Picnics and summer rains

My idea of a perfect summer night is sitting with adults I like, drinking and eating in a relaxed way, while our kids run around, active, bright, happy. This rarely happens, except, at picnics. Picnics in the park are perfect environments for everyone - the adults get to sit under trees and rest for a minute from the relentless urban environment that is Manhattan and the kids aren't told to be quiet, but allowed to run around like the puppies they are, and if water guns are added into the mix, well then they are in their own personal nirvana.

Last night we went to our local park, sat at the tables under the trees. Everyone brought some food, (okay, everyone brought too much food) so there was a banquet laid out before us. We ate, drank the wine we sneaked in, actually chatted to each other while our children had the best time.

When the park closed, far too early at 8pm, we were dawdling, reluctant to leave, and the clouded skies came to a decision and a summer deluge burst forth.

The kids were all thoroughly drenched in any case, after an evening of water warfare, and once you relax into it, walking in a torrential downpour can add to the summer fun. I love it actually, walking in the rain. By the time I got home I could not have been wetter if I had been in a shower, but for me, it was the perfect end to a really lovely evening. Picnics, warm rains, water, laughter, it's all part of summer for me...

July already! Let's go swimming!

Sorry I haven't written in so long, I feel bad that it's July already.

I had my sister over to visit, and that was wonderful. I had the end of the school year and that was crazy. I hate having 3 separate events to go to in one day. I know that some people aren't happy unless they have to leave this party early to go and be windswept and interesting somewhere else, but I am not one of those folk. I like going to one place and knowing I have time and space to settle in and enjoy myself - or go home and watch tv. But I don't want to go to a drinks, then a pot luck, then a show. It frazzles me. So end of June is a frazzling time, where we go to recitals and funny, sweet but really bad end of school shows, and pot lucks, and parties, all the while doing our usual life stuff. So the quirk factor fell.

But now it's July, after July 4th, and life can return to normal. I am on the quest for the perfect outdoor pool in New York city. Or it can be indoor, but be accessible. Basically I want to sun bake (don't talk to me about cancer, I grew up in the 70's, I know that a tan makes you look better, you can't talk me out of it) and then take a plunge, swim a bit, and go back to sun baking. I want a resort pool, that's not too crowded but is kid friendly and is in Manhattan. So far, not much luck.

But I did look at all the outdoor pools on Google maps. What amazing site that is! If you haven't been, go look up more or less any busy street in New York and click on the 'at street level' option and you will see a 360 degree shot of the the street. I saw my street. And I saw all the roof top, outdoor pools. Frankly, they all look a bit grim, but I'm going to go out to all of them, because the quest is on, I want to swim, but don't want to spend an hour in the subway to get there (or home again) I want to swim local. (of course I also want to eat chocolate with no consequences. Neither may happen but I keep holding on to the dream.)