Every time I visit Walmart in Tampa, I can’t help but think of that trip last fall to the hell that is the north San Jose Walmart. I’ll spare you the description of my self-hatred every time I succumb to Walmart’s low prices. Let the cartoon serve as my penance.

I was walking down the toilet tissue aisle this afternoon when I heard someone call out, “Dr. Cassara?” I looked around. My father’s dead, my brother’s not in Tampa, so whom could they be referring to?

It was one of my former UT students, who assumed I was a PhD. It was great to see her, catch up on how her semester was going and to meet her husband and adorable little toddler girl.

It reminded me how much I miss teaching and how I can’t wait to know where the hell I’m going to be living so I can get back in that groove. I know I’ll be teaching at workshops, sort of, but not every week. I miss it and I miss young people!

Last week we visited a few workshop venues and we have set a tentative July date for the first one. So when I saw gluesticks at an incredibly low price (at Walmart), I simply had to buy 75 of them.

First, I walked by them. After all, a few months till July, plenty of time to shop. But, what if they were gone? What if I couldn’t find 6 for a buck again? These workshop supplies eat into our margin. So I went back, took all that remained and then called my partner to be sure she didn’t double buy.

Only to find that she, too, had run across other workshop supplies in her travels and had the same thought process.

Tangible progress is being made.