Where oh where has the summer gone? To bed, I hope, to have sweet dreams in hibernation until next June…the past few days have been November chilly, cloudy and rainy..the kind of days where you want to drink hot ginger lemon honey tea and sprawl out on the couch or bed and finishing reading that really good book you started in Arizona and can’t seem to put down because you NEED to know what happens next to Harriet and Hely (The Little Friend by Donna Tartt). But alas, you have to drag yourself into work where you really don’t feel like doing much more than staring out the window, watching the rain and the clouds and feeling pleased because its not hot out…but alas again, the forecast is for summer to come back this weekend, with temperatures back in the 90’s so you better enjoy this autumn preview while it lasts. And so I have. But at least August, crappy hot August is almost over, Labor Day is near, and that means summer is done for another year and I can get back to being cutely bundled in my fall and wintery gear.

I have to admit, I’m kind of tired and grumpy today. I slept horribly last night. I had a dream about my dog, Salty, the kind of dream where you feel like you are truly awake; she was laying on the bed and I could feel her snuggling up next to me and then I bolted straight up in bed and really woke up because that sensation startled me and I felt that pressure and warmth of her leave as if she jumped off the bed. Weird, right? It was oddly comforting too though because her presence seemed very real but then I felt sad about it when I woke up this morning because it made me think of her right before she died and then my cat Bianca too, how she was right before we had to put her to sleep. I could tell something was wrong with her because she looked sad and tired and didn’t move much and seemed to crave being outside all the time so she could lay in the sun. I always thought she knew she was sick and was probably cold and the Nevada summer sun was the only warmth she could get. Right before my parents took her to the vet, I found her sitting quietly by the shed in the backyard in a good sunny spot and I sat on the ground next to her and petted her for a long time and she just laid there, calmly and still, moving only to press her head against my palm and look up at me. And that was our little goodbye to each other.

Now its noon and to be honest, I’ve done very little with the day so far. Oh well. I’m going on little sleep, so I’m setting the bar low today – if I can just make it through on caffeine and a prayer until 6pm, and then I get to hop on the 7 to head off to the Mets/Padres game tonight…yippee!!! Screaming my head off and singing Sweet Caroline and a beer or two (perhaps a hot dog?) should make it all better…

Jake! Auntie Nikki says: HIT 'EM HIGH, HIT 'EM LOW, HIT 'EM WHERE GRANDPA”S PEANUTS GROW!!!!