I’ll be on the lookout for naptimes today. I did not sleep enough last night!
For most people, traveling with dog is a choice–a choice that we guard very jealously because it offers very important advantages, but it is still a choice. For me, the choice comes at a price–I am rather strongly allertic to dogs, and in order to live well with them, I take a lot of allergy medicine, do breathing treatments via nebulizer, go to the doctor for allergy shots, etc. Of course, this is not all about dogs–I’m allergic to much of the rest of the world as well, and this all helps me with everything else, too. I can sit outside for a few minutes, or take a walk, now without getting very sick.
All that was to say that while I am in this environment, my breathing treatments are ramped up so that I can handle being around so many dogs. I went exploring the building and spent some time getting to know some of my classmates last night and made sure that I was back in my room by 9:00 P.M. Of course, then I jealously took that nice hot bath. I was awake for another hour doing a treatment. I think I’ll have to come up with a better strategy, or else get used to not sleeping. That little corner of my brain that holds important information is knocking and reminding me that I used to do this when I was in seminary and there was never enough time… And in a couple of weeks I can “catch up” in my own bed.
The schedule here is very heavy. I say it’s sort of like getting a Master’s degree in three weeks. Perhaps it’s not a joke. This morning we will be down at the training center hearing a lecture, then take a walk with Juno the dog who looks amazingly like the instructor. After lunch we will repeat the process again. After dinner, we will go over the process of grooming the dog.
For those reading who have been to Seeing Eye in the past, the grooming equipment that is issued is different. We still receive the same comb; but instead of the slicker brush we receive a new brush with longer bristles that are better spaced for pulling out the undercoat. There is no soft brush. This is a disappointment; but after four previous dogs I have at least one soft brush at home among other things.
They handed out leashes last night… Our new leashes are stiff and we were encouraged to play with them and roll them around to loosen up the leather. It made me think of the way that I behaved as a new dog guide user… I wanted to do everything perfectly, and I actually thought that if I messed up I would be sent home with no dog. I was a lot like my new leash here, and my instructor back then did a pretty good job of rolling me around. Obviously, I went home with a dog.
I’ll be on the lookout for coffee today–and for opportunities to catnap.
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Have a great day,I hope the coffee is good when u find it