Of Summer Jobs and Useless Things

Now that it's finally warmed up and it's beginning to feel like Spring, it makes me remember how I used to feel when the end of school was near. Which made me think of how I spent my summers.

1. Summer between 7th & 8th grades: went to figure skating camp - which I loved. Such a blast. Except when I woke up one morning covered in ants because my roommate had brought a bunch of candy with her and stored it next to our beds. The wall was literally a sheet of ants. So disgusting. And then I remember washing one of my skating outfits but not wanting to spend the extra 50 cents to dry it so I could buy an ice cream cone from the store next to the laundrymat. Then when I went to wear it the next day it totally smelled like mildew. So freaking gross. But except for those nasty experiences, a pretty great time.

2. Summer between 8th & Freshman year: My boyfriend was moving to Ohio that summer. Such a nice boyfriend, we were sooo happy. We had a going away party for him at his friend's house. His friend had a trampoline and we jumped on it and laughed our heads off (and I remember laughing so hard I almost peeed and thinking, as I fell down and was bounced on the trampoline by the remaining bouncers, "Not a good thing to pee in front of your boyfriend on a trampoline.") His friend also had a younger sister. After my boyfriend moved I found out he'd cheated on me with said younger sister. Curse you, Karl!!!!! And people wonder where my guy issues come from, they all started with cheatin' Karl.

3. Summer between Freshman and Sophomore years: My friend Carrie had a summer house in the Hamptons. She invited me out for a week and I ended up staying 3. Such a blast. We did things I would kill my daughter for doing. And we never got caught. One night someone stole my huge beach towel off the clothes line. When I finally went home my mom was pissed I lost the towel. I felt like saying, "If you only knew that was the least of the things you should be mad about."

4. Summer between Sophomore and Junior years: Spent the summer at the Rhode Island School of Design. My parents were convinced I was artistically talented. After a day there I realized I was about the least talented person to step foot on campus. That first night me and my new friends went up to Thayer Street for ice cream. (fact: I am still very good friends with Kate, who I met my first night at RISD - some 25 years later) This really hot guy walked by wearing a beret (no idea why) when we were walking into the ice cream store. When we were walking out he was there again. Not to miss my chance a second time I held out my ice cream cone and asked, "What a bite?" He declined but asked me out. He was about to be a Freshman at Brown. We went to Newport to the beach and had such a blast that summer. I loved him. All the while having a boyfriend back home. Who I promptly broke up with when I returned. Only to to start going back out with him when I realized that me and Hot Guy from Brown were just a summer thing and not destined for eternity. (reason #2 for guy issues - fall in love and have your college-bound boyfriend move on to better, and older, pastures).

5. Summer between Junior and Senior years: I wanted money!! Worked for a company that provided the newspaper articles for microfiche machines (you know in the old days before Google existed when you'd go to the library and look up articles for research papers, then pull the microfiche, slip it into the machine, and read them). I spent all day gluing those damn newspaper articles to sheets of paper and labeling them so they could be photographed. Good thing was, I could read every article and therefore wasn't bored. Went to Ann Taylor every Friday to spend my paycheck. Went to the tanning salon since I worked all day (VERY bad idea, but at the time didn't know I was setting myself up for a lifetime of sunspots and prematuring aging). Used a fake ID to get into the bar my boyfriend worked at. Learned to love a good cold Vodka Collins. Went to field hockey camp, only to return and find out my boyfriend cheated on me with his friend's younger sister (not a joke, but reason #3 for guy issus). Got even by cheating on him with his friend. Ended the summer without a dime to my name.

6. Summer between high school and college: Got my dream job. Worked in an amazing jewelry store (fact: Cindy Lauper got her engagement ring there). Got to try on lots of diamonds. Made great money. Worked Saturdays. Kinda hard to do when you're hung over from Friday night. Had bad experience with Tequila and have never had a sip of the evil stuff since. Wore my Smith College sweat shirt every chance I could because I was so excited to be going. Ended the summer without a dime to my name.

So there you have it. Wish I could do it all over again, having the summer to do stupid stuff and explore new things was so great. And now for the useless thing (I know, you thought my stories were it). I'm on Twitter. If you'd like to follow, go to https://twitter.com/authorjenny