Monday, September 22 - Meet Keifer. He is the naughtiest service dog I've ever met. I love him and will let him stick his whole head in my bag any time he wants to. Also, he can lick my toes. I don't care.
I was at a panel that some of my colleagues were presenting and Keifer and his person sat next to me. It was the best place to sit at a Constitution Day panel ever.
Tuesday, September 23 - One of my colleagues retired. Sad news, to be honest, because she was wonderful. On the bright side, I get to move into her old office, which is a vast improvement because IT HAS WINDOWS. As soon as the technology guy moves my computer and phone, I'm going to be in the new office lickety split.
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| Old office as I'm moving stuff out. |
Wednesday, September 24 - Just saw this in my neighbors' yard and laughed so hard I thought I was going to have sit down. Some of this is because I have the mentality of a thirteen-year-old boy and some of it is because my neighbors are an adorable lesbian couple.
Thursday, September 25 - Sometimes when I do my quarterly report for goals and I have to report that I have not done training with Hannah, I feel like maybe people don't understand that what I mean by that is that I have not taken 3-10 minutes with her and worked on obedience. But we are ALWAYS training. This following photo looks like a dog just sleeping on the steps, doesn't it? What happened here is actually much more impressive.
She's anxious and reactive and always on guard. This is me sitting next to her outside with no expectation except that she stay within arms reach of me. She can walk around (there's no leash on her), she can sit next to me, she can lay down, she can chew a stick, whatever. We're working on a relaxation protocol here. She doesn't need this in in the house, where she's a rock star and lovely and chill, but she needs to learn that she can relax outside.
And after weeks of sitting on these steps for 1-10 minutes a day (it really depends on how much of a time crunch I'm in and what the weather is like), she stood guard for a few minutes and then laid down and closed her eyes! Woot woot! Success!
Now we'll keep practicing until she learns that she can trust me to keep watch.
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Friday, September 26 - Just both my girls hanging out in the morning sun.
Saturday, September 27 - Have you ever seen a happier dog? We did a family walk and Hannah was so pumped to be with both her people.
Sunday, September 28 - I forgot to take a photo until I was walking Hannah right before bed. I tried to find someplace with some light, but it was dark outside.
Monday, September 29 - It was gorgeous here in southeastern Wisconsin today. Highs NEAR 90. Who am I to do anything except bask in the sun?
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| This fountain is a central location/common meeting location on campus. |
Tuesday, September 30 - First thing this morning I had a periodontist appointment. Unfortunately, the chatty hygienist I usually have was working on another patient and my hygienist was all business. Oh, well. My teeth are cleaned for another three months.
Bonus photo - New office! Windows! Tiny plants near death that I'm hoping to resuscitate with love and sunshine!
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Do you prefer a chatting hygienist (I do - it keeps my mind off what's happening) or to have one who is all business? Have you ever had a male hygienist? Would you do the annoying thing of moving offices if it meant an upgrade to windows?
Great photos! I am not loving this second summer- I want sweater weather, but I'm glad someone enjoys it. I keep expecting to have my office moved- I have one to myself. - with a window- which is luxurious for a part-timer. I try not to keep too much stuff in there, I'm case I walk in one day and fond and office mate or find they moved me.
ReplyDeleteI love the warm weather so much. I am going to be sad when I have to put away my summer dresses.
DeleteDon't let anyone know you have an office with a window. Act like you're in a closet somewhere!
I too am a thirteen year old boy. Snort giggle guffaw.
ReplyDeleteI like a hygienist who is chatty but can keep up the patter without my input. The chatty hygienist at my dentist keeps STOPPING what she's doing to make points or ask questions and I just want to get out of there as quickly as possible! The other hygienist is a man! He seems a little more subdued than the woman, but I have only seen him twice so I need more data points.
That Happy Hannah photo is perfection, Engie. I love her so much. And speaking of Hannah, every time you write about her issues and how you are working with her, I think how incredibly fortunate she is to have YOU as her person. You are so patient and dedicated, you have so much empathy for her and such a clear understanding of her limits and challenges.
Your office!!!!! It looks fabulous! Hooray for some natural light!
The only thing missing from this post is a photo of your magnificent feline. Hi to Zelda from me and Leo.
Right. I want a chatty hygienist who can carry on a one-side conversation. I don't want to participate.
DeleteIt means a lot to me that you think Hannah is lucky to have found her home with us. We are doing our best with her and I hope she is as happy as she can be.
Zelda is in the Friday photo!!
OMG. Is that a moldy luffa? I had to really quell my inner thirteen-year-old boy for a minute there.
ReplyDeleteHannah and her relaxation training...wow. I'm impressed. That seems like it might be the most challenging training ever, as they are more reactive outside the house. (speaking from experience)
An office with a view would be the ideal office. Yay for plants that will thrive.
Keifer=Love
I always get chatty people working on my teeth!
