Shorts

Classes are over. Commencement has come and gone. It is now OK to wear shorts to work. This is my official policy.

Did I mention this is my favorite time of year? The atmosphere on campus is mellow, the weather’s heating up, and all the promise of summer lies ahead.

I love summer. It’s my favorite season. It bears some heavy symbolic freight. Summer to me means life itself.

Of course I have childhood memories of summer vacations which seem to stretch on forever. I have a soft spot in my heart for stories that capture that spirit, like the wonderful Half Magic by Edward Eager.

As for our summer vacation, we’re in the odd position of knowing when but not where. We’ve got a week of Xy’s grandmother’s timeshare condo. We wanted to go to Austin, but alas, nothing’s available there. And now we’ve waited too long to be picky. We’ll find out about our options later this week.

Still, I enjoy thinking about the possibilities. Draw a circle around New Orleans, with a 500 mile radius. Now draw another one with a 1,000 mile radius. Exclude the ocean and the coasts. I imagine we’ll end up between these two circles somewhere. Maybe the Ozarks?