Sooooo.....we've been back for a week now. Things have been good. Am just now starting to get the house somewhat picked up. Got all of the silverware washed yesterday and ate my cereal with my new cutesy crate and barrel tiny spoon just now. There is still so much to do - so much to clean and put away and take to Goodwill and so forth. But, I am so much happier now that we're not on a strict schedule any longer and can do all of these things at my leisure.

Have been able to work out again which has been therapeutic. Those first couple of runs went horribly, but it picked up by the end of the week and I had a great run this morning. Well, ok, not great by the standards I set earlier this year, but great considering how long I took off. Unfortunately, Eliza Doolittle pre Henry Higgans was also working out. She's an incredibly fit older lady with an accent so necky that it doesn't sound like English. I was able to understand "buy-uck" as "back" and "die-oon" as "down". Now, you're probably thinking, "Geez, Stacey was listening in on someone's conversation at livewell..." but no, I must clarify. EVERYONE in livewell was listening to Soddy Eliza bec she was SO FREAKING LOUD. She made horrendous animal grunts and groans - and these were just in the middle of her conversation with some random man - not grunts and groans bec she was lifting something incredibly heavy. Someone needs to teach her to use an inside voice. And proper speaking.

The weather here has been beautiful this week. What a wonderful weekend to have the holiday. Ben started doing some landscaping to the front of the house - he's putting in a retaining wall and a flower bed. I think it was very creative on his part. Maybe when it's done I'll post a pic.

I tried to add a few more pics just now of the honeymoon but blogger is misbehaving. We don't really have many - how many pics of us lying on the beach can we really take?

Had a very much needed shopping frenzy on Saturday - did obtain new knee high black boots to replace my worn out ones, but failed in the chocolate brown boot category. Thank you Ann Taylor for the black ones, though. Saw the cutest black velvet military style cropped jacket - but sometimes it's so hard to spend as much as they want, isn't it? Anyway, need to put in an order to J.Crew, as well - and I thought that my expenses would die down after the wedding was over!

Ah, but isn't it lovely to be free? I was driving home from work on Friday afternoon staring at three wonderful guilt free, stress free days ahead of me and smiled. How wonderful it is to just be back to normal - with no school and no wedding planning hanging over my head. This is the first Columbus Day that I have spent not doing school work in years. Oh, happy times!

If only it could stay this way forever! Beautiful weather and a beautiful life (because I do understand now that there is in fact a newlywed phase that is complete bliss). Unfortunately, though, the cold is coming. :-( I had to wear shoes - actual shoes with actual socks - on Saturday. Yuck! My feet were suffocating by the end of the day. I wish I lived somewhere that flip flops and sandals were the norm year round.

Ben doesn't want to do any hiking this year. That also gets a :-( . Even though I don't particularly care for the fall (bec it leads into the winter), I must admit I've rather enjoyed all of the hikes we've done in the past years - such a great workout, and the views are amazing when you climb a moutain, aren't they? Unless the smog comes in. Hehe.

Uh-oh...dryer stopped...must get to the laundry...