Our car's stuck on the train crossing.

I'm going to be honest, there hasn't been a lot of exciting music in my world this year. There's probably two reasons for that - I'm focusing a lot on my reading and I had that whole wedding thing go down in August. I used to do most of my music listening on my subway commute, but now I read. And wedding planning cut into "finding new music" type research or really paying attention to what I was listening to: I had bigger things on the brain.

Also, nobody really put out an album I could get behind. Well, actually, the only album I can recall really getting into this year is Mandy Moore's Amanda Leigh, and that was completely unexpected. For sure, there were albums I enjoyed, but maybe I haven't listened to them enough to be called favourites yet - Phoenix, M. Ward, Metric, Neko Case, Lily Allen, Passion Pit... (They all had albums out this year right? My timeline is totally off pre-wedding, I hardly paid attention to music in the first half of the year. Most of my music listening was picking out wedding music and our cd favor music, thus regressing to past musical choices, not current.) And there are albums I have that I have to listen to more than once - Nightmare of You, Mew, Bat for Lashes, Rodrigo y Gabriela, etc. I just need to get back into it.

I am highly anticipating the end of the year because there are releases from Dragonette, Tegan & Sara, Dashboard Confessional, and Paramore. Oh, and I have to get the new Muse album. Plus, Say Anything has a new album coming out, but I'm not really anticipating it based on the sophomoric single "I Hate Everyone." I think my own personal year in music (yeah, I'm a bit late) started this week with releases from two of my favourite bands: Monty Are I's Break Through the Silence and Brand New's Daisy. For the past two days I've been listening to the albums during work and parts of my commute. I should probably take more time to listen to them, and my opinion may change based on my continual aural study, but we'll see how this goes. I actually paid attention!

FINALLY! Finally Monty Are I are back, and though I'd heard some of the early mixes this summer, I was really looking forward to hearing it in my headphones. Plus, this album was a long time coming. Their last album, Wall of People, came out three years ago in 2006, and I'd already been listening to most of those songs a couple years before that. More than anything, my curiousity was heightened by their obvious talent and their boldness. I knew this release would have some surprising sounds uncharacteristic of a young, Warped Tour band. The thing is, I can't stand most of those bands. I can't listen to a note of their songs because I get queasy with what's being passed as "musical talent" sometimes. I find Monty Are I's non-formulaic approach refreshing.

And here they are with Break Through the Silence, still armed with horns ocassionally (let's not forget they were borne out of a high school ska band), rearin' guitars, and what I'm sure is a bevy of interesting electronic devices...along with a zitar or two. Like I said, non-formulaic. That's not to say it isn't catchy. The album sounds polished, much like the design asthetic of the cover. It's sleek, epic rock. The guitars mostly sound huge, the drums can get intense, and there's a lot of different sounds mixed together. Fortunately, it never gets too overwhelming: it's just surprising to hear it all come together sometimes. It may be a little jarring at times, but I'm thoroughly loving it now. Steve, the lead vocalist/guitarist (and my longtime friend), has definitely brought his talents to the next level with this effort. Frankly, I've never heard him sound this good. The band as a whole has something to really be proud of, and I'm excited to hear these songs live as well as congratulate them in person.

My favourite songs that have gotten stuck in my head: "The Stand," "One in a Million," and "Kaleidoscope"

Please support these fine young men - buy the album and tell me what you think - here on ShockHound.com for $7.99! (Also available on Amazon & iTunes)

Now let's talk about Brand New's latest, Daisy. I don't even know where to start. Do I start with the actual album or talking about my mindset as I pressed play on the first song knowing who Brand New is and what they've meant to me over the years? It's almost always exhausting for me to talk about Brand New - there's so much there. The other night at Trainwreck, I was discussing this album and the band with Tyler and it became an entirely too intense discussion for a Tuesday night with drinks in our hands and dance music in the background. I basically covered my feelings about Brand New when I wrote this post about seeing them live last summer. So I turned to this album and had no idea what to expect - the only thing I could expect from them was this it wouldn't sound at all like any of their other albums. They're pretty good in that respect - and it can sometimes drive their oldest fans crazy. I never liked The Devil and God..., even though I wondered if years down the line I would, but it never happened. That said, I really like Daisy.

