Pebbles of a Season

I thought I would list some items that marked my summer.

I like to think of them as individual pebbles, and the memory as green leaves slowly welcoming the dyes of autumn.

- Meal: my own marinated steak (balsamic vinegar, garlic salt with parsley, pepper)
- Job offer: a colleague's friend's move from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles to work on the same campus as we do
- DVD viewing: Major League, Bull Durham, Batman Begins, Ocean's Eleven, The Dark Knight, Heat (all borrowed from a friend)
- Movies: 500 Days of Summer (my favorite), The Ugly Truth, Irene in Time, Whatever Works, Public Enemies, Star Trek. I can't remember the titles of the others I saw.
- Happy Hour: Napa Valley Grille
- Beverage: Sangria
- Music/Artist: Keane, Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., One Republic, She and Him
- Song: Nightswimming
- Musical Instrument: guitar, piano (I don't play but enjoyed listening to the sound)
- Vocalist: Keely Smith, Ella Fitzgerald
- Stage play: Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara, Farragut North (both at the The Geffen Playhouse)
- Concert story: Coldplay at the Honda Center
- Outdoor concert attended: JazzPOP at the Hammer Museum
- Office Baby: Sterling
- Office Free Lunch: Chipotle (tacos)
- Office Staff Development Lunch: New India Grill (buffet)
- Museum exhibit: "Steeped in History: The Art of Tea" at the Fowler Museum (UCLA)
- Books: Mystic River by Dennis Lehane, Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson
- Television: ESPN, Antiques Roadshow (PBS), The Simpsons, The Closer (TNT), other crime dramas
- Late night TV: The Charlie Rose Show
- Podcast: sports, food by Dave M.
- Internet playlist: Songza
- Perfume: Honeysuckle
- Nuisance: Migraine headache
- Daytrip: Santa Barbara, California
- Gem: Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden in Santa Barbara
- Cupcake: a colleague's homemade red velvet with mascarpone cheese frosting and the buttermilk crumb cake at Crushcakes cupcakery in Santa Barbara
- Milestone: My nephew's first day in kindergarten
- Skype: My niece in Seattle, Washington
- Afternoon snack: With Harold S.
- Lunch: With Mike L., Stacey S.
- Soup (on cold summer days): Tom Ka Gai (coconut chicken soup), second only to my Mom's sopas (chicken noodle soup)
- Cookies and Brownies: Diddy Riese
- Cold treat: Hot fudge sundae
- Plant: Gary
- Athlete: Juan Martin Del Potro, 2009 Men's U.S. Tennis Open Champion
- Blog: Dr-ofw
- Word: Cerulean
- Memoir: True Compass by Edward M. Kennedy (to be read)
- Superhero: Diedre

This isn't an exhaustive list but is enough to trigger my memories and sensations of what were, what still are and what could still be.

What were some of your summer pebbles?