This feels like a strange day in the summer, with a holiday yesterday (Fourth of July) and the weekend starting tonight. This is similar to the Friday after the US Thanksgiving holiday, which is usually a day when very little gets accomplished in most offices. I'll be a little more productive at home than I would be in an office, but I'll still have a bit of a holiday lull from yesterday and a weekend coming up. Actually, maybe I'll get plenty done since I'm sure my body is tired after working on driveway maintenance and (hopefully) rebuilding a trailer hub. (If you haven't guessed, I'm writing this before the break)

It's the start of the second half of the year and a time when many people take holidays. Schools are usually on break, so families often look to travel somewhere. Some of us might take a staycation, catching up on projects at home. I know I'll be doing that a bit this summer as a busy first half of the year has me way behind on a number of maintenance items and projects.

We all need a break, so this week I'm asking you what things you might do this summer with friends and family that provide a welcome distraction from work. I'm assuming you'll have some time off, even if it's just a weekend, so share a fun event or activity you're looking forward to enjoying.

With my kids getting older, we rarely get together. Even on some of the smaller holidays, my son won't come home from university. If we do get together, it's often just a meal, though we did have a fun afternoon of bocce after my daughter's graduation from high school. Maybe we'll get out this weekend and do that again.

My wife, kids, and I love music. Some of us play instruments, some of us sing, but we enjoy hearing music all the time. We also enjoy movies, and last year my family when to see Bohemian Rhapsody, which was amazing. The music is great and I recommend this entertaining and enjoyable film. We also saw Rocketman recently, a good, but sad film for me to watch. Perhaps we'll all go see Yesterday this weekend since we enjoy the music of The Beatles. We've been Marvel fans, so I'm sure Spider-Man is on our agenda. This particular reboot is my favorite so far, so that's a possibility as well. We might have a bit of a debate on which to go see or just go see both.

I've gotten away from most sporting events and live concerts at event centers due to the time commitments (and cost). These days my wife and I may go see a local musician or a comedy act, but more often than not a movie (at home or out) is a way we escape from some of the pressures of life.

Hopefully you have something you're looking forward to, so let us know today how you'll brighten up your summer months.