As I write this Oscar is lounging on his pillow pet watching his favorite Thomas the Train video for the seventeenth time in two days. He runs to his pile of DVDs and says “Show! Show!” It’s a fun ritual in which I take down the whole stack and he pretends the peruse them carefully before deciding on the one that’s already in the DVD player because he watches it constantly and exclusively. Thank God he’s off his Alphabet Factory binge. That horrible song (“The A says ah!”) had worked its way into my brain like an insidious worm.

May is coming to an alarmingly fast close as I teach a playwriting workshop, type up NCATE reports (you don’t want to know), write a chapter for my editor, put together a packet of review materials for my tenure application, frantically prepare my online summer school class which begins June 6th, and get ready for out-of-town guests. Meanwhile, the wind blows and summer refuses to take hold.

I have become hopelessly addicted to cooking shows: Iron Chef followed by Throw Down followed by Chopped. Sometimes I throw in an episode of Cupcake Wars for variety. What I really need to be watching more of is my Denise Austin workout video.

I’m looking forward to a summer of family, friends, delicious meals, taking Oscar to the park, and finding time for my writing. A teacher’s work is never done, but at least I will get to work while sitting on the porch in sweatpants while drinking a cool beverage. That is, if it ever gets warm enough to sit outside!