The album is a bit strange, and I listened with no idea where the next note was going to go. It's been quite enthralling simply because it's so weird and interesting. There are moments that remind me of my favourite Brand New, the Deja Entendu Brand New, like the beginning of "You Stole." But I wouldn't even call those the best moments on the album. Sometimes the lead singer, Jesse Lacey, gets very Jack White with his vocals along with a simple drum beat. I like it. Can sometimes sound like the White Stripes if they recorded in 1994. Sometimes there's some industrial-like vocals echoing in the background. Still don't know if I like that, but it doesn't ruin anything per se. There's also screaming. And soundbites. Though there's a definite meshing of sounds here, it makes sense. I'm not confused or cringing, I'm intrigued. In contrast to Break Through the Silence, Daisy is raw and gritty. As far as any of this being borne of their notorious pretentiousness (at least at live shows), there's a lot of worse music that come out of pretentiousness. They have my attention again.

I've been digging on: "Gasoline," "Sink," "Bought a Bride," and "Noro"

You can buy Daisy at ShockHound.com for $9.99!

Anybody else listening to these cuts? What do you think? Have any recent releases I should add to my listen pile? Let me know!

I know I'll make sense of me.

The past week has been rather trying. But there's no sense in wallowing or recounting all those low points, and instead do what should always be done, and what I always try to do: the highlights. I am personally someone who can't take long periods around somebody who is negative, constantly complaining, or has a generally sour temperment. Life's too short is the adage, right?

Last Wednesday I recieved an impromptu text from Beth - of the now-defunct Bethis blog - and she was in New York! We met up for drinks after work, and then went out to sing karaoke into the evening. Why, yes, I sang "Just a Girl" by No Doubt, and Beth swears there's a picture of me one of her friends took, but I have yet to see it. It was a great evening, and I had a great time with Beth & Co. on an evening in which I had a lot of errands and chores planned. Score!

I've been reading the fantastic novel, White Teeth by Zadie Smith. I'm truly trying to savor it, and relish in the characters and story.

How hilarious was Thursday night's premiere of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?

Erica and I decided to see Jennifer's Body. I like Diablo Cody, the writer, a lot but was certainly wary of the Megan Fox casting. And much to our surprise, we were thoroughly and pleasantly entertained, and Fox wasn't too shabby. I know, you're so surprised, too.

I painted my nails white. It's bringing the color back out in my fading tan - just saying.

Yesterday, Erica and I got up early and went to downtown Brooklyn's Target and I found some lovely pieces that compliment my shorter hair. I found a Anna-Sui-for-Target dress that would have looked dowdy with the long frizzy tentacles of my former hair, but looks downright chic and even fashionably goth with my new length. Plus, I'm trying to make scarves work - I've never been down with scarves or pashmina as part of my ensemble, though I always loved the look on friends or randoms that wore it. So I found two nice scarves to try that out. And, as you can see in the picture above, I'm trying one out today.

Fantasy Football, while in the big picture, was not a great week, had one shining moment: my first round pick, Chris Johnson #28, achieved 46 points for my team! (I'd rather not talk about Tom Brady or the Tennesse defense though...)

Neil Patrick Harris hosting the Emmys = great idea. Far more enjoyable than the Emmys have been in past years. Also, Jon Hamm.

This week? Maybe I'll finally get my Netflix DVDs (yeah they never came and are being re-shipped to me!). Erica's doing her thing on Tuesday night and I plan on joining the Trainwreck festivities! Plus, there could be some museum and/or book reading events to go to! We'll see...

Cherished dreams forever asleep.

We're about to enter into the last quarter of the year! Starting in October, there will only be thirteen weeks left in 2009, thus, only thirteen weeks for me to reach 52. So where should I be right now? With fifteen weeks left in the year currently, I should have completed 37 books. As you can see, I've only read 36 -

01 A Clash of Kings, George R.R. Martin (01.05.09)
02 World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, Max Brooks (01.18.09)
03 Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer (01.20.09)
04 The Road, Cormac McCarthy (01.22.09)
05 Y: The Last Man, Brian K. Vaughn (01.27.09)
06 Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyers (01.31.09)
07 Infinity Blues, Ryan Adams (02.12.09)
08 The Best American Magazine Writing 2008 (02.28.09)
09 First Love, Ivan S. Turgenev (03.08.09)
10 Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (03.15.09)
11 Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy (03.16.09)
12 The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera (03.24.09)
13 Never Let Me Go, Ishiguro Kazuo (03.29.09)
14 The Last Vampire, Christopher Pike (04.05.09)
15 Whisper of Death, Christopher Pike (04.13.09)
16 Monster, Christopher Pike (04.21.09)
17 A Storm of Swords, George R.R. Martin (04.30.09)
18 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Seth Grahame-Smith (05.15.09)
19 Crimson, Brian Augustyn (06.15.09)
20 2666, Roberto Bolaño (06.07.09)
21 The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson (06.17.09)
22 The Uncommon Reader, Alan Bennett (06.19.09)
23 The Lover, Marguerite Duras (06.22.09)
24 The Sound of My Voice, Ron Butlin (06.25.09)
25 Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy (07.07.09)
26 L.A. Confidential (Film Criticism), Manohla Dargis (07.10.09)
27 Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea, Chelsea Handler (07.12.09)
28 Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card (07.18.09)
29 The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (07.26.09)
30 Nine Stories, J.D. Salinger (08.05.09)
31 Slouching Towards Bethlehem, Joan Didion (08.09.09)
32 Seven (Film Criticism), Richard Dyer (08.15.09)
33 Delta of Venus, Anais Nin (08.17.09)
34 The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende (08.23.09)
35 The Little Stranger, Sarah Waters (09.05.09)
36 To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf (09.10.09)

So I'm going to try a bit harder, fantasy football and Netflix be damned. Here's what the rest of my year looks like! (Hopefully!) -

37 A Study in Scarlet, Arthur Conan Doyle (Holmes Novel)* (CURRENTLY READING)
38 White Teeth, Zadie Smith (CURRENTLY READING)
39 The Sign of Four, Arthur Conan Doyle (Holmes Novel)
40 The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion
41 Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truman Capote
42 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stiegg Larsson
43 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle (Holmes Short Story Compilation)
44 Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert
45 Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
46 The Memoirs, Arthur Conan Doyle (Holmes Short Story Compilation)
47 Jesus' Son, Denis Johnson
48 I, Lucifer, Glen Duncan
49 Perfect Fifths, Megan McCafferty
50 Night, Elie Wiesel
51 Travels, Michael Crichton
52 1984, George Orwell

Yes, this list is subject to infinite change. However, I'm hoping that the change reveals I've read more than 52 books! Perhaps? Maybe? Can I do it?

In related news, at the end of the year I'll also put together a recap of those books I enjoyed and whole-heartedly recommend, to those I enjoyed and maybe not everyone else would like, and to those novels which were slightly tortuous to finish. Not every classic is a favourite of mine...

My friend Sean - you may remember him as the one and only distinguished member of the only book club I've ever known when we read Anna Karenina together earlier this year - now wants us to read War and Peace, another SLIGHTLY THICK Tolstoy tome. Sean, I say let us start that challenge on the first day of 2010? How does that sound?

I'm not sure if you can tell by reading this, but I really am enjoying this challenge. I've read so many incredible books because I was motivated, but I'm increasingly disappointed in the fact that I can't read every single one! I have so many books on my to-read shelves that I'm desperate for a year-long sabbatical if only to read a book a day and fulfill my curiousity about all the books that line the shelves in my imagination.


*I have the complete Holmes works in a huge First Volume, so I'm splitting the novels and short story anthologies! I must prepare myself for RDJ's depiction in December!

I won't be dancing alone.

It's somewhat embarassing to say, but whenever Jesse leaves, it starts a countdown for the moment he is to return. This morning we woke up together and as I got ready for work, he packed for Minneapolis and then he walked me out to the street and we kissed and said goodbye for now. On the way to work I thought of when I'd next see him, in two weeks time, and realized that that precise day and those surrrounding it held a lot to look forward to.

In two weeks time, my best friend Amber will arrive in New York. She's moving here from Michigan, and that day I've been anticipating for weeks now (not to mention the years it was always to be part of her plan). We've been friends since middle school, as she also grew up in the military, and we reunited in our senior year of high school to become best friends. After that, we've seen each other as often as possible, along with Kelly whom we also went to high school with, and now she'll be HERE! Within reach at all times! A text away from a meet-up! How exciting.

