August is down to its final days. Kids are officially back in school with the exception of a few school districts. Pumpkin season is officially starting for me, even if the temperature is forecast to be 91 degrees on Tuesday.

Fall will be here in a few weeks, and in Toastmasters we are in the throes of contest season. September 26 is the Area 62 contest which will consist of representatives from Laurel Highlands, Western Maryland, Country Roads, and Elegant Speakers and Listeners (ESL). The event will take place in Morgantown.

College football kicked off this weekend, but the big games begin this coming weekend. While my love of the game has waned a little bit, I still enjoy spending a Saturday watching the top teams go at it. The 2026 NFL Season starts in just over a week with the Super Bowl 60 rematch featuring the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. The Pittsburgh Steelers open up at home in two weeks against the Atlanta Falcons. Mike McCarthy makes his coaching debut for the hometown team.

The top four teams in College Football include Georgia and Texas, as well as Ohio State and Oregon. Does Indiana repeat as national champions? We’ll see what happens as the season gets underway, especially once conference play begins.

In the NFL, does Patrick Mahomes bounce back from injury to make the Chiefs a Super Bowl contender once again. Is Josh Allen’s Super Bowl window closing? Is this really Aaron Rodgers’ last season? My favorite to win it all are the Los Angeles Rams, who just got Aaron Donald back from retirement. That defense could be tough with him and Garrett in the front seven.

New season premieres of my shows include The Office spinoff, “The Paper” which enters its second season. I finally watched an entire season of the Great British Baking Show (replacing Halloween Baking Championship) and was much more impressed. It was bittersweet though as judge Prue Leith announced her retirement. Understandable though. I’m interested to see how Nigella does in her first season working with Paul Hollywood.

The Paper’s second season starts on September 9 on Peacock and, it’s unsure when The Great British Baking Show will begin. But regardless, the hosts and judges always make the experience fun.

It’s unclear if I will watch “Holiday Baking Championship” this season, if it does come back. More than likely, yes, and it will be my sixth year watching it. The series airs on Food Network and can also be viewed on HBO Max.

My new romance novel I’ve had my eye since the Spring is coming out next Tuesday. This is from the same author who wrote “If It Makes You Happy”. That book was set in the 90’s and gave off serious Gilmore Girls vibes. I had fun reading that on my trips to Cutie’s and in Ligonier. “Love Never Felt Like This” will be going to Cape May with me this October.

As I finish Tony Evans’ book this week, I’ll look forward to future reads I’m interested in by this author. I will begin to read the Steven Curtis Chapman book I picked up at Majesty earlier this year, my third from the recording artist. It’s a book centered around family and marriage and how to deal with the good days and bad.

2026 may have sucked for most people, but for me it may be the year of the comeback. I’ve been studying the Bible regularly since May, beginning in Proverbs and going through the Gospels. I’ve contemplated going back to church but it hasn’t really worked due to my schedule and shattered confidence. For the record I’ve gone back sporadically and have thought about it since my first days at Giant Eagle.

In addition to the two books I mentioned, I’m also going to do a 40 day prayer journey this Fall using Matthew West’s book. This should be enriching for me and I’m excited to see how much I grow in this aspect.

Finally, coffee shop visits are lined up for September. I got my taste of Fall on Saturday at Cutie’s with the Cinnamon Roll Latte. At Caleese on Friday, I might get their Maple Bun Latte. I’ll have company that morning as I’m going to meet Mr. Clougherty. Now that he’s retired, he has more time for things like meeting up for coffee. I’ll make plenty of Cutie’s visits and, take a trip to Ligonier.

Well it’s a season wrap for the latest season of King of the Hill on Hulu/Disney+. I wasn’t sure how the first rebooted season would have gone but it grew on me. The loss of voice actors over the years might have had an effect on how good the show was going to be. Season two (or the fifteenth season) had much better storylines and a few them revolving around Bobby and his restaurant.

I’m impressed with how much his character has developed in the reboot. Plus I’m a big fan of restaurants like Robota Chane. Bobby would fit in perfectly at EDO Hibachi or Mister Tokyo. I loved his gender fluidity in the original but I also enjoy this grown up Bobby who’s living his dream. Still though, “That Boy Ain’t Right” and “That’s My Purse” will always be iconic lines from the show.

Seeing Buck and the Strickland Propane guys in the season finale was a nice ode to the original series. I’m not going to give out spoilers so don’t worry. Hank can be a square but he usually comes to accept change and does the right thing in the end. I want to see more of Joe Jack and Enrique in the next season.

