The morns are meeker than they were. The nuts are getting brown.
Over the last few weeks, it has gone from boiling-hot, 102-degree days to suddenly feeling like FALL! And I don't just mean the cooler temperatures. The sights and sounds of fall have arrived, too. I grew up across right the street from a high school (which I eventually attended) so back-to-school brought some pretty noticeable changes to the neighborhood. There was more traffic, more noise, and kids with backpacks everywhere. Shortly after the new school year began, the school started preparing for the homecoming parade. We could always hear the drumline practicing and the football team grunting and tackling each other. That was the soundtrack to so many fall days, every single year.
Well, the atrocious move that we made earlier this year brought us right next-door to another school (K-8, I think). We're once again overlooking the football field. I wasn't thrilled about this at first (or about anything related to the move) but this school is a lot smaller and the noise isn't as bad. The football games kinda make me feel nostalgic.
We're planning a vacation next month to go to Colorado and see Athena! I could not be more excited! It isn't even about being in Colorado, although I'm sure I'll enjoy that, too; it's about seeing her. I had a dream a few nights ago that she'd picked us up at the Denver airport, and while she was driving us out to the town where she lives, we went over the Golden Gate Bridge. I was very confused because I'd thought the Golden Gate Bridge was in San Fransisco. Athena said that was a very common mistake because it was featured there in the opening of Full House, but it was actually in Denver. I kept saying that it couldn't be the real Golden Gate Bridge because it was inclined, and the real one was level across.
I wonder what that means.
My weekends have been pretty hinky lately. I've gotten into the habit of staying up way too late on Friday night (like, 3-4am), which messes up my sleeping schedule all the way into the work week. I've also been having some sinus pressure/pain and sensitivity to light. Last weekend was really bad. I was outside for a lot of Saturday afternoon working an adoption event with the animal shelter. It was so overcast and the glare was awful. I wore my sunglasses all day, but my eyes still felt so sore and my stomach got all nauseous. I came home and collapsed. Not taking my allergy pills on the weekends probably has something to do with it, and eating/sleeping on such a different schedule. It just doesn't seem like I'm old enough for crap like this yet.
One of my Jewish grandparents from my temple suddenly passed away last weekend. It was so shocking. Nobody at the temple even knew that he was sick. I took off work to go to his funeral one day this week. It was a graveside service in the Jewish section of the same cemetery where they hold the Standing on Their Shoulders service every year. I'd never been to a Jewish funeral before. It felt very meaningful and religious, and I think Al would've appreciated it. We are standing on his shoulders now.
I'm so concerned for his widow, Sharon. They'd been married for almost 40 years, and I don't think any of their kids/grandkids live in the area. I saw her at Shabbat services last Friday -- and like an idiot, I asked how she was doing, which is you should never say to a grieving person! She an Al were two of the first people I'd met when I was new here, and even after I met other people, I always sat with them out of habit. We had both converted and recently moved here from other states. I still can't believe he's gone. Is attending funerals part of getting older? Sigh.
Besides the Autumn poets sing,
A few prosaic days
A little this side of the Snow
And that side of the Haze
Still, is the bustle in the brook
Sealed are the spicy valves -
Mesmeric fingers softly touch
The eyes of many Elves -
Perhaps a squirrel may remain
My sentiments to share -
Grant me, Oh Lord, a sunny mind
Thy windy will to bear!
Well, the atrocious move that we made earlier this year brought us right next-door to another school (K-8, I think). We're once again overlooking the football field. I wasn't thrilled about this at first (or about anything related to the move) but this school is a lot smaller and the noise isn't as bad. The football games kinda make me feel nostalgic.
We're planning a vacation next month to go to Colorado and see Athena! I could not be more excited! It isn't even about being in Colorado, although I'm sure I'll enjoy that, too; it's about seeing her. I had a dream a few nights ago that she'd picked us up at the Denver airport, and while she was driving us out to the town where she lives, we went over the Golden Gate Bridge. I was very confused because I'd thought the Golden Gate Bridge was in San Fransisco. Athena said that was a very common mistake because it was featured there in the opening of Full House, but it was actually in Denver. I kept saying that it couldn't be the real Golden Gate Bridge because it was inclined, and the real one was level across.
I wonder what that means.
My weekends have been pretty hinky lately. I've gotten into the habit of staying up way too late on Friday night (like, 3-4am), which messes up my sleeping schedule all the way into the work week. I've also been having some sinus pressure/pain and sensitivity to light. Last weekend was really bad. I was outside for a lot of Saturday afternoon working an adoption event with the animal shelter. It was so overcast and the glare was awful. I wore my sunglasses all day, but my eyes still felt so sore and my stomach got all nauseous. I came home and collapsed. Not taking my allergy pills on the weekends probably has something to do with it, and eating/sleeping on such a different schedule. It just doesn't seem like I'm old enough for crap like this yet.
One of my Jewish grandparents from my temple suddenly passed away last weekend. It was so shocking. Nobody at the temple even knew that he was sick. I took off work to go to his funeral one day this week. It was a graveside service in the Jewish section of the same cemetery where they hold the Standing on Their Shoulders service every year. I'd never been to a Jewish funeral before. It felt very meaningful and religious, and I think Al would've appreciated it. We are standing on his shoulders now.
I'm so concerned for his widow, Sharon. They'd been married for almost 40 years, and I don't think any of their kids/grandkids live in the area. I saw her at Shabbat services last Friday -- and like an idiot, I asked how she was doing, which is you should never say to a grieving person! She an Al were two of the first people I'd met when I was new here, and even after I met other people, I always sat with them out of habit. We had both converted and recently moved here from other states. I still can't believe he's gone. Is attending funerals part of getting older? Sigh.
Besides the Autumn poets sing,
A few prosaic days
A little this side of the Snow
And that side of the Haze
Still, is the bustle in the brook
Sealed are the spicy valves -
Mesmeric fingers softly touch
The eyes of many Elves -
Perhaps a squirrel may remain
My sentiments to share -
Grant me, Oh Lord, a sunny mind
Thy windy will to bear!