Dear Summer,

The leaves are falling there's a chill in the air and it's dark at 6:30pm; Chicago is cooling off. *sigh*

I wanted to take a moment to remember all the things that made my summer in no particular rhyme or reason:

1. Moving, yay us because after so many fights with the management company that leased the place my next step was probably to throw a trash can through their office window like I'm in Do the Right Thing. For real y'all this was the worst apartment I have had to date. The place was nice exactly what I wanted but I couldn't get important shit like ummm HEAT among other things. It was bad.

2. My husband's birthday weekend DAWG! Guess you had to be there but yeah that was definitly a highlight of the summer and probably all time.

3. Getting promo'd to Manager yay me still shining through the storm and getting mine. Can't nobody say I'm not a professional I don't care what that bitch trying to portray me as.

4. The beauty that is my family around 11:30pm on the 4th gone off a well stocked open bar. Keyshia Cole ain't got shit on me, trust. But we have a good time though and it's all love.

5. The Taste of Chicago, never gets old.

6. Shopping on State and Michigan comfortably, ditto. (Damn Macy's ruined State for me though, Carson's is gone too. Oh and they closed the Garrett's on Michigan, Daley really needs to start getting my approval on this shit for real. I run this city don't I? Oh wait no I just run my mouth *SMH)

7. Every dress, every sandal, every pair of shorts I could go on but you get it.

8. My baby niece and nephew's second and third birthday parties in June. It's Sydney's party she can cry if she want to. Wait she cried through both parties but that's okay she's a princess she can do what she wants.

9. My niece and nephew's eleventh and thirteenth birthday parties in September. My brother and sister apparently have their kids on a cycle of some sort. Yeah my baby girl turning thirteen kind of messed me up for a minute she's growing up.

10. Losing Cleo and finding Cleo.

11. All of my father's shows I was able to attend.

12. Family zoo day with my mom

13. Nightlife in Chicago and being able to leave the house in a dress and carrying only ID

14. Going all trading spaces and creating my niece a princess room with under 100 dollars. We spent the whole day (me, my mom, and my sister) searching through thrift stores and goodwill's for treasure and redecorated her room in pinks, purples, and yellows.

15. Chopping all my hair off into the cute neck length bob I'm rocking. I've never done anything that drastic my hair has been the same length (about 3 inches past my shoulders) since I was a kid. So to cut my hair so short was like a rebellion, against what I have no idea but, I felt like such a badass with newly short hair. (I'm growing it back out now though)

16. Losing 23 pounds and yet still maintaining the bounce. At my heaviest I was 168 and trust people this is coming from a girl that was 98 pounds soaking wet with Timb's on until she was 22. But now I am comfortable hovering around 140 give or take a pound or the trips to Chicago's Chicken and Waffles. And, I was determined not to lose my curves so the booty is still intact.

17. Countless nights on the back porch with my hubby a bottle of Pinot Noir for me and vodka martinis for him, the fur balls, music and just us.

18. UV rays (they get such a bad rap)

19. Dining al fresco wherever but my fave is Uncle Julio's


I'm sure there are memories I'm missing but I will miss this summer and every one I've been fortunate enough to live. So bring on the snow, sleet and hail Chicago, even though I know she'll throw in a few more nice days before Halloween so we don't feel too bad about it. I love it when she does that :-)