The Doldrums?

August always seems like the slack-sailed part of the year's journey. It's hot. It's still. There are no observances. The end of summer is nigh. You can almost hear the boards creaking, as the furled sails hang limply from the masts, the rigging dry and dusty. The crew lies on the deck, thirsty, hot, tired. The ship drifts with the current. In the water below, there is nothing. No dolphin, no whale, no shark. Just a flat copper looking glass is the sea, sparkling with unrelenting sun. You are firmly in the Doldrums.

Yep. That's August.

On the other hand, in less than a week, I will be engaging in the stimulating intellectual exercises known as "New Teacher Orientation" and "Faculty Workdays and On-Site Planning." Doesn't that sound great?! From the 7th until school begins on the 20th, that is how I will spend most of my days. That is how I will navigate through the Doldrums; ultimately feeling the warm breeze of September on my dry, cracked lips. In anticipation I will unfurl my sails, hoping to catch the most virgin of winds, which will carry me off to my South Pacific paradise--but, first I must navigate the treacherous waters of Cape Hope.

We do not despair. With a trusty first mate and a good cabin dog, the journey will be one of adventure, obstacles, and, ultimately, triumph. With a few cold adult beverages served in a frosty coconut shell at the end.

At least, one can hope.