In two weeks time, I will be turning twenty-six. Le two six. I'll be over my first twenty-five years of life, and diving headfirst into the next. Nothing much will truly change, I'm sure.

And yes, in two weeks time, Jesse will return for my birthday. His tour schedule has actually never allowed him to be with me on my birthday, so there is something different about this year, I suppose. Plus, we're married now. I asked for no gifts this year, but he has something up his sleeve apparently. Perhaps not a gift in the traditional sense, but he has asked me to block some time for him. If my schedule will allow...

So what to do for two weeks of anticipation? Well, I always have and cherish my Curbside girls, this city of New York in autumn, and the fifty-two books I plan on finishing this year. Add to this my continual attempt at organizing my life post-wedding, Erica inducting me into her Fantasy Football League, the new season of several television shows, and Rick so kindly gifting me and Jesse a Netflix subscription - well, I guess I'll be busy.

And you? What are you looking forward to in the rest of September?

I behave so I can share it with you.

I love the turn...when the chilly air creeps back with the wind. Not like the summer wind in New York, which does nothing to cool, but simply smothers you with humidity and awful smells. The autumn wind reddens your cheeks just a touch, and does more to reinvigorate my mood than the fabricated sensations of an oscillating fan during the summer.

The brisk is back, and I am ready.

However, this morning was rather detrimental to my weather-happy mood, as the rain came with the gusts, and I find no fun in that on a day when I have to be outside for part of my commute.

OBLIGATORY HONEYMOON POST

And now - I attempt to describe to you my honeymoon. Not too many details, of course, I don't even want to hear those.

It began on the Thursday after the wedding, as Jesse and I drove through Brooklyn in the back of a car, towards JFK airport. We sat there, holding hands, looking at each other: I peered into his eyes with a squint to see if I could discern the destination of our honeymoon. I had yet to ascertain where we were going, only that it was that morning and I should pack plenty of bathingsuits for a beach and hot weather.

At the airport, Jesse retrieved our tickets and took care of putting the luggage on the right flight, so I wouldn't see the destination tags. He wouldn't let me see my ticket. Until, that is, we reached security and he passed it over to me nonchalantly as I scanned the boarding pass looking for "DESTINATION."

ARUBA!

I was going through the long lanes of the security line ecstatic - hugging and kissing and jumping and talking a mile a minute. How did you pick Aruba? What have you heard? What's the weather like there right now? Did you know I used to live next door to an Aruban family!?

Jesse provided all due answers, of course, and I twittered about going to Aruba before leaving, which showed up on my Facebook page, which my old friend Verena saw and commented on because she would be in Aruba that week as well! She, along with her parents, and her brother Dan and sister Sohira were all to be in Aruba the following week, and they were the family that I used to live next door to and I haven't seen in maybe five years.

Those coincidences just keep coming.

Anyway, back to honeymoon-romantic-getaway time. Jesse and I took our breezy four hour ride to Aruba, and walked out of the airport into sunshine, heat, and WIND. Aruba, as I came to find out, is a very windy island. Normally I'm not one for wind - I'm the person who can't have a fan's breeze placed directly on me. However, the humidity and heat made the Aruban winds quite necessary and I grew to love them and also, not care about my (then) long, messy hair.

We arrived at the Bucuti Resort, among the low-rise hotels on the island, as opposed to the high-rise area with the Marriot, Holiday Inn, Ramada, etc. I called this little area the "Spring Break (with the kids!)" part of the island. The Bucuti is a somewhat secluded couples resort. Literally, our wing of the hotel doesn't even allow children in it. (These things, I love.) Jesse did an amazing job of picking the perfect place - if we were to go again (and we already hope to!) we'd only stay at the Bucuti again!

More reasons why? Well, it's environmentally friendly, it's on the best beach on the island, and they have flags in your little beach hut to summon a bartender to jot down your order and then bring back your drinks. Writing that just made me a little sad as I remembered gazing at the vast turquoise blue ocean from the shade of my little hut on the sand, sipping a pina colada.

