August, and summer, coming to a close

I'm very happy to see this month end. I've never been a fan of August, something to do with the really hot, humid weather, the smells of tar and asphalt on the road while running, and the back-to-school-ness of it all. I just don't like it.

In addition to those general August dislikes, this August has been the busiest month of our year. Kyle's work schedule has been out of control including a week-long business trip to Vegas and several really, really long days of "oh yeah, you have to stay for 3 or 4 more hours to finish this assignment today" type of situations. He also was called in on a Sunday and put in a 13 hour day. Yuck. In addition to those trying circumstances, he's had a lot of fun, too: a bachelor party in St. Louis and a wedding in Lafayette gave him more friend-time than he's had all year, probably. I'm fairly certain he loved it. He continues to be involved in the fire department here in town, too, which always leads to something to do.

I started back to work at the beginning of this month, which happened to be prior to the end of my second summer class. So I've been juggling work, school, papers, and household chores all month. I was very much looking forward to the two weeks off between summer class and the start of fall semester, but alas, it was not to be. Our professor for the fall assigned us 11 chapters of reading prior to Day 1 of class (which is Monday). This week, I had a 2-day faculty retreat on Lake James (northern IN). I was not looking forward to it, but, to my own shame and astonishment, I enjoyed it. I say shame because I know I should be more open to things, but really, all I wanted to do was hang out with Kyle for the few hours we get during the week. Especially considering how this month has gone. But the weather was lovely and cool, and I was able to find some very enjoyable people to chat with.

Today is freshman move-in day on campus. Everything's buzzing. Lots of parents, lots of students. I think this semester is going to fly past, but I'll keep it as long as I can. I'm really excited for football season, hot cider, crisp fall afternoons and evenings, and wearing sweatshirts. We also have some fun weddings to attend (4 over the course of the semester).

I guess I'm ready. I could have used two more weeks of recoup time, but this is real life, and I feel you never get rested as much as you need.

A Happy Fall to you!