Well, it’s Friday folks! And I just realized, like, yesterday that next week? Is OCTOBER. As in, where in the hell did September GO? Slow the eff down already.

* That said, I am ready for fall. The pumpkin spice lattes… Cute boots and sweaters… Butternut squash soup… The need for jackets… Trees so colorful they look like they’re about to burst into flame… There’s a lot to love about fall. And the weather was helping ease me into this season quite nicely, with 65-degree days and some intermittent rain.

And then… Suddenly, it was 80 degrees and sunny. And I was all, “Screw fall, summer is AWESOME!”

I feel like going to the pool… Sipping margaritas in an outdoor café… Wearing sandals and a sundress… Eating fresh strawberries…

I am SO MESSED UP.

* One thing about fall I’m not ready to ignore: pomegranates and pomegranate seeds. Both are readily available these days, and they are delicious!

* My husband’s birthday is coming up. He’s going to be the big 3-0. I want to make this birthday special for him… So my big present idea is to get him tickets to see a football match. (Between a team that rhymes with “Feelers” and a team that rhymes with “Frowns.”) My problem? I have no idea how to buy a ticket to such an event… Nor where to sit… Nor anything else related to the whole thing. Apparently, tickets sell out like in June? So. Yeah. I am guessing StubHub is the way to go? Have you ever used StubHub or any related type of ticket-procurement service?

* I know I’ve mentioned it before in this space… But it bugs me when people say “no problem” when you thank them for doing something. And I am a HUGE hypocrite here, because I used to say that ALL THE TIME. But then someone pointed out to me how annoying it is… And it was like that episode of How I Met Your Mother where as soon as you’re aware of something, you can’t NOT notice it.

I don’t think people mean to be annoying… I know I certainly didn’t. But it bugs me because it implies that I was imposing on you for something… and that you are reassuring me that the imposition wasn’t a problem. The only time it may be applicable is if you are my neighbor and I come knock on your door during the Grey’s Anatomy season premier and ask you to unclog my toilet. That’s a genuine imposition.

But if you are, say, a shoe salesperson and I ask you to get me a box of size eight boots from the back, and then say thank you when you hand the box to me… “No problem” is not a valid response. Because of course it wasn’t a problem. You are doing your job. I think maybe it bugs me so much because it’s just a small symptom of a larger epidemic: the death of good service. I think a lot of people who work in businesses actually DO feel like the customer is imposing on them, rather than helping pay for their dental work and steady supply of cheeseburgers. A simple “You’re welcome” or “It was my pleasure!” can go a long way toward making your customer feel like you care about her… and that you’re not just counting down the minutes until your shift ends.

* Have you discovered any exciting new shows this premier season? My husband and I watched The Event, which I found to be boring right up until the end. And I’m suspicious of a show that seems to so clearly be following in Lost’s footsteps. BUT. I will watch at least a couple more episodes before writing it off.

The other new show I tuned in for was The Whole Truth because I love Maura Tierney. But I’m not sure how I feel about this one, either… While I like its (I’m sure 100% accurate and not at all hyperbolic) focus on the legal aspect of crime, I’m not sure I can live with knowing so little about the actual crime. I much prefer the typical Law & Order format, where you know what happens. But again, I’ll keep watching for at least a couple of episodes.

* My weight loss efforts have stalled. I’m still seven pounds down from where I started… But I can’t seem to budge from that spot. (Except for an occasional pound or so in the wrong direction.) I have a strong suspicion that this has something to do with my refusal to exercise and my inability to completely ignore carbs. Also, the fact that – while I am still counting and recording my caloric intake – I am not doing a super job of sticking to the number of calories allotted.

However, the lovely bloggess at Fatty File has turned me onto an exercise challenge. Apparently there fewer than 100 days left in the year (!!!!), and the challenge is to exercise for at least 15 minutes every single one of those 100 days. I know I can do it. A challenge is just what I need to keep me in line. Anyone want to join in?

* Here’s a little Public Service Announcement: Just because you have access to a thesaurus doesn’t mean you should use it. Replacing every other word in a paper with a bigger, longer synonym will not make your paper better. In fact, it will likely make your paper much, much worse. Especially if you don’t fully understand the meaning of the synonym you choose. (“Help” and “enable” may technically be synonyms… But they have slightly different connotations that prevent them from being interchangeable. The same goes for LOTS OF WORDS.)

* Loneliness has been creeping back into my life lately. It’s a combination of things. First, three of the girls I became friendly with earlier this year are all pregnant. Like, really pregnant. And two of them are on bed rest. And since we have hung out together about, um, three times apiece? I don’t feel all that comfortable just showing up at their homes and chatting them up, you know?

Second, I’ve been getting a lot more freelance work lately. Which is great! Yay! Work! Yay! Money! Since I am a huge worrier, I am always afraid that tomorrow all the work will dry up. So I feel compelled to take on everything I can right now, while it’s being offered. This means that many days I spend working from 8:00 to 6:00… Taking a break until about 9:00… And then working until midnight or 2:00 or 3:00 or what have you. This kind of schedule is doable, especially when my husband is working long hours. But it doesn’t leave a lot of time for socializing or even, say, leaving my apartment.

Third, my husband has been working consistently longer hours. Second year of residency is nice because it doesn’t involve as much overnight call… But it’s not so nice because residents need to stick around until their interns are done working – sometimes longer.

So I’m just feeling really… blah lately. A little down, a little needy. Overly affected by the few minutes of sunshine we’re losing every day. Caught off guard by the overcast skies.

I’m not sure how to get out of the rut… but I know it will pass eventually.

* But I’m not going to whine too much about being lonely. Because my husband has two full weeks off coming up! By the way, we decided on Asheville for the upcoming vacation! We’re staying in a cute (and ridiculously expensive) bed and breakfast. We’ve lined up about 20 restaurants that sound appealing. And we plan on leisurely drives up the Blue Ridge Parkway. Any other Must Sees we, well, must see?

* I totally wasn’t going to have a tenth bullet… But my OCD won out in the form of this faux bullet. Have a great weekend Internet!