Site takes forever to load

I never had this problem until the desert-themed makeover. Every single page takes AT LEAST 5 full seconds to load. At first I thought it was isolated to my computer and home network, but I have tried it from at least 3 or 4 locations and on various browsers (currently on IE). Could you please fix this, there is no way I am the only one with this problem. Efficiency is much better than appearance... though I think I even liked the old appearance better.

Not to nag, I love the site and come daily. Thanks for making it.