to tell you, like, we'll we're all we're all knee deep in this shit. But I've been reflecting a lot lately, and uh also as of the recording of this podcast, I am on the cuspa 40. Well, I still have a few months, I got like five months left. But you know, I've been thinking about summertime, right? And how summer has changed. And I was thinking to myself the other day, I'm like, man, summer just ain't the same, you know, as uh as it was when we were younger. But I wanted to kind of get your guys' thoughts on the notion of summer, what summer used to mean to you as a kid and what it means to you now. Because as I said, you know, I said that to myself, summer ain't the same. But then I'm like, well, is summer necessarily bad, worse, or different? You know, it just it maybe just means something different when you're older, you know, you don't get the three months off from school and all that stuff. But um, but I was thinking to myself, like, as an adult, as a working adult, um am I enjoying summer? Uh am I enjoying the benefits of what summer is and what it's supposed to kind of represent. You know how like spring is sort of like the the uh the the the the blossoming and coming out of you know the the the dark cold winter, you know, the hibernation period. Yeah, the hibernation period, exactly. And those a lot of people who love the winter, so you know I'm not shitting on the winter or anything, but by its very nature, winter is cold, you know, literally and maybe metaphorically too. And then the springtime comes out, and it feels like people are kind of metaphorically coming out of their shells in the winter in the warmer weather. Um, now granted, of course, we're talking about like I'm from New Jersey, Jess you're from Missouri, and Trent, you're from where again.

SPEAKER_03

I'm originally I'm originally from Iowa.

SPEAKER_04

That's right, yes. So I think we all know what winters feel like. Um, we have listeners in California, they're like, Well, we got you we got one weather all around, year round, bro. We don't know what you're talking about. But um, but those of us who go through seasons, um it's interesting, and uh summertime I think is supposed to be the I don't know, it's it's fun, right? Summertime is supposed to be fun, it's hot, beach, uh parties, uh uh backyard parties, barbecues, uh 4th of July, right? You know, like it's uh yeah, man. The family reunions, get together with your friends, vacations, you know. Yeah, um it's the time I think when people are supposed to relax. That's what I feel summer is supposed to symbolize. Maybe you guys have different meanings of or what summer is, but I want to open the floor and just I want to start with you as to what does summer mean to you? Um and how did has summer changed from your youth to now? What's your perspective on it?

SPEAKER_00

Um summer is well for me, I'm a I'm a June baby, so summer is always like my time of the year. It's my season. That's right. I I prefer warm weather and a water sign. So I prefer like time at the lake and by water, sunshine. Um connection. Like I do more in the wintertime. People are like, oh, come over, we're having a get together at so-and-so's house. And I'm like, But now it's like, oh hey, you gonna come over to my house? Like I'm having a pool party, or we're sitting by the bonfire, or yeah, here, I'm here for it. Um, but when I was when I was young, before I had adult responsibilities and a job and all of that, you know, summer was uh we went on camping trips, true tramp camping trips, not clamping, which is uh the only thing I do these days. We used to pitch a tent and you know, the whole nine yards. Um now it's like we have a cabin or a space to stay that has central air and yeah. Um but I would spend time in the summertime. I would go to like one of my aunties' house and I'd stay there for a weekend, or I'd stay there for a week, and then my cousins would come and they would stay at my house. Um and we had like a little pool in our backyard, and everybody, you know, the neighborhood kids would come over and swim. So we were just always like outside riding our bikes. Go into different people's houses, like, you know, back in back in the eighties when I was a kid, the eighties and nineties. You know, I just randomly show up at one of at one of my neighbors' house and be hanging out and they'd be like, Oh, we're going to the movies tonight. Go ask your mom for some money. And you know, do you want to go? Let's go to the movies. Or, you know, we just I just did a lot of different things. I was always on the move. Um and now I mean I'm I have it to work, so nothing really changes for me um in the summertime, other than I have more children at home to disrupt my workday because I work from home. So it's a little bit it's just more stressful now because I have more needy people in my space in the summertime. I did this year take the whole week of my birthday because my birthday is is at the end of June. My mom's birthday is a couple of days later, and then it's the fourth of July. We now always have a family reunion to go to for the fourth of July, so I just took the whole week off. Um and I did get a little bit spoiled. I didn't get anything done productive. But um, I celebrated my birthday. I went to the lake. Um one of my friends had a little like pool party taco party for me for my birthday at her house. Um I had a cookout for my mom's birthday slash the day prior to the fourth, and then our usual fourth of July celebration and uh a cookout and family reunion. Um so it was a busy week, but it was great. And this was this year, this year on the fourth was the first year that my house didn't become the spot where everybody hung out. Um all the kids had other things to do. And so my husband and I just sat out on the front porch and like watched people light off fireworks without having to like mind children and make sure they didn't, I don't know, blow their hand off or something like that. So it was nice.

