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Before Summer Ends....

By Margaret Lyons in Miscellaneous on Sep 2, 2008 9:32PM

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Photo by Rebecca Anne

Now that Labor Day is officially behind us, I'm going to buy myself a pretty new notebook and a fancy pen—I miss back-to-school shopping. But before we get too excited (or depressed, depending on your autumnal attitudes) about the changing of the leaves, there are a few things we're trying to squeeze in during this last stretch of warm weather. Here's Chicagoist's end-of-summer to-do list:

  • Get invited for a cruise on a friend's sailboat
  • Resign ourselves to the fact the Bears aren't making the Super Bowl
  • Host a movie night in the backyard.
  • Camp out at Indiana Dunes
  • Bike to Flossmoor Station Brewpub and Restaurant
  • Take a dip in the lake
  • Go for a long walk
  • Drink a daiquiri
  • Make homemade tomato sauce
  • Custard at Scooter's Frozen Custard
  • Take the dog to Wiggley Field
  • Enjoy some runs along the lakefront path (if it's not too crowded)

Oh, there's so much more where that came from....


  • Squeeze in a round of (very poorly played) golf
  • Enjoy some dusk walks while dusk still occurs after 4pm
  • Dry clean my winter coats
  • One more heavy duty clean sweep of the apartment before it spends all winter getting musty
  • Lament the seasonal demise of the short skirt
  • Porch-sitting, preferably with an alcoholic beverage or an ice pop or both.
  • Lounge on the beach (preferably Oak Street)
  • Enjoy a summer salad
  • Drink as much Bells Oberon as possible
  • Take pictures outside
  • Eat outside
  • Pick fresh herbs and use them in summer cocktails.
  • Stock up at costco so I can hibernate all winter.
  • Eat the best ice cream/sorbet in the city at Coco Rouge
  • Attend as many remaining street festivals as you can. Even Guinness Oyster Fest is an excuse to be outdoors. Kinda.
  • Find a good pair of fall boots
  • Get in all the "reading in a park under a tree" you can before you trade it for "reading on your couch by the fireplace" in a few months...
  • Locate the name of a good therapist, or buy some (bulbs for the) sun lamps, for when the Seasonal Affective Disorder hits