Life in New Hampshire is firmly in autumn. The leaves are at peak color as I write.

September was a pretty quiet month where I focused on getting ahead of my reviews. Over the summer, I realized I needed more discipline and structure when it came to writing them. I started a posting schedule in August that helped me know what was due when. Near the end of the summer, I started with a few online writing coaching sessions, which gave me a good perspective on what I thought was missing from my reviews. There was one comment about a review being more summary than review, and I took that to heart to try to improve. I think the result has been better overall. I have lists of questions I can refer to if I’m stuck while I’m writing. This has really helped the reviews to flow much better.

The grandchildren went back to school, which means more time for myself in general. Their mother keeps them pretty active throughout the summer, so it’s not like I have them around all the time regardless. Sometimes, though, they just need a day to watch TV and veg out. We all need time to decompress. I like to give them that when they need it.

My only travel in September was down to Washington DC again. I needed to see a Nationals baseball game and chose the last series of the season when they played the Mets. I got excellent seats right down next to the field. Some Mets players were over by us giving autographs. I had warned the ball girl that she didn’t have to worry; I would grab any ball that came near. was willing to break my hand to get a baseball. In all my years of going to games, I’ve never gotten a baseball.

In the first inning, Juan Soto got a hit. The outfielder tossed the ball to the ball girl, and I saw her walking towards me with her hands out. I was shaking. Yes, I got a baseball that Juan Soto got a hit with. I am already missing baseball with no one I really care about in the playoffs. The team I am most interested in is the Chicago White Sox since they had an awful 2025 season to bounce back this year and make it to the postseason. What a fairy tale for their fans!

While I was there, I visited the National Portrait Gallery, which I’d never been to before. This is a beautiful museum that I didn’t have the time or stamina to investigate completely. If I ever return there, that’s high on my list. I also went to Ford’s Theater. They have a very nice museum in the basement, and I sat in the balcony to see where President Lincoln was shot.

My friend got us tickets to see Drunk Dracula. I’ve seen Drunk Shakespeare twice in DC and loved it, and Drunk Dracula was just as good. I highly recommend these productions if you travel to a city where there’s a company performing it. The show is heavy on improv and a lot of fun.

I took the train down there and back. I think now any DC or NYC trips in the future will be by train. It’s so much more relaxing than driving or flying. The only problem is that last-minute trips tend to be more expensive than if you purchase tickets way in advance, and lately I’m more of a last-minute traveler for things like this.

Book I read this month: