3 July 2024
I got out of bed this morning angry. The phone normally wakes me with a chime to tell me it’s time to take my medicine but I didn’t hear it because I was deep into a nightmare.
I was back at Broward College and for a change I wasn’t trying to find my office or the classroom or remember which class I was teaching. I was in the cafeteria trying to get lunch and couldn’t get served for over 30 minutes even though it was a buffet and I was the only person in line. I stomped out of the cafeteria and got to my office and was about to answer some disturbing emails from staff and faculty and found out the administration had removed keyboards and replaced them with something like flip phones so we couldn’t readily send emails college wide. Remember how you had to send a text with those?
I then decided to head home and use my computer but got waylaid by a student who wanted in my class and the department chair was trying to force them on me. The student was a nut case and I refused. It was at this point I became awake and realized it was a dream. It didn’t improve my outlook for the morning.
I suspect the dream came about from a dinner conversation last night with Joel and Keith at Flanigans. We were talking about how politics plays a role in every profession. Some of the most spiteful words and acts I’ve encountered have been academia.
I remember one time getting into a shouting match with the department chair at the Ole Miss Biology department. I forget now what we were arguing about but I was the graduate representative to the department. Later, after we cooled down, he told me he thought botanists were a quiet sort but I had proved him wrong. We later became friends and he even brought his traveling snake show to a place I was teaching.
After getting fully awake and realizing I had nothing to be mad about, I got in the Jeep and traveled to Walgreens to pick up three prescriptions. Eighty-three dollars later, I headed to a Mobil station and filled up with diesel for another $74 dollars. I figured I won’t use the Jeep much until Sunday and I always fill up before heading to the B and B.
Tonight, Barb and I have reservations at Olive and Sea for happy hour. They have great appetizers and I’ve requested outside on their balcony that overlooks the intracoastal so we can see the mega yachts.
I’m piddling around with packing. I finally got enough prescriptions refilled to have enough for my 17 nights and 18 days. I then bundled the packets based on the B and B. It takes more time to pack the pills than it does to pack the suitcase. The other major thing is collecting chargers and cables for the iPhone, the iPad, the Apple Watch and my laptop. I feel like a traveling circus.
Joel has agreed to look out for the house while I’m gone. The major thing is to water the one indoor plant and make sure there are no leaks while I’m away. We went over everything last night and he can always call me. I’ll continue piddling with packing this afternoon.
Stay tuned!