As of 10:15am PST today all three of our children were let out for summer vacation. I used to look forward to when school got out for the summer. The sun is out, blue skies, why oh why are some of us inside typing away at these cold, emotionless keyboards?

When does our summer vacation begin?

Alas, when you get out of school and no longer enjoy summer vacations courtesy of the school, you have to make — and budget for — your own. For each of the last few years we’ve gone somewhere as a family and this year will be no exception, although because of rising gas prices we’ve talked about making it a trip that isn’t so long distance as in previous years.

Next summer we are talking about a vacation back East. I’ve never travelled east of Chicago so I would like to see what the East coast is like. Kids are already making plans to spend a lot of Halo, Everquest and Star Wars Galaxies time. We’ll have to reboot them and get them outside. Maybe I need to go buy a bike and go bike riding with them. We have this really scenic trail nearby.

I just opened the window a crack so I could smell the aroma of fresh mown grass wafting through the room. BBQ tonight I think. Oh yeah, summer has arrived.

Did you ever stop and realize that we only get 80 or so summers to live? In our learning (youth) and yearning (old) years we tend to take more advantage of them as human beings than in our earning years, I think. In our family we’re trying to do more about that by spending more time together in the summer months and not doing so much work stuff.

Actually, I’m a bit surprised not to be reading more stories this last week about what people are doing this summer. What will you be doing this summer? Any cool trips or plans?

• Montana loop Labor Day to end summer
• Bicycle wireless speedometer
• Our TV D-day has arrived
• $4 per gallon for gas this summer, say some experts
• 26 years ago she blew her top
• Travel east of hell to heaven