SPEAKER_04

I love that. That was a nice trip down memory lane. That's awesome. And uh and I wanna and I want to I want to get your thoughts on summer as it is now. But first, Trent, I I want to if you could share your uh or reminisce, if you will, um what summer meant to you in your youth and how or how you remember it.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, it was great. Um let's see. We we talk about that nostalgia part of it. Uh I had great summers as a kid. I loved them. I look forward to them. Um, I wasn't the best school kid, let's put it that way. So summers to me were just the absolute freedom. Um, you know, let's see now. I grew up basically I spent summers in the 70s and 80s, so um, you know, we didn't have what we have these days in regards to all that structure, it seems like during the summer, of course, as an adult. But the uh because you know, well, now summers are just like, well, that's a season. But when I was when I was a kid, you know, we we you know, you you would you could leave the house um and in the morning and basically just be back by the time the streetlights were you know on, and then that was okay as far as you know, and so you know, there's a lot of a lot of times where you were just kind of bored just looking for something to do. So, you know, there was a saying that you know, idle time is the devil's workshop. So, you know, as as a kid, we you know, I we I got to go to like summer camps, we got uh we were in like you know, a lot of like a lot of sports when I was a kid growing up, baseball, that was always fun. And uh spent a lot of time, you know, running around, drinking out of garden hoses, all that fun stuff. But uh it was just uh you know, we didn't we didn't have as many scheduled activities, in my opinion. I mean I've I have two boys that are in their 20s now that they seem like they had a lot we had they had a lot more structure going on, but maybe it was because my for me, my perception was a little bit different as a as a father versus uh you know being a kid and not worrying about the logistics involved with making that happen. So uh, you know, so it's like but we did a lot of you know, it was just wonderful. I mean, I spent summers uh on on water, and I love being on water. Um, my grandparents had a cabin up in uh northern Wisconsin, so we spent a lot of my time in the summer up there, usually at least a month, if not more. Um yeah, you know, got to do a lot of fun stuff. So it was a lot of it's just you know, it was just absolute joy. Summer's my favorite season, if you will. I always tell people I'm solar powered, so you know, the midday if the sun's up longer, I'm I have more energy. But when when the season like summer, or the you know, they have like that winter thing where they call it the seasonal depression disorder. I wouldn't say I have that, but man, do I have to take a lot of uh like I I hear that you know like taking a lot of vitamins is good for that, you know, to bite that off and stuff. So vitamin D, I believe. So I'm like, I guess I'll take that, and then and then here you go. That's a peek into what what outfit summers are for me as far as uh compared to the winters, but um, yeah, no. The uh now today, if you want to if you want me to build a bit a little bit about that, is you know, it's you know, we're you know, you're adults, so you know you're in the workforce. So it's really not you don't have that freedom or the lack of structure.

SPEAKER_04

Um you ain't kidding. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

So it's like, yeah, she can take vacation, but you know, it seems like how can I put it? If you want to take a vacation and you have these responsibilities for your job, then you have to do a whole bunch of work up front to be able to feel good about taking that time off. And then when you get back, you realize that you're gonna have a whole bunch of work uh when you get back, arguably. So um it's you know, it's a little bit less relaxing when you're trying to go on vacation, but uh at least leading up to it when you get back. So it's like, oh, you know, so um, you know, what I do for the most part in my it is how to how I can still enjoy summers, but not nearly with with with all those kinds, you know, with being a responsible adult going and making sure you're you know fulfilling those work obligations. But uh, you know, I just I kind of make like mini summers, you know, like things where I'm gonna be totally unstructured, you know, but I actually plan to be unstructured and like today. I'm going to do, you know, something that you know. I I think I shared it with Jessica, uh, but the uh I I have what I also officially refer to as my 1984 weekends during the summer usually, where I absolutely unplug everything, you know, like my phone's not on me, and I you know, I basically just do you know the stupid things that I would do in 1984, obviously nothing too illegal or anything like that, but you know, I'm like I'm gonna go I'm gonna go ride a bike, I'm gonna go fishing, you know, I'm gonna go for a hike, you know, that kind of stuff. But I'm not gonna I'm not gonna do anything that involves, if you will, that digital kind of stuff. It's like I'm just gonna be 100% analog today.

SPEAKER_04

So yeah, you disconnect. You disconnect, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

It's just I'm like, all right, we're gonna go do that, and then that helps me out if at least as far as enjoying summers go. Um, but man, it it I would give anything to go back to those summers, but you know, that's a that's a pipe here. It's called retirement at this point.