Propane and Propane Accessories is the way to go, and Butane is a bastard gas.

Last week was a perfect week for me. How was it perfect exactly?

I closed every ring on my Apple Watch. This is a feat I’ve never accomplished before. I closed the Move ring every day and once in a while the Stand ring. That is, when I remember to change the goals around. For the first time in six years of using this Apple Watch, I finally have a week where I’ve closed the Exercise ring every day. A perfect 21. Blackjack! It shows how much I’ve made up for it in my Fitness journey in 2026.

After getting that off my chest, I’ve been happy to regress a little bit this week. Instead of closing the rings 21 times, I’m shooting for 14 or 15. That should also be easy to reach. There is an opportunity for another perfect week coming up though. This coming week leading up to the holiday should see me close all the rings once again. I’m determined to achieve it.

With the heat and humidity ramping up this week, I’ll have to adjust my times getting outside. Plus, I’ll have to take advantage of the time in the pool. This may be the last stand for the summer. The universe is throwing me some rope to make up for this summer that supposedly wasn’t. I’ll be at the gym as well enjoying the air conditioning as I do my cardio and strength training.

Cutie’s Coffee debuted their Fall menu on Saturday morning. I was sleeping so I missed the morning market that comes with the beginning of the new menu. I stopped in for my mid afternoon coffee as I usually do, so I missed the crowd. The Cinnamon Roll Latte was getting my attention, so I ordered that. Pumpkin Spice is knocking at the door and I’m holding off until the first few days of Fall. I’ll be opening my bagged coffee soon (once we have room for it in the container). I read a new chapter in “Three Shades of Blue” and enjoyed the nice late Summer day.

After finishing my coffee, I took a walk up the hill to the hospital. They’ve been hard at work making the changes as the merger is almost final. The signs are there that this is really happening. Latrobe and Frick are also seeing the changes too, and I’m sure Butler and Clarion will too if not already.

The weather is trending warm but dry for Cutie’s Bible Study Monday night. After cancelling a few times this year due to the weather it’ll be nice to have it. I’ve been reading my Bible regularly since May and always attend the meetings but something’s been missing. That would be having a church home. I’ve sporadically attended other houses of worship since leaving my church home five years ago (just before I left WIS to work at Giant Eagle). Nothing has really stuck for me. I needed a break and have taken suggestions from others on where to go. As I make my way back to regular church attendance, I’m feeling a little more confident.

Coming up:

Where my travels take me for coffee. I’m trending more Cuties visits for Fall.

Looking ahead to September.

A best of 1000 as the countdown truly begins.

If you have been enjoyed the nice weather and lack of humidity and are ready for Fall, I have news for you.

Don’t close those pools just yet!

The heat is making a comeback to start September in the days leading up to the holiday weekend. We may even hit 90 degrees on Monday and Tuesday. We were contemplating closing the pool soon, but this late summer heat wave may have bought us a little time. We can hopefully make up for the summer that wasn’t (as some people like to think) next week. As I prepare to open my Fall coffee, I have some time to finish those refreshers as well.

It looks like we’ll keep the pool open through Labor Day. But the reinforcements are on hand to prepare for its closing.

So I hear you. It hasn’t been much of a summer with all the rain but we can take our good days with our bad days. Summer can’t always be dry. Does all this rain make for a more colorful Fall? Remember, the color last Fall wasn’t nearly as nice. Are we making up for it next week with the return of warmer weather? We shall see. Right now the temperature in our swimming pool is at 75 degrees. Kind of cool when you consider it registered at 90 degrees earlier in the season.

On top of finishing what refreshers I have left, let the Fall coffee begin. It’ll be a slow start next week as I try to knock out some tea as well. I may start with the bagged coffee and work my way into Pumpkin Spice town. I also need consider what I’d like to bring to my room when I go to Cape May in October. It comes with a kitchenette and its own Keurig. I’ll order a Pumpkin Spice Latte at Cutie’s just after the First Day of Fall. But I’m still not sure about Saturday for the first day of the menu.

After thinking about it, I’ve narrowed it down to two choices. It’s either going to be the Oatmeal Cream Pie or the Maple Cinnamon Roll.

Before my dinner with Mr. Clougherty, I made plans to do some clothes shopping at the mall. I would go to JCPenney and Old Navy. Since my travels took me to both sides of the mall, I parked at Macy’s. It’s the first time I ever used the garage for parking. While the food court wasn’t in my plans, the top seating area has been reopened.

