First Week home: May 16 through May 25

Hello Everyone,
Its been awhile since I have posted, I know but it has been a time of
adjustment for Joyce and me.
When I last left you all,it was two weekends ago. Sunday the 16 we three
just took it easy. My foot was still hurting so had a lazy day at home. I
showed her around our large apartment complex and the neighborhood.
Monday, the 17, I had a doctors appointment so we woke up early and took
two busses to the appointment. Things went pretty well. we discovered some
bus routes no longer exist and we found some alternative ones in the
process.
Tuesday I returned to work. Most everyone had seen Joyce's picture so knew
what she looked like prior to me getting to the office.
I had Hr send out a memo with the picture so employees would know not to
pet or feed her when she was working, or even in harness at rest.
I had a ton of mail to get caught up on and many people I haven't seen in
almost a month. I got a warm welcome by many in housekeeping as well as in
other departments.
I had Joyce in harness,lying on her little matt. Most everybody wanted to
see her.
For several hours I didn't take her out of harness at all. But,at the end
of the day,I allowed her to see a couple people at a time so they can have
a meet and greet short session.
Joyce was pretty good while I was working.
Since I was gone for almost a month,I had forgotten some of my jaws keyboard
commands. Fortunately it didn't last long and I was using the opera
application pretty efficiently as if I was never gone.
Engineering was doing some construction in the back of the house as well as
in the loading dock so it was more challenging for Joyce and me to get
around.
I spent the first few days doing some targeting with her to the
office,dock,rest room,cafeteria etc,places I go in the hotel. It took time
but she has learned it.
Each day, there was less stress and we began to settle in on the job and
Joyce being there.
Joyce is full of energy and very spastic out of harness so for awhile I
will continue to keep her in harness at work.
In the evening did go on a couple short walks. I did spend some time
having her use her booties so she will get more comfortable wearing them in
the heat of the day.
Saturday,the 22,Darrell and I went to visit his friend Amber in Phoenix.
We took the light rail and a bus there and the light rail and two busses
back home. It was a fun day.
Joyce did excellent on the light rail,got right under the seat. We had no
issues boarding and exiting the rail.
Joyce wore her booties and for the first time she didn't gallop like a pony.
It was great! She did fantastic guiding,crossing streets and navigating
obstacles.
We all went to Arriba's Grill ( a very popular Mexican restaurant). Amber
has been here before but not Darrell and I.
None of us like spicy food so they put little or no chili's or anything in
our food.
Darrell and I were pleasantly surprised on how good the food was. The
server was friendly and spoke English which is very helpful.
Amber lives close to the restaurant so we hung out at her apartment for a
few hours,had a nice visit and then headed home to Tempe.
While there,Joyce wanted to play with Amber's Cat. she did very well and
left the cat alone.
Sunday,the 23,I continued reding the novel I began ," the Bend in the Road.
Yesterday Joyce and I went to some of my appointments. Joyce did very well
and she loves everyone. She still wants to meet people in harness some and
working on this.
Last night,I completed the book,pretty late and neither Darrell nor I slept
well. I didn't feel very good today.
So, just stayed home doing some housework and pay bills,chat with friends
and relax.
Tomorrow return to work and I know it will be a sold out hotel,all week it
will be.
well,its 6;30,still have things to do before bedtime. One thing is groom
Joycie. She is shedding a lot,hair everywhere grr lol.
Take care and I will try to write more often. maybe,even compose some
KDD's. Hope you are enjoying the blog. Comments and questions welcome.
till then.

