I ran into one of our students who is now working on a Master's. He commented that he's taking a graduate-level stats class and that it's "easy" because of what he learned in Biostatistics from me. And he thanked me for the preparation I gave him.

I'm going to remember that the next time I get down on myself because a student complains that that class is "too hard." A lot of times doing stuff that's "hard" means that stuff in the future is easier, or you're able to do things in the future better because of that past preparation.

I don't know; maybe I'm a little perverse but I enjoyed many of my "hard" classes as a student because they presented a challenge, and I felt like I had really achieved something if I managed to earn an A.


****

If I can manage to finish grading these exams (I didn't, yesterday afternoon - a "heated discussion" broke out next door to me and it distressed me sufficiently that I bugged out early), I think I'm still going to allow myself a bit of a "mental health day" this afternoon. I feel much better today, though I'm not sure it's entirely due to not having to breathe wet moldy soil yesterday. (I do still need to do those two samples, but I'm thinking Monday would be a good day to work on them).

What I did with what extra time I had (I didn't leave campus until 2:45, an hour and forty five minutes later than I originally planned), was get the first batch of soil for the raised beds.

Yeah. They're gonna take a lot of soil. Four, forty pound bags of "topsoil", mixed with two fifty-pound bags of "play sand" and amended with four, "1.5 cubic foot" bags of organic mulchy stuff didn't even fill the first bed. I'm thinking it'll take three rounds of that to fully fill the garden. (It's wet today so I don't think I'll do the second round today. Maybe Saturday, after the trash-off).

I'm mentally putting this expense in the budget column for "therapy" rather than for "having cheaper food." Just so you know. (And yes, done right, gardening can be a form of therapy.)

Besides, it makes me feel good that I can lift and carry fifty pound bags of sand.

****

I made an off-the-shelf dinner last night. I like being able to do this occasionally: realizing I don't have anything really left over or planned-ahead, being able to go to my pantry and make dinner without having to go (dahn dahn DAHN) to the grocery store (or worse, the wal-mart) at the end of the day when everyone else is there.

I did stewed tomatoes. Opened up a can of "petite diced" tomatoes, seasoned them with some Penzeys' "Sandwich Sprinkle" (which, despite the name, is a good all-purpose seasoning, with a kind of vaguely-Italian herbs flavor). I didn't have any white bread, and usually I make stewed tomatoes with white bread, but the thought of even running out to the Braum's for a loaf of their (admittedly spongy) white bread was more than I felt like doing. But I had wheat bread.

First of all: I tend to have very distinct and rigid preferences for "what bread goes with what." I am actually kind of like the average five-year-old in that aspect. (Well, maybe not. I wouldn't throw a screaming tantrum if served the 'wrong' kind, but I'd be distinctly discomfited). Grilled cheese is made on white bread. Egg salad sandwiches have to be on white bread. Peanut butter is acceptable on either, but best on some kind of wholegrain bread. Turkey has to be on white, ham on whole wheat, roast beef is best on marble but failing that, the bread should be white. Pizza must have white-flour crust. And don't serve me those gritty, "good for you" whole-wheat pasta noodles. (I know, they've improved them. But I remember having some when they first came out and being really put off by them, and every time I saw an ad claiming that "your family won't tell the difference" I thought, "Oh, don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining.")

So, I had always only made the scalloped/stewed tomatoes (I guess strictly speaking the addition of bread makes them scalloped; stewed is just plain tomatoes) with white bread. But going out to get some: meeeeeeeeeeh.

So I used the whole wheat - I toasted it first, and buttered it a little, and tore it up into bits.

And at the end, I put some mozzarella on top to melt.

And you know? I think I like the whole wheat bread better in this. It holds up a little better (sometimes the white bread kind of dissolved and got gross), and it does have more flavor.