. . . and today James goes off to spend two weeks by the sea, and Tom and I are home alone for two weeks. And on Wednesday we will have been married for twenty years. And actually it is surprising that I mentioned that milestone because every year we forget our wedding anniversary until my sister calls to remind us. And I will be mowing the grass at 8 a.m. because of the incipient heat. And at the moment I'm sitting here in my thin nightgown shivering because Maine doesn't believe in hot weather at 7 a.m. And it's entirely possible that Tom will bring home lobsters for dinner. And here's a series of car-ride thoughts from my 13-year-old about how life could always be worse:

Mom, imagine having poison ivy and a sunburn.

Mom, imagine having poison ivy and a sunburn and acne.

Mom, imagine having poison ivy and a sunburn and acne, and then you had to shave.