Days 20 - 22: Flying home and Sunrise Cafe

The night of Wednesday,May 12, I finished my packing and hung out in the
common lounge for a short while. Barb,Shannon and Ken were telling jokes.
Kim,Savanna and Kyle were also there.
Around 10;30 went to bed since I would have to be up by 3;30 a.m.
Shannon called me at 3;30 so I could get up and get showered and dressed.
She stopped by my room with Joyce's food about 4 and took my luggage down
to the front door.
After I took Joyce out to parc,I went up to the common lounge. They had a
continental breakfast for those of us who were up and gone by 7.( cheese
and or apple pastry's,orange juice and coffee as well as assorted cereals )
Shannon and Barb said goodbye to me. Shannon said,see you in 8 to 10. I
told her that sounded like a prison sentence, we laughed, lol. it would
have been nice to have seen others and say goodbye but after all it was 5
a.m,an uncivilized hour to be up.
Jim one of the instructors took me to the airport. We learned more about
the other while chatting on the way. Jim will be in a half marathon (13.5
miles tomorrow) I am sure he will do well.
Everything went smoothly at Newark but it was very very busy,lots of
people. They don't want to stress the dogs,so Jim had me go sighted
guide. He showed his Seeing Eye ID and got a pass to walk me to the gate. I
had no issues at security and Joyce did well.
By the time we got to the gate,we had only 3 minutes to spare before
preboarding.
The flight attendant had reassigned some passengers before anyone even
boarded so Joyce and I had the entire row to ourselves. This doesn't
happen often(like the sold out red eye flight Jeff and I were on )
I gave Darrell a quick call when I got on the plane. . It was an
uneventful 5 hour flight. They offered beverages and a light breakfast of
cereal,nothing else.
While Joyce was sleeping,I listened to some of the music,70 & 80's as well
as began a book ( A Bend in the road by Nickalus Sparks ) that Darrell
loaded on there for me prior to my trip to the Seeing Eye.
We landed a little early to Phoenix and it was about 73 degrees. I had no
trouble getting assistance,getting my luggage and getting to ground
transportation to catch a cab home.
Fortunately,we only live 10 minutes from Sky Harbor Airport so it didn't
take long. I did pick up Mc Donald's for us though.
Once we got home,took Joyce out,and Darrell and I had our breakfast and
chatted for awhile.
The rest of the day we three just relaxed. Joyce and Darrell connected
right away. Darrell nor I didn't sleep very well while I was gone so we
needed to catch up on sleep.
Joyce's parc schedule is a bit off so have been taking her out more often.
She is not relieving as much,will take time.
Needless-to- say, we have been getting to bed at crazy hours.
Yesterday morning,we were up again at 2 a.m so I called Jeff to wake him up.
Everyone was starting to get up around then anyways at the Seeing Eye so,
figured it would be fine. I know Jeff, I sounded way too Chipper for the
middle of the night :) lol. I had been sleeping for awhile and taking Joyce
out one last time since she did nothing since the middle of the day.
(thought you would be just waking up)
Later in the morning, Darrell and I worked on using clicker with Joyce. We
focused on the dog area at the apartment complex (though may find a
different location) as well as targeted the front door. She did pretty well
but I am sure all the doors look alike.
In the afternoon,just played with her and on the computer. I also chatted
with friends whom called to welcome me home.
This morning Darrell and I woke up early,about 6;45 or so. We wanted to go
to Breakfast but knew the high today would be 94. We wanted to be back
home before the heat of the day.
Joyce did very well but is still learning the route to the Sunrise cafe.
she navigated around obstacles and did an excellent job crossing the
streets.
We enjoyed our Breakfast. I had a breakfast sandwich (scrambled
eggs,cheese,bacon) and Darrell French toast. We also had fruit and lots of
coffee and water.:) We got a bowl of ice for Joycie too.:)
We went to pay the check but were told someone else did. That was very
nice,we were not expecting that at all.
Of course,it was a bit hotter when we left the cafe so it took a little
longer to get home. On the way there as well as the way back, there were a
few dogs. I had remembered what my Instructor Kristin had said: act tough
and strong,not afraid. So,I spoke with a more assertive,firm voice and
like the retired sergeant in our class. (even though I was nervous )
Darrell thought it was pretty funny! :) lol when We were almost home, had
about half a mile left, and I realized I had a blister on my left foot,on
the bottom of my heel. I was half asleep,had no coffee and was only
thinking of Joyce and her little feet that I forgot to put on my sneakers.
I instead had on my loafers. (stupid me grr)
Since then,we just been taking it easy,hanging out. Plan on doing some
housework and reading more of the novel.
Will take Joyce on a short walk tomorrow and Monday but don't think I can
do two miles like we did today with that blister on my foot.
I return to work Tuesday. I am happy to go back. I will update you all on
how things are going.
For now,take care and have a good rest of the weekend.

Joyce's Puppy Profile

My Instructor Kristin sent this to me this morning so just now getting it
up on the blog. Enjoy.

Joyce's Puppy Profile

Joyce's Family:

We have a mother, father and two teenage girls, one of whom was supposed to
be the puppy raiser, until mom took over most of the duties!

Joyce's Home:

We live in a large five bedroom colonial with a finished basement in which I
teach classes. There are kids and adult students in our house about 4-5
times a week. We live on a quiet suburban street and have a fenced in back
yard. The neighbors were not very active in Joyce's life except for a house
across the street which has two dogs, where Joyce would run if she ever
escaped. We also have a shore house on Long Beach Island, which we visit for
weekends and weeks in the summer. There we have no fenced in yard, so she
was leash-walked.

Joyce's Friends:

Cleo is a 8 year old, impeccably trained and calm golden retriever. At first
she did not like Joyce at all and would nip at her feet. But eventually they
became great friends and wrestle 5-6 times a day until Cleo is exhausted and
they are both dripping in dog slobber. I was able to train them to walk side
by side, so the neighbors and friends would see us with both dogs.

Joyce's Outings:

Hayride, airport, and lots of fairs where Mom works as a professional face
painter. We took Joyce to a lot of musical theatre and movies. She has been
into all kinds of restaurants and stores, and we go to the mall to walk
about 3 times a week. She is always well behaved except for the occasional
not-resting when distracted. The longer she is out, the better she is....

Joyce's Description:

loving, joyful, playful, exuberant, cuddly, excited, beautiful, sweet are
some adjectives to describe her. Joyce is a real lover dog, and is very
licky including your clothes and skin. She is especially rambunctious in the
early morning and early morning exercise is probably advisable. She gets up
at 6 a.m. and wants to play continually until 10 or so. In contrast, she
seems to settle down at 7-8 or so, and is a sound sleeper. She loves kids,
but will grab at their clothes and try to jump up in excitement. She is a
real cuddler, and will lay with anyone on the floor and lick you until you
pet her. She is a joy to play with, never mouthy, and is real fun for our
other older dog. Her only serious vice is that she is so excitable with
visitors that she tends to be confined when we have company. Joyce is very
fast, and loves to play with other dogs. She is not trained to be off leash
and will not come in the few times she has escaped our yard. She is very
attached to me and follows me everywhere.

Joyce's Favorite Toys as a puppy:

she loves the nyla bones, and squeaker toys. She is less enamored with booda
bones or kongs. She will destroy frisbees, tennis balls (over time) and the
stuffed animals she comes into contact with. She really likes the rubbery
flip flops since they break apart upon chewing.

Joyce's Cute Stories:

Trips to the Halloween store were most fun, as she would see the witches,
the cauldrons, and the zombie figurines. Licking my other dog's ear to try
to get her to play, and dragging my daughter around the kitchen when playing
tug of war was great fun. "Chuck it" on the local playground, and having her
join us at summer stock theatre was always a conversation starter. Not a big
fan of the movie theatre (too loud), but loved the singing and dancing at
the musicals.

How did Joyce ask to go out?

She would go to the slider and then whine until you let her out.

Day 19: Walmart and the Creamary

 Today didn't begin too well.  I had another  night where I didn't sleep very well and I woke with a very bad headache. I felt awful.  I was up before parctime,took a long hot shower and took something for my headache .

After  we  fed the dogs and took them out,I went back to bed till Breakfast.

I had granola,sausage and fresh fruit along with  my morning coffee.  The extra sleep and coffee seemed to help a little.

I was on the first trip of the day,hoping to not get caught in the rain.  But,when I left at 8,it was already misting. 

So, we went to Walmart.  we  just walked around,having Joyce walk me around  people and merchandise.  She did a great job.

We went to the pet section . I got her a rope  with a ball.  She loves to play tug so  thought she would like it. Yet,not sure,she is pulling the fuz on the ball as  I sit and write this post.

We returned to campus and I was going to pack but stopped in Michelle's office .  Spent a little time there and then went to coffee break.

While at coffee break,I received a call from Kay and Rick. Rick was returning my call from the other day. I had called to see how Dougie was and to tell them all about Joyce.

Dougie is doing fine . He is well adjusted,happy and enjoying retirement.  I am very glad to hear he is doing so well. I miss my Dougie dog.

I came back to my room,and   began writing the post for day 18.  then it was lunch.

I had turkey sandwich,chips and a  pickle.  the hot plate was  a seafood platter but it didn't sound good.

Lee Jonson sat at our table.   She was one of the first  people I met here back in 1988 when I got my first dog  guide Topper,a Black Lab.   Philipa Early ,Pete Jackson and her,Lee Bowling  were the class instructors back in july of 88.   it was very nice to se her again .

Right after lunch,Kristin and I went to see the Campus Cat.  This cat  is very  familiar with dogs, sees them all the time.  Krisstin and I took Joyce to see the cat before lunch but she didn't do very well,had to correct her a bunch of times.  she looked like she was going to chase the cat.

So, before the afternoon trip, Tom,the class supervisor brought his traffic wand to swatt her when she got to close to the cat.  it definiely worked.  They were getting along jjust fine. Joyce was wagging her tail and  the cat  wasn't phased by Joice being  near her.  This  is  good.

From there,Kristin took her three students: Kim,ken and me into town. we parked the van at the training lounge.

Ken and kim were the ffirsts  to  take the modified route on elm street.  She left them at the creamary  and then came back for me and Joyce.

On the first block,Maple,I fell once more, this time twisting my right ankle.  It only hurt for a short time and  we got there just fine at the creamary.

 soon after we sat down,we  placed our orders.  Kim got some strawberry  chocolate,Kristin the mint chocolate chip and Ken and I got the  peanut butter bash.  it was delicious.

While munching on our icecream,Kristin read all the puppy profiles.   she had 2 pages on Joyce and the information was acurate.  Some very cute stuff in there.

kristin will soon e-mail it to me. so, you will see it soon here on the blog.

When I came back,took a brief nap and then fed  the dogs and out to parc.

Dinner they had steak,baked potato ,a lemon dessert.

Now,here I am,all caught up.  I need to finish packing. I am leaving at 5 a.m.   My flightis at 7. 

I will be home late morning. it has been a  great 3 weeks,fun and stressful at the same time. Hope you all enjoyed reading my journey here at the Seeing Eye and will continue to read about  my Life with Joycie girl.  take care.

Day 18: Summit and Navigating Obstacles on Campus

 Yesterday was  another fun  day.

 I was up before parc time.  after that,I groomed Joyce and did obedience.

 For Breakfast I had  scrambled eggs,muffin,,juce and coffee. 

  I then, did my laundry.  That's  always a difficult task for me.  Its not doing the actual  laundry, but rather carrying  the bag.  it  takes a lot of energy due to my injury but I managed. I was  done soon before  my first  trip out

  Kristin and I took the train from Morristown to Summit.  The train was late due to work on one of the tracks.

 It was about  a  20 minute ride to Summit and I must say,it wasn't a very smooth trip there.   It would suddenly stop and go and for me, I thought it was going to derail.  Joyce,thought  nothing of it.

 One minute I'd be smiling and the next minutes Had this freaked look on my face.  Kristin said,I wouldn't make it  in the dog world,at least as a  guide dog. I'd would be rejected.  She told me this before yesterday.    I am somewhat shy and sudden sounds  or touch    startle me a lot of the time,especially sounds. 

once we got  to the summit station we walked awhile,crossing various types of crossings,some more complex than others. 

While walking Kristin some namesof establishments that sounded interesting interesting or caught our funny bone. Some were:  Urban paws,Organic Dry Cleaning,Lost Sock (a laundry mat) and Juice Caboose.   

We went to a place called Doria's subs and Pizza for lunch courtesy of the Seeing Eye. 

 The pizza sounded good. I got a couple slices of pepperoni and garlic and Kristin had Chicken  parmesan  pizza. 

They had Italian music,(mood music) while you ate.lol

After  that,we went to the  Post Office and then worked more crossings before heading back to the van.

They were putting mulch in near were the van was parked and I must say,it stuck big time,Like a suer .(I had my nose covered,it was disgusting!,lol)

We returned to campus,about 1;30.   

 

I came back and took a nap,well,tried to ,but I  got calls. (no worries, from Darrell and Jeff so certainly didn't mind )

In the afternoon we stayed on property.  but,we did work Joyce. we  got to explore areas that most students don't go, areas that are off limits to most. 

we were trying to simulate the back of the house at Hyatt .  housekeeping and Engineering at work,have lots of stuff in the halls at times and Ihave had to navigate it with Douglas. he did a great job.  he would stop for the housekeeping carts,like it was a traffic check on the street. 

we went to the laundry areas and where they keep all  supplies for the bedrooms here as well as the Kennels

 I was  also hoping to stop in at the Curves because I Workout at one near me in Tempe. But Kristin wasn't sure where  one was located here in Morristown.

