the yards of others, continued

My plan was to front load all of last semester's work, so that I could take a June break, before starting the preparation for next semester's stuff shortly after.

The plan's not working. May is the planting season. I cannot abandon the garden now. And, too, after an excellent start to grading, I stalled. Became contemplative. Wondered why I was killing myself in this way. Thought maybe I should retire.

All in the space of one day.

And there was more: my office neighbors (holding a variety of law school responsibilities -- administration, teaching, public relations) took me out for a birthday lunch. These are my buddies in the true sense of the word. They are the people to whom I bring day-to-day stories. If I would crash on rosie or go to class with a shirt unbuttoned (by accident), they would know. And now here we are, eating lunch, recounting the drama of life and it strikes me then and there -- I should retire soon.

There are no photos to commemorate this kind of a day.

Oh sure, for the sake of balance, there is breakfast. Inside. It rained and it was cool-ish and it was just easier that way.





Then, the lunch, more slow moving contemplative work at home and finally, long after daylight became a muted faded thing, I planted. Odd plants acquired from another person's yard today. Spindly clumped balls of not much, but the seller was so earnest and the price so low, that I offered to take home one clump and got (saddled with) five instead.