The cool dim early mornings are so delicious now I find myself getting up at 6:30 a.m. to have some time before the heat and glare of the day. It's been so hot I sleep with just a sheet, and the windows open. Sometime around four a.m. a cool thick breeze rolls in, letting me snuggle under blankets for an hour. By eight in the morning the sun is blazing and the butter is melting in its dish. The cat goes looking for someplace shadowy to hide. I pour my second cup of coffee.

For the past two days, every moment that I'm not swimming or meeting with students or writing comments on student work I've spent promoting See How We Almost Fly and Oasis. I made at least 20 or 30 individual phone calls to friends and theatre colleagues (which entailed having some great conversations.) Wrote a bunch of emails, some individual, many mass ones, to all the people and groups I know.

I'm not usually such a good PR person for my own work, but this feels bigger than me. The two young directors, Stuart Bousel and Elizabeth Mendena are so talented, and have done such an amazing job putting these shows together. The actors and dancers are beautiful and fearless and completely committed. Not one weak link. It feels like a group act of love. I would be calling my friends and urging them to see the shows even if I hadn't written them. They are worthy of being seen.

Today: three poetry classes at the high school, then a two and a half hour poetry intro class at Writing Salon in SF. The only thing that will save my bacon is if I get in a good swim. Even though I'm swimming more, my weight won't budge--ten ounds up from last year when I was so buff. C doesn't mind, and no one else seems to notice, but I like the skinny feeling when my clothes are loose around my waist. Also, the coffee seems to be making me more tired rather than giving me energy. Hmmm...