So, we took Joyce down to the fitness room here  in the basement.   Kristin lifted weights roe the treadmill. Joyce was  excited. We think her Trainer Jim,took her here and to other Gyms in town. :) She did great  getting me around the obstacles. 

later,I stopped  by  Pauline's office to checkout. I picked up my Seeing Eye ID Card and got my dog equipment. 

For dinner   had the pork chops,a garden salad and applesauce.

We had a lecture.  This one was on Dog Attacks.  They gave  Stats on how  many dog guides were reported to be attacked,how to handle oneself in these situations and gave good suggestions,like contacting animal control when one gets home as well as carrying cell phone. it was a difficult lecture for some of us,like me. 

Relaxed for the rest of the night and began packing to leave for home Thursday morning.  More on day 19.  Take care.

BTW, to answer,your question Keri, the dog massage is to relax the dog after along day,to continue the bonding process and to see if there  are ticks,bumps or anything on the dog.

 It is much like  the massages  that therapist use on us Humans.  they use circular strokes or kneed the muscle and use other techniques to massage all areas of the dog.  They even play soothing music,like they do for us,that they often play in spa's. 

 I will  compose day  19 soon and will be finally up to speed.  Take care.

 

 

Day 17: Hyatt,The Mall and Going Home

 Yesterday was a good day.  For Breakfast they had French Toast ham. Also juice and coffee. 

I had a mid morning trip so hung out with Dawn (Another retrain ) in the women's lounge. 

 We both had our exit interviews with Jim Kutch in the morning.   He had some structured interview questions,asking  all students regarding their training experience here.

Then,if we wanted to  address any issues,concerns or have any comments we can make those as well. 

 One of the  things I addressed was the technology issue,requesting that all information be in a  accessible format. 

 Right after I completed my interview with Jim,Kristin and I went over to Headquarters Plaza.  There is a Hyatt there. 

We  walked a few blocks,did some street crossings and also practiced going through a revolving door. I  don't like those but they don't bother me as much as escalators.  Joyce did fine.

We walked some of the floors where the guest rooms were,went up and down a few elevators, through some ballrooms,navigating tables and things.  We also passed the restaurants and a beautiful fountain near the lobby.  it seemed Joyce wanted to jump and play in it. 

By the time I got back,it was close to lunch. I checked mail n played on the computer.

For lunch  I had a big garden salad and minestrone soup. I didn't want the ravioli.  It was cold and didn't seem very good.  they also had a seafood salad but I don't like crab.   They had a  coffee butterscotch dessert.

 In the afternoon Kristin took 4 of us to the  Livingston Mall.  We were going to go to Rockaway Mall which I never been to but  we had to be back to campus by 3;30.  we  took one of the Students,Jaylene  with our class since her  instructor was in New York with a few students. 

I have  been to Livingston and Bridgewater malls before but it has been quite awhile.

  Kristin had us sit in the food Court an  she worked with one or two students  around the mall at a time .

Since it was Jaylene's Birthday and she loves to shop,she went first and was gone the longest.   Kim and I had gotten Seattle  coffee before Kristin and jaylene began their shopping.  It was right near these comfy couches we were  sitting at.

 Kristin   took Kim and I.  we  stopped in a sporting good store but didn't find anything I liked.  Kim and I both spotted the leather store from a distance away and we wish we had gone in there instead.  She likes leather as much as me.:) lol

 Ken was last and he was quicker than us women.  Went to radio shack and back at the food court in 5 minutes. 

Then,we  headed back to campus so Jalene could make it back for her vet appointment. 

I took a 30 minute nap before it was time to feed and take out the dogs.  Then,supper for us.

They had turkey,mashed potatoes and cooked carrots.  They  also had apple turnovers

After Dinner Shannon gave another lecture.       This one was on "going Home".  Things we need to remember when bringing our new guides home.  For example, start them out slow,gradually introducing them to people and  to get them slowly into our routine ,learning routes etc. 

Shannon also discussed the access information provided in the packet,cards to give to Restaurant  owners   or anyone in the public whom interferes with the training and our guides doing their jobs. 

Once that meeting  was over,it was time to take the pups out to park one last time. Then, Jeff and I sat in the  foyer and I had another opportunity to play with his ipod touch. 

It was another productive day. 

Day 16: Kings Grocery and Visit with Mary Anne

Today was a very good day,nice and relaxing.  We got to sleep in till 6;30. It was 46 degrees when we went to take the dogs out and  the wind was strong.  It definitely woke  you up,the cold brisk air that early in the morning.

After parc time, Jeff and I groomed our pups.  I also did obedience before Breakfast.

 At 8,we had breakfast.  We had omelets,English muffin, fruit and coffee.

 I went back to my room and called My  Mom.   Called to wish her  Happy Mother's Day and to chat for a bit.  I wasn't aware that you were reading Karen's Corner Mom.  Glad you're interested in the blog and   enjoy reading what is happening.

While housekeeping was  cleaning our rooms,Dawn and I sat in the women's lounge and chatted for a while. 

By then, it was almost time for me to go on my morning  trip.  Kristin and I drove to Kings Grocery.  It was an easy and fun  trip. 

 we worked on using clicker to  find the Customer Service desk. First,we placed the bell  by the desk,showed it to Joyce and she quickly rang the bell. I immediately clicked and gave her a piece of  kibble for  an reward.

Then, I gradually stood further back and had her find the  desk,first with the bell and reinforcing by  food reward.  Then, I was outside of the store,and had her locate the desk without the bell and food reward but   praised  her with positive words and affection.   Joyce did great.

Then we walked around the store.  Kristin  pulled the  cart,while I held onto the front and  pushed it,heeling Joyce.

We stopped at the meat,seafood,bakery and coffee sections and Joyce did wonderful,no scoffing or sniffing.  She was  very well behaved.

 I picked up a few items for Jeff and me and then we drove back to Campus.  That was it for today's lesson. 

