The Summer of Fun

I've labeled this summer "The Summer of Fun." Not too original, I know, but it suffices. I was trapped in the house all winter, both by snow and by work. In the summer, I purposely back off on work to catch my breath and to have time for things I normally don't have time for. So far, here's my little list of "new" things I've done this summer:

1. Bought a Canon Digital Rebel XT. Lots of manual settings to enhance creativity. I'm having a blast with it and slowly learning what it takes to create a good picture.
2. Went to the stock-car races in Arlington, MN. Just had to see what all the fuss was about. I'll probably go back.
3. Bicycling like a maniac. After years of running, I'm a little bored. In July I was able to put on 90-100 miles a week on the bike. This week, I'm getting an actual road bike and I'm looking forward to even more mileage.
4. Reading Harry Potter for the first time. Not like I'm opposed to the guy, but I tend to shy away from things that are all the rage. Besides, the heft of the later books intimidated me. I'm almost done with "Sorcerer's Stone" and I'm liking it a lot. It feels good to read fiction because I rarely do.
5. Had a Web site created. But of course you know that if you're reading this blog.

If I think of more things, I'll keep posting.