Ever have that dream where you explore some murky world? Maybe it starts out at the office all normal-like, then suddenly you’re alone and driving, confused as to where you’re going but determined to beat The Others there… That’s when colors swirl and time takes five as what should be a simple devolves into a punishing conundrum of scanner hiss and easily missed alleyways. It’s only then your eyelids twitch and you begin to think you’ve been sleeping all along, not lurching headlong into the void at the whim of some fickle, unseen master… Or are you? Suddenly it seems you’re where you were trying to get to all along, yet the tempest is spent and all that remains are the fluttering yellow strips of futility. A part of your submerged mind thinks to look around and you’re not at all surprised to see there are now three of you staring into the abyss….

Wait a minute! That’s no dream! It’s just the Night Shift! I know because I’ve worked about a dozen of them in nearly twenty years. And those who have endured even more evening shifts tell me there’s more to it than just beefing up your light kit. There are tighter deadlines, fewer managers around and a steady stream of crime scenes to brighten up your day night. Just a few of the reasons I keep my sunny ass off the clock come dusk. Better to leave it the younger set, like these three fine specimens pictured above (Jared Rose of KMSP, Jeff Ganahl of KSTP and Nate Anderson of KARE)! Together I’m sure those three will get to the bottom of it, whatever it is. Me, I’ll be at home not watching my set and feeling bad about that camera battery I scarfed from the night guy..

Or was THAT a dream?