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March 01, 2005

afternoon delight

School must be in session tomorrow or I cannot guarantee we'll all see the end of the week alive. For the past four days, while I work he sits opposite me at his computer playing Diablo. I have to keep asking him to turn down the sound of explosions, clanking metal, screaming, and, lately, what sounds like a herd of cows except they are actually saying "moo." Meanwhile Herself comes in every half-hour or to make a proclamation about how bored she is, or that she is hungry, or that she has nobody to play with, or that she can't think of anything to do.

"Why don't you walk the dog" I say hopefully, the way every other mother stuck at home with her kids these past endless days must be saying. "Why don't you go play in the snow." "Why don't you read a book." Naturally she does not want to walk the dog, the snow is too cold, she read all of her books already, Mom. "Well, tomorrow you will be back in school, so just enjoy your time off." To that I get in return "Thanks, Mom; now I have a stomach ache because you talked about school."

Eeesh. When I go upstairs to get a cup of coffee I stand at the front door and look out. The roads are clear and dry. The sun makes the snow drop from the branches of the pear tree; under the snow there are the first spring buds. It is March first. My neighbor comes over with a plate of cookies.

She also gives me a surprise present: a calendar on which each month displays a photo of some gorgeous tropical beach about a million miles from snow days, crabby children, and e-mail. I can hear from downstairs "moo. moomoo. moo."

I look at March: a beach in Puerto Rico, deserted. But--I squint just a little. No, not quite deserted. There. A single sun worshipper. I can just barely make me out, lying on a beach chair with my book, mojito at hand. The sun is hot, my drink is sweet, and I feel dozey. I yawn. Ahh.

Posted by JudyLa at 06:00 AM | Comments (0)