A displeasing development.

I've started dreaming about work again. This does not make me happy.

At least, I'm not having nightmares about classes, like I did one semester when I had, well, a nightmare of a general bio class. (This was the one with the BMOC who would try to flirt with all the girls and who sat and texted through class, no matter what I said, and the girl who used to pull out those bricklike fantasy novels that I think of as "elf sex books" when we'd start doing a class activity, and would flatly refuse to participate, even if the stick of lost points or the carrot of bonus points were offered).

No, this go-round the hyperresponsible part of my subconscious is merely reminding me in my sleep of what I have to do in the coming day. So I'm dreaming about "need to find the best route from here to Broken Arrow" and "Need to get soil for Ecology lab" and I wake up feeling like I've already lived my day, but now I have to go and live it for reals.

***

Speaking of the soil, I went out this morning before the sun was up and collected it. I was going to get it yesterday but during my "lunch break" (when I could have) it was raining buckets, and it was a cold rain, too.

So I decided I had to get it today. But I didn't know if there'd be enough time in my little one-hour slots between classes. So I went out at 7 am, with my shovel and bucket and the battery-powered camp lantern I use during power outages.

Yes, I was out in my backyard, digging soil, at a time that I think could justifiably be called "O-dark-30." (Except it was just before 7 am, so I guess that would just be "O-dark"?)

It was one of those moments where I ask myself, "What have you gotten yourself in to?"

I half expected my neighbor (a police officer) to come over and see what was going on with a person out in my back yard with a lantern. But I think once he saw it was me, he'd have stopped asking questions (well, at least asking questions OF me about what I was doing...)

But no one was up over there, I guess (except for the dogs).

I have no idea if the students will find any "critters" in the soil. It's been sort of cold, and before that, it was dry for quite a while (even though I watered the soil a couple of times), so there may be nothing. Oh well.


I will say collecting the soil reminded me of one of those old riddles that you learn when you are seven or something:

"Waiter, this coffee tastes like mud!"
"Funny, it was ground this morning."