Here we go again – Monday is back, and round and round it goes.  This is my last Monday at my current job and I’m having surprisingly bittersweet feelings about leaving.  I’ve known for awhile that this job wasn’t for me, and in fact, that’s why I set the word “begin” as my 2018 word of the year – because even as far back as January, I was craving a new beginning in my professional life.  (I can now also explain that the super-secret-not-a-baby project I’ve been working on all year has been a turbocharged job search.)  Anyway, I’ve got a new job at a new firm, I’ve accepted and cleared all the pre-employment hurdles and I’ve given notice to my current firm and now I’m unexpectedly sad about it all.  It’s the right thing to do for my career, but I’ve made some wonderful friends at my job and I’m going to miss them.  The good news is, I’ll only be a few subway stops away, so we can keep in touch.

Anyway, I wanted a laid-back weekend going into what I know is going to be an emotional last week at my current job.  We started the weekend with a date night on Friday.  Why didn’t someone warn me how sad “First Man” is?  On Saturday, we didn’t do much of anything.  We lazed about the house, I read, and the kids watched The Incredibles 2 – finally.  I took Nugget over to the soccer field at the neighborhood elementary school to hit his t-ball for a little while, and then we played on the school playground.  Sunday was more eventful, because it was the nicer of the two days and we saved all of our outdoor fun.  In the morning, we drove out to Loudoun County to pick our pumpkins for the season.  The kids had a blast charging around the pumpkin patch and sitting on all of the (non-rotten) pumpkins, reciting lines from Curious George: A Halloween Boo-Fest all the while.  After we’d loaded the trunk of the car with pumpkins and a(nother) dozen apple cider donuts – ’tis the season – we headed to a nearby nature sanctuary for a picnic lunch and a bird-spotting hike around a meadow.  Then home – via the library, naturally – to carve our pumpkins and have a cozy evening.  I made ravioli with veggie Bolognese, and we ended Sunday evening as we always do – the kids tucked up in bed, parents hanging out on the couch with a book (me) and the remote (Steve).  Yes – cozy.

Reading.  It’s also been a cozy reading week.  I blew through I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life on Monday – love a book about books.  The rest of the week was taken up with The Floating Admiral, a team-written mystery novel by the original Detection Club (including such luminaries as Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, G.K. Chesterton, and Anthony Berkeley).  It took me the week to get through because I was leaving my beautiful Folio Society edition at home during the days – I don’t trust the ravages of the Metro – and listening to Educated on my commutes instead.  Anyway, I finally finished The Floating Admiral on Sunday morning, and the same day started two new books – The Mothers, which I have out from the library, and Hallowe’en Party on my kindle, because it seemed like the thing to do going into Halloween week.

Watching.  Sort of this and that.  Steve had plans with friends one night earlier this week, so I watched an episode of The Great American Read – I’m slowly catching up.  (I know results are out, so please, NO SPOILERS.)  Otherwise, we are almost done with the second season of The Good Place and it’s still SO good.  And, of course, First Man on Friday night – two movie dates in a month, who dis?

Listening.  As noted above, it was an earbuds-heavy week for me as I listened to Educated, my book club book for this month, on Audible during my commutes every day.  I’m down to just about four hours left in the audiobook.  It’s hard to listen to, but I’m already looking forward to an excellent discussion with my book club.

Moving.  I bike-commuted last week!  I rode in on Monday morning and then, because it was soooo cold, left my bike in my office overnight and rode it home on Tuesday afternoon (warm, sunny and gorgeous).  I enjoyed biking to work and would definitely like to make it part of my routine, but I think the weather has pretty much turned now and so it might be awhile until I ride in again.  Other than the exciting bike commute, it was the normal movement – some city walks during the week and some toddler-chasing and easy hiking on the weekend.  Definitely need to fire up the Barre3 online workouts again.

Cooking.  It wasn’t as big of a batch-cooking weekend this week, as I still have a lot of food left over from my cooking extravaganza last weekend.  But I added to the stores with one meal’s worth of ravioli and Bolognese, plus two extra containers of Bolognese and a big tin of roasted pumpkin seeds – my favorite!

Blogging.  I have a great week in store for you.  On Wednesday, I’m going to show you pictures from the most incredible museum exhibition I attended last week with my friend Susan.  (Local friends, take note: this is one you don’t want to miss.)  And on Friday, I’m finally going to share the pictures from the final hike of our Adirondack vacation – yes, the one I keep teasing and then flaking on.  You’d be quite justified in shaking your head and saying never gonna happen, but I swear it’s for real this time.  The pictures are out of the camera (what an ordeal that was) and the post is written and scheduled.  I hope it’s worth the wait.  (It’s not, but what can you do?)

Loving.  I started following Oceana on Instagram last week and you guys, I seriously can’t get enough.  Adorable baby polar bears!  Penguins holding hands!  Whales galore!  If you’re a fan of marine life, go check it out immediately.  The sea otters snoozing in their kelp blankies will melt the coldest heart, I promise.

Asking.  What are you reading this week?