monday

status check - good, tired
background ambiance - typical

so tired i'm wired. the activity-filled weekend flew by in a blur of river-exploring, downtown-walking and cocktail-sipping, leaving me amazed at how quickly it went by - and drained. in that good, productive, had a fun time sort of way.

there's something about introducing where you live to someone who's never been there before - you gain a renewed sense of appreciation for those items and elements you generally take for granted. it's a nice feeling - you can sit back at the end of the visiting and realize that things here are pretty alright afterall. and your wanderlust tendancies are temporarily abated.

autumn arrived on saturday. it was a surprisingly pronounced entrance - i went to sleep in lightweight long-sleeves weather and woke up in dire need of my sweater stash. i noticed for the first time that the green tree leaves are lined in red and amber. and i felt the first need to enjoy a meal outside with a nice warm mug of beverage - hot cider, no less. i was pleased to realize my favorite season has begun, but saddened at the same time. autumn is always bittersweet, as you know the winter aches and pains will follow the crisp, rosy-cheeked delights of fall.

but it was a grand weekend to spend exploring - mother nature cooperated with our agenda beautifully. for once. and casa de racca was filled with voices and laughter - can't go wrong there. friendly faces. reunions hundreds of miles from the original meeting places. technicolor sunset over the lake and the taste of sugar on the rim of my cocktail glass - not too shabby at all. thanks for the fun times.

as for now, i'm turning my attention to the second part of my split newsday. when regular work comes to a close, i'll enjoy some live music, as well as the fact that i'll be able to write about it tomorrow and ultimately see it in print.