Kelly in Kansas

Didn't realize I hadn't posted all week. It's been busy both on the home front and with work.

Will and I did an assessment workshop with area teachers on Wednesday and it was a great learning experience and the evals were excellent overall. (I always strive for perfection.). I'm still practicing my "i can't control every aspect of the world around me" approach and it seems to be working - especially in decreasing my stress level overall.

Yestereday was doctor's appointments - they alway seem to consume hours and hours and so I have finally learned not to expect to get much else done.

I was back in the saddle visiting student teachers on Monday - it was great getting back out into actual high school classrooms.

I have more meeting today than I would like but it is Friday after all . . . so there is an end in sight.

Yesterday I did get rolling on TAH grants.

I also took my little Shadow man to the doctor and the poor little guy is deteriorating faster than we thought - we're probably looking at weeks to months instead of months to years. I mainly want to be sure he isn't hurting or in pain in anyway. Since he's also starting to mentally detach, I'm missing part of him already. He does recognize me but doesn't hear out of one ear and only partially in another but still sees some movement. He does get upset when I go and seems happy to see me when I return but the major change is that he used to stay right with me whenever he was beting petted and now he's more likely to leave me. I do have to pick him up more - no more jumping up and down and it's better than he not hop on the steps. The vet did give him a shot and he seems to feel better - I think he was so sore from falling off the bed a couple of nights before (part of what precipated the office visit).

When I lost Sadie Bess ten days after moving into the house I built because there was nowhere suitable to rent in this small town that allowed pets, I swore I would never be without a dog and would always get a new one before I lost the old one. However, Shadow has always been a one dog household - he tolerates other critters but has always been more people-centered. And my research indicated there was the possibility that he would give up sooner if he knew he was replaced. And, on a more selfish note, it's all I can do to handle his extra needs right now without adding a younger (probably rescue again) animal to the house. In fact, I will probably take a break and travel more and the next animal will member of the family will be acclimated to doggy day care options that are for groups and not individual dogs so it's easier on both of us for me to fulfill work-related commitments. Of course, my guilt with Shadow is huge right now - am afraid every time I leave him that it will be the last time. And yesterday I left him at Mom and Dad's while I was at the dentist and didn't realize the cleaning lady was coming so when he heard her upstairs, he was upset the entire time. I'm kicking myself (and wasn't too happy with her given that she didn't go let him out given all his barking) that I didn't just let him hang out in the car - but I thought it would be quieter at mom and dad's house. On the other hand, as I finally had to convince myself last week, I can't keep him from dying. And, so far, his quality of life is still generally good given that he is responsive and still excited about eating and going out. He comes up to me at the computer and puts his paws up and just wags his little tail as fast as it will go. There are also some emotional issues attached to his going that are mine and not his - where I thought my personal life would be before he was gone. But, as with the rest of life, there are no guarantees.

The leaves are gorgeous and starting to hit their red/yellow peak - too bad too much of today has to be spent inside - but at least some meeting spaces have windows!

Labels: appointments, assessment, fall, Greenbush, house, leaves, meetings, schools, Shadow, student teachers, teacher workshops, work

Fulfilling my goal of going to Fayetteville, Arkansas, each fall actually happened this year. A friend/colleague is working on her doctorate there and I worked it out where I could go down on one of the evenings before she had an early class so that she didn't have as far of a drive. It was a bit early for the leaves - although normally we would have hit the peak. But it was a great drive down and a fun evening.

I took the "old highway" down and the changes over the last ten to twenty years are amazing. Walmart and Tyson dominate the area even more than they did then. I checked out the wikipedia entry for northwestern Arkansas and in the last decade, it was the sixth fastest growing "metro region" in the nation. Most large consumer product manufacturers have up to several hundred people full time in the region in order to meet the expectations/demands of Walmart. My dad has never been a Walmart fan given that they cut out the level of salesmen he is. And we've watched them drive out the competition - sometimes rightly and sometimes sadly. Although they sometimes have the best produce in my town, I don't trust them for actual beef and I'm not even sure about the chicken despite their relationship with Tyson. I still prefer the more "mom and pop" like operations for meet and poultry. (In fact, I picked up my frozen Butterball turkey in anticipating of hosting Thanksgiving at the farm again this year.)

I was able to get in some shopping before June got there. My only disappointment was that Gloria Jean's Coffee and Tea is now Cloria Jean's Coffees and so no more of her Cherry Vanilla tea for me. :-(

We walked around Dixon street and ended up eating at the old Powerhouse. I had to get back the next morning for a meeting and my colleague had class, of course. And Shadow as a little trooper the whole time - not protesting too much when he had had to hang out in the back end of the car when we went into shops and went to eat.

The semester is going to be a bit odd with Thanksgiving almost a week early.

I spent several hours today in spite of not being sure if my eyes are totally well. I just don't want to miss this fall and I love being outside and didn't even mind it getting to 70 today. The leaves are gorgeous and I even cleaned out part of the gutters. One of my favorite neighbors is moving to another part of town and so I'm hoping for good new neighbors. My bedroom is on that side of the house so it's even more imperative that they "fit the bill." Of course, it's also nice not being the youngest in the neighborhood that isn't renting.

I have to perform one of my least favorite job duties tomorrow but it's something that has to be done and is in the best interest of everyone involved.

Grading and a teacher workshop on assessment will fill the rest of the week.

Labels: Arkansas, colleague, drive, Fayetteville, friends, fun, job, leaves, shopping, Thanksgiving, Tyson, Walmart