The end of summer is upon us

I am back. I am more tired than ever. I would say that it is great that there is a long weekend upon us but it is the one that I have always liked least. Labor, or Labour, Day is the most depressing of the long weekends that I can think of. It always has, and perhaps, always will, signal the end of summer.

The days have gotten perceptibly shorter. There is only one way to go. Really short. Then again, the good news is that it is always a cycle so they will lengthen right after December 21st or so.

Labour Day was always the beginning of school. I did enjoy those three years (1983, 1984 and 1985) when I was doing my undergrad work. We did not begin classes until the following Monday so there was that extra week of summer, when high school kids (my siblings) were back to school but I was off. I am not sure I took advantage, but I am not sure how I was supposed to.

In 1983, we had Jewish holidays at the back end of that extra week. I had done my service at my cousin's wedding, got extremely tanked and was hung over for Labour Day. I do recall watching "Mad Max" and "An American Werewolf in London" on First Choice (pay tv, or Canada's first answer to HBO, at the time). That was okay. In 1984, I continued to have some fun that final week. In 1985, I did the same including a night up at a friend's chalet with just the boys. It was not queer just some drinking, Monopoly and male bonding. It was good.

The next few years was law school. 1986 and 1988 were not memorable since classes began the Tuesday after Labour Day. 1987 was fucked up, though. We had to begin school, because of the Jewish Holidays, on Monday August 31st. I had never started school in August before. It was somewhat surreal. We did get Labour Day off. The best part was that there was a strike by the support staff, so many of classes were postponed during that semester as the full time professors were reticent to cross the picket lines. The practitioner/instructors did not give a shit, so they crossed and taught. I always preferred the practitioners.

I could go on about long weekends. I mean Victoria Day ushered in the summer season. Canada Day and Simcoe Day were and are in the summer. Thanksgiving, up here in Canada, is early October, when the leaves are changing color, so it is always beautiful, unless it is raining. Good Friday, well, it is March or April, so winter is turning to spring and you know summer is around the corner. It is only Labour Day that marks the end of summer.

The pissy part is that the streets get busier. There is more traffic. It is nothing to look forward to. When it is summertime, the living is easy. Oh well, another summer is coming to an end.

I guess I should be glad that August is drawing to a close. It has not been a pleasant August, but that is not the fault of August. That is just the way life works. August will be associated with that however. Ahhhhh, must enjoy and be thankful for what I have.

That is the lesson for today. Reflect on your life and focus on all that is good and right. I think that I will do that, in lieu of sleep.

By the way, dinner last night was excellent. Went to Torrito's in Kensington Market. Tapas. I am still drooling thinking about it. The best gazpaucho EVER! Made with yellow tomatoes. Then they comped us the lamb/pork meatballs in mole sauce. EXCELLENT!!! It was great. Highly recommended to all. The ceviche and smoked trout were nothing to sneeze at either. I forgot how much I like Spanish food and tapas. El Cid went away and so did my appetite for tapas, but it is really the ultimate grazers meal---a little of this, a bite of that. That is good eating!

Ciao!