Summer Goals

A yearly tradition for me (established circa 2002) is to write a list of summer goals. And so goes this year's summer goals, which even admist adversity, I believe is totally accomplishable.

Summer Goals 2010

-Alaska (conquer) ....Check step one. Bought plane tickets for June 18-26. I will be there for the longest day of the year! Hello Summer Solstice and friend Josh Brown!

-Stock up on strawberry beer, so that it is accessible after it goes out of season

-Establish a poker night

-Learn to play a decent hand of poker

-Catch a fish and learn to clean it (this has been on the list since approximately 2005 and is still has yet to be accomplished in full)

-Baby pool party in the backyard

-Beach it - near and farther

-Mini-vacay as often as possible

-Go camping

-Go to the Insectatarium and WWII Museum

-Keep a basil plant alive

-No tanlines (might be even more challenging now that this oil leak is creeping in on our coastline :( )

-Make new friends

-Start watching baseball

-Go to a Zephyrs game

-High 5 a stranger while one of us is in a car

-Photo scavenger hunt

-Learn to dance Lindyhop

-Write letters (Pen pal anyone?)

-Stay awake for 24 hours (Summer Solstice?! 24 hours of daylight?!)

-Make friends with someone who has a boat/motorcycle/horse/insert something else really cool here (This has also been on the list since 2005...)

-Make something

-Find something

-Go out in St. Bernarnd, the Westbank, the North Shore, and Lafayette

-Make limoncello (check. Nick and I started the 90 day limoncello process on Sunday. It will be a long wait until July when it will be ready.)

-Form a bicycle gang

-Explore parts of New Orleans I don't know

-Complete Summer Goals list

Chivalry

Women are always complaining that chivalry is dead. Men are always complaining that women are complaining about the death of chivalry, but that women are the ones that killed it. Chivalry is not dead. It is still alive and well, but like everything else in this world, it has had to adapt to survive. Women, ignorant women, choose not to see it for what it has become by either setting their expectations to high for their men and consequentially demeaning themselves, or by refusing to accept a simple act meant to show respect. Men, stupid, stupid men think that they can keep chivalry alive in old fashioned ways that are no longer applicable in today, or they completely ignore it all together, operating under the assumption that women will feel demeaned. Both sexes are dangerously ignorant of this age old mating dance.

To clear somethings up, here is a list of what chivalry is and is not.

For the mens, chivalry is not:

-stopping in traffic before a crosswalk to let that female runner cross the street. You both know you don't care about her crossing the street safely, nor are you being polite.

-buying a girl drink and then assuming you are welcome to park next to her for the rest of the night.

-commenting on how attractive a woman is to your friend while she is in earshot.

-talking about how great you are for an entire evening, no matter how funny you are or how great your career is.

-mentioning your wife/girlfriend in a conversation so as not to misinform the girl you're talking to.

For the ladies, chivalry is not:

-talking to guys just so they will buy you drinks.

-being insulted when the mens comment on your goods when you are amply displaying them.

-mentioning your husband/boyfriend in a conversation so as not to misinform the girl you're talking to.

For the mens, chivalry is:

-letting a girl pay for a date without getting upset or embarrassed. I have a job too, dumbass.

-buying a girl a drink, chatting her up for a bit, getting her phone number, staying for just long enough, and then going away. This means not being annoying. If you really want to be impressive, you offer to buy her friends a round, too. This should only be done after you've bought her a drink, she accepted, and she is still talking to you.

-is walking a girl to her car or walking her home.

-doing the dishes if she makes you dinner. Or making her dinner if you cook better.

- opening the door for your lady.

-is believing her if she says she knows what she is doing.

For the ladies, chivalry is:

-is offering to pay sometimes, too. Even if he doesn't always let you.

-is making dinner sometimes. Or doing the dishes if you can't cook.

-still being independent these days, and not look to someone else to do everything for you.

-buying him a round or two.

- verbally acknowledging a man's wedding band when he buys you a drink.

This list is not comprehensive. There are several additions that should be made...Suggestions welcome.