Spring in Arizona means, among other things, itchy noses and ninety-degree days. The sun scorches, and warm breezes waft through the backyard. Broccoli raab and tatsoi sprout in the garden. Clothes dry in minutes on the line. The dog rolls in the dust, pawing through the topsoil to find a cool patch to lie in. My skin finds a  toasty shade to settle into; freckles reappear on my face. We all begin to live in our $3 flip-flops. We wake up at 6 AM to bake bread and eat fresh yogurt with homemade granola.

My sister-in-law (and next-door neighbor) goes into the hospital to deliver her first baby.

The sun sets later and we don’t set our clocks forward. At night, cool air pushes through the windows, dust settles in the yard, we take the mint plants in from the porch, we drink big glasses of red wine. We watch Czech New Wave films and fall asleep early. We plan our roadtrips and make springtime playlists.

1. Yeah Yeah - Matt & Kim
2. Escort Crash on Marsten Street - Heavenly
3. She’s Fantastic - Sondre Lerche
4. Confetti - Lemonheads
5. Maple Leaves - Jens Lenkman
6. Everything and More - Dolly Mixture
7. You Turned My Head Around - Dean & Britta
8. Puzzles Like You - Mojave 3
9. I Found Love - The Free Design
10. Reno Dakota - The Magnetic Fields
11. Ugly - Juliana Hatfield
12. Les and Ray - Le Tigre
13. Tandem Jump - Jonathan Richman
14. Sunrise Semester - Lois
15. Minneapolis - That Dog