Catching Up

My last post dates back to June 28. It is currently September 13. Even my poor math skills can deduce that it has been too long between posts for this enterprise to constitute a "living" blog. Offering no excuse other than the same overworked-and-underpaid whirlwind of life situation that most twenty-somethings find themselves in, I will simply use this entry to outline the last couple months' worth of lively happenings that have kept me away from my Web journal. In no particular order:

1. Started a new job in April. Not a dream career, and certainly not the most challenging for my overactive neurons, but a much better (and less abusive) environment and scenario for a transition job until a much-anticipated world traveling excursion in 2012.

2. Discovered prime 4th of July fireworks viewing location from own front porch. After pondering for days where to try to watch fireworks from for our first "free" 4th of July together, Gabe and I realized that our front steps were a perfect viewing location for the downtown display. With candles, a radio, and a bottle of wine, we enjoyed a perfect night at our own home (with fireworks, too)!

3. Attended engagement party in Cape Cod. My future in-laws threw us a lovely engagement party in Cape Cod, during which I got to meet as much of the family as possible in one outing. The affair was beautiful, with a pristine day and delightful company...if only we could have stayed longer.

4. Went to college friend's wedding in Arkansas. Because of the aforementioned new job (read: no vacation time), attending a friend's wedding in Arkansas just one week after the engagement party in Cape Cod was a challenge, but one met with enthusiasm and excitement. Gabe and I drove to Arkansas on Friday, celebrated the wedding festivities on Saturday, and drove back home on Sunday. It was brief but so much fun to connect with all the college girls again. Absolutely worth the trek.

5. Painted a whole house in one weekend. There was no rest for the weary, as the weekend after the wedding in Arkansas saw us washing, sanding, and painting a house that we were planning to move into the following week (yes, you read correctly that we had 4 straight weekends of major events/tasks/physical exertions). It was my idea/desire to paint the walls, as I could not stand the thought of another couple years in a beige and yellow residence. While I am so happy to have color on the walls of our new home, I will not soon forget how much work it is to paint more than one room at a time. 2.5 days and 37 solid working hours later, we had painted the last wall and could finally "relax."

6. "Relaxed" by moving into a new house. Following the painting project, we promptly moved from our downtown condo to a more suburban (but still lively) neighborhood. Our new digs come complete with a real yard, access to a local fitness path, AND the opportunity to get a pet. One of the primary reasons for the move was to enable the pet-getting venture, so our future will soon include a furry friend.

7. Planned the remainder of our upcoming wedding. Actually, this hasn't happened just yet, but it is absolutely the next major thing that needs to get done in our crazy lives. If we don't get on it, our wedding will have great attire, photos, and food, but it will lack an actual ceremony due to not having an officiant, as well as be devoid of flowers, cake, transportation, and invites. Perhaps I should make myself a countdown calendar so that I get scared into being motivated to finish up the details...

While there are countless other activities that have kept me busy the last few months, I think I've hit the highlights above. Here's hoping for a slower pace soon. I won't hold my breath.