February 17: Dentrassis, Long Afternoon, Second-to-Last Week

Back to Ford Prefect.  The last time we saw him, he was still on Earth, right after the Vogons had announced their intention to destroy the planet . . .

He looked about the cabin but could see very little; strange monstrous shadows loomed and leaped with the tiny flickering flame, but all was quiet.  He breathed a silent thank you to the Dentrassis.  The Dentrassis are an unruly tribe of gourmands, a wild but pleasant bunch whom the Vogons had recently taken to employing as catering staff on their long-haul fleets, on the strict understanding that they keep themselves very much to themselves.

This suited the Dentrassis fine, because they loved Vogon money, which is one of the hardest currencies in space, but loathed the Vogons themselves.  The only sort of Vogon a Dentrassi liked to see was an annoyed Vogon.

It was because of this tiny piece of information that Ford Prefect was not now a whiff of hydrogen, ozone and carbon monoxide.

There you go.  Ford Prefect is on the Vogon flagship, saved by the Dentrassi's penchant for wanting to annoy the Vogons.  Obviously, Ford Prefect is not a friend of the Vogons.  Nobody is a friend of the Vogons, it seems.  But Ford and Arthur were able to hitch a ride on their ship.  More on that tomorrow.

 It has been a long afternoon of schoolwork and watching more snow fall.  Frankly, I would have preferred hitching a ride on a Vogon ship than all the busy work I had to complete.  Grading and lesson planning and PowerPointing.  It took me over four hours to finish.  Now, I'm a little mind weary and hungry.  And it's still snowing.  I want a Vogon ride to summer.

I think my mood right now is more a result of all the mind-numbing class prep than the weather (although I am tired of snow and shoveling and cold).  I need a break.  Something that is simply fun.  Reading a frivolous book.  Watching a stupid television show.

TIME CUT:  Three hours later . . .

No frivolous book.  No stupid television.  Instead, I just finished shoveling my driveway and front yard.  It's almost 8 p.m.  The snow was really light and powdery, so it only took me about a half hour.  Now, I'm in my pajamas, and my son is watching some stupid show on the Cartoon Network that he's currently obsessed with.  He watches it every night.  (Side note:  I used to watch Bugs Bunny cartoons every day, so I can't really complain about my son's television viewing habits.)

Sunday night.  The start of another work week.  The start of the second-to-last week of working at the surgery center.  Tomorrow, work and teaching.  I'm already tired. 

Put a fork in Saint Marty.  He's done.  For the week.