I've gotten ahead of myself! When we were ushered into the hotel, they sat us down and gave us each a glass of champagne. And then they took us to our FANTABULOUSOMAZING room which had a living room (replete with welcome package that included cheese, crackers, and -you guessed it- a bottle of champagne!), kitchenette, two tvs, bedroom with sliding door, and balcony overlooking the beach! Sigh. Again, I want to be back. Do you realize how hard it is to write this reflection!?

This is the view from our room. YUP.

Jesse on the balcony with our complimentary champagne, cheese, and crackers!

Jesse and I spent most days waking up early and treating ourselves to the free breakfast buffet that was beyond delicious - I usually got a couple of boiled eggs, some french toast, and papaya fruit. Yum. Then we'd hit the beach (we got up early a few days to save a prime hut nearest the water!) and lounge about reading, sipping tropical drinks, tanning/shading, and jumping into the clear, cooling but not cold water. Around lunch we'd either go to Subway for a fast, cheap eat (don't want to spend too much time away from our sandy paradise!) or to Pizza Bob's which had - I'm really not lying about this - some of the best pizza I've ever tasted.

Then we'd head back to the beach for more reading and swimming and lounging, maybe a walk, and then it was 4pm and 4pm meant HAPPY HOUR at the hotel's bar, which was conveniently right on the beach. For ten days, we were happy hour regulars. We knew all the bartenders by name and joked around with them, we made friends with a few other couples in our revelry, and we drank. You know, in New York, it's not always wisest to order a pina colada or mango frozen margarita at a bar. But in Aruba, lemme tell ya, I had heaps of coladas and frozen margs and even something called a slippery monkey. They also made me a white russian - frozen. Stellar.

So, that was what we did most days. At night, we would seek out the best dining experiences! We went to a French steakhouse, Mexican place, traditional Aruban food establishment, American steakhouse, a delicious seafood restaurant, etc., etc., etc. It was always romantic and we did that newlywed thing where we talked about how we couldn't believe we were actually MARRID and to EACH OTHER. No, but seriously, Jesse wined and dined me (& I tried to do the same to him!) and I can already tell the years ahead will be filled with many a great vacation because he'll be there next to me, leading the way. He's my HUSBAND. Then, by about 9 or 10pm, we'd be exhausted from the sun and fun and pass out. On one evening we decided to see a movie (District Nine) and we were incredibly tired when we got out. (PS Most Arubans speak English, the movies are in English, and you can pay for everything via credit card or US currency.)

Those were the days of our honeymoon and I LOVED IT ALL. Honestly, all I wanted to do on my honeymoon was get away from the crazy hustle and bustle of New York and get back to slow-paced life, relax a bit, swim a bit, enjoy each other more than anything else. And that's exactly what Jesse gave me.

BUT! We're not done yet. Because while most days were just so, we also had some days of activity in store - let me tell you.

On the Tuesday of our honeymoon, we signed up for a jeep tour of the island. We got picked up and arrived at a headquarters for the company, where they split up all the tourists into groups. They made some of the tourists drive the jeeps, following the tour-guide jeep. So, we had a nice family guy from Ohio up from with his wife at his side and his daughter right by us in the back. We also had a mother and son from New York, as well as a couple from New York. Apparently 90% of the tourists to Aruba come from the East Coast, mainly New York. Like us.

In a QUITE BUMPY (but fun!) ride, we saw the highest point in Aruba -

the caves -

the "natural pool" where we got to snorkel and hang out with the fishies for a bit -

(Well, we took those pics with an underwater cam - but you can see one at the bottom of this post!! On the side of the natural pool!)

and an old gold mine! Then we got back to the hotel and lounged on the beach again...obviously.

The following day, Jesse and I decided to take a morning boat trip which would bring us to three locations. Two of the locations we would snorkel, and in the third we would do something called "snuba-ing". Snuba = snorkeling + scuba. We got to breathe underwater with a mouthpiece hooked to a 20-ft long tube connected to oxygen tanks floating on a raft on the surface. Presto. Oh, and the boat trip featured an open bar and free lunch. WAHOO!

