A second beastly hot day ahead of us, and we will be on the road this afternoon, heading south to Massachusetts to visit Tom's parents. But there are benefits to being a couple instead of a family: we've got the option to take the pickup, which has air conditioning, instead of my car, which does not. I'm almost looking forward to spending three hours on the highway.

Yesterday I did mow grass and move that heap of brick and stone; this morning all I need to focus on is watering, which is a big, boring job but at least a cool one. And I have a fresh library book to read (another Tessa Hadley), and I made a good start on my chapbook syllabus (turns out it's fun to invent group exercises for manuscript arrangement), and I ordered Caroline Alexander's translation of the Iliad (which Teresa and I are going to tackle next). Now I am ready for a little vacation . . . plenty of chat and good food and card playing with people I like a lot, and haven't seen for almost two years.

I'm beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed with work: a new editing project to start on Monday, my poetry group on Monday night, hosting that garden tour next Thursday, a reading next Sunday, plus this chapbook class to finish designing . . . but it's a good overwhelmed.