I was in need of some Activewear and found a few nice things at JCPenney, including a Pitt and Penn State t-shirt. Now I have some more clothes for the gym or when I go for walks and want to wear something cool. I’m slowly transitioning back to traditional but I’m not uprooting my wardrobe that quick. With the purchases I made today, I’m swapping out other things that will be getting donated in a few weeks. It’s more of a hybrid look. I thought I’d have to return to the mall but there was no need.

I’ll do my review for Plaza Azteca in tomorrow’s blog. I had a great time catching up with Mr. Clougherty. Life hits different for him now that he is retired from teaching. It’ll definitely take some getting used to that’s for sure. I’ll also share something new we’re starting in September.

Coming up:

My review of Plaza Azteca.

Milestones to close out August and begin September.

Looking ahead to September.

This month I’ve had some follow-up appointments for my kidneys and a recent sleep study. It was a bit nerve-wracking for me as I didn’t know how they would turn out. Fortunately, they didn’t go too bad. I just need to eat more foods rich in potassium and phosphorus and improve my Vitamin D levels.

The follow up for my sleep study went well. That’s the one I dreaded as I know the second study didn’t go well at all for me. It might have been getting adjusted to the mask plus it was an overnight study which I wasn’t used to. The first one was a little better due to the fact that I slept at my normal time. We went over things and I learned that my CPAP equipment would be delivered soon. Originally I was going to get it that day but other things came up on their end.

The equipment was delivered Wednesday and the next day Mom and I got it hooked up. I also moved my room around so there would be room for my machine.

As I said, this will be a work in progress. I’m not going to get it the first time. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Last spring, I gave a speech on my health journey. I highlighted my symptoms that put me in the hospital and led to major changes in my life. I also talked about the present day and mentioned the recent sleep study I did. My diagnosis was obstructive sleep apnea and it was pretty bad.

As for the CPAP machine, I’m going to ease into using it. It’ll be every other day for the first two weeks. Depending on when my nights off are, I won’t use it on those times. Friday morning was an exception. Best to use it on the hours when I sleep regularly.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep last night, getting accustomed to the CPAP mask. But I wasn’t able to do all the things that I wanted to do on Friday. I had a couple of shows I wanted to watch and on top of that, attempt to close my move goal.

I did accomplish the latter but could have moved one of the shows to Saturday. Around 8:30, I like to get ready for work. It’s a practice I started after coming back from my meetings. That gives me time to mess around before leaving the house at 9:30. It also saves me from scrambling to get dressed and do what I need to do.

Thursday night, I was handed an opportunity to watch the Steelers preseason game but didn’t take it. I didn’t watch Stuart Fails to Save the Universe until after Midnight so what was I doing? When someone gives you an opportunity, take the offer. What’s the worst that could happen?

No matter how busy you are, anytime a child hands you a toy phone you answer it.

Looks like I missed a good Greensburg Toastmasters meeting Wednesday night.

One of the speeches was a mini brainstorming session on the kind of members we went to bring in to the Greensburg club. At the next meeting on the 19th, we are going to host a bigger session. It’s something to look forward to.

Our assignment is to create a list of 10-15 qualities that we want an ideal new member of Toastmasters to have. It’ll involve grabbing a sheet of paper, and in 90 seconds coming up with as many qualities that we can think of.

In my last blog, I talked about restarting my speaking streak this month. That may have to wait until September as the speech I want to give calls for 20-40 minutes. Best to give advance notice for a presentation that long so we can adjust the schedule. I’ll do my panel discussion sometime in early September. I plan to do the Reflect on Your Path speech to finish off Presentation Mastery during the month as well.

I’ve been a Toastmaster for 15 years and yet, in doing some of my officer roles it feels like the first time. Even as a Distinguished Toastmaster, there’s always room for improvement along the way.

Qualities that I want a new Toastmaster member to have as we have our brainstorming session at the next Greensburg meeting:

— That they’re not afraid to make mistakes.

— That they have fun at our meeting but also learn.

— They must be willing to change to improve themselves.

— They should step out of their comfort zone. We can work with them.

— They should have goals in mind.

Examples; Maybe one wants to be better at Special Occasion Speeches. Someone wants to appear comfortable on camera. Another may be here to be better at speaking off the cuff.

In tomorrow’s blog, I’m going to pick some professions and jobs that can benefit from Toastmasters.