SPEAKER_04

For sure. It's wild that like you you you you reflect uh right and how we got three more or less three months off to ourselves, you know, and um when school ended in June or whatever, we had three months to ourselves, and I remember those three months, they lasted, you know, they they lasted forever. Yeah, I could actually believe it or not, remember some summers where don't get me wrong, I'm I always love summer, but I remember some summers where I was almost almost looking forward to going back to school because it kind of meant seeing my friends again, you know, and I was ready to see them. I it's weird, like I for me, like I summer vacations have always been uh relaxing, uh family vacations, um, going to the beach with my family, um watching a lot of summer uh summer programming. Uh and yeah, a lot of uh definitely a lot more family time. And I think ironically, I saw my friends more during the school year than I did during the summer, funny enough. And so I, as a summer started to wane, semi-look forward to coming back to school. Of course, I had that part of me that was just like, oh god, school, like I don't want to do it. And then they would always air that commercial in August. It's the most wonderful time, you know, that staples commercial? You guys know what I'm talking about, right? Yeah, it's the most wonderful time. Whenever they would show that commercial, I'd be like, Oh god, summer summer's over already? What the hell? You know, and um, and even now, like uh, do you guys have Costco's where you are? Uh uh the store.

SPEAKER_02

I do, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, Jesse, you have Costco?

SPEAKER_00

Um, about an hour away from me is a Costco. I can tell you honestly, I've never been to a Costco. Dance Club, yes, Costco, no.

SPEAKER_04

Oh dear god, we need to do a podcast episode about that.

SPEAKER_03

All right, put that entry on your bucket list.

SPEAKER_00

My my sister wants to take me to Trader Joe's because I've never been there either. There's one about an hour away.

SPEAKER_04

Okay. I think you might we're putting it, we're putting it on the books. We are gonna do a Costco Trader Joe's episode where it's just me and Trent roasting you for an hour about how you've never been to these things.

SPEAKER_00

Can we do a challenge where I like have a precursor and a little warning, and I can like make it a point to go to those places so I can give you my feedback and opinion about what?

SPEAKER_04

No, this is not a democracy. So um fine. Yeah, up for the I'm good about philosophy.

SPEAKER_00

I can I can imagine it.

SPEAKER_04

Yes, imagine what it's like. But the the reason why I even brought that up is because at the Costco's that I have, um, they put up uh Halloween decorations really early. And so I if they're not up already, um usually in late summer, mid-late summer, they put up like the all the Halloween uh stuff and and yeah, decorations that people put on their lawns and stuff like that. So whenever I see those, I'm like, oh my god, like Halloween shit is out already, and we're freaking still in July, still, man. Like it, you know, it's like you're jumping the gun and it's like, let's ride this out, you know, and um it's crazy. And even now, like again, uh as of the recording of this podcast, it is July 21st. And there's a part of my mind that's already jumped to the future. It's like, shit, we're almost in August. And it feels like it was just yesterday, where it was June, what is the official day of summer? June 20 something, right?

SPEAKER_00

Something or other first, 22nd, one of the biggest.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, the official day, but I don't know. For me, as a okay, so as a kid, June, uh June. As a kid, summer started in June, right? When school went out, but I feel like as an adult, summer actually starts in May. I feel like once May hits, summer starts. How do you guys feel? Like, is that like what does summer start for you guys?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. For me, it's usually Memorial Day weekend and then it goes to Labor Day weekend. I know that's kind of like you know, that that for me, I'm always like, okay, then you know, that to me that always kind of lines up with a lot of how you know what happens, school usually goes back around that time at the end of like you know, around Labor Day. And most kids are either graduating or getting out of school around then, and that's how I got. I mean, I was always out of school right after Labor Day weekend. So right.

SPEAKER_04

That's fair. I think that's a good time frame. Um, yeah, that's a solid, yeah, because that's the end of uh that's the end of August. Although, you know, I feel like I feel like September might as well be part of the summer because I feel like September is usually as warm weather-wise as it is in you know most of the summer. We really don't start to shift, I feel weather-wise until October or around the Halloween type.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, around Halloween time.

SPEAKER_04

Exactly. Around Halloween time, we restart we start sensing that shift. It gets really cooler, it gets a lot cooler. We start breaking out the jackets and the sweaters and stuff like that. But like you what was that, Trent?

SPEAKER_03

Oh, I said exactly, yeah. I'm agreeing with it. Yeah, you I'm like, yeah, I break out the jackets, that's how I always know. I'm like, oh, I'm gonna have to put a jacket like this. Yeah, it must be fall.

SPEAKER_04

So I feel like I can't I can't remember again, global warming people, but I can't remember if September was always as warm as it is these days. But September really is. I I see September as kind of like this nice little bonus month of summer. And and again, to a degree October as well, but definitely September is like this bonus month where okay, it's over, but it's still warm all month. You could still go to the beach, you could still do all the summery things you want to do. But obviously, September is that I guess kind of universal summer months wiener month.

SPEAKER_03

Is that no? I said that I said it's a tweener month, right? It's like it is, yeah, it's kind of like I agree with you. It's like, well, yeah, but when we get towards that end of September, it's like, okay, yeah, it's starting to really feel like falling out.

