Acute Case of Spring Fever

The weather is beautiful outside. The sun is warm, and there is a cool breeze blowing through the city. From my open window I can hear the spring birds chirping melodically. It's somewhat perfect, almost incredible to believe that Madrid can be so beautiful after the dullness of Winter.

But I am inside. I'm trapped inside a class, supposedly teaching students more about the Perfect Aspect in English but in reality staring longingly outside the window. Sending text messages while they work. Making lists when they're not looking. I show videos to reduce my work. I have asked them, on more than one occasion, if they would prefer to have class in the bar.

When I'm not in class, I'm tethered by invisible bonds to the computer. Apart from the infinite entertainment provided by the internet, I have now stumbled upon the joy of downloading movies, old and new. In the past week I've watched My Own Private Idaho (blech, I turned it off halfway through), SuperSize Me (eeeeeeeew), Constantine (not bad), Napoleon Dynamite (a new favorite) and Welcome to the Dollhouse (like Napoleon Dynamite, but not funny or entertaining and somewhat sickening). My new Ultimate Favorite, said with capitalization to demonstrate importance, is Lost. This is an ABC tv show about a ridiculously large number of people who survive a plane crash on a tropical island. That's the basis, from there the stories gets all twisty and surprising. It's a little silly sometimes that EVERYONE on the island has some dramatic, life-altering secret, but it makes for some good 45 minutes. I've downloaded every single episode thus far and spread the infection to various workmates.