October in August.

It's 65 degrees outside right now. 65 DEGREES! How cool is THAT? Pun intended, of course...

It's been a crazy-weathered day today, and it really feels like Fall, so I'm getting excited for the coming months and everything they'll bring. Football starts this weekend (Thursday night for my Wolfpack), and even though it's still early, the Halloween stores are starting to open.

Don't get me wrong, I love summer, and I'm not counting summer out yet. There are still officially 21 days of summer LEFT, and I know it'll get hot before it's over again, so I CAN'T count it out yet, but the onset of autumn is always nice. The days get shorter, the weather gets cooler, and the holidays are in sight. It's also a time for change, not only with the leaves and the temperature, but also with schedules and LIFE. I'll always coincide the start of fall with the start of school, and now that I'm not a student, it gives me the excitement I need in order to change my own surroundings and really focus on finding a job or taking necessary tests in order to go BACK to school. Oh, and some dude named John Mayer is releasing a new record soon too.

Speaking of the changes coming up in the next few months, I'm afraid to say that my car situation may be a part of this. My trusty ol' Jetta has been flaking on me since the start of summer. It's gotten a lot of mileage added to it in these hot months, and it's seen a lot of cool places, but it's slowing down. A lot has already been done for it between trips, but it recently got damaged in a hit and run, and now the clutch is starting to stick so bad that the gears do not change properly. It's a bummer, because the dents caused by the hit and run are already going to cost a third of what the car is worth when it's in good shape. Throw in the cost of repairs to the clutch and it could be all she wrote, but we'll see. Just like I grew attached to my Explorer, I've grown attached to this one, but the next few days and weeks will decide whether or not I'll be driving something else in the near future.

Of course, with all of the changes that fall will bring, I've got a handful of constants that I'm looking forward to hanging on to and seeing what the future holds. As often as I say it, I still can't believe how fast time moves, and I can't believe that I'm days away from being in a great situation for a whole year now. If you'd asked me about this a year ago, I never would have known I could've been as happy as I am right now. It's pretty crazy, and I love it...

So right now, I'm optimistic about the coming changes as well as watching things get better in something that is already great. Some big dates and events are coming up, and I'm looking forward to every one of them.

Until then, I'm gonna enjoy this weather, and I'm gonna say my goodbyes to summer...

D.