SPEAKER_00

Well, I mean if you think about it though, like speaking of like the stores and like how they um control some of this, is that what I have found, like August is one of the hottest months of the year, at least where I'm at in Missouri. Okay.

SPEAKER_04

Same here, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

But if I if I haven't went swimming and I need a swimsuit in August, we're all sold out of the UK, you have to order it online because all they have left in the store is like the bits and pieces that are on clearance, and they're usually all too small for me. So I'm like, yeah, well, that doesn't work, you know. But it's like it's a hundred degrees outside, and you're selling me jackets and backpacks, and all I want to do is go to the beach. Can I get a beach umbrella like the umbrellas that you can like put in the ground at the beach or something like that? No, those are out of season. How the fuck are they out of season? It is a hundred degrees outside. I don't understand. But it's the way that the um like shopping and the way that they have things set up is that well, we already want people buying.

SPEAKER_03

for this because you know and it's just it's insane to me that I'm like you guys are off tune all the time and maybe a lot of people are more like um proactive and prepared than I am but I'm not buying a jacket until it's pulling off and I need a jacket do you know what I mean absolutely but if it's a hundred degrees outside and I want a swimsuit I feel like I should be able to go to the store and buy a swimsuit yeah but but but you gotta but now you gotta buy a swimsuit in freaking February right yes literally oh my gosh it doesn't make it make sense people make it make sense what is going on I mean like it's so it's so wild but like do you guys feel that um how should I say this because we are adults now in in the workforce and we only get a certain amount of time off per year and I assume most of us use some of that paid time off uh during the summertime to go away do we value the summer more now than we did as a kid um do we place more stock in it I mean what do you guys think uh okay well the I would say I I definitely anticipated and enjoyed my summers when I was younger more than I do now you know sure um I mean I I absolutely value the summer for sure um but yeah I don't uh if I had to if I had you know I don't know the the whole idea of uh if I had to choose I would I would definitely say that I would prefer my childhood summers I think I do yeah so the uh you know it's I'd love to take time off from work too but there's I don't know there's it seems like even when you have time off there's always something else that needs to get done too. So it's like all right.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah well and I will say like first like this like the last couple of summers this year and last year in the summertime I have my daughter who's about to be 16 um and she has a cousin who she grew she's like one of my kids. Like she grew up she went on vacations with us she went to World with us like uh her mom and I are like really like best friends. She's one of my two best friends. And so she was always like with us. And so now she but now she's 20. And so my 16 year old has spent a large majority of her summer at my niece's house. Like she came home today and I'm like oh my gosh stranger danger what are you doing in my house and she just laughed and my mom who lives in the home with us she's like constantly on me like when she coming home like she's always gone this and that and I'm like good for her it's summertime she's out enjoying herself. I trust my niece like she's I trust my daughter like as much as you can trust any young adult or teenager you know um she's in a safe space they're doing like fun stuff they have like Jenga night um cards against humanity night outdoor watching movies on the projector nights like they just do fun stuff together and because I work and everything's so serious and you know all the time and I just don't have the ability to provide that I love that she is enjoying it like that and I'm not trying to kill her vibe by like making her be at home watching me be stressed out while I'm trying to work and not enjoying my summer for well.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. But do you think just that um let's say we had the kind of careers that allowed us more freedom and mobility where we could take let's say like a month off like a whole month off or maybe even more um where you can get more free time accustom uh I'm sorry more free time akin to what we had when we were kids. Do you think that that would help you to get back to what you had as a kid or or I guess that I don't want to say get back to because life's not about going back to things right it's about moving forward in new ways. But but do you think you would uh enjoy summer on a whole new level um had you had more free time or had a career that allowed you more free time to do so.

SPEAKER_00

Well I will tell you what's kind of handicapped us because we had a long stretch where my uncle has a place at the lake and we have a boat um and a golf cart. And so we would go like at uh probably tw like every other week down to the lake, go out boating, skiing, tubing, driving the golf cart um and just having a good time making we did all kinds of crazy stuff and had a good time. The kids had a good time the adults had a good time like and it was kind of like when we were when I was a kid. But then I had my car accident and then the boat broke down and then my uncle tore down his place and is like building a new place. And so when I when I say I took time off the first part of my vacation I was down there helping him because he had it like framed out but he's like building the inside himself. And so I went down there and was helping him like install like the shower and put up walls and I dug a hole with a bunch of rocks and which I don't recommend.

SPEAKER_04

Don't worry I don't plan on it.

