The 43

Took a couple months off from blogging ... Fall has been busy. Busy, but not entirely stressful. Work kicked into high gear right at the beginning of September. This is what I was looking forward to when my role changed, so that's why I haven't been stressed. I'm still sleeping well. Every day is busy, but not soul-crushing. There are good days and bad, but I'm so much happier than I was six months ago. Summer ended, and it was back to a routine that was bound to be busier, not just because of school, but also because summer tends to be slower at work. Then the Cubs made the playoffs and I watched 17 games over the past month. Lori was out of town for a few days, and everything seemed a bit less productive, a bit less structured. But I finally feel like I'm coming up for air. This next week will be busy, for sure, but I'm optimistic about it. Today was my 46th birthday. The Cubs won the World Series last week, and Lori and the boys bought me championship g...

The sun was too warm today, but I'm going to blame it on my cold. They day was bright and hot -- and the right way to officially call it a summer. I am still a bit under the weather and tired, and when I went in to co-op, the P.E. teacher told me to take the afternoon off. I found a shady spot at a nearby park to chill, and eventually Lori joined me and we talked for a while. I took Michael home from school, grilled a tri-tip roast we cut up for dinner, partook in a quick fantasy football draft, Ben and I tried Perquackey , and walked the dog. I tried sitting in the sun, but again, it was too warm, and being too warm with a cold can be just as miserable as being too cold. And now I sit on my porch, writing about Day 119, the last day of summer. Besides saying it went to fast, I never felt really settled in, could never get a routine going. That's part of the transition I talked about before, and now that summer is over, I'm starting to find my groove. That said, there w...

Well, I couldn't escape summer without one cold. There were a couple days I felt nasally but nothing came of it. I saw Lori and Ben get minor colds but avoided one myself. I had that stomach bug a couple months ago, but it only lasted a day. I made it through Thursday and Friday last week, enjoyed the pool Saturday, and was fine. Sunday, I was a little tired but still was ready to take on the world. Then, about 2 p.m., I felt that little congestion in the back of my sinuses, and a little drip into my throat. I started my anti-cold assault (Cold-Eze, Tylenol, Chlor-Trimeton) almost immediately, but to no avail. I woke up in the middle of the night with a bad sore throat from the drip, and the cold was officially in progress. Monday was a bit rough but I did manage to get out of the house -- we all went to Savers to buy pants for our growing boys. I restocked on tissues and throat drops at Walmart on the way back. Today wasn't so bad -- I was tired but not wrecked, and the ...

We're definitely in the homestretch. Still jumped in the pool today because it was hot -- and that felt summer. I won't sugarcoat it: The last few days have been busy. I am in a jam-packed stretch of deadlines at work, but I'm not stressed -- I'm enjoying the work and am still in such a better place than six months ago. It feels a little, well, stifling because I'm still figuring out the work/life balance now that school has started again, but I'm confident I'll get there. School is progressing for the boys. Basketball and swim are going to start up again soon, and we just had our first soccer practice Tuesday. I ran for the first time in months Sunday, and it felt good, but I still feel pudgy. But at least I'm getting some sort of exercise every day. Saturday, the boys' school hosted a sort of scavenger hunt, and Ben and I walked all over the Avenues for two hours -- it was quite a workout. Today, Ben had a playdate after school, so Michael an...

Well, that was a quick first week ... I spent the week trying to get my footing between work and the boys back in school again. I sort of did, but am confident next week will be easier. After all, I was also trying to bounce back from vacation as well -- it was a tricky combination to navigate. There were some bright spots: Ben and I played four games of Star Realms on Wednesday. For not playing many boardgames the past several months, this felt wonderful. I need to keep striving to find time for this, and to somehow pull Michael in. The weather is cooler; we've been able to turn the air off at night and open the windows. Initial co-oping shifts went well. Lori, Ben and I went for pizza tonight while Michael was a at birthday pool party.  I'm on the porch tonight with a glass of wine. I finished watching the first season of "Stranger Things." My only gripe was that it went by too fast. But I'm happy it's the weekend, and I'm planning to make the...

Today was the first day of school for the boys. Ben had a great day; Michael's was average (or so he says -- he's definitely still tired about the trip, and bummed that two of his best friends aren't back for this year). I stepped into the school and Ben's classroom and felt a little invigorated -- everything looked vibrant and enthusiastic.Nine months of endless possibilities lie ahead. I went to Sugar House Coffee to work their day began, then worked from home in the backyard the rest of the day. I felt productive too, something I struggled with a little this summer amid the constant driving around. Lori made pasta for dinner, and Ben and I played a game of Star Realms before I took the dog for an hourlong walk

I'm not declaring summer over yet, but the school break part of it ends in the morning. The boys are back in school in about nine hours after another long yet fast, busy yet glorious summer. There weren't too many last-day-of-summer urgencies today. Both boys are still a little worn out from the trip. Michael had a basketball workout this morning; Ben hung out with his best friend. We watched the Olympics and "The Simpsons." I took Ben and Popcorn for a little hike to the H Rock to watch the sunset, and Ben met a new friend -- a 10-year-old girl named Cathy, but whom he called Christina when he said goodbye (that's going to get him in big trouble someday ...). We Skyped with my dad, and the boys went to bed soon afterward. I'm out on the porch after watching some classic music videos I had DVRd. Though I'm sad to see summer come to an end, I'm craving the return to a routine. I reset my job, pretty much my life, right at the end of the school yea...