Looking forward to autumn....

I am REALLY looking forward to the fall.  I can't believe it's going to be almost 90 for the next few days.  I'm so over it.  I'm ready for cool weather and rain!  At least I can run in that kind of weather.  I have slacked off SO bad this summer.  I am just not designed for heat.

I have a few races in my sights.  The first one is at the end of September - it looks like a lot of fun.  It's about 45 minutes from my house, but it's at a fall festival and I am SO into fall celebrations.  I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, but the fall is my FAVORITE time of year!  I LOVE the crisp air, the smell of fresh apples and mowed hay.  I LOVE picking pumpkins and sewing my kids' Halloween costumes.  I LOVE the colorful leaves and the hayrides.  Most people get "twitterpated" in the spring, but not me.  I am completely in love with the fall!  That and it marks the return of running weather!  Well, I got a bit off track there.  The second race I have in mind is on Thanksgiving.  I may try to squeak another race in between somewhere but it all depends on finances.  I have always wanted to run a Turkey trot - BIG time.  I always thought it was cool to run and then eat like a pig. HA!  I LOVE harvest decorations and the comforting smell of roasting turkeys and pork and roasted veggies.  Wow - can you tell I'm ready for summer to end?

I finally started the medication for my trigeminal neuralgia.  So far it has been working pretty well.  I've only had a handful of pains and they were really much less intense than usual.  The only thing that sucks is how freaking tired I feel on this stuff.  I don't know if I can take this when I'm home with the kids.  Mom and Pete are here and I just keep falling asleep.  I'm not even taking the full dose yet.  Sheesh.  I hope this side effect eventually wears off and I can still function as a normal human being on this stuff.  It's SO nice to not have pains in my face all the time!!

Mom goes home tomorrow.  I am heartbroken.  I am really dreading saying goodbye because I know I'm going to cry.  It's going to be really hard to say goodbye.  Especially since we never know when we will get to be together again.  I miss her already.

We spent the last 3 days at the coast.  It was a LOT of fun!  One really cool thing - we stopped at the outlet stores just for the fun of it and I thought - what the hell, I'll try on some jeans at the Gap.  In my mind - the Gap is for skinny chicks.  I have never owned Gap anything in my entire life.  Guess what?  I am NOW the proud owner of a Gap sweatshirt!  WHAT??!?!!  I also tried on a pair of Gap jeans and what do you know?  They fit?!  I didn't buy them because I couldn't justify spending that much on jeans - especially when they won't be fitting me for long!   We also checked out the Eddie Bauer store.  I have always said that I would wear Eddie Bauer clothes if I was ever thin and wealthy. HA!  I have just always gravitated toward the New England style of clothes.  It just fits my personality.  I am in desperate need of a winter coat this year.  I have a fleece jacket - but it's a 4x and it looks like I'm wearing a tarp now. HA!  I tried on some coats at Eddie Bauer and THEY FIT!  HOW AWESOME!  I didn't buy one - but maybe I will think about hitting the outlet again before the cold weather sets in.

We had a GREAT time at the beach.  I have a bunch of great pics that I will put on here on Thursday.  I want to get back to my Mom right now.  Susie was walking in on the beach for her first time and she was having a blast.  She tripped and fell on her face and JUST as she fell, a wave of really cold water came up and washed over her up to her neck.  OMG was she pissed!  I don't blame her - it was COLD!  It was funny though - we were laughing so hard.  I told me Mom that it wasn't nice to throw the baby into the ocean like that. HA!  We had tears in our eyes.  I guess you had to be there - it was hilarious!   We walked around the quaint little town - that is always fun!  Lots of little artsy shops to look in.  Of COURSE we stopped and had some handmade ice cream.  We ate like crap the whole time - but I'm cool with it.  I don't get to have fun with my Mom very often!  OOH and one other cool thing.... I tried on a pair of size 16 jeans and THEY FIT!  They were a little too snug to actually wear around - but they fit!  I don't know if they are a bigger size 16 or what - but still!  Just the fact that then went on and buttoned without too much coercion! HA!!

Ok - I'm off to be with Mom!  Thanks for reading!  Have a WONDERFUL night! -Monica