First Day of Summer Style. . .

The view from the front walk this morning. Just look at that sky! The lawn isn't too bad either. The results of twice a week mowing with a mulching mower since mid-May and an application of Milorganite, a slow release organic fertilizer 10 days ago. We've also had considerable rain this spring, which really helps grass, plants, and trees.

Today marks the official start of Summer! Let's all leave behind the dark, dank, cynical, and nihilistic world of hard-boiled private detectives, scheming dames, and two-bit losers for just a minute and do The Snoopy Dance.

The Grand Duchess continues to endure real hardship in The Pacific Theater. She has had her obligatory volcano hikes and taken in a beach or two at sunset. Her hiking boots were immaculate since I moisturized them before she packed. Yesterday, she flew to another island where the actual conference takes place. Opening convocations and related schmoozing were yesterday evening. Time seems meaningless in this case since I can't even figure our what day it is in Hawaii.

Meanwhile, back in real life, The Young Master and I have a largely unstructured day planned. I'll mow after 3pm once the sun is lower in the sky, and we plan a bike ride around the neighborhood before dinner this evening. Tour de Cul de Sacs as we refer to it. Twice around the five or six cul de sacs and connecting streets that comprise our neighborhood takes an hour or so, an idea length of time in the saddle for a nine-year-old. Very little traffic by that point in the day too.

Afterward, father and son will split a pizza for dinner and see where the evening takes us. No doubt, the latest Geronimo Stilton story will figure prominently before bedtime. Tomorrow, our usual big weekend breakfast, followed by Tae Kwon Do -- he has his yellow belt test Monday evening next week -- and a piano lesson. Otherwise, the weekend is wide open.

Hear that? Ah, Summer!

-- Heinz-Ulrich

The upper half this bright, sunny, and cool summer morning, a seersucker number.

And the rather spindly lower half. While I've got a pair of faded red shorts, one in olive green, and a couple of pairs in Madras patterns, most are in various shades of khaki, some with pleats, some without. It's very easy to go to my dresser in the morning and toss on comfortable summer gear with almost no thought involved. Dressing in a reasonably presentable way need not be complicated, guys. Yes. I know. All snide thoughts about bird legs are acknowledged and excused.

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J. Press Goodness. . .

F resh out of the UPS box, three examples of J. Press goodness on a Friday morning. These shirts are replacements for three recently worn-through, more than 20-year old OCBDs from Land's End (two) and L.L. Bean (one). They were purchased shortly after I took my first teaching position at a now defunct local college outside of Minneapolis, immediately following graduate school, as the fall semester kicked off in September 2003. While some professional gear hung in my closet already, a few additional items were needed at that point to round out the weekly rotation. Said shirts all finally fell prey to small rips showing up in the now very thin, but incredibly comfortable, fabric within six weeks of each other this winter and early spring. So, time for a few replacements. The old friends will find new life as summertime lawncare shirts. Of the three new items above, my favorite shirt is on the right, but one cannot go wrong with a light blue OCBD either, so we're in good

Time for the Ol' Switcheroo?

W ell, here we are approaching mid-April. And it might just be about time to swap the cool and cold weather attire for warmer weather gear this coming weekend. Mid-70s Fahrenheit yesterday, and low 70s today. Cooler after that later in the week, but I can probably stow the heavier wool items and cords in the cedar closet and safely bring out the warm weather suits, odd jackets, and pants until the fall. Still time of one last hurrah today however. Cooler enough this morning for a tan pair of cords paired with that recently arrived J. Press jacket. The latter is light enough, although it is wool, that I might just keep it handy since we can certainly have chilly days in May and June. While classes end on the April 19th this year, I'll still be on campus occasionally into June, so it's not exactly time for khaki shorts, Madras, seersucker and short-sleeved polo shirts just yet. There's also conference coming up in New Orleans at the start of June, so still some oppor

Job Talk #3. . .

C andidate #3 is, for my money, the person for the job. Considerable experience, broad perspective, well-connected throughout the college and university due to an array of collaborative pursuits of one kind or another, coherent and detailed vision laid out for the next three years and beyond. Yes. I am not on the committee that makes the recommendation to the dean, who will make the final decision and send the letter, but, were it up to yours truly, this is the guy. And he wore an actual suit (mid-gray), dress shoes, white shirt, and necktie as an added plus. 20 years or so my junior, but someone gets it. -- Heinz-Ulrich

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