SPEAKER_00

I almost passed out a few times I was sweating like a dog it was like it was horrible. But anyway um being down there I was like oh my gosh I like the last couple of years we haven't been able to do that. But when we did that I enjoyed summer just as much as the kids enjoyed summer. We're just in this like transition phase of like getting back to that. Yeah okay I would go down to the lake at like 6 30 seven o'clock in the morning on the golf cart by myself with my journal and then I'd like go and get into the back of the boat. I have pictures I could like post for everybody where I would just be like sitting with like you know the the um famous feet pics like here I am here's my foot here's the water nobody wants to see my feet but whatever or here's my journal and I would go down everybody else would see still be asleep back at the cabin and I would go out and I would hear the birds chirping and I would see like you know the fish jumping in the water and all of that stuff while I'm just like relaxing in this like state of zen and it's my happy place.

SPEAKER_03

It really is I love summer yeah that's and it's funny that you talk about that because that's like what I call my like the the the little summers like you just kind of described kind of what my morning routine is I've well since the journaling usually it's just it's coffee and you know reading the news but I sit outside and I have and I'm I'm on the water at my house and I was gonna say you're in your backyard though I'm jealous yeah so it's like it's kind of like the same thing you just described I'm like yeah that's my morning routine during the summer because I have the luxury and to be able to sit outside and enjoy it and listen to just everything you just kind of described with stands the the foot picks. Okay I'm not doing those but no one wants to see my feet either but but uh but it's the same thing it's you know there's that zen to it and there's that appreciation you know kind of living in that moment and that's you know that's kind of where I capture summers you know in in these moments that I'm like okay I gotta get to work and then I go do the work and then when I'm done like right for example while we're doing this I'm sitting exactly where I'm where I sit in the morning talking to you guys looking out you know just enjoying it. So it's like I'm enjoying the sunset and in the summer right now while we're talking about it. So that's that's how I'm enjoying my summers these days.

SPEAKER_04

Meanwhile I'm looking out my window at the parking lot from the bar that's across the alley from me you guys think so slightly pivoting um because I I've thought about this a lot as well as I get older you know start thinking about where I want to be long term um you know and I'm sure Jess you've heard me how many times look Jess how many times have I told you I'm I'm getting out of here I'm moving to France right uh you have you have for several years yes yes yes exactly like I'm I'm pretty sure that's the first thing I said when I met you hi hi just gum cow I'm moving to France um but just let just let you know exactly just let you know where I've come from right right off the bat. No um but I think about that think about you know migrating shifting locations permanently and I think there's a big temptation for people like us who do go through the seasons to feel like man as soon as the opportunity affords it I would love to go somewhere that's warm all the time where it could be summer all the time or feel like spring all the time or just be you know just have this Zen like weather all the time but is it is that ideal though like if we actually did that and it was warm all year round do you think you would actually enjoy it or would you okay just like no hesitation like I want that um I and I said I was I was I already said I was solar powered so I guess yeah that sounds great. Hey fair no fair enough this is this is what I want to know because it's easier to shovel sunshine that's uh I can't argue with that I cannot argue with that but I thought about that because I had a I actually have a a a cousin who a long time ago he moved to uh California um from Jersey and and he loved it and I remember but I remember talking to him one day and I asked him because I was thinking about maybe even possibly moving out there so I was kind of doing a little recon and asking him so what's life like in LA and do you recommend it? How how is it over do you like it? And he was like I do like it a lot Kyle but he said to be honest though I kind of miss seasons.

