Day One

Spring semester: day one

Today is the start of what I can only hope will be the very last semester of my college education, ever. It is 5:39 AM. I have showered, had approximately half a cup of coffee, and have smoked two cigarettes. Below me, downstairs in the bedroom, Daisy is sleeping. In less than an hour, I will pull the Monte Carlo out of the driveway in the freezing, I-can't-feel-my-fingers cold, and will drive to campus, where I will make more coffee and mingle a bit before I teach my two classes and head home. Daisy will barely know I'm gone before I've once more returned to her.

Yes, she does know that my semester starts today, and that I have to teach this morning. It's not like I'm going to abandon her without reason under cover of early morning darkness and not tell her where I've gone. She told me she'd probably sleep until 9 or so, which is perfectly fine; I'm sure the cats will keep her warm once I leave for school. When I got up this morning, almost an hour ago now, she felt me get off the bed, and in a sleep-haze, told me she loved me before passing out again. It was sweet.

This is a huge trust thing for me, leaving someone -- anyone -- here at my home when I'm not here. I've never done it before, not even for a little while or for a trip to the store or anything like that. My longtime ex and I used to live together for five years or so, and yes, it's not like I never left the house with her at home, because I did -- we lived together. But since I've been living on my own, alone, for the past eighteen months or so? I've never just up and left anyone in my house while I've not been there. It's the same reason I don't let anyone take care of the cats while I'm gone on vacation or otherwise out of town, opting instead to provide them with an overabundance of food, water, and litter -- I don't like people in my living space when I'm not there. Ever. I don't trust anyone with the cats. I don't trust a whole lot of people in general.

Daisy is different. She and I have been together for a little over six months now (even if our "official" anniversary is in October), and I trust her. She loves me, she loves the cats, and I love her very much. I trust her innately. Daisy almost immediately had my trust; she's one of the kindest, gentlest souls I've ever known, and even the cats can sense it -- all of them (even Sadie, who is legendarily skittish) buddied up to her almost immediately upon meeting her. Therefore, I really have no true worries about Daisy being here without me.

"You have a very important job today," I told her as we settled in to bed last night.

"Oh?"

"Yes. My parents' box should arrive today. I don't know if it will come before or after I get back home, but if it comes before I get back, you have to get it from the mailman if he knocks on the door."

The mail in Newton is really strange; some days it will come at 10AM, other days not until after 5PM. It all depends on the day, really.

Daisy's mother also sent down a gallon Ziploc bag of bread dough, which Daisy will probably make while I'm gone (if she wakes up with enough time to do so before I get back). We planned on baking it last night, but all we did yesterday, really, was sleep, watch Firefly, and eat dinner before going back to sleep again. This is probably why I woke up at 4:40 AM.

As for my loan money, it has not yet arrived, but -- as I said before -- I am forcing myself to be as patient as possible about it. I'll check tonight and tomorrow again before, if nothing's changed by tomorrow evening, I'll send an email to the financial aid office and/or go over there myself after class on Thursday. I have tomorrow off, and Daisy will be going home tomorrow afternoon, more than likely. Today on campus should be a fairly quick in-and-out trip consisting of little more than "Hey kids, I'm your instructor. Here's your syllabus. Here's the books you'll need. You'll need this one by Thursday. Laters." Normally I would give the diagnostic exam on the first day of class, but I'm not sure I'll have the time to do it today, what with everything else I have to cover on the syllabus. I'd also like to get the students in and out so that I myself can get in and out and be done with my day.

And with that, folks, my semester begins. I now venture out into the cold morning to broaden some minds. For the last semester I'll ever have to do it.