The best day of summer

If this past weekend were a dessert, it'd be a heaping scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream topped with whipped cream, a cherry, and sprinkles. That should accurately convey how good it was. Thanks to Wheat's crazy schedule with the Pacers and Fever, he gets a few Fridays off and we took full advantage of our long weekend together. We kicked it off right on Thursday when we decided on a whim to check out the weekly rooftop party at Regions Tower. It happened to be Casino Night, so we listened to live music and enjoyed the gorgeous view while playing some roulette. Fortunately, we were playing with fake money, so it didn't hurt quite as bad when we lost $1,000.

On Friday, Wheat delivered on planning a fun, active date by leading us on an awesome scavenger hunt through the city. After printing the clues provided by Urban Quest, we embarked on a two-hour adventure that took us to various monuments downtown in order to collect clues and solve puzzles. It was a scorching hot day, so I didn't complain when we stopped halfway for lunch at The Old Spaghetti Factory with a couple good friends from grad school. However, with just one clue remaining in our scavenger hunt, we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of a torrential thunderstorm. Despite our best efforts at finding shelter, we got completely drenched and slogged our way back home to the sound of cracking thunder.

If asked to describe my perfect summer day, I wouldn't hesitate to point to Saturday. Jenn arrived in the early afternoon and the three of us indulged in a delicious brunch at Mesh. My short rib grilled cheese, which I would hardly classify as brunch, was sandwich perfection. We followed our meal with a couple hours at the pool before heading over to Klipsch for a special evening with Dave Matthews Band.

In full disclosure, this was my 21st DMB concert and they just keep getting better. We staked out a spot on the lawn, bought some concessions, and prepared for an incredible two-set show. The acoustic set featured Dave in all his singer-songwriter glory, but the electric set that followed absolutely brought the house down. I danced, sang, played air saxophone and violin, and soaked in every second. The forecast called for rain, but it somehow missed us. We could, however, see constant flashes of lightning in the distance. That, paired with all the glow sticks and cell phone lights, made for a visual experience that almost rivaled the music. Here was the setlist:

Rye Whiskey
Spoon
Bartender
One Sweet World
Satellite
Tripping Billies
Recently
Raven
What Would You Say

Stay (Wasting Time)
#41
Don't Drink the Water
Be Yourself
Burning Down the House - Talking Heads cover
Lying in the Hands of God
Save Me
Granny
Virginia in the Rain
Crush
Belly Belly Nice
Louisiana Bayou
Jimi Thing

So Much to Say
Anyone Seen the Bridge
Too Much (fake)
Ants Marching (fake)
Halloween

As if the night could get any better, Jenn bought me a gorgeous pink rose and we somehow beat the traffic out in record time. Sunday, Jenn and I went to the gym for a bit before completely negating our hard work with Yats for lunch. I regret nothing. We talked all things wedding for a bit before she headed home and Wheat and I promptly fell asleep. Upon waking up, I decided to check something else off my Summer Bucket List and went for dinner at Indy's famous vintage drive-in, Mug 'n Bun. With the exception of the delicious corn nuggets, the greasy food was just okay, but the retro charm and old-school car-side service made up for that.

With what I always call "the best day of summer" (the day Jenn and I see DMB) behind me, I'm already starting to look forward to fall. I'd like to say I simply can't wait to hear wedding bells, but in complete honesty, I just don't think I can handle any more of these 90º days. We've finally entered the dog days, friends.

What does your perfect summer day entail?