"The Summer of Jason"

Today is Sunday, August 17th, a mere 9 days before my surgery. Tricia, Lauren and I just returned from a weekend "camping" getaway (we did camping-like activities such as make smores, tell campfire stories, etc., but stayed in a lodge with a bed, showers, etc. - not sure what the right name would be, but "camping" doesn't seem like a fair name to the camping purists in the world). Anyway, this getaway weekend was the latest in a series of fun-filled events in the last few months that someone (might have been me actually) dubbed "The Summer of Jason", a concept that someone (again, might actually have been me) ripped off from an episode of Seinfeld.

For those non-Seinfeld fans in the world, the last episode in Season 8 was titled "The Summer of George", and chronicled the period in which George realized that he had a three-month severance package from the Yankees and decides to live those three months to the fullest. However, since George, at his core, is too lazy to get overly ambitious, his summer consisted of very few actual events, some of which included learning frolf (frisbee golf), purchasing a recliner with a refrigerator in it (an idea I wholeheartedly support, especially if used in conjunction with the Stadium Buddy), mid-morning naps, watching many episodes of The White Shadow and assisting as a "relationship intern" for Jerry's relationship with a high-maintenance woman.

Now, I don't have the luxury of having the summer off of work (in fact, it's been relatively crazy on a consistent basis since I transferred to the benefits administration department at Mercer almost a year ago), but The Summer of Jason has been relatively successful thus far. Events include the aforementioned "camping" trip, my 20-year high school reunion a few weeks ago (which was an absolute blast), many nights out with friends, a few nights of softball per week, festivals galore (Summerfest, State Fair, etc.), a pontoon ride with friends on the Milwaukee River (Tricia surprised me with this), several days at Bradford Beach (which is surprisingly clean and pleasant these days) and a few other events that have escaped my memory.

This week will be my last three days of work, then VEGAS with Tricia and a few other friends for my friend Brian's 40th birthday bash, then back Sunday for dinner with family, then spend the whole day with Lauren on Monday before spending a few hours with some coworker friends, then either home for the night or to the Heart Hospital (they haven't decided if they want me to arrive Monday night or at 5am Tuesday morning).

No matter how things go in Vegas (hopefully someone in our group will win a crapload of money), The Summer of Jason has been great. I've spent quality time with my friends and family, reconnected with some friends from the past, and had some time to reflect on my life to this point. I've been truly blessed with many great things, and I hope that by the time The Summer of Jason officially ends (September 22nd according to the calendar), I will be well on my way to a full recovery.