Last Day of Summer

In New York, everyone (EVERYONE) considers Labor Day as the last day of summer. The close the swimming pools, kids go back to school, everyone goes back to work from their summer vacations come the Tuesday after Labor Day.

It's strange to me to witness this because in the South, especially the Deep South where I grew up, summer stretches to October...long past the official start of fall and return to school. And it's not unheard of for summer weather to continue straight through Halloween. How many of us haven't sweated up a Halloween costume as a child. (I've noticed as I've gotten older that the adult costumes seem to be growing smaller, so that, unless you're an executioner, your freezing your fanny off at parties. Actually, now that I think of it, I'm SURE there's a "sexy executioner" costume out there. So you probably freeze no matter what you wear.)

As the end of summer, Labor Day is a huge day to blow out your end of summer outdoors. About a million people were at the apartment complex pool, cooking out at the grills or just at various festivals and other outdoor events. I spent the day cleaning and waiting. I was supposed to go to a riverfront festival about three miles away from my home but by the time my "date" showed up, the fireworks that ended the last day of the festival had already started. I did get in a little drinking on the stoop with my neighbors. So I guess it wasn't all that bad. Plus my apartment is super clean, right now.