This is so Nate Campany of me

It hasn't even been an entire week and I've fallen in love. It's just the beginning of our yearly relationship, but summer already has my heart.

In just six short days I've found more ways to embrace the Tennessee summer than I have in the my first three attempts.

A holiday pool party turned into an afternoon under a picnic pavilion with my friends sipping on the collection of British beer and cider from my fridge while we watched crazy rednecks swim in a pool while lightning illuminated the skies around us.

The work week seemed to take forever while I peeked through my office blinds at the sunshine which was covered by clouds by the time the work day was over.

I was almost in the clear on Thursday night. Songwriter's nights at The French Quarter have made a dent in my Thursday nights lately, and you can't go wrong with last call Cosmos and midnight movie premieres.

Friday's road trip to Knoxville to see The Crash Moderns felt so much like a 2005 Click Five show that it almost made me cry. We ended up in a brigade of cars which included a tour bus, a mini-van with a tagged tralier, a few motorized wheel chairs that didn't keep up for long, and cars full of groupies who had no doubt been playing this game with Brett Michaels since his hey day.

After making sure the minivan was expertly stuffed behind a dumpster we piled as many people into a car as possible and after three restaurants ended up in an iHop. Late night waffles and egg beaters remind me of my favorite summer on record.

We drove until the sun came up with one passenger passed out in the back seat wrapped in my sweater while I explored the contents of someone else's ipod. We sang at the top of our lungs and had the air conditioning blasting in attempts to keep ourselves awake until the sun rose.

Waking up at 2:30pm, running to mail bridal shower invitations at the post office and a bit of Krogering before throwing on my swimsuit and heading to the pool sounds more and more like summer to me. I always love eating on patios when the weather is nice and an evening game of mini golf reminds me of childhood vacations. Sonic drive-ins and polaroid pictures make for a good end to the night.

I may not have a beach anymore, but I think I'm going to be okay.