10. Cross-Cultural Wedding

My nephew Matt married a beautiful Chaldean woman in August.  The Mass was fascinating enough in itself, but the reception was an absolute trip, from my Saginaw homies tryin’ to comprehend the humus to Farah’s family doin’ the Middle-Eastern line-dancing thang.  It looks as though Matt’s married into a fabulous culture of partying, which is always cool. 

9.  New CD’s

My track for the summer: “Millennium,” by Robbie Williams, a delightful slice of retro-80’s cheese. Why cool?  Because it proves that there is teen pop after ‘N Sync. 

[Runners-up: “Utopia Parkway” by Fountains of Wayne, “Head Music” by The London Suede, “Play” by Moby, and “Central Reservation” by Beth Orton]

8.  Hanging in A2

I got to hang out in Michigan’s coolest city, Ann Arbor, more than usual this past summer: three-hour power browses at Borders, a picnic in the Arb, breakfast at the Northside.  And several meals at the best deli outside NYC, Zingerman’s.  This is cool because, as you can tell, I am a total A2 snob.

7.  Our Dumb Century

This book is a collection of fake newspaper front pages satirizing the major events of the 20th Century.  Along the way it makes hilarious fun of the sublime (MLK Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech) to the ridiculous (the fashions of the 1970’s).  Cool because I love writing that makes me laugh out loud.

6.  Video Theatre

I spent a good bit of August preparing for a visual culture (films, comics, TV) course I hope to teach next year.  So how cool was it when I discovered a majorly hip video store, like, blocks from my house?  It was really cool, as I rented old movies I’d always wanted to see.  Example: The Big Heat, including the by-now-infamous thug-throws-a-pot-of-scalding-coffee-into-girlfriend’s-face scene.  Now that’s cool!

5.  Target T’s

Pocket t-shirts from Target, $5.99.  In a number of attractive-- and need I say it?-- cool colors.

4.  Pat’s Baby

My best friend Pat and his wife Linda had a baby boy, Jesse Coleman, this past summer.  Julie and I had a little boy, John Edwin (Jack), last May.  Pat and I will be cool old geezer dads together.

3.  Jack and Julie

Jack’s a great baby-- real smiley, good sleeper, great traveler.  Julie, on the other hand, is only the best thing that ever happened to me.

2.  Walter

My #1 son turned two on July 15.  We spent the summer taking walks, checking out the train tracks, going out to the grocery store.  No matter what anyone else thinks, Walter knows I’m cool.  And that is the coolest thing of all.

1.  Remembering Bailey

Bailey, my beautiful three-year-old Brittany, was hit and killed by a car on June 26.  Still, remembering her has been more blessing than curse, which serves as some small consolation during this least cool of all possible summers.