While Waiting For The Laundry To Finish Drying...

 - had a productive weekend.  Cut the grass, got in a good workout at the Y, and did around 17 miles biking on the Katy Trail yesterday.  Was a great day for being outdoors.  Had a great worship time at church today and enjoyed a filling, wholesome brunch cooked up by my lovely girlfriend for me and about 15 of our friends at her place.  A good time was had by all.

- Renee and I are reading the book Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti together.  The book is all about understanding the differences between men and women as they are in relationship together.  We've enjoyed discussed what we've read thus far.

- Have had a lot of time off recently.  My employer's fiscal year ends at the end of September so I'm trying to squeeze in my time off rather than lose it.  Had a full week off couple of weeks ago, took a random Wednesday off last week (useful for things like teeth cleanings and haircuts (been rockin' a buzz cut this summer!)).  Fancy a four-day weekend?? No problem! I'm off today and tomorrow too!  Another couple of days and a last full week and that should do it.  If that sounds like a lot, well, it's really not, I just got an extra week, a FURLOUGH week, thank you, thrown in for good measure.

- Am waiting anxiously for my newest niece/nephew.  The little one is due by this time next week.

-  Show of hands, who watched the Emmy awards?? Me neither.

- Cardinals seem to be imploding right before our very eyes.  They've lost 2 of 3 to the lowly Pirates and 3 of 4 to the lowlier Nationals for a 2-5 road trip so far.  If they lose the upcoming series to the Astros, weeping and gnashing of teeth will start in earnest in Cardinal Nation.

- CDs soundtracking my car trips this weekend - "Live At The Jazz Cafe" by Swing Out Sister and "The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby and the Range.

New Rooms To Explore...

forgive me, Bill Mallonee, for stealing your lyric but it applies so well to the subject of this post...

Yes, I've been exploring some new rooms in my life with the lovely lady sitting next to me in this picture. About 5 weeks ago, the "my friend Renee" mentioned previously in this space became "my girlfriend Renee."  Renee goes to church with me and teaches math at a local high school.  That last little fact is ironic because I, well, did not exactly enjoy math classes during my scholastic career.  It was a classic case of "friends > good friends > why aren't we dating?"  We're enjoying the ride so far and look forward to the days ahead.

A Pause Near Summer's End...

- I am currently on another week's vacation from work....I really don't care for the word 'staycation' so please don't use that within a mile of my current location, mmmmmkay?  Thanks!

- Plans for the week include relaxing, relaxing, and more relaxing.  Beyond that, I'll do the usual bike ride(s) hike(s), long doggie walks, etc... I'd planned to get estimates for some exterior work on the house this week, but that has been put off indefinitely.  A general contractor friend of mine from church was the first to stop by and check out the house yesterday and he discovered some underlying structural defects with the garage and porch framing.  They will need to be fixed before anything else is done.  I'd planned to shop for a new car later this year, maybe not now!

- Speaking of cars, I've got over 130, 000 miles logged on my trusty 2003 Mazda 6 sedan.  Still going relatively strong, it's showing signs of age but still soldiers on.  I'm trying out a new garage for an oil change on Friday.  My friend Stephanie says they do good work.

- Chili-dog passed her annual vet check-up with flying colors at the end of July.  The attending veterinarian remarked that I "obviously take excellent care of her."  Thanks!

- Am taking in another Cardinals game on my season-ticket plan tonight, this time with my dear ol' dad.  I have two more left after tonight.  I've gone to more games than ever before this season and have enjoyed all of them!

- There's been a really positive change happening in my life lately.  Can't talk about it in detail just yet but if you really wanna know, just contact me via the e-mail or other discreet methods.

- Raise your hand if you care that Brett Favre is now coming back to the NFL.  Okay, that's none of you, thanks!