Spring Break. or Why my zionist barber thinks I am a junkie!

Spring break calls to mind images of sun, the beach, parties and tanned college aged bodies. Oh wait, that's just an MTV vision of reality. What really happens during during spring break? First, since you're a grad student who probably spends more time blogging than writing papers that are due, you get "extensions" which hang over your head during your "break" making you feel like that every day of the extension means that your paper should be that much better. Second, you get a week pass to the gym across the street. Thinking that perhaps some exercise might be good to relieve the tension, you work out only to have your arms cramp up upon your return home. So now your walking around with your arm all bent unable to fully extend, stressed out on too little sleep. Third, you go to the barber shop - hey - personal grooming never made one feel worse right? Well, your barber notices that you can't straighten out your left arm and sees what appears to be a track mark on your arm (the area is just a bit red from me trying to massage the pain away). Wearing a yarmulke, and regaling me with stories about how he is planning to go to Israel for vacation he ends the haircut by looking me in the eye and asking "Are you doing ok? You aren't getting in any trouble are you?" while gesturing to my (seized) left arm. I half expected him to give me drug rehab literature with my change. Fourth, wake up the next day and realize that your right arm is seizing too, which makes typing kinda painful. Lastly, plans to go (north!? what was I thinking?) to Boston for the day are finalized with non-refundable tickets. So despite the BLIZZARD yesterday and below freezing temperatures, I will be spending most of the day today walking around Boston. Wheeee!

A friend of mine from school who went to Mt. Holyoke, told me about how she used to see women sunning themselves in bikinis on campus once it got kinda warm, even if the snow hadn't fully melted away.... this to me is spring break - mind over matter - fantasy over reality.