And thus ends summer

While it looks like we will have nice weather the next couple of weeks, summer came to a close this past weekend and today with Spencer starting school. We celebrated the Labor Day weekend and honoring those that work by, uh, not working on Monday. I'll bet good money that Labor Day was "invented" by a union :) Only in America.

We had our annual Labor Day cookout on Sunday, and yet again I forgot to take pictures. I got to try out my new Jenn-Air Stainless Steel, Infrared, 45,000 BTU grill, and it rocks. Looking forward to putting it to use a-plenty this fall.

Purdue opened the season with a big road win over a solid MAC team in Toledo which I was able to record off ESPNU. I've dumped $12 a month on the Directv "sports" package which means I get a bunch of regional sports stations, ESPNU, and CSTV, but I don't get to see the MLB, NHL, or NBA games on those regional sports packages. So Amy and I are mulling over spending $149 to get the NHL package to catch the Wings this year.

We also dumped $99 on upgrading our NFL Sunday Ticket to HD. I justify NFL Sunday Ticket figured I get to spend $10 a game to catch the Lions. Given the value of a Lions game I figure Millen owes me three million dollars over the last five years. So for an extra $6 a game I get to watch them in crystal clear HD. I guess that means I can read the names of the corners that get their asses burnt for TDs.

Back to summer, wow, where did it go? One trip to the midwest, one trip to Lake Chelan, one hike up Little Si, one hike to Denny Creek... AND THAT'S IT? Sheesh feels like I wasted the summer away.

Anyway, some pics of Spencer on his first day of first grade at Cascade View Elementary School.