This was Jesse's first time snorkeling, and I think he enjoyed it quite a bit. I was already a seasoned pro, as I lived in Hawaii for two years. We saw a bunch of fish, a school of squid (so weird), and Jesse saw a barracuda. Jesse was trying to show me said barracuda but I knew what he was pointing at and decided to head back to the boat at that point. You can see barracuda teeth: I don't like that.

On the second dive, we were seeing a sunken warship! From WWII! It was totally rad to see. There's a whole backstory about the captain sinking it himself so that the opposing side couldn't use it in their own war effort. It's been over 60 years, and the thing is lying there on it's side covered in wildlife and barnacles with fish swimming throughout its nooks and crannies. It was also very eerie - seeing a sunken ship in the silence underwater.

Then we were off to our snuba adventure on another reef! It was a bit strange, psychologically, to maintain breathing underwater. I kept on going deeper and almost panicking because "How am I still breathing for this long underwater?!" - very hard to get used to. But I did, and we had a fantastic underwater time, with our guide making us pose for very silly pictures. And, us posing of our own accord, too.

We have pictures and video of that, as well, but I am in the process of making an explosive, crazy, amazing facebook album with pics from the wedding and honeymoon - so, just wait for those links. Trying to upload them all here would just clutter the place!

And after our boat adventure we came back to relax on the beach and get some happy hour and went out to dinner and fell asleep early.

On THURSDAY was what I like to call our "uber-relax" day because Jesse treated himself and me to a SPA DAY. Four hours. See, we got up early and went to the beach (duh) and then after lunch we went to the spa and I got a fruit scrub + mud wrap + massage + facial + manicure. I KNOW. I could hardly move my limbs afterwards, they were so soft and jelly-like. FANTASTICO!!

On Friday evening, our last night on the island, we met up with my former next door neighbors, who were gathering on the same beach for a pre-wedding get-together. It was great to see everyone again after so long and Jesse and I wished we could have stayed the next night for the ceremony and reception! We seriously considered staying just one more day. Alas, it was not in the (credit) cards.

After the beach romp, Jesse and I came back for our final happy hour on the island. The bartenders were so nice to us and really stretched out that happy hour for our enjoyment. We then asked to take a picture with them -

Okay, that's Juan Carlos and Aldrick. Aldrick closely resembles my brother and it freaked us out a little bit. Mannerisms and all. But I guarantee you Aldrick is better at making a margarita!

Here's a slippery monkey - which is served with a straw full of rum, so you now you understand the face. Also, I've never eaten more maraschino cherries than I did in that ten day period.

And so on Saturday, Jesse and I woke up, and went to the beach for one last soak before checkout. What was really strange about our last day were the waves - the entire time Jesse and I had been in Aruba, the beach was calm, without a wave big enough to even body surf on. On Saturday morning we were in and out of the water like crazy and trying to take pictures from the top or bottom of the waves.

Then we packed up, headed to the airport, and came home. Where I've been trying to catch up with life, check off items on my post-wedding checklist (almost as long as the pre-wedding one! jk!), and retain some semblance of the utterly relaxed lifestyle that Aruba brought to us. However, there's no beautiful beaches 'round here, and there are definitely NO FLAGS.

Well, the night makes moves.

I'll be getting back to our regularly scheduled programming soon - in fact, that's what I've been trying to do with my day-to-day life since returning from the Honeymoon. I've found it's quite lovely to not always be stressing about a looming date (a happy date, but looming nonetheless). Essentially, I'm finally ready to settle into my own life, or, rather, our life, together, married - and happy. There's still a bit unsettled, a bit of post-wedding responsiblities, paper-signing, and legalities. And while I was never really unsettled in my pre-married existence, there's a little relief to know that I've made a set life decision, and I will always have somebody at my side.

So, I look to this holiday weekend and I'm excited to continue checking things off my list while also using a weekend what it's best for: to unwind. Because while I love my job, it was also harder than I imagined it would be to come back to after such a lengthy vacation. Therefore, I'm quite eager to jump back into a mini-break mode. I'm also eager to put summer behind and jump into my cardigans and hoodies and September and October...my favourite time of year.

What are you doing this three-day weekend?

Next up - just one post on the Honeymoon. I really couldn't go on and on about it, or my head might explode from wanting to go back and stay in Aruba. The pictures are fantastic, too! Stay tuned.