Some set out to ski down mountains. Some head for the damp antiquity of Venice and other points Italian. Some stay home to read AP research papers, prepare the required (and long overdue) Professional Portfolio, and finish a few good books.

That last one is me, if you need to be told. And so far I have accomplished one out of three goals. Yesterday I read and finished a useful and insightful book by Andrew Delbanco entitled The Real American Dream: A Meditation on Hope, a series of three lectures delivered at Harvard. Today I knocked off Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, all 589 pages of it. That I actually finished a book this long is testimony enough to its humor, strength and beauty. I'm thinking that this book needs to find its way into my curriculum soon.

I intend also, at some point this week (tomorrow morning?), to begin (with weather's cooperation) some kind of physical motion that may eventually qualify as exercise.

Spring break is waking later in the morning and a tiny nap in the afternoon. Spring break is getting to watch those damn stupid Oscars from start to finish - almost. I missed Randy Newman, but I caught Bob Dylan and Bjork. Dylan's win was a highlight, good news for actual ballads with real nutritional value.

I'm out of touch with people. What should I do? I know.

The cat grossed me out this morning. I'm not even going to write about it. She's fine.

I'm listening to an anthology of southern music (blues, rock, gospel, bluegrass, native american song, tejana, country, cajun ... they did it all). And I'm composing this. I'm not watching the new version of South Pacific because I've been listening to the soundtrack everytime I've been in the car with Jay over the past several days. It is not my favorite musical...probably because I've seen way too many half-hearted high school productions.