SPEAKER_03

I kind of miss that he missed um the shifting season seasonal pattern and my sister did that same thing she lived in Texas oh yeah so she she was stationed at uh in in Texas in the army whatever base that is don't get me lying to you but oh is it Colleen Trey I'm talking to you you would know before oh yeah I know no no I would I really don't know yeah well so when you once you said army base I was I was checked out you tuned out okay my bad you didn't say you didn't you didn't say marine base so I'm like okay whatever but she's a January baby um and so she like yearn she yearns for that like the four seasons and I like you are crazy so and she's been back here for quite some time and anytime she complains about this the cold or the snow I'm like uh girl you had it good you lived in Texas she'd be like eh I went for a season I need one season and it's so spitefully and water I know she loves me I promise I love her too I'm sure but she misses the seasons yeah yeah she missed the seasons now she got back to the seasons and she's like it's cold she had a car where her uh heat quit working the defrost didn't worked on her windows oh man so I was like hey you know if you still lived in Texas it wouldn't be a problem right I lived in Hawaii for five years uh and I'm a January baby as well just forstand um and I didn't remember you asked earlier where I'm from I was from Iowa and the winters there are bitter but uh it's funny because I would I I'd always think I was in the Marine Corps and I would take I would take leave if you will vacation in January uh to go and spend 30 days in Iowa with my well I have a twin brother so we would we you know we celebrate our birthdays together so um and everyone I ran into there'd be like you know when I would get in Iowa they're like you know obviously I'm you know short hair military thing everyone can tell that but so they're like oh where are you stationed and I'm like in a while they're like what are you doing here why are you why are you even here right now do you realize it's envelope I'm like yeah it's great I love it but uh but living in it I I I that's where I developed the saying in uh uh or when I would tell people about winter I'm like winter's fun to visit it's not fun to live in yeah I like that I like that expression yeah yeah I would like it's fun but but if you have but if you have an option to get out of it you can leave when you're done with it you know that kind of option so I'm like yeah I'm yeah I hate it I'm I up until just a couple years ago I used to be a snowbird and got the God help me if if I was that guy I would I would uh I'm in my home in Michigan but then in the in the winters I would go back I would go down to Arizona uh for the winters so yeah like so winter forget it I hate it so summer's the mala so so you never let so just so Trent you so you just to be clear so you so even as a kid you never had any appreciation for winter uh I had more appreciation for it yeah true story yeah I mean I had I had more appreciation because I was living in it you know didn't really have a choice but you know it's it's uh you know I mean yeah I mean Jesus snowball fights all that fun stuff that's great I mean that's I hate the snow I'm not sledding I'm not going out in the snowman or no we're the we're uh I'm the guy rubbing freaking uh wax paper on the bottom of my sled so it'll go faster down the hill I'm like let's go once my ears get cold I'm a whole different human being and it's not in a good way yeah me too my whole body hurts I'm angry I know I know we're talking about summer but yeah the antithesis of that like yeah I'm all about can we make summer year round it doesn't have to be a hundred and ten just to be clear 8590 is good for me yeah me too yeah I am the same I'm in the same boat man because like going back to the way like this summer in particular we briefly touched upon that it's like it has been hot hot uh for the majority of the summer as a matter of fact I feel like we skipped spring altogether I feel like once May hit or April hit it just got we we we we went right out of the snowy winter and right into the the the beach weather which sounds great but there was no gradual um ease into it you know is that over here in Missouri just FYI so you did ease into it you is that what you're saying yeah like that was a like a weird easement into it but the whole month of June until I was on vacation literally until I was on vacation there was like a few like 90 degrees days but it was pretty much like between 70 85 it rained like nonstop for the month of June and then I was on vacation and remember how I said I went to my grand uncle's cabin to help work literally left my house drove two and a half hours it was 75 degrees I get there and God turned the thermostat up to hell I'm outside working digging a hole and the sun's beaming on me because that was the side of the house that is set on and it was like 97 degrees and I was like four hours ago it was 75.

SPEAKER_00

Why do you hate me God? What did I do? It was like but the whole month of June until that last week it rained and was it was pretty mild and I didn't put up my pool. We had a little pool that we put up in the summer and this summer I was like I'm not putting it up it's not going up all and all it did was all it did in June was rain and I was like see this is why I didn't put my pull up and then literally the last like I don't know four days of June and the whole rest of July it's been on hell yeah I my happy place is like you said Jess is between I would say I would say between 80 to 90 is my real happy place.

SPEAKER_04

Maybe even 75 too I I I love a good 75 degree day where it's sunny and a little a little breezy and um just perfect not too hot. When it gets too hot it becomes oppressive you know and then when it's hot it's like you can't you can't do anything about it. You know you can only shed so many layers of clothing right before it's uh you know illegal yes before well said you know before you shed that on the essay list. Right yeah man boy that took a turn yeah but it's like the thing you could say about the wintertime is when it gets cold you bundle up at least right you bundle up turn the heat on and you know if you're fortunate to have a heater but yeah during the summer when it gets when it's when it's a heat wave we've had a few days this summer where it's been so hot where I'm like I'm not going outside and you and the little weather app is and the little weather app is saying don't go outside you're gonna die like the weather app will literally say you're you're gonna die I'm kidding. But like it will it will say don't uh we caution you not to go outside it's it's unsafe the heat is unsafe you know it becomes actual hazard to people probably more for elderly people right heat strokes or asthmatic people like myself and stuff like I had to go out and cut grass and that heat like that my mom who's 70 I was out there I came inside sweating like just dripping sweat everywhere had to take a breath whatever and then I go back outside and my mom is out there bless her heart pushing the mower I'm like what are you doing woman it's a hundred degrees outside and you're 70 and she was like well you're asthmatic I'm just trying to help I'm like well what good does it do if both of us die out here in this heat just trying to cut the grass we're just trying to cut the grass yeah yeah man no it's um I like I like a balance you know um I went to uh I went to Spain in May this year um and man was that perfect weather it was it was like a perfect I was saying we had we were we were averaging high 70s low 80s on average and it was just perfect and the thing about Spain and a lot of um western Europe also is that their summers uh their summer days feel long the sun doesn't go down till between nine and nine thirty over there um some day some days the sun is just beginning to set at 930 so you feel like you have long days and here I would say the sun goes down at around 830 during the summertime then during the peak of the summertime um is that how it is for you guys in your respective nope nope oh do tell it's eight o'clock here right now and the sun is still very much shining excuse him okay it all depends on where you're at in relation to your time zone okay so like I'm I'm in the east I'm in I'm in the eastern time zone but I'm like less than a hundred miles away from where that is drawn so you might as well just say I'm on central time so like at the peak of summer here it gets dark the sun goes down around nine like you just described around nine thirty sometimes even late as late as 10 o'clock and it does in on the in the peak of summer like it it doesn't get dark till like 10 10 30 here it's kind of cool.

