Fall-ing

It's the start of the change of seasons here in Chicago. The calendar flipped over into September, and suddenly, our nights were 50 degrees. Suddenly, I found myself in long pants, long sleeved shirts, and scarves again. And surprisingly, I didn't mind it.

Not that it is cold or even chilly for good. Yesterday, I wore a tank top and rolled my jeans up to my knees and sweated through everything. But it is in the air. It is crisp. It's time for layers. Putting on my favorite jeans was like saying hello to an old friend.

I've always loved fall. It is rejuvenating, and inspiring to me. I get a lot done in the fall. Yes, it means that winter is around the corner, but I can't even say that I am dreading winter that much, either. (Wow, I just put that in writing.) Things are going great right now for Fuzzy and I, and I am excited to see what the next year is going to bring.  I LOVED this summer. I took it, embraced it, and squeezed every drop out of it. I vacationed with friends, vacationed to see friends, swam in the lake, laughed. wore shorts and skirts every day, triathloned 3 times, did Apes, did some soul searching, and had a blast. I am sorry to see it go. But I am welcoming autumn into our lives with open arms. I am making some major life changes that will give me more time at home, and I can't wait to hunker down and clean out a lot of the clutter and junk that we have in our apartment. I have so many projects going on and am rarely home these days, that I forget how nice it is to have a night off (I made dinner the other night, and it was awesome!) and just be HOME. What better time than winter to settle in a bit.  I am proud of myself for taking these steps to live the life that I want to have.

The only sad thing about the colder weather is that my running days are slowly coming to an end. I sadly can't run comfortably when it is colder than about 50 degrees.  Due to my hyperhidrosis, my body is unable to retain any heat ever, instead sweating it all out right at the start of a run, therefore making the rest of the run incredibly cold, resulting in numb fingers and toes for up to an hour after getting out of the cold. It's stuff I don't want to mess with.  We have a few more on the books, though--the Crypt Run 5k, The Run for Science, Get Your Rear in Gear, for example.  Fuzzy will be training for some major athletic events over the winter (more info to come), and so I will need to find my own ways to stay active. Hopefully that means more dance classes, Pilates, and boxing again. And I've already caught myself talking about next year's triathlon...

So as I look to the seasons and year ahead, I get a smile on my face. After so many years of struggle and heartache due to this, that and the other, it feels so GOOD to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the amazing life that I have.