My wild New Years Eve began by repotting an ancient snake plant. Where did the dirt go? Where did the years go?

Moving out of my college dorm sometime back in the early 1980s, I found a snake plant in the dumpster. I don't remember why I was looking in the dumpster—I hope I was throwing something out, but you never know—and there it was. A perfectly healthy snake plant. So I took it out and stuffed it inside my jeep, right alongside my Peter Frampton poster and my Frye boots.

I cared for it for a few years and presented it to my sister as a housewarming gift about 25 years ago. It has lived, quietly neglected but apparently happy, in  a corner of her kitchen ever since.

But today I looked at it and I realized there was no dirt in the big plastic pot. Really, actually, none. It was just a giant, twisted mass of hairy roots. It freaked me out. I had to take action: the snake plant was getting a fresh start in 2010.

I cut away almost 3/4 of the leaves and roots and added a cubic yard of potting mix. Repotted and watered, it doesn't look all that much different...maybe a bit relieved if anything. 

But I still want to know where the dirt went. And my Frampton poster.