Summer's Over, Fall TV, Time to Rock the Vote

Blink. Where did the summer go? I mean, yeah, it's warm enough this weekend. Beautiful, actually. And if this pattern continues, we're going to have a stellar September in New England. Considering how much of the summer it rained, that'll be a nice switch. But...damn...where did it go?

At the risk of sounding like an old man (cue "frail old man voice")...When I was a kid, which in my mind doesn't seem like all that long ago, summer LASTED. Sure, we played video games and watched tons of TV, just like my own kids do now...but we spent as much time outside as possible. We wandered neighborhoods and purposely got lost in the woods, walked miles to meet up with other friends for pizza or at the movie theatre. We hung out. We took the long days of summer and we wrang every last second out of them.

Now, it seems like most of the kids I know, my own included, take John Mayer's advice from a few years ago, and spend their time wandering "the great indoors." My middle child starts school on Tuesday, and I'm sure he's looking up from World of Warcrack and going "wait, what? School just ended." Whoops. Sorry buddy, the summer went right by when you weren't paying attention.

So there you go...words to the wise. Next summer, milk it for all its worth. Hell, don't even wait. Get out there now. The days are still long enough. Enjoy the fall. Carpe Diem and all that.

One thing that has never changed for me...When summer ends, I get all excited that the new TV season is about to start. I'm always hoping for a new show that will totally blow me away. I'm a TV junkie, I guess...although also a book junkie and a movie junkie. But as the days get shorter and the cool weather comes in, and school and work schedules take away some of the freedom of summer, I love me some good TV. And we are fortunate to be living in an era when there is more great television around than ever before. If you're getting the idea that I watch WAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY too much TV, you're absolutely correct.

Kind of ironic, right? Even a little hypocritical? I'm telling you to go and milk your summer days for all they're worth, but looking forward to immersing myself in the fall TV season. But, see, if I could've, I would've taken the whole summer off and spent it meeting friends for pizza, going to the beach, riding my bike, and reading, just like I did when I was 14. Fall is different. It has my favorite holiday--Halloween--and it has all kinds of new TV, most of which will be crappy, and of which I'll watch one episode, but some of which will be brilliant. (Personally, I'm hoping the American version of LIFE ON MARS will be as good as the UK original, but what are the odds?)

Plus, the DVR is the greatest invention ever.

Finally...this fall, it's time to Rock the Vote. If you're old enough to vote, then educate yourself. Watch this fall's debates. Watch the speeches at the party conventions. Pay attention. If you're not old enough to vote, do the same, but make sure that your parents and voting-age friends and relatives do it too. Anyone visiting my Facebook page will know who I'm voting for, but I'm not telling YOU who to vote for. What I'm saying is...VOTE. Make sure others do. The USA is in crisis. This fall's election is the most important in my lifetime, and will have massive impact on the future of this nation. You get to have a say in that decision. You have a vote. USE IT.

Next month, I'll be gearing up for the release of SOULLESS, so it'll be back to talking about zombies. Until then...