it's the little things...

Could we be having better weather? And our 10-day forecast? Ten good days. How miraculous is that? Sigh... Are there places where the daily high is a sunny 77 and the low is a crisp 55 all year long? If so, could I live there? Lately? You get to wear tall boots and sweaters. You can work in the yard without heatstroke. You can eat things like soup and chili without feeling ridiculous (or turning down the air). You can open the doors and windows and air out the house. You can be enveloped by the cool, dry breeze. It makes me happy. In other news, I'm painting my bedroom. It's my biggest room and has lots of weird angles. Been a bit slow going. I've been a little torn about the color but when I walked in this morning I was pleased. It seems so fresh and airy. You'll just have to wait for the finished product. I have pretty much made it through October. What a hellacious travel month. So now I'm also giddy that I'll be home a bit more through the

Last night was one of the big, local singles events. I did not go. I had no need to go. This could not make me happier.

There's this organization I've been wanting to volunteer with for years. I'm talking maybe 7 years. It's a non-profit that helps kids (and their parent(s)) who have lost a sibling or parent. They help them deal with grief and realize they're not alone in this. Obviously, this is something to which I have personal connection. Many things have kept me from volunteering before--not knowing if I've dealt with my own stuff enough to help others' deal with theirs, working two jobs, transitioning into this whole travel lifestyle thing. But I guess since I was working with children and/or had many other goals I was working toward, I could keep putting it off. It's not like I've been sitting around reveling in all my free time. Lately, though, I've felt a little goal-less. In the best possible way. Things are good in so many areas of my life. No balls are waiting to be thrown in the air; they just need a little maintenance to keep them there. My

10 Favorite Halloween Candies Candy corn! That's it. Who needs anything else besides candy corn?! The sad thing is, I haven't had any yet this season. My other favorite Halloween/fall food items are popcorn balls and caramel apples. Oooh, there's a place here (on the road) that makes some fantastic caramel apples. Maybe I'll get me one this week. And, I don't know if you've noticed, but it's slightly cooler outside. Yea!

Do you ever make jokes that people don't get? How about jokes that people don't even realize are jokes? How about you're doing a presentation and you make a joke and then move on and then later the audience giggles just realizing you're joking? Yeah, me neither. We've had a gathering of sorts of our business unit. Over 1,000 people. Small, intimate little affair. The main presentations felt like those giant mega-churches. Lots of music and special effects lighting. It's been very surreal. Just need to make it through until noon tomorrow. Then it's a leisurely remainder of my time here, soaking up some sun. Oooh, ahhh...

Is it me or is it actually not humid here today?! Could this be the beginning of fall? I've realized that my summer is just coming later. Remember how all we had was rain during the weeks that we should have been able to play outside? Now we should be in sweaters but could instead play outside? Over the next two weekends I'll be in Orlando and South Padre. Yea for summer, delayed though it may be. The Boy is now officially The Boyfriend. Did you squeal just a little right then? Me, too. And? And! I just found out I passed my certification exam! Woohoo!

10 Things that Worry Me I'm not really feeling it with these topics lately. Is it just me or do they seem a little on the negative side? I guess last week's TV topic was ok but this one is going to stress me out. I worry about hurricane season. Thankfully, this year has been pretty good so far. Lots of named storms but nothing that has impacted us. I knew that living so close to the coast in a house I actually own (as much as one owns a house with a 30-year mortgage...make that 29.5 year...) would cause me a little more concern. I know it's "just a house" but so much hard work has gone into it, both to get me here and to whip it into shape. Lately I've been worrying a bit about flying. You'd think that since I fly so much I wouldn't get freaked out by that at all. Not so. I'm usually fine and what thoughts I have to the contrary are generally fleeting. I think part of this is because I've had two delayed flights recently due to mechanical iss

Instead of sleeping in for the cure (which you can do by just donating money), my friend and I woke up dark and early this morning to walk the Susan G. Komen 5k. The Boy ran it because, let's face it, he's good like that. It was really amazing to see so many people out for the cause. To see so many survivors. Bubba's Fam, totally thinking of you all. The rest of the day has been spent getting a little R&R including catching up on Grey's and crossing some things off lists. I have been in desperate need of this time... I also jotted down a few things in my old-fashioned, bound, paper journal. I re-read the last entry (or two) whenever I write in there since it's so infrequently. It is amazing to see how far you can come. I've also been thinking today about how easily one can fall back into one's old habits. I wish it were the good ones but it seems the bad ones are easier to fall into. Can people change? Sure. How could my answer be otherwise h

I've been thinking about the blog lately. Things have been really busy around here with work and traveling (a bit more than normal) and adjusting to having a man friend all without neglecting the other people in my life. Sort of. Yeah, still not feeling balanced. Feeling happy just not balanced. So with all this, the blog gets neglected. I've been doing well to keep up with Tuesdays and maybe one post in between. Perhaps you've noticed? It's not like I don't have things going on in my head. It's often very loud in here. It's just that I'm not sure what I want to share. I know I've mentioned before that I've kept journals for most of my life. Since I started blogging, I've made maybe one or two entries in a private journal. I either feel comfortable enough to share with everyone or I don't write it down at all. Seems like I'm missing things there... How about y'all? Do any of you (bloggers or no) keep a private journal? ----- And s

10 Television Shows I'd Like to Have on DVD The topic could also include DVDs I already own. I don't own any TV DVDs. Gift ideas, anybody? Sex and the City --Because who wouldn't want it? Friends --Like I need to quote it any more often. Grey's Anatomy --Still going but I really enjoyed the first few seasons. The X Files --For old (college) time's sake. Dawson's Creek --I know; I'm sorry. Please don't stop reading my blog. My So-Called Life --Because I loved it and was very sad when it was over. Gilmore Girls --Since it's over now. How sad... Northern Exposure --Again, reminds me of college. Six Feet Under --I never saw any of this series but wanted to... Twin Peaks --I'd like to see it again as an adult. I'm sure I'm missing something. What would you pick?