Well, I don't dare implement this relaxation strategy in the front of the house. We're strictly backyard relaxers! I don't know if she'll ever be ready for a place where people regularly walk by.
DeleteI have had a male hygienist once. He was interesting, but I think he moved on.
ReplyDeleteI've never had a male hygienist. It's weird when I stop to think about it.
DeleteI don't mind if the hygienist wants to talk, but if they're trying to make conversation, expecting me to react to everything, no thank you. When I have everything but the kitchen sink shoved in my mouth, this is not conversation time for me. I have had a male hygienist, but I don't recall the chattiness level--I hate being at the dentist so much that I tend to block it out after, I think.
ReplyDeleteI would absolutely go to the trouble of moving offices to get one with a window! Natural light is such a mood enhancer for me.
The natural light is a GAME CHANGER. I'm so excited about these windows!
DeleteI left one dental practice because the hygienist was hyper-religious and had a terrible superiority complex about flossing. She was lucky I have good manners.
ReplyDeleteHooray for your new office! Your plants will be so happy. And please allow me to advocate for Miracle Gro Indoor Plant Food in the little pump bottle. It has helped me rescue a few sad little plants and helped them thrive. And ditto what ccr said about natural light for you, too. One of the best things about my little house is its multitude of windows. It's rare I have to turn any lights on during the day anywhere.
Love the Hannah photos and progress so much. You were the best person for her, clearly.
I'm having a think with the hygienist at my family dentist. She's nice, but she constantly wants me to change my cleaning routine. My periodontist and I have cleaning down to a science and I don't want her advice, to be honest. Last time I was very specific that I do not need cleaning advice and she shrugged. If she says anything this time, I might have to change dentists. *sigh* It's hard to find dentists here who are taking new patients.
DeleteThe mushroom! OMG. I laughed so hard. Hard- heh heh.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I wasn't alone. So funny!
DeleteI follow a business on Facebook, TugDogs, and the training you do with Hannah is exactly what they do. They take in reactive, stressed dogs, and help them learn that the world is not so scary. 1000/10 recommend following them just to see these dogs getting to live their best lives.
ReplyDeleteOh, an office with a window! If I were in a windowless office, I would move heaven and earth to get a window. I have mostly had a window at least nearby, but not always. My office at UPenn when I worked there was LOVELY, except that the walls were stained yellow with my predecessor’s cigarette smoke. They did a remodel and painted, and then it was GREAT. I had posters and bookshelves and my CD player, and a door that closed (though it did not lock, so I had to have a sign up saying do not enter when I went back to work after having my daughter, and I was pumping milk for her.)
Yes, I think in an ideal world, I'd be able to transition Hannah to this protocol in the front of our house, by the bike path, at an outdoor table at a restaurant, but I think we might have plateaued in our backyard. The backyard is NOT scary!
DeleteMy office door locks! I'm so grateful for small miracles.
Windows! Hooray. What a difference it makes in mood and motivation. I'm so glad you will have windows.
ReplyDeleteNow that you mention it, I have NEVER had a male hygienist. I prefer non-chatty ones, to be honest. I like to zone out in the chair and relax, and it's hard to talk back when your mouth is stuffed with someone else's hands.
Yes, I would absolutely prefer an office with windows! I think you're going to love it.
ReplyDeleteUgh- WHY do dental hygienists have to be so chatty??? I get why you prefer it, but I dislike it. I mean, am I supposed to talk back? How can I do that while she's claning my teeth? And, I've never had a male hygienist. I don't care about the gender as long as they don't talk.
Hannah is such a good girl! I love the "Happy Hannah" photo!
I've always had a dentist who does the checkup, then cleans my teeth in one appointment, and they've always been male. The new office looks great, much better with windows. Oh, and I also have the sense of humour of a 13 y.o. boy.
ReplyDeleteThat September 24th entry was definitely lol.
ReplyDeleteI will ALWAYS choose windows. My current work cubicle is in a corner with windows and I love it! Although, unless it's cloudy, I keep the blinds closed, which totally defeats the purpose. But it's west-facing, so I don't have much choice unless I want to go blind.
ReplyDeleteWINDOWS! I would move everything with my feet if I had to, for an office with windows. My window-y libraries are the best. And yes, any service dog can lick my toes, I consider it part of the service.
ReplyDeleteDo I have the mind of a thirteen-year-old boy? I dunno, maybe ask my lesbian friend about the time she was talking about how much snow they had and I slayed myself with a joke about how she'd gotten six inches.
Eve has the same problem with Lucy being on alert whenever they're alone overnight. Hannah is the bestest girl, she'll get there.
I have such bad dental anxiety it doesn't really matter what kind of hygienist I get, except one that was extra bad and I had to have a note put in my file to never put me with her again.
Dental appointment anxiety - I'm not constantly driven to weep by anxiety over my teeth, although I do have those dreams about them falling out a lot.
ReplyDelete