SPEAKER_03

So it it are you serious 10 10 30 yeah all right mine's not that light mine's like 9 30 10 ish well the sun sets about 9 30 or so but when I say you get you know roughly right now it's like right now I probably got about let's see yeah I think I got about another hour of sunlight still here oh damn so oh damn maybe okay well my stand corrected I'll let you know I'll let you know if it gets dark while I'm sitting here yeah it's all it's all relative to where you're located on the golden glow but for read if it if it ends at 8 30 then that's just that that's where you're at you know so I feel yeah I I would guess that if you looked at where Spain was at in relation to the the time zone I bet you they're closer to that western side of the time zone. Yeah absolutely but but but regardless though I agree with you when you say that because I've been to Spain and I can honestly test to the fact that these days were I I went around the same time you just mentioned a couple years ago but and it was the same same same takeaway just to where Spain Others. I was like, man, right? This is amazing. These days last forever here.

SPEAKER_00

Forever. Yeah. Oh my god. Just to be clear, my last light today is at 9 18 central time.

SPEAKER_04

Wow.

SPEAKER_00

Sunset's at 8 42.

SPEAKER_04

Man, that's not bad. That's not bad. Because yeah, like I said, over where I am, it's like right now it is 8 52. Um, it's dark. Like there's like a little bit of blue in the sky. Like it's not the sky's not like pitch black yet. So yeah, it's so it's it's got that dim blue hue to it, you know, when the sun is down, but it it's the sky's not black yet. But the last bit of sunlight, I think we get the last inch of sunlight, I think it's no later than 8 30 where I am in the heat of in the in the in the height of summer. So um, which you know, listen, take what you can get, right? Better than 8 30. I was literally about to say that, Jess. I'll take that.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, but it's better than the seven hours of the summer for thirty that we get in November, December, January, February.

SPEAKER_02

I feel like I can't believe it's dark already.

SPEAKER_00

You get off work and you're like, bedtime. Like, yeah, yeah, I just got off work. Oh, I know, there's still a few. I don't know, but I feel like it's bedtime, it's dark. It's it's what well, what else is there to do but sleep?

SPEAKER_04

What else is there to do but sleep?

SPEAKER_00

It's only 5 15. And your point is what?

SPEAKER_01

Hibernation.

SPEAKER_00

But right now, if I like it it's almost eight o'clock, and like I said, there's there's I can I'm looking out my window and I see the sun reflecting off the vehicles parked outside in the parking lot across from me. When I decide I want to like just get off work and go to bed in the summertime, I have to go down to my family room that's like a seat at basement with one teeny tiny window. And then I can pretend like it's you know pitch black and time for bed, but like if I'm just laying in my bedroom, it's still lit up, and I'm like, no, I have I can go out here and I can do this and I can do that.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, right, exactly.

SPEAKER_00

I can do stuff right now.

SPEAKER_03

I'm way more productive.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, me too.

SPEAKER_04

Oh man.

SPEAKER_03

What can I eat and then go to sleep?

SPEAKER_02

Right.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's uh I remember those like those days uh where I was working in the office full time, and I tell you those those fall days of walking out at and you know, I'd walk out at five, six o'clock and the sun was out, the sun was down and it's the sky's pitch black and you're going home. It just I don't know, it just does something to you mentally, you know. I agree. And it's like when work is done and the sky is black and you you you just feel like the day is done. And having that extra those extra hours of sunlight, it just makes you feel like the days are longer and you have more time to do things. And I don't know, it's it's I guess it's all it's all mental, it's all relative, it's all perspective, I guess. But um I definitely would love to be in a place. Um sounds like I could move to where you guys are, because you guys have much longer summers than I do. So or or summer days, I should say. But yeah, man, I I but you know, just to round out everything, I actually do feel like I've grown a new newer appreciation for summer. I definitely loved it as a kid. But yeah, I think being in the workforce and I treasure it more. I try to take advantage of it more. Now there's only so much I can do because I have to work, you know, we all have to work, and so no matter what, um, I'm gonna be spending most of my summer days looking at a computer while you know the sun's out and wishing that I could be at a pool or something, you know. And uh but when I do take off, when I do go to the beach, right, when I do do things on the summer weekends when I do have time, I enjoy it and I savor it. And I feel like I savor just a bit more than when I was a kid, and I had those three whole months of just doing God knows what. And um yeah, you know, like I think I do have a newfound appreciation for what summer is, and I look forward to it more each year. Um, I think I I for me personally, I think I look forward to it more now than when I did as a kid. And again, I for me, summer starts in May and more or less ends at the end of September. So, although I have to admit, and I think I've said this before on this podcast, even though I'm a 39-year-old man, when September rolls around, I just still get these PTSD shakes of of just like this feeling of like school is coming, even though I haven't been in school in 20 plus years, you know. But I just I don't know, September had just become like the symbol of okay, the fun's over, back to work, you know, even though I've taken it like I've been working all along.

