Back to school

It's been a long time since I've been a student -- it was ten years ago this week that I turned in my Master's thesis -- but the day after Labor Day will probably always feel like "back to school" to me. Do you remember this day? How long did it take you to plan your outfit? Did you promise to keep your textbook covers free of doodles, and to pay better attention in French class?

I did, and my back to school list of resolutions is pretty long this year. I drank too much caffeine and alcohol during the month of August, to say nothing of the ice cream I ate. Call it anxiety over riding the subway with men in bulky coats, or guilt over doing nothing in Darfur and Niger, or, in the last week, too much disaster porn out of Louisiana. And, of course, the bodies keep piling up in Iraq. Whatever the reason, I consumed like I was an SUV driver and gas was still only $1.99/gallon. (OK, the analogy needs some work; it's only the first day of school.)

I'm going back to work today, after ten days off. Like the first day of school, I'm excited to see my friends, worried about the piles of work that are likely to greet me, and have no idea what to wear.