Leaves, tanks, and cold autumn air

I know, I know, I know. It's been well beyond weeks since I last placed an update on the blog site. I've been meaning to for some time. Birthdays. Gatherings. Outdoor events. Pictures have been taken. But nothing ended up on this site. Of course, none of YOU have actually demanded anything of late. No inquiries, posts, or threats to be had.

But no real excuse -- aside from life just getting in the way. A VERY ramped up work schedule has sucked most of the leftover energy right out of my system. After a long day, a traffic-filled trip home, and a late dinner, the last thing I end up thinking about is the blog site.

But I decided to add a small update today. It's Saturday. It's chilly out. Everyone is relaxing. I don't feel like starting new projects. So why not a few photos?

Last weekend, we took a journey -- about 1.4 miles down the street -- to Cantigny Park for their annual fall festival. In years past, we haven't found our way into the park very often, despite how beautiful it really is. But this year, it's just been too convenient and offers up many things to keep Su busy. So a fall festival, complete with games, things to climb on, food, and a hayride seemed just the ticket for the day.

Although not the 40 degree temperatures. A day more than 20 degrees below normal just didn't end up quite as "festive" as we had hoped. And it made the hayride pretty darn chilly.

But we did have some fun. The ride was still nice, as it provided a beautiful tour of the park. And some hot chocolate was a perfect remedy to the biting winds and chill. And a little bit of extracurricular climbing on the tanks (yes, it's a park full of military vehicles, the First Division Museum, and many other displays and recognition for our country's veterans) for Su helped knock out some of the energy. And, at the very least, it got us out of the house and into nature for a little while.

Winter is approaching fast. So we have to take advantage of these wonderful outdoor opportunities. And here's hoping for 60 degree temperatures NEXT year!

Winfield bound?

OK. Don't tell me if you've heard this one before. Moving? Yes, moving. What do you mean, "Are you moving AGAIN?" It's not like we move every year, right? It just feels like it. I guess there have been more than a few times in our past where U-Haul or Ryder has benefited from our circumstances. Let's review the history, shall we? It's kind of a fun journey:

1) Wheaton, IL apartment: 1988-1989
2) Glen Ellyn, IL rental home: 1989-1993
3) Dallas, TX townhome (rental): July 1993-January 1994
4) Rowlett, TX rental home #1: January 1994-March 1994
(to be fair, we found out on our 2nd day here that the house was under foreclosure)
5) Rowlett, TX rental home #2: March 1994-June 1995
6) Tucson, AZ rental home: July 1995-May 1997
7) Winfield, IL house purchase: 1997-2004
8) Muscatine, IA apartment: February 2004-May 2004
(company-paid housing for job relocation)
9) Muscatine, IA rental home: June 2004-July 2004
(this was to be a purchase, but seller failed to disclose plenty)
10) Muscatine, IA house purchase: July 2004-June 2005
11) Geneva, IL house purchase: June 2005-present
12) ???

So what's next? Actually, it's not that big of a deal this time. No out-of-state moves. No job relocation. Well, sort of. A lot of this move has to do with getting closer to work. Some has to do with just going back to an area we love. And part of the motivation to do it now is to be settled in before Su starts up school in the fall.

When we moved back to IL in 2005, the circumstances were entirely different. I was self-employed, working from home, and could really just pick any affordable place to live and exist. And that's what we did. We found an affordable pocket in Geneva. I worked from home for the better part of 2005 through May of 2007. But when work slowed, I found new employment that required a lengthy drive to work. Unfortunately, it's been a time-consuming and costly one.

I've spent far too many hours sitting in my car and far too many dollars spent on filling up the tank. We decided it was time to get back some of that free time and pull back some of those dollars going toward gas and tolls. Also, we've spent a lot of time daydreaming about returning to an area like Winfield again. With it's more centralized location to the things we like to do, its close proximity to wonderful running trails, and the quaint, quiet wooded feel of the area, it's a more natural fit for us. While it's a great city, Geneva has just never quite felt like "home" to us.

So the process started all over again. Our house went up for sale officially on Tuesday and immediately produced a couple of showings. Our sign wasn't even out yet, so it was like our little "secret" from the neighborhood. This morning, the sign was up, so now the word is out. But we already have an offer on a place (contingent) in Winfield. And we're hoping we can keep up the activity level on this house and maybe find our way to a solution soon.

I'll try to keep everyone posted. At least this move is local!