missing Mariah

The house feels pretty empty without Mariah, who's now off on her third week away this summer (fourth if you count the one she spent with us). She's in CA now, visiting my sister and her family, and entertaining the world's best nephew/cousin, the fabulous Ben. She's having a great time, I'm sure. And we're doing fine here, really. If it weren't for that rain...

Actually this is the crazy time of year when everything has to be got ready for the fall semester. Every year it sneaks up on me. Every year I feel as if the summer has just disappeared. I know the rest of the world thinks we have a cushy job, we professors, only teaching a few days a week, summers off--and I can't deny it. It's pretty nice. But at this time of year I feel that I pay for it, really I do. Especially when I have to go back to school in late August and the kids still have two weeks of vacation. Whose idea was that schedule?

OK, enough complaining. Time to get back to work.