A close friend from high school and I are working to plan a weekend getaway. Only 3 days, a quick trip to Florida.

While comparing ideas for what we want out of this little trip, my friend said she’s most looking forward to just sitting there. Free from job and family responsiblities for a few days, time to just relax. She’s an administrator in the medical field and like many workplaces, finds herself doing what used to be the job of two employees all by herself. I hope she won’t have to answer too many calls from work.

It made me think about how often as a kid out of school for the summer we all begged our parents to go somewhere, do something, because we were bored. I guess that’s part of the reason why so many things like soccer, 4-H, summer camp and vacation bible school are still around. To help kids fill their long hours of summer free time in a more productive way.

I can’t remember the last time I was that bored that I begged for something to do. Now it seems there’s always something that needs to be done. Whether it’s at work, at home or while crossing off lists of errands in between.

I often find myself thinking of things I’d love to do. Projects I want to tackle, people I want to visit, books I want to read, but there often isn’t time, unless I choose not to do something else that’s already on the schedule.

With any luck, my friend and I will sit still on pool or beach chairs long enough to become bored. Sounds luxurious.

Before you think this blog will be all whining and complaining, let me state that I really enjoy researching big purchases like cars. Maybe it’s because I buy them so rarely and keep them for a long time that it’s a special occasion.

But while my car is getting to the point where I should replace it soon, I find myself in a holding pattern this summer.

I just read another article today saying that economy cars are at record high prices right now, because of the higher gas prices. They’re supposed to fall later this year. I’m looking for a fuel efficient car. My current V-6 averages about 24 MPG. I probably won’t be able to double that figure unless I’d buy a Prius, and because of the Japanese earthquake, they’re still in somewhat short supply. So I’ve been looking at various gasoline powered models, both domestic and import, that get close to 40 MPG. There are a few in that category. One I’m looking at isn’t even on the market until fall. So I wait.

Yes, I could go for some test drives now, but that takes time. I’m hoping to narrow my list to just 2 or 3 models before deciding the exact options. Manufacturers all do their options lists differently, so that takes time and effort wading through the list of what you actually want once you decide on the model(s) you like.

Another choice I’ll have to make, whether to shop and negotiate the old fashioned way, face to face in the dealership, or use one of the various online negotiation sites. I don’t personally know anyone who’s bought a car by e-mail bid, but I’m curious. Online reviews of people liking the speed and low stress of the process make it sound tempting.

So maybe I titled this wrong. “Blues” might be too strong of a word. Maybe I should have used “impatience” instead. I just think about how much time we spend in our vehicles just getting to and from work and how long I hold onto mine before trading it (10+ years) that I want to make a choice I’ll be happy with. So I’ll keep reading online reviews and articles about test drives and quality surveys. I’ll keep looking at the new car next to me at the stop light, wondering if that driver appears to be enjoying their new upholstery and sat radio.

The title of this posting was also what I put on my Facebook home page today after we broke our long dry spell. Within minutes, someone posted a comment that led me to believe they thought I was being sarcastic.

Far from it. I’ve been wanting rain like everyone else who has something growing in a yard or farm field. Sure there are people whose day was probably interrupted by thunder, lightning and wetness, but c’mon, after all of this time and seeing all of the brown grass, you’ve got to be able to recognize we need it. We really need some more.

Even if you’re not a farmer, you might want cheap and abundant sweet corn, blueberries, tomatoes and apples in a few weeks. You might not want to reseed the dead areas of your lawn. You might not want to get detoured on the way to work by the smoke from a grassfire.

Yay, rain.

Last weekend I attended the Crosby Art Festival at the Toledo Botanical Gardens with a friend and her grandkids. They were more interested in climbing trees than looking at art, but it was fun to see what did catch their attantion.

The previous year, that same friend and I had gone and she ended up hauling two wooden benches home in the back of her sporty car. I must have gotten the art purchasing out of my system, because this year I was satisfied just to look. Sorry vendors. I did see a lot of other people buying, so hopefully they made up for my lack.

Not even a pair of earrings. Or a ceramic bowl. Or a cool photgraphic print. I bought nothing. Except a chicken pita sandwich from one of the food vendors.

Trends I noticed at Crosby include, lots of metal lawn ornaments, photos of architectural ruins in addition to the usual landscapes, ceramics with unusual textures, and recycled materials (for example, a guy had furniture and sculptures covered in old bottle caps).

Dear vendors, I’ll try to be in a spending mood next time.

Here at Fox Toledo, we get to meet some interesting people doing our Talk Back interview segments for 10pm. They are usually taped in our studio in the afternoon. Today’s guest was Phyllis Szymanek of Toledo.

Phyllis is a pie-making champion according to Crisco and the American Pie Council. In case you’re not familiar, Wikipedia says this about the organization; The American Pie Council (APC) is an organization committed to “preserving America’s pie heritage and promotes America’s love affair with the food”. Here’s link information if you care to see or ambitious enough to attempt making her Royal Macadamia Raspberry Pie.

http://www.piecouncil.org/Recipes/ViewCRecipe/?id=378

We are eating the sample pie she brought in. Samples are an occasional perk of working in a TV newsroom. This woman knows her crust. One tip she gave me for blind baking (baking a crust you will fill later with cool ingredients) is to make the crust, put it in the plate/pan, then freeze it before baking. She also told me that cold shortening and ice cold water are key to making a good pie crust.

