Summer habits

One of my summer habits is staying up late, and then sleeping in late. As much as I resolve to go to bed by midnight, I hardly ever do. Even today-- I got up earlier than usual, with less sleep than usual, ran some errands before work, went to the gym after work, I've been tired, and I tried to settle myself down with some tv, but I am still not ready to sleep. When 2 am hits, that's when I'm ready to sleep. And I do love my sleep.

Another summer habit is lots of movies. But alas, that was in the days of netflix.

My least favorite summer habit: lofty goals of self-improvement which get procrastinated and overshadowed by the novelty of leisure time. How many times have I resolved to improve my mastery of dramatic literature only to stick to the novels I have no time to read during the school year?

And Sex and the City. Last summer (in addition to my all-time favorite, Six Feet Under,) I watched 5 seasons of Sex and the City that my friend lent me. But he didn't have the sixth and final season, so Carrie and her friends have been hanging out, unfinished, in the back of my mind. As I wandered the aisles of Blockbuster tonight with my 2-for-1 coupon in my pocket, I searched for something to fit my mood: a little lonely, a little fluffy. Heavy dramas , though I Love them, are something I find I can only bring myself to watch in the theater, where it is an event, something which prepares my mind for what is coming. Or if it comes in the mail from netflix. Then it arrives, and can sit on my table until I have the presence of mind, focus, and time to invest in it. But since I have sacrificed netflix for a time, I haven't sat down to watch something like Tsotsi in my home for months. And even though I've intended to watch it for a while now, I could not bring myself to take it from the shelf. After reviewing all of the new releases (which are of course quite picked-over on a Friday night in Provo), I browsed the shelves, and Sex and the City came to mind.

Sex and the City is delightful summer watching. They're short, funny, romantic, and every now and then pack a real emotional punch. Yes, it has made me cry. I think I've seen the episode where Miranda's mother dies three times (the show is on tv every day), and each time I've shed some tears. It's always interesting to see what the girls are wearing. And I love the show because these are four women who are gorgeous, intelligent, skilled and accomplished, yet they're still single-- frequently that is. It's so easy to feel like a loser when you're single in Provo. But these ladies give single life a good name, and can cry about it themselves which in turn also makes me feel validated about my loser feelings.

I know, it's tv, not the real world.

But it's comforting none the less, even if it is just escapism/entertainment/wishful thinking.

And settling down on the couch with old friends on the screen is great relaxation, which is the best summer habit.