Spring Break!

Okay, so that resolution to keep up with the blog was a bunch of crap. Basically, I was just waving a red flag in the face of fate when I wrote my last post, because it was followed almost immediately by a wave of child illness and job/family care juggling that took almost all focus away from my writing . . . apart from a brief two or three day stint where I wrote like a madwoman in an attempt to put together an NEA grant application. 

My frantic attempt to submit the NEA application was more of an excuse to focus exclusively on my play, though. I would really, really like to have this rewrite of the first act complete by the end of the semester. I'm not particularly sure how that's supposed to happen with the CW Festival occurring in April and more applications due (for next year's conferences and -- deep breath -- for promotion to full professor); but it's my goal, at the very least.

Check out this fabulous "spring" weather!

In order to get back to serious work on the play, though, I have to do some serious grading. Luckily, it's Spring Recess for the college and so I have some time to catch up . . . IF I can use the time wisely. So far I've managed to accomplish a couple of really good outdoor runs (yes, I'm running again, semi-regularly); paid an obscene amount of money to have my behemoth of an SUV fixed and fine-tuned and returned to dependable working order; returned obscenely late library books to our community library; BEGUN TO READ AN ACTUAL NOVEL I'M NOT ACTUALLY TEACHING FOR CLASS; answered some questions for an online interview with a publisher's blog; finished a pottery project that I began back in September when I foolishly thought I'd have free time this academic year; and thought (thought) about what I need to do to get my unholy mess of a house in order.

Things I haven't done: Grade. Work on the play. Actually clean the unholy mess of a house. 

Two out of those three things MUST be done in the next two days, as I have family coming to visit for the first time in forever this weekend. I anticipate getting some grading done on the train later today because I'm taking one of my rare jaunts into the city to have lunch with the fabulous Miss C.; and then later, I'll have dinner with my sister before going to BOMB magazine's 35th anniversary reading in Brooklyn, where Kate Zambreno is featured. (Yay! Can't wait to hear her read). Then, hopefully, there will be a whole lot of cleaning and grading happening tomorrow and Friday.

Thank god for Spring Recess. I mean, in some ways I find it a stupid and silly tradition; and yet it's remarkable how much I feel like I NEED it, desperately, by the time it rolls around.