The sky is still gray and flat, but the winds keep whipping everything into great curvy swirls. It is so windy that I cannot tell without looking whether or not it is raining, even though I�m sitting below the skylight.

The gloom of the weather has seeped through the walls of the house, leaving its two adult members wallowing in their own separate senses of failure and self-loathing over our individual and collective lack of accomplishment.

Fortunately, AJ seems to be clad in his anti-gloom forcefield. He has no lack of accomplishment to worry about. He just breezed through a speed quiz on multiplication on his current favorite toy, the Turbo Twist. He made a paper cat at the library drop-in craft today, a cat with a brilliantly zig-zaggy green and yellow tail. It is sticking out its tongue. Later, we have plans to make it a read scarf so it can be Jenny Lensky. Right now he is at school. It is picture day today. His teacher told them all to �Practice your smiles!� yesterday before they left. He took her at her word. He came down for breakfast this morning and suddenly hit himself in his head with the heel of his hand. �Oh no! I forgot!� He raced upstairs. When I came up a minute or two later, he was standing in front of the mirror grinning. �I practiced!� he said.

We walked to school today with his friend C., who lives across the street. As we walked by the police station � we like to count the police cars in the lot � an officer came out and said hello to the boys. C. said to the officer, �I want to be a police officer when I grow up!� AJ stood by silently, consumed by shyness. �That�s great,� said the officer. �We need more good men like you guys.� They both walked a little taller after that. After they ran to the corner and balanced on the edge of the curb, we crossed the street by the school. I asked C. why he wanted to be a police officer. �I want to write the people tickets,� he said. �And also, I want to drive my car to Dunkin� Donuts.�

Clearly, C. is fully qualified for the job.

* * * * *

Today�s student mailbag is a repeat offender, having been quoted in a previous entry.

Hi, Professor H.!

I just wanted to check, is there any homework for the next class?

Clueless Student

Dear C.S.�

You will find all the homework assignments for the quarter in the back of your syllabus. If you need another copy, please download it from the webpage. And by the way, you will almost certainly be called on in class. Study hard!

H.

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