Oh. My. Word.
So, my department chair comes down the hall, summoning people as he goes. He's wearing the hangdog expression he's had since he became department chair. So I figure, nothing good is up. Either our budget has been cut to the bone and it's time for us to all take pay cuts, or we're not going to get the new hire we so desperately need, or something.

Turns out he wants us to spend some money. We may be getting a big (and I mean, big) chunk 'o' change coming in soon.
The catch is we need a "wish list" in to him by the end of the day.

Some of it was easy: departmental vehicles for field trips. Replace some of the rickety dangerous old stuff. But - I got to request a growth chamber. And one of these things, which I have been wanting for research and teaching for several years now.

Okay. My bad mood is over. But still...there's a little nagging voice in the back of my head that says "even with the best and coolest new equipment, students still won't read their labs before they come to class." I'm trying to beat it back.