SPEAKER_00

I I can tell you why for the three of us that's the case.

SPEAKER_03

It's Game of Thrones winner is coming.

SPEAKER_00

It's now it's a deadline on September 15th.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, the extension season.

SPEAKER_04

Oh god, yeah. Uh no, you're right, you're right, Jess. You're you're you're you're absolutely right. I think no, but you know what? I'm glad you brought that up because ironically enough, I think our careers um have kind of in a weird way coincided with school the way the school structure in a way. Because like look at like like um like Jess said, September happen comes and we deal with uh tax extensions and whatnot, and then we do that for the we deal with that for a couple of months, and then um we get the holidays, but then when the holidays end, we have January, and January it's beginning of tax season. So from January to April, middle end of April, we're knee deep into tax shit, and that happens to coincide with the beginning of spring or kind of the cusp of summer, uh, you know, and so we are like tax season is essentially our school year, basically, right? It's like it's like our semester, right? Like our birthday 100. I agree with I agree with that, like our semesters, right? You know, and then um, and then we kind of get quote unquote time off after that. We get to rest, even though we're technically working, we get to breathe a little bit, and you know, the the the the load lightens a bit. So you're right, Jess. It it does kind of yeah, you're right. I think mentally it's kept that kind of school mentality going in a way, funny enough.

SPEAKER_00

I agree a hundred percent.

SPEAKER_03

I didn't even think about it until just this zero minutes ago, and I'm like, yep, that makes perfect sense to me.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, it's true, man.

SPEAKER_03

You know, I've never connected those dots, but holy smokes, man. I've just had it, I've just experienced a shift in my paradigm.

SPEAKER_04

Every accountant on planet earth is like, God, is it April yet? Is it spring yet? Right.

SPEAKER_00

It's like is it over yet?

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, right. Is this is this cold, dark game of thrones-esque winter over? Like, I can't take it anymore. These these white walkers are killing me, man. Um but uh yeah, man, but but this was um this was a fun discussion. I just want to take a kind of like a little introspective deep dive into the summertime. We try on this podcast, we try to like when when the seasons come, I try to like reflect on what the seasons mean to us, and uh and I like to keep doing that as time evolves because it may change also. And um I appreciate you guys sharing with me what seasons what summertime uh means to you. Um and it sounds like we all have a fond nostalgic attachment to it and an appreciation for it. And you know, here's to the day when maybe we can have three months off again, you know, and and maybe I'm built in that as we speak. Yeah, right on, man. Right on, right on, right on.

SPEAKER_03

Won't be doing the stupid stuff I did back then, but yeah, but we'll enjoy it nonetheless.

SPEAKER_00

Exactly.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, we should get like a uh I was thinking maybe we should have gotten like a uh a teacher to come on here. Like I would like to hear a teacher's perspective, you know, because they do technically get three months off. Although I imagine most teachers get side jobs during the summertime, right? To supplement their income.

SPEAKER_03

Even I wouldn't know for a fact, but uh yeah, even more of a compelling reason it'd be interesting to hear that.

SPEAKER_04

Right, yeah. I would love to hear a teacher's perspective on that. Yeah, how they look forward, do they look forward to summer, you know? Um it's it's noted, maybe maybe, maybe notes for next uh for next summer's for next summer's episode. But anyway, uh Jess Trent, thank you for this discussion. This was fun, man. And um, listeners, I hope you guys enjoyed taking this uh little trip down memory lane with us as we reminisce on summer. And uh please leave a comment. Um, what does summer mean to you? Um let us know how you guys feel about it. What is it? Do you do you have an attachment to it? Are you someone who doesn't like summer? Maybe you're winter people. I know you people exist out there. I yes, yes, you. I'm talking to you. Yes, yes, you in the red hat. I'm talking to you. Don't, don't, don't act like I know you're looking I I know, I know you you prefer winter, you like your sweaters. It's okay. I like sweaters too. But um, anyway, we're gonna end this episode. Trent, Jess, thank you so much, and uh, I'll see you guys next week. And listeners, we will see you guys next week on the seeing sideways podcast. Have a great week, everybody.

SPEAKER_01

Bye.

SPEAKER_03

Bye, thank you.