For lunch they had grilled chicken in this spicy honey mustard  sauce and roasted potatoes.  it was pretty good.

 I relaxed in the afternoon.

Around 2;30,got a phone call. It was  my friend Mary Anne.  I wasn't planning on having visitors.  But,guess, marry Anne was  not busy and stopped by for an hour with her  12 year old  daughter Lydia.  I met Lydi when she was  small but she didn't remember me.

They both  love Joyce and had a great time with her. and visiting with me.   marry Anne and I were  telling Lydia  stories of what the other was like and had done in High school and fun things that happened when visiting with each other's families.:)

lydi was  telling us about her experience in third grade visiting  here at the Seeing Eye when her class took a  tour of the place.   Again the visit was way too short but I am grateful I had a chance to  see her while here in n. J. 

marry Anne and Lydi stopped by Subway before heading over to Morristown.  I knew  dinner would be keish so had her get me a small tuna on wheat. 

I did go down to dinner but just had the soup and some lemonade. they had deep dish ham keish and Boston cream pie for dessert but I didn't have it.

Free for the evening. some of the students are in the dog massage lecture tonight. I  went to that last night.

I think I will begin a new book and maybe, hang out in the common lounge for a little while. I still have some while wine  left so today when at the  grocery store  picked up some  cheese.

  Joyce just went into her crate.  I wasn't sure, but there she was,lying in it.  How cute! now, she is  playing with her bone. 

 I  just checked the weather.  In phoenix it is 91 degrees  with a slight breeze at 3;30 pm,the low 62. 

in contrast, here in Morristown N. J its now  partly cloudy 57 degrees,low 36.   there is a brisk breeze.  ( tree branches fell in Morristown during the night/today).  tomorrow it will be 64 for the high and the low  37 ( I just closed my window,getting too cold in my room ) . 

Tomorrow morning we will be going to Headquarters Plaza hotel. That will be good work for Joyce since I work for Hyatt.

In the afternoon,I think we will  be going to Livingston mall(near Basking Ridge where I use to live). 

That's it for now.  take care and  stay tuned for  the happenings of my last 3 days here.  Time is slipping away.  Have a good night. 

Day 15: Rest,Pizza,Dog Massage and ipod touch

Its after 9 pm and the day is coming to an end.  As I  had said  earlier today when I was composing Days 13  and 14 ,for me and Kristin's other students it was a day of rest. I did nothing,mostly   rested,caught up on sleep . 

For lunch  we had a Philly steak sub.

In the afternoon/evening another student and I  organized the pizza party.  most of us ate  pizza and not the meal they were serving.

The Pizza was alright,not the best.  The sizes were huge but the  Pizza in Phoenix is more delicious then this local place  they all love here in Morristown.

After the party, two classes went to the massage lecture.    it was fun and most of the dogs loved it.

Joyce was  playing and trying to nibble on my fingers.

 Parc time was right after and then from there Jeff and I met in the foyer.  He showed me his ipod touch.  Its cute and I think it would be really useful. Just don't know if I would really be able to use it,if i would ever be able to be quick and efficient with it? Perhaps,if I got the hang of it?

I am hoping I will be able to play with it at least one more time before I leave to go home.

Its now bedtime.  its 58 degrees with moderate winds. Tonight the low will be 40.  it feels great but  cold at the same time. :) lol. 

Tomorrow the high will be 58 and low 36. How nice,a welcome change.  not sure what we will be doing in the morning. Stay tuned.

just know ,I am  all caught up to date,that it is time for a hot shower and bed. Till  tomorrow.

Days 13 & 14: Bus,Train,Courthouse,Bank,Country work and Pizza

  its now Saturday May 8.  My instructor  Kristin is off today so I haven't  done anything today,off. its really nice to just relax. 

Wednesday night we had a lecture.  Dr.   Holly,the Vet spoke. There is lots of  valuable information  but she really doesn't make it very interesting. ( not like Lucas's lectures) SHHH SHH lol

Thursday May 6, Breakfast was yummy.  They had scrambled eggs with cheese on an  onion roll.  Kristin took Kim and I into Madison.  We  took both the bus and train there.  It was fun and the dogs did well

 Lunch; Veggie soup  turkey cheese wrap and strawberry shortcake.   

 

in the afternoon we  were  going to  do the Courthouse.  But,  We had to take Joyce to the Vet for her last check-up  before heading home to Phoenix. 

So,instead we walked to chase bank and worked the maze, getting around the ropes.   Joyce did  alright.

On the route we  passed a number of dogs and Joyce was very distracted.  I had to correct  her just about every time. Kristin says she is taking advantage of me because I am a new person,that the  dogs do this. This will be more of a challenge in some ways then other things. I have a dog phobia and I try to avoid dogs whenever I can and when I do encounter a dog,I am really frightened. 

 In late  afternoon Joyce and I went  to her Vet visit.  Joyce got a clean bill of health.  The  Vet Tec read her health Summary and vaccinations.    She will e-mail them  to me. She also gave me some frontline and  triguard for Joyce.

Joyce did have pink eye in 2009 and has warts on her lip right now.  They are caused by a virus and will go away.

Dinner we had Veal Marcela and mashed potatoes an some kind of cake with orange drizzle

 in the evening there was a lecture on  the harness and  freedom in the room with the dogs.   I am leaving Joyce for a short while a few times an she seems fine.  She may not have separation anxiety like both Topper and Dougie. I hope not, that is a difficult thing to  dealwith.

Yesterday May 7 was nothing really  too eventful. 

 For Breakfast we had pancakes and sausage. I  made it,into a wrap,like pigs in a blanket. :) lol.  it was  delicious !

 In the morning we walked to the Courthouse and worked inside.   Joyce  had an opportunity to practice walking around narrow areas  and where there are lots of people and also stairs.  We also got practice going through security.  She did just fine.  This will be helpful for when I fly home on Thursday.

