Back to normal

Heather left early on Wednesday morning, and I spent the rest of the week trying to get back to normal.  Except for a few "down" weeks (when I worked 16 hour days), I have been hosting house guests or traveling (for work or vacation) since early June.  It's made for a fun-filled summer and many great memories -- but summer is over now and I'm looking forward to settling into a more normal routine. 

But what is "normal"?  Well, the last half of this week felt pretty normal.  I put in a robust (but still reasonable) number of hours at the office.  I went to the gym in the mornings and on some short bike rides in the evenings.  On Friday night I went to a friend's house and ate delicious grilled vegetables and lamb (pictured below) while enjoying his superb pent-house views of the city.  I did a longer ride (55 miles) yesterday morning and spent the rest of the day running errands, cleaning the apartment and doing laundry before going to a movie.  Church this morning was uneventful.  This afternoon's nap was the best I've had in months. 

All that seems kind of normal, right?  I think so -- but maybe that's just wishful thinking.  Because after that delightful nap, I got online and have been making more travel plans.  I'll be in Idaho for Mark and Erin's wedding in October.  The weekend before that I'll be in Berlin for Quynh-Nhu and Nikolas's wedding.  Sometime before that I'll be going back up to New York to wine and dine the law students we're recruiting.  In the meantime, work will continue apace (and probably pick up -- partners have been clamoring for more of my time for weeks now) and the theatre and dance seasons will start again.  Before you know it, we'll be into the holiday season and a whole new round of travel will begin:  Thanksgiving in Las Vegas! Christmas somewhere out west!  Grandpa's 90th birthday in Utah!  Post-New Year's trip to New York to see Les Troyens! 

Sheesh.  I'm feeling a little daunted just writing about it. 

Which is why I need things to be "normal" for a few weeks.  Just long enough for me to get bored of the routine and feel excited for the next adventure.