The first day of school was today.

(Well: the first day of the fall semester at my university. But I persist in thinking of it as "the first day of school.")

I tend to reserve judgement right off. But I will say it's good to be back in the classroom. It's good to have my life governed by a daily rhythm again, rather than the more long-term and amorphous deadlines of research-work and publishing.

I've been involved with academia so long that it's gotten into my blood. The five-day-a-week work week (with Saturdays for catch-up and longer-term projects). The start of the semester. New books and chalk and clean classrooms. I even got three-ring binders for each class and am planning to keep a "master copy" of each handout and outline, instead of searching frantically for/printing out new ones.

I also noticed today (from the comfortable vantage point of the air-conditioned building) that the sunlight is beginning to take on a slight bit - just a hint - of the golden color it develops every fall. So, a reminder that this infernally hot weather shouldn't last, that soon there will be new-crop sweet potatoes in the store, and decent apples once again, and I can dig out my sweaters and knit socks and start wearing them again, and there will be Football Saturdays (and even though I am not a fan, I still have a soft sentimental spot for my imagining of the ideal Football Saturday: cool and crisp, the band in good form, sitting in the stands cheering and laughing, and a thermos of hot chocolate or tea.)

I know that I should feel slightly alarmed at the passage of time, now. (Less than 3 years until the big 4-0...and still I've never received that copy of How To Be A Real Adult I thought everyone was issued at 18). But it's such a relief to think of fall coming and summer being over for a few months at least...