 Lucas and I  did more clicker.  we practice  clicker  getting toour new seatin the dining hall. We are at a tableof 4,all men,.  All 4 of us are  fairly quiet.  It doesnt' make it  for a very interesting  table.  Oh,well. 

For lunch they served beef tacos,rice and refried beans.  I had no rice and beans,hate that,ick! lol. 

In the afternoon Kristin  took Kim and I into Morris plains to do country work.  one of us sat in the van while the other was   working with Kristin and using our canes and  dogs.  I had forgotten what  this was like and the technique is somewhat different  from what they had done years ago.

While Kim was  out  on her country route, the radio was playing.  Kristin had on Q 104.3  and I must say it was pretty good. I would have liked  to listen to WPLJ to see if it was the same format when I had listened years gone by. 

 They had flounder for dinner.  I just got the salad. One,I had  tacos for lunch but also some of us were talking about ordering Pizza later.

But we decided to do it today.

Most will be eating Pizza tonight.    noone volunteered to help organize the party,so I agreed to.  oh, well...

Hope it will workout.  Half of us are leaving Thursday and the Pizza parties are usually fun.

We do have a lecture tonight so not sure how it will go. 

This morning they had fried eggs,bacon and biscuits. The  egg was not very good,a bit runny,was better getting  scrambled.  But,can't complain, the food the majority of the time is fantastic,they  serve us wonderful meals. We also get  great service and  they all work very hard.

As said, I am off today. I just have been relaxing,just playing on  the computer and   catching up on sleep.

I did laundry last night so,that's  done.  Kim and I had a glass of red wine last night .  Others joined us and just hung out,no wine for them. The red wine was stronger,so I had a little bit of a  buzz. So I left earlier than planned to finish laundry and go to bed.

I kept Joyce in her crate.  it was  much easier to lug my laundry bag down to the basement without her. I don't like bothering others,hard to ask for help. it was  a little bit of a challenge  getting laundry out of the dryer and carrying it back to my room after the red wine but I managed.  I don't have red wine often,I forgot why,now I know.:)  grr lol.  I think I will stick to my Chardonnay. :) lol

Now,I am up to date.  its raining here and some have  visitors. Not sure if I will or not.

I just plan on getting more rest, and will call Darrell,Keri and Kay.   Will  talk to  family  tomorrow. 

I want to see how Keri is and also check in with Kay,tell her about Joyce and see how my Dougie dog is. 

Take care and enjoy reading.   

Day 12: Elm Street solo,Dog care, and Freelance

Its 3 pm Wednesday afternoon.  Today has been a good day.

I woke up before the wake up announcement and my day was off to a good start. 

For breakfast they had French toast,ham and fruit. it was very good.

I was on the first trip this morning.  I did my solo.  It was pretty uneventful.  Tom did a traffic check with me with the the silent car and Joyce did great.!

I did have to stop for a few minutes because of my ankle was hurting  but I completed the route.

Joyce walked me around all the people,obstacles,tree branches,coffee tables and so on.  She even stayed to the left and did not shove me to the right,like she has been.  So,I guess,the technique we used with Lucas yesterday worked. 

When I returned to the lounge,the shuttle driver was there dropping students off for their trip so I and a few others took it back here to campus.

 I was hoping to lie down,get more rest and elevate my ankle (use the RICE Method) but, an announcement was made that there was a lecture up in the common lounge. 

This  one  was on dog care.  They showed us how to brush their teeth and clean their ears Joyce didn't like any of it.  They recommended the mint or vanilla flavors rather than the beef,chicken or liver flavored pastes.

After the lecture went back to  my room to change clothes.  It was  picture day.

Then,time for lunch.  Lunch was alright today.  They had a hot chili keish but I had the cold plate,turkey sandwich.   I skipped dessert and had fresh fruit. I tried  the drink "downtown" ( ice tea an  lemonade,pretty good,not sure why its called that but wasn't bad)

Again this afternoon I was on the first trip. We began freelance.  I graduated from doing routes to doing trips that we want to do , such as shopping,working on traffic,taking busses,trains etc. 

This afternoon,we worked on escalators and worked in Rite Aid. ( its like a CVS,Wallgreens or A& UP ) It was very crowded.  Joyce was a bit distracted. 

I picked up a couple items for Jeff and me and hen we headed back to the lounge

 we practiced a few intersections as well. Joyce wanted to stop by the salon,wanted mommy and her to get a facial :) lol

 

I got back to the lounge just in time to catch the shuttle back.

I stopped my Michele's office,just to chat.(her office is just a few doors down from my room) We had a nice chat.

Then,I went to the women's lounge to get some ice so I could make me a cold  glass of  crystal lite Ice Tea( some of the ice tea I brought that  Keri got me)There were no  soft  and cold ice packs so left the lounge without one.

Here I am now.   I am going to  lie down,elevate my foot and listen to the Vet lecture on  the mp3.  We have the vet lecture tonight.  It will be interesting.

 now,that this post is complete I can do other things tonight,like  groom Joyce and get to bed early.  Take care and until then,have a good day.

Days 10 & 11: Elm Street,Booties and more Clicker

Its 8;30 Tuesday night.  I have completed Day 11. I am more than half over with the  training.

The last  couple days have been both busy and challenging. 

Yesterday  morning woke,very tired.  Sunday night We had a thunderstorm and Joyce was whining most of the night. (I don't like thunder and lightening either )

Anyway, it was raining too yesterday, so  the day didn't start out too well.

Breakfast  was very good pancakes and  sausage.

We began the elm street route, somewhat modified. I am having asthma issues and my health  isn't at 100 % still( had many health issues last year)

We worked the elm street route in the rain and humidity.  (can't  believe its hotter here in Jersey than back home in Phoenix)

The  morning was pretty uneventful except for the fact that we heard lots of   fire trucks.

