Resuscitation - gasp!

I've been told my blog is on life support.

So... it's time to bring it back to life! I don't have the same time I had in the previous year to post about the day-to-day happenings here, but I'll do my best to at least do an update now and then. Here's a quick run-down of life these days:

1.  I took a new full-time job. I am now the Associate Director of the program I taught for last year. I really enjoy the work I am doing, but unfortunately it means I commute for an hour-and-a-half each day and I sit in front of the computer for many hours a week. I'm still trying to figure out how to balance the longer work hours with the day-to-day chores of making dinner and exercising.

2.  Ted and I have taken many small trips over the past few months. Since returning from summer vacation we have travelled to Colorado for a mountain wedding, D.C. for Ted's workshop at the Holocaust Museum, Hocking Hills for a friend's birthday party, Chattanooga for my mom's Iron Man triathalon, and Indianapolis as chaperones on a field trip with 40 Chinese college students. Phew! We are coveting our weekends at home these days. Here are a few photos from our various outings:

COLORADO:

Beaver Creek, Colorado

WASHINGTON, D.C.:

Maze exhibit at the National Building Museum

OHIO:

Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

This pose is called "The Meer."
(Hocking Hills, OH)

TENNESSEE:

Mom and her teammates at the Iron Man starting line
in Chattanooga, TN

Ted's favorite site in Chattanooga

INDIANA:

Indianapolis Motor Speedway - home of the annual Indianapolis 500

3.  I've been doing a few little updates around the house when and where I can. I haven't finished or photographed all of them, but I will share one little photo wall with you:

I printed some square Instagram photos and hung them (along with other
things like wedding invitations and birthday cards) on leftover
picture frame hanging wire.

I also picked up these cute placemats at the
Crate&Barrel store in Indianapolis.

4.  Coming up:  

a)  This Saturday is our 2nd Annual Dia de los Muertos party. Today I am getting my Day of the Dead candles and decorations out of the basement and decorating the house. Later in the week I'll make the sugar skulls and the pan de muertos (bread of the dead). 

b)  In November Ted and I will travel to Puerto Rico for our friends' wedding. We cannot wait for this mini-vacation, although I have to admit that I will miss cooking a turkey and hosting Thanksgiving, as has been our tradition for the past several years.

c)  In December we will travel to Virginia for Ted's dad's birthday, and we will travel to Oregon for Christmas. I'm glad we'll get to see both families, especially our new niece/nephew (coming in November!) and my grandparents.

So that's my life for the past, present, and foreseeable future. I'll try to get another blog post in next weekend - I promise.