Back to School: Week 4

Gracie shows off her Elvis comb over;
thinking ahead for Halloween!

Gracie loves to know that she knows what is happening next and where she is going and what she is supposed to do while there.  Monday, we went to Century for a department meeting and going in on Monday, later in the day, and then going to a department meeting was unfamiliar.  Instead of being up in front of the room on my feet talking away while Gracie dozed, I was in a desk  like a student.  I hadn't thought to bring her bath mat, and the tile floor was cold.  She sat next to the desk after I asked her to settle but then couldn't get comfortable.  On top of that, the person from counseling who was speaking to the department kept rushing forward and then backing up again as he spoke, a rhetorical style that had Gracie on edge.  I finally decided to invite her onto my lap.  She jumped up and stayed there quietly through the very long meeting which mostly addressed full-time faculty concerns; though, we did learn that the current chair was moving up to become the temporary dean so that someone would need to fill in the department chair spot.  This, of course, affects scheduling of part-timers for fall and perhaps for summer should the full-timers not take all those classes as they did not last summer and the summer before that.  We, of course, have no control of this, but still, it was interesting.  After the meeting, I was going to do some work in my office since my office mate did not show up for the meeting; however, Gracie had other ideas, so we came home.  She is so wise!!

Tuesday was like the previous Tuesdays, and Gracie was great.  Ditto for Thursday.  Friday, our long day, found me about 10% off my game.  This confirmed for me that driving the hour to White Bear Lake and the hour back four times a week was one time too many.  Eight hours of driving cuts seriously into my ability to assess student work, meet with students in Webinars, respond to their postings and email questions.  Considering MY problems, Gracie was once again great, especially in the Writing Center and during my three hour late afternoon class.

Highlights of the week include walking on the Woodduck Trail and spotting a horn toad and a very large painted turtle; playing ball on the soccer field; running up and down the hill in the park behind our house; and a short shopping trip to the co-op for raddish sprouts.  We also picked a few peppers, attempting to beat the hard frost.

We are definitely ready for Week 5!