Soon after,I was back in the lounge,guess,a transformer blew on Miller street under the library.  I missed the  explosion  by 15 minutes or so,thank god.!

Don't know exactly remember what we had for lunch,think chicken  salad.

In the afternoon the route was even more modified. Due to the explosion, we did some freelance work and got to see the area,they call the "green".  i got to look at the  Morris Frank and Buddy Statue.  ( it is full size an looks real,use special paint to give it the look)  It wwas neat.

.  We had some Clarence issues.  Joyce was walking me into poles and shrubs on the right side of sidewalks and we overshot a couple curbs.  We reworked all of this. We resolved the  curb issue but  still had the issue of her steering me into objects on  the shoulder  on right side.

On the way back  from our trip into town,it began to hail. we were in the van and almost back at the campus when it came pouring down. Again, close call,I could have been some of those students who were on the second afternoon trip and got soaked. 

A student here,fell really hard on this route and then it suddenly was pouring.  She didn't break anything but did get hurt and is taking it easy right now.  Glad she is okay. 

 

Last night's dinner was seafood,scallops but I wasn't in the mood to have it so just had  the salad plate

After Dinner Shannon gave her lecture on food and toys: What brands are best,what to feed them,the does and don'ts of feeding and  toys to give them to play with.

Most everything they don't recommend.

Joyce is on imes but we are switching her to Proplan.  It is good because they don't have to go out as often and not as much for clean up. She seems to like it more too. She actually ate a full bowl of food  tonight.

They really like the nylon bones and tug ropes. Joyce loves her bone,uses it like a rope and loves to play.

Soon after,parc time last night,I had a glass of wine and some cheese with Kim,one of my classmates. We chatted for awhile.  It was very nice.  Went to bed  about 10;30.  it took awhile to fall asleep but once I did,I was  knocked out and didn't wake up till I heard the announcement for feed and parc. ( I usually wake up every  few hours)

Today started out well.  We had fried eggs,home fry's,fruit and a morning glory muffin,very tasty. Coffee as usual.

I went out on the mid morning shuttle.  Kristin and I continued to do the Elm Street route.  Joyce   wore her booties on the morning trip.  At first,she was galloping like a pony.  She was stumbling around and that made me stumble.  She looked silly and I,like a drunk!   I am sure, we looked ridiculous!  lol?

After a few blocks,she did better in some areas but was still steering me into poles and bushes.

I sometimes forget to keep my arm back and even when I  had proper arm position,she would crowd me into poles an bushes.

While on the route,she ran me into the right side,where it was uneven. I fell,on my knees and my left ankle rolled. 

I didn't feel it at first but later knew I had sprained it. My ankle felt pulled and  felt a bit swollen. 

I finished the route and went back to the lounge to wait for  the shuttle . 

Once I got back to  campus went to see the nurse. My ankle was swollen. She put on a topical  ointment.  and She gave me an ice pack and a brace. I also took something for pain.

Lunch was burger and fries. ( It was yummy. I knew it would be good. I  could smell the aroma when I went to take her out for  Parc time.)

Even though,my ankle hurt and I wanted to stay back to rest,I went on my afternoon trip anyways.

Lucas came on my trip with Kristin and I.  When we got to the areas   where she was  side stepping right into  poles and bushes,Lucas showed us a new technique. he calls it " mama's stuck" :) lol This is basically like a situation where if one is stuck in a ditch and the dog has to push you out. 

At first,Joyce wasn't listening.  We had to continuously say forward and lightly tug the leash to the left,forcing her to pull left. Once she does,praise like crazy as she is   moving out!

We continued the route,hung  in there to the end. We  reworked an area near the lounge where she was consistently pushing me  right and she did much,much better.its not perfect,but making progress.  it will take time.

By the time,I made it to the lounge,my ankle was hurting more. But at least Lucas and I  worked on some issues.! I iced it and have been resting my foot.

Dinner was delicious.  We had Chicken parmesan and spaghetti as well as garden salad. They also had pecan pie,very good.

After dinner,Lucas had his lecture on Clicker again. It explained  clicker training in more detail and recommended   objectsthatwouldbe good to target.  They use the word Zook" to cue the dogs to find the target(example traffic pole,bus bench,trash can ) I learned  Zook is Dutch for Find. 

 Today Jeff had to be rematched.  This evening,they found him a new dog,one that is much smaller  and shorter then Vincent.  Her name is Rory.  (a good  Irish name)  She sounds cute and I really hope this match is  the perfect one for Jeff. 

Well,its already 9;30. I need to shower and ice my ankle. I am  doing  my Elm Street solo tomorrow so I need a good night's sleep.

Take care and sorry for no posts lately. Hope you keep reading.  Have a great night.

Day 9; More Puppy Facts

 After our meeting Kristin came to my room to give me the names of  her Parents and Siblings. They are as follows:

 

Parents:

 

Merlin: Dad

Boca: mom

 

Siblings:

 

Jarvis

Jagger

Jeff

Jolly

Jethro

Jud

John

Jazzman

 

 

Day 9: Puppy Facts

 We just had our meeting up in the common lounge. It was fun.

Joyce is the tallest and the heaviest in our class. But,she is the youngest .

Her Birthday is:

August 23,2008

Weight 60 pounds

Height 22 inches

We also were given names of her Parents and siblings. Kristin will e-mail them to us,too many names to remember.  There was a large litter.

We will also find out a little about her 4-H Family and what Joyce was like as a puppy.  Will get  this info the day before us retrains leave.

Well, I need a nap.  then,will groom her ,have Dinner,do obedience.   and then don't know what else.  Take Care.,

Day 8: Solo,Visit with friend and Coming home Video

Today is May 2,almost 9  here on this Sunday.

