September

My son and I escaped the heat by fleeing to the East Coast for most of August, while my husband sweated in the desert. We had a nice time visiting relatives, and I was vastly relieved to find that temperatures are comfortable again now that we're back. I may even get into a routine of daily dog walks. That should help Mungo and me shed some pounds we gained over the summer. I took him for an evening walk a couple nights ago and saw a bat fluttering around the open area right next to our subdivision, presumably catching moths and other bugs. That was neat.

On Saturday, the three of us went to Costco to pick up a few things — they had a sale on mini-SD memory cards, and we wanted a case of water bottles for aristeros' work — and we left with a shopping cart full of items, as usually happens when we visit that store. Which is why I don't like to go there often. aristeros got a new pair of jeans, since he'd ripped a pair, our doodlebug got a big toy truck and a new book, and I got a new backpack with flower-printed fabric. My old backpack dates from 1992, and the zippers don't stay closed anymore. As I told my husband, my spiffy new backpack almost makes me want to go back to school. Almost.

Autumn usually makes me feel a bit more energetic and ready to start new things. Maybe it's from years of optimistic first months of school; maybe it's from growing up in a relatively warm climate, where cooler weather is welcome. In any case, I have loads of housework to do this week, yet at the moment I am still feeling positive.