Moving too fast.

I've had so much to do lately that I've neglected my blog. And I promised myself I would never do that. I am hopeful that things will calm down a little in the next few weeks, which will allow me to collect my thoughts and write regularly again.

I am doing fine, thank goodness - work is extremely busy but it makes the days go fast. Rob and I will be celebrating our ninth wedding anniversary this Wednesday (nine years already?) and are heading to Tahoe next weekend to celebrate. It should be a lot of fun - a rotation of gambling and eating is on the agenda, and who knows what else.

Hope all is well with everyone out there, and I promise, I have not forgotten about you.

So long, summer

So here we are, Labor Day weekend. The "official" last weekend of summer (even though fall doesn't start until September 22nd). I'm always sad to see the summertime end - there's a certain sense of ease and relaxation that comes with summer, and it always disappears in the fall. I can always tell when the weather is getting ready to change, because the air in the morning smells remarkably different. I know for sure fall is coming when I smell that unmistakable morning smell - it's the smell that, to this day, still turns my stomach a little bit - not because of the odor, but because of the strong connection I established with the first day of school. I always used to get nervous on the first day of school, but for some reason, the smell of the morning air always made it worse. It reminded me that summer was definitely gone and fall was on its way; that the carefree days of sleeping in, running through sprinklers and eating popsicles were being replaced with homework, getting up early and new teachers.

When I left for work this morning at 6am, I noticed as soon as I opened the garage door that the smell had returned, thus signaling the beginning of the end of summer.

Isn't it incredible how your brain attaches memories to scents? The human body never ceases to amaze me.

Whoa.

Where is the time going? Seriously? We were talking today at work about ideas for Halloween costumes.

Will someone please take their finger OFF the fast forward button that seems to be stuck this year?

Actually, I'm happy that this year is more than halfway over - it's been a tough year for so many people I know and I'm ready for a new beginning.

And I just realized...4 months from today is Christmas Day! I'm simultaneously excited and exhausted thinking about that.

So is it just me, or does anyone else think this year has gone faster than most?

Post-vacation doldrums.

Have you ever had a vacation so wonderful that you literally forget all of your troubles and cares? That the rest of the world seems to disappear and all that exists is you and the place you're visiting? I was lucky enough to have a vacation like that last week. And as you can imagine, coming back down to reality was not easy.

My family and I went to our usual summer vacation destination (Riverlane Resort in Guerneville) for our annual one week stay last week. Every year is always an escape for all of us - to reconnect with each other and just focus on our family - but this year, it seemed like more of an escape than ever. Because this year has been especially challenging, I think everyone was so ready for a break that the vibe just picked me up and carried me away. For a brief moment, I actually forgot the name of the software system we're implementing at work. And I've been working on this project for six months now. It only took a matter of days for me to wipe it from my memory. Which made it all the more hard to come back. Here are some of the things that made it so great:

• I had a mocha almost every morning.
• My mom and I went to Freestone one morning and bought freshly baked bread and scones. Nothing better than fresh baked goods and ocean weather.
• It was 85 degrees and warm for most of the week.
• I ate pate' and brie cheese for the first time together on some bread at the suggestion of my uncle. In an effort to try new things, I was happy that I did. It was pretty delicious.
• I danced to Earth Wind and Fire's song September at the miniature golf course.
• I walked mostly every morning.
  
• I took a nap mostly every morning after my walk.
• I didn't dry my hair most of the week (except for my bangs, which are a fright if I don't).
• I didn't wear a watch.
• I didn't use the microwave.
• I sang along with Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson at a bar after having had a martini and a rum and coke (I am a lightweight and it does not take much to make me tipsy).
• I ate veggie sandwiches for lunch almost every day.
• A few of us went to the Russian River Pub and ate DELICIOUS food.
• We goofed off and took a zillion funny pictures. I love my digital camera.
  
• I ate two truffles.
• I took pictures of most everything I ate and all the animals I saw. (A separate post will follow with some of those pictures.)
  

I also went horseback riding with some friends of our family (Jacqui and her children Jenna and Vaughn, who we met at the resort a few years back and became instant honorary members of our family), and it was both spectacular and terrifying. I had forgotten just how high up you are when you're on a horse, and before the ride began, we were given a plethora of lessons on how to direct the horse, most of which I forgot by the end of the demonstration. I have never been more scared in my life - I thought for sure I was going to spend 2 1/2 hours guiding a horse, which I was not good at, and somehow end up lost or injured. Jacqui almost backed out herself - it sounded like it was going to be too much to handle. We decided to go for it, and I am so glad that we did. Although riding a horse uphill and downhill is scary (I said a little prayer every time we went down a hairpin turn), the experience was amazing and beautiful. The lookout point we stopped at was breathtaking. The horses were well-behaved and very gentle. What they did not tell us was that the horses knew the trail we were on like the back of their hoof (ha!), and I ended up having to do very little guiding - he knew exactly what to do. Once I figured that out, it was smooth sailing. This is what it looked like at the top:













Pretty spectacular.


And here's one of me with my horse, Sidney:

















I apparently am so boring that my horse is falling asleep standing up.

My husband pointed out that this was the first excursion of its kind that I took without any members of my family going with me. But I felt so comfortable with Jacqui and her kids that it didn't bother me at all.

Although it was incredibly difficult to come home this year, I'm back into the swing of things for the most part and readjusting to my normal life. I still pine for vacation, but what comforts me is the reservation we've already made for next year.

And knowing that next year will be just as good, if not better, than this year.

Still here.

I haven't a clue as to what to write about. I am completely blank right now but at least wanted to say hello and yes, I am still here. As soon as I think of something creative/clever/entertaining, I will come back and tell you aaaaall about it.

See you soon!

Reality television finally pays off...sort of.

I've always been rather indecisive, which to me is a very annoying personality trait. I can't make a lot of snap decisions, and I tend to overthink things waaaaay too much, which results in a lengthy decision making process for everything. I doubt myself so much that it clouds my head. I've been struggling with this a lot lately, and on my way home yesterday, I had an odd realization. Whenever I watch reality television shows and someone has to make a difficult decision, I'm usually pretty good at being objective and realizing the best course of action. So when I'm faced with a challenging situation, all I have to do is think, "If I were watching myself talk about this on TV right now, what would I be telling the television?"

I guess it's my way of stepping back from the situation to take a look at the bigger picture. Weird, but as I always say, whatever works.

Where will I be on July 14th at 7:30?

Seeing Coldplay in concert with my friend Cam. And I cannot wait! I've never seen them in concert before, but I'm sure it's going to be amazing. It'll be a great way to kick off vacation. I totally forgot about it until a couple of days ago - it's nice to have something else to look forward to.

I will try and take pictures, or I will just have to try and describe the awesomeness of it all.

I'd also like to throw a note on stage requesting that Chris Martin talk to his wife about her horrible pretentiousness, but I still have to figure that one out.