We just finished Breakfast and I must say,it was one of the best I had here. it was scrambled eggs,bacon,English muffin.  I asked if they wouldn't mind melting cheese on the muffin so I could make a  sandwich.  They did and I had two.  I know it was a lot but it was scrumptious.

Also,I really don't like ham nor want sweet potatoes for lunch. I am not a fan of Mexican and that is what they will be serving for dinner so for both lunch and dinner will have the salad plate.

Anyway,quiet here. Think most are in their rooms and a few went to Church.  The dogs can't go since we only had them a week. 

Right now,its 72  degrees and overcast.we are expected thunderstorms today and showers again tomorrow.  86 for the high and low will be 63. its warmer here than in Phoenix,that is crazy,only 83 for the high in  Phoenix today.

Yesterday it was 20 degrees warmer than at home and of course the humidity is higher

 Okay,enough of  a weather report , I will give you an update on my day here,that's the  point of this post anyway's.:) lol. 

Yesterday morning(Saturday,May 1)  we had our  solo's on South Street.   The day before I was fine,felt like I knew the route.

However,not the case yesterday morning.  I wanted breakfast to be over and get the show   on the road.  I was really hoping Leeann and I would be able to go first but  were the second team  in our class to do the solo.

I was very nervous.  I know its not an exam but it feels like one to me.  I have  test anxiety and my memory fails me when I get anxious. I am also a perfectionist,not in all aspects of my life thank goodness,but in  some areas I am . I wish it weren't true but it is. 

Needless-to-say,I am very hard on myself,my worse critic.  I also second guess myself and  don't trust myself as  much  as I should. 

In regards to yesterday's solo,I felt like if I made more than one mistake,that I failed  that it  wasn't a successful trip. 

I can handle stress and pressure at work but this  was different.  if I feel like I am being tested,then I get anxious.

I was fortunate to remember  the street names and  I made no major mistakes.  I didn't get lost,trip or  fall but I made errors. Joyce made a couple minor ones and  I made a few. 

I mostly  didn't stop far enough at the down curb and thought I was aligned right at a  couple intersections but that was about it.   So,if it weren't for Leeann and  definitely if I hadn't had Joyce,I would have made a diagonal crossing. 

Joyce walked me into the flag that was strategically placed on  the route as well as my arm hit one of the poles   .

I did correct her and we  reworked those spots and she cleared me. So,she obviously was paying attention and wanted to please. 

There was a lot less traffic and the streets less crowded.

Other students were completing their solos  also.

 some students made mea more nervous and were distracting me.  They were  constantly talking to their dogs,projecting their voice and  walking so fast,thought they would  plow  us down. 

None of this helped matters so  between all of this and it being wicked hot,,90 degrees,I was sweating and  anxious by the time we returned to the training lounge.  I was so glad it was over!

Kristin was pleased how we did,thought we did great! I  give it a C or a D .  maybe,probably shouldn't give it any grade..

The  point of the solo is to see how well  we work as a dog Guide team,if the dog can guide,if we can follow the dog's lead,communicate,trust him other her and get to our destinations.  We did that,so,guess,it was successful??

After I got back from doing the solo and was sitting in the lounge,Jeff and ken were trying to make me feel better.  Jeff told me not  to" sweat the small stuff!". That,I need to do.

he Also made me laugh.   laughter is the best medicine.  Leeann stopped by my room later and  wanted to see if I was alright and lend support.  I appreciate her and the others caring and   supporting me. 

Soon after we returned to Campus,Kristin took us on the leisure path. it was bloody hot and I was glad to be back inside.

Since I was wicked tired/hot,I didn't feel like much for lunch.

So,I didn't have the steak ,just had a  salad,a couple glasses of water and lemonade.

once lunch was over,I went and took a shower.  I wanted to take a nap,like many but  I was having company later in the afternoon.

Visiting hours are from 2 to 4 on the weekends.  My friend Mary Anne came to visit.  She is more like Family,known  her since High School.

We had a great visit,so nice to see her. It was way too short.!

We got caught up on what was happening in each other's lives,reminisced about old times,played with Joyce,talked about  training and more.

She is very much interested in becoming a  trainer here at the Seeing Eye.  She took some information with her before she left.  I hope she applies,she would make a good instructor. 

After she left,it was feed/park time,then dinner.

Dinner wasn't very good.  Pizza for the hot plate and salad for the alternative. 

 At 6;30 we had a meeting.  I wish they had it Friday night. it didn't feel like time off. I much rather they had the meeting Friday night so we could have been off from noon Saturday till Monday morning park time. 

The meeting wasn't very worthwhile,at least for me,for us retrains.  They showed the  "Welcome home "Video.   I have seen this many times. Its a very good video for newbie's and family,friends and co-workers but not for us retrains,JMO.  lol

 later, listened to internet radio.  Jeff called into the station (mushroomfm.com) described  the training,what it was like here at the Seeing Eye)

I continued to listen.  I actually fell  asleep to Jonathon playing Journey and other great tunes. 

I woke later,to some other DJ playing tunes at  midnight and chatted with Darrell for an hour on the  phone.

That's about it for day 8.  Will compose a post for day 9 later  since nothing much has gone on.

I still have to groom Joyce and later today Kristin will give our class Puppy info.  I am really looking forward to all that.

That post will likely be very short,unlike the last few.   I am not doing much of anything today! That feels great,doing nothing!

 

Kristin,just stopped by my room.  she wanted to do an evaluation ,see how I  feel about the match and so on.  I toldher  I am pleased with the match,think Joyce matches my pace and  pull and that we work well together.  It will take time to  really work well as a  team but that will come.

Kristin can see that I  trust Joyce,that i just need to trust myself  .   That's for now.  Take care ,keep reading and I will send the next post soon.  Have a great day.