Like with any cooking or baking, you can explain what you do, but really seeing it, trying it and figuring out the amounts, timing and techniques are the only way to really get it. Obviously Phyllis Szymanek gets it. She and her proud husband were even kind enough to haul in not only a pie, but her various trophies, ribbons and giant checks. It was an honor to meet a real pie champion. And Phyllis, for what it’s worth, Fox Toledo declared your creation delicious. Look for the interview under the Talk Back section of this website, www.foxtoledo.com

Fifteen years of living in one place, you sure can accumulate junk.

Over the weekend, we cleaned parts of the garage that hadn’t been touched in a long time. It looks bigger now, without parts of a broken table, excess trim and flooring scraps, too many saved plastic planters and bags of half used potting soil.

A peg hanger that I’d bought more years ago than I care to mention now hangs on the garage wall, holding brooms, hedge trimmers and rakes.

No longer will I have to walk sideways when leaving for work to shimmy between the trash can and the front of my car. There’s now room to walk to the car normally.

It’s one of those jobs that’s easy to put off because it takes time and never sounds like fun. But I’m so happy we took the plunge and tackled it. I’m even looking forward to seeing it when I go home tonight. Aaaah, neatness and order. Finally.

Because I work in news, stories about tragic accidents and crimes are a regular part of life for me. Which is why I was taken by surprise to learn how the story of a girl I never really knew affected me. I only saw her perform once in a stage production of Les Miserables at my high school.

I remember last August, talking to my brother in Indiana about this East Noble High School grad, 20 years old, who was home from studying at N.Y.U. and was fatally struck while riding her bicycle not far from her parents’ home.

I was home last Saturday for a 45th anniversary East Noble Theatre celebration. It was almost more of a class reunion for me and my friends than a regular graduation year reunion, because we spent so many hours together preparing for various stage productions. In addition to a variety show production involving more than 100 actors, singers and dancers, the end of the program lit candles for people who’d been part of the theatre program over the years who’ve left us too soon. The most recent, Talia Joy Smith.

When I had seen her perform the role of Cosette a few years ago, I was impressed with this high schooler’s voice. Then the other night, a table in the lobby held some of her music CDs, which my brother said her family put there for people to take. So I did.

During my nearly 2 hour drive back to the Toledo area the next day, I put her disk in and hit play. It was a collection of show tunes. Her voice strong, clear, trained. Of Broadway or opera quality. Impressive versatility in various styles. Among the tunes, some of the female lead songs from Wicked. Her music can still be found on her MySpace page.

While I drove and listened, I thought of how her family and friends must have struggled at the reunion Saturday night, less than a year after her sudden death.

A memorial bench had been installed outside the auditorium, flowers decorated it.

I’m sad that the world won’t get to hear more from this talented artist. Some day I’ll listen to her music again. I need to process the tragedy for a while. She is certainly missed.

I have yet to see the roadside stands or U-Pick signs in northwest Ohio, but I’m sure they’ll pop up soon.

The plants I got from my friend Heather, courtesy of her dad are now about three years old and producing more blossoms and berries than I’ve seen so far. The ones growing as ground cover in one of my front flower beds are not the huge monsters you usually see in plastic grocery store clam shells. They’re small. But they taste much more intense than the big ones bred for their shipping qualities.

I’m sure my strawberries would be bigger if I watered or fertilized them regularly. I avoid most lawn chemicals because we have a well and I don’t like the idea of drinking poisons. So most of my plants get a top dressing of compost a couple of times a year and that’s about it.

My crop is small. Only enough to eat a few out of the palm of your hand or use as a garnish on yogurt or dessert. If I want enough for a pie or shortcake, I’m going to have to buy them from a local grower.

So celebrate the local, fresh strawberries. The blueberries, corn and tomatoes will be along in a few weeks.

I might have to move them. I don’t think I hung my two hanging tomato planters in exactly the right place. They’re on above a deck that has beams above it, hanging from the beams. It’s on the south side of the house. I think the slats are providing too much shade.

Water’s not the problem. Certainly with all of the rain and occasional watering in between they seem damp enough.

The potting soil I bought is the kind that’s supposed to have ample timed release food for the plant for the whole growing season.

So now I have to figure out where to move them to. Mature trees are another issue in finding the perfect spot.

The reason I don’t think they’re doing too well is that I have tomato plants in a regular right side up pot which are considerably larger. The upside down ones have skinny vines that are reaching sideways, probably wanting more light. I hope I can make the plants happy. So far I’m not optimistic about the 30 pounds of tomatoes per plant that they tout on the AS SEEN ON TV planter packaging.

Certainly the summer weather took its sweet time this year. Only now, in late May are we finally getting stretches of warm temperatures.

What I’m suddenly noticing is the difficulty in choosing between all of the fun things going on on weekends.

For example– family reunions, class reunions, concerts, food festivals, art festivals, historic festivals, ethnic festivals, Mud Hens games, yoga classes, bike rides, art classes, cooking classes, Cedar Point, Metroparks, The Toledo Zoo. And those are just the first ones that come to mind.

Add to that the list of repairs and projects that always need done at home, and that vision of lazy days in the sun with a book and glass of iced tea go right out the window.

Factor in must-do chores like oil changes, doctor appointments and lawn mowing and there goes more time.

I’m hoping to savor the summer and not overbook myself, but it’s easy to get bogged down with obligations when our minds and bodies should be resting up from the workweek.

For now, it’s time to attend our daily meeting to decide which stories will go into the 6:30 newscast.

Dear reader, I hope you have a great summer. Treat yourself to some fun and relaxation.