It must be summer - I want a banana split

Sitting out on the back deck tonight, watching Mrs. Skeptimist bury some tomato plants in one of those newfangled upside down hanging planters, a sudden craving surfaces.

I want a banana split.

Huh? What brought that on?

Perhaps I've been bitten by the bug of summer. At lunchtime, I motored over to the pharmacy with the windows down and sunroof open, my Fidel Castro hat perched on top of my baldness to ward off many-nomas. Having some time to waste, I popped into the local Kohl's and picked up two pairs of shorts, two sleeveless shirts, and a canvas belt for $50. Thanks, El Salvador!

For dinner, I grilled some Caesar-marinated chicken breasts, served with a side of roasted Yukon gold potatoes mixed with red/orange/yellow peppers and red onion. Lump charcoal is 1000x better than glue-infused charcoal dust briquettes. If you haven't yet switched to natural grilling, you should.

Shorts. Grilling. Planting. The rituals of warm weather.

So yeah. Banana split. Gonna have to get one this holiday weekend. It's more calories than I should have in an entire day, but summer only comes once a year. I'll have three months to sweat it out.

Good to see you, summer. I've been waiting a long time for you to reappear. Hug me like an old friend, one that I've known since childhood.

I only wish I could have the rush of excitement that comes from anticipating the last day of school. How perfect would that be?