[x] Yesterday it was in the 80's and right now it's 61. I love Chicago weather. Just as I was about to bemoan another day of heat, the switch flipped and it cooled off. Yes! Love, love, love it. I just pulled out all my pumpkin candles and pumpkin spice air fresheners and am basking in the scent of all amazing pumpkin-ness. Ahhh, autumn. How I love you so. Can't wait to do a bit of hiking with the kids. Took some excellent shots of them last year (if you're on my Flickr, you probably saw them eons ago) and I look forward to taking more this year as well. Oh, summer--you won't be missed a bit. Peace out, bia!

[x] K. helped me scrub the house down yesterday and it is pristine (thanks, babe!). I love the feeling of a freshly-cleaned house. I should do one last load of laundry today and maybe bake up a little something, but we'll see how it goes. After the kids have lunch, who knows what the day will hold.

[x] I woke up this morning in a cold sweat after having a terrible nightmare (and not one of the awesome Avenged Sevenfold variety). How I HATE that so! It left me uneasy all morning and I just couldn't get myself resettled and back to sleep. I don't want to rehash it all here, but tonight better be a nightmare-free zone. Seriously.

[x] I need $400.00. But no, it's not for bills. (It would take way more than $400.00 to put all that at ease!) Or I need a vet who's willing to accept payment plans. I have to, have to, HAVE TO get Fourth Meal in before the weather turns cold. And that means she needs to get fully vetted and spayed. Factor in a three day stay at the animal hospital, and the average price I've been quoted is $400.00. UGH. She is a tiny cat--maybe four or five pounds--and watching her shiver in the wind, hide from the rain and wait ever-so-patiently at the door for the only food she probably receives...it just breaks my heart. She is NOT feral in the least. She lets me pet her willingly and purrs like a machine when I do. Oh, Fourth Meal. How your situation crushes me so...

[x] I feel (in part) like I am living in a state of suspended animation. Maybe that's not all that unlikely, seeing how I feel we're always on the cusp of some potential life-changing event. Sometimes I'm right, and other times...not so much. Sometimes said event(s) are positive and other times...not so much. So why do I always feel this state of suspension? I think it's partially due to the fact that I am an obsessive planner. No, really. If I could plan for events eight years from now, I would. I really need to actively hone my focus to living in the now. I've gotten a bit better with it, but it's still very much a work in progress.

[x] Hmmm...thinking about roasting some chickpeas today in addition to baking something, but I almost hate to knock out the heavenly aroma of pumpkin all over this joint. I was going to venture out to Starbucks today as it is very much a pumpkin spice latte sort of afternoon, but I'm going to wait until tomorrow. Man, when that first sip of a PSL hits my mouth, it's like heaven in a cup in my hot little hands. So there's that.

[x] As usual, I'm behind on emails, phone calls, text messages, facebook messages, and the like. If you're out there and waiting for me, I promise I didn't forget about you. I'm just a bit slow in my response time. I often feel the internet keeps us *too* connected. But that's a tangent for another day. 

Signing off for now...

<3