My boss dropped me off a few blocks from home. Being that it was after midnight, I had to decide between walking home and getting what little sleep I could and driving around until time to get back to work at 0600.
Apparently I thought driving to Tucson for some shopping was a good way to kill the time.
I arrived just after daybreak, and though I was able to get into the mall and there were even some stores open, I couldn’t find a food stand or restaurant open for me to get some food. I opted for window shopping until something was open and I could sate my hunger.
After a browsing a couple of clothing stores, I found an art store where my former boss from a previous job was working. She was so happy to see me that she offered me some free art supplies. I picked out a book on how to draw violent attacks and injuries as well as a couple of Copic markers (they only had the two colors in stock anyway). My old boss was busy at the register when I was done.
While I waited, a guy I went to high school with approached me asking for my phone number. He seemed proud of the fact that he remembered how to spell my name (except he had gotten it quite wrong) and asked for my phone number. I tried to tell him that I was married, but he didn’t seem to care.
By that point it finally hit me that if the sun was out I was definitely late for work, so I went back in time and still got there a little late. We were getting inspected, and everyone was rushing to get ready without me there. I found my art supplies in my locker, where they had been delivered after my former boss packed them up, and I asked a friend from college if the Copic markers were good for my art. She wasn’t fond of them, but I didn’t have time to ask more questions because the doctor and everyone else were quite angry at me, so I tried to find some scrubs that fit. There were none.
As the panic continued, I ran around half naked trying to find appropriate scrubs. I thought for sure I would be fired for this.
…Then I woke up.