Today was a momentous day in my "career" as a volunteer at Pet Orphans of Southern California (POSC) -- I was promoted from dog socializer to dog coach! When I first started volunteering, I was most interested in socializing the cats. They are calmer, quieter, and I can visit 15 in the same time it takes to visit 4 dogs. This I did for a couple of years before I got up the nerve to socialize the dogs.
I have two dogs but I was still not as confident in my abilities to keep control of a dog. I had visions of a Pet Orphans dog getting out of its kennel as I entered and running away from me, and me chasing the dog around the kennels as all the dogs barked hysterically (probably cheering on the canine escapee). But I've found out that this has happened to other volunteers so having a dog make a prison break is not as scary to me as it once was.
So when the opportunity to take a 5-week Adoptable Dog training course came along, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to build my confidence in working with the shelter dogs and learn some techniques to use with my own dogs. As I mentioned in a previous post, I worked with Astro, a 72-lb shepherd mix who sometimes got the better of me but I persevered and we earned a B- in the course.
Near the end of the course, to my surprise, I received an e-mail invitation to attend training to become a Dog Coach at POSC! I guess that even with the lowest grade in the class, the trainers saw potential in me! Maybe working with Astro was like attending Punahou -- a B- at Punahou is like an A- at almost any other school. At least, that's what we Punahou graduates tell ourselves! I was flattered but also a little apprehensive. Could I really train the other dogs? Could I keep them under control on walks where they might run into people and things that would frighten them? Did I have the time to commit to such an endeavor? Did I have the patience? What I did know was that I wanted to help these dogs become better behaved so they could be adopted quickly.
So I took the plunge and said YES, I wanted to become a dog coach. Today I went on a walk with some other dog coaches as my formal evaluation and afterwards earned my brown leather leash (POSC's equivalent of an Oscar) for successfully completing training and working well with Joselyn on the 2-mile walk.
The next time I walk into POSC, I will proudly carry my brown leather leash and walk confidently down the street with Joselyn or Brenna or Candy or Astro (another blog coming soon about Astro's progress). They may not always behave for me and they may pull at the leash, but I have the tools to work with them and the determination to be the alpha dog. And I know that, with each step we take and every sit, stay, down & watch me that we practice, that dog will be closer to finding its forever home!
A hui hou
=^..^=
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
You know school is about to start when ...
1. I'm not able to check FB or AOL for an entire day and have 250 unread e-mails.
2. I don't eat breakfast (and sometimes lunch).
3. I have dreams about school or wake up in the middle of the night thinking about school.
4. The car breaks down.
5. Matthew hets hurt.
6. There is a three week gap between my blog posts.
7. I start drinking more margaritas! ha ha ha
8. I work unitl 9 at night to get my class web page in order.
9. I work for another 30 minutes cutting therabands to the correct length.
10. I spend another 30 minutes looking at ballet choreography.
11. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking of choreography.
12. I start repeating myself.
13. I start wishing it was June.
2. I don't eat breakfast (and sometimes lunch).
3. I have dreams about school or wake up in the middle of the night thinking about school.
4. The car breaks down.
5. Matthew hets hurt.
6. There is a three week gap between my blog posts.
7. I start drinking more margaritas! ha ha ha
8. I work unitl 9 at night to get my class web page in order.
9. I work for another 30 minutes cutting therabands to the correct length.
10. I spend another 30 minutes looking at ballet choreography.
11. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking of choreography.
12. I start repeating myself.
13. I start wishing it was June.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Ginger snap
I've been volunteering with cat rescue groups for several years now. People ask if it's hard getting to know the cats then having to say goodbye when they get adopted. Of course I am thrilled when a cat gets adopted into a good home. But I will admit that there have been a few cats with which I've become smitten and was sad when they left the shelter. Sometimes with no notice -- I would go in expecting to visit and play with them, looking forward to sharing a few moments with that special cat, only to find them gone.
There was Oreo, a handsome black and white tuxedo who would follow me around. He loved attention, getting brushed, and playing with string. Shane was a beautiful orange long-hair cat that eventually warmed up to me would sit on my lap. He and Oreo became good friends and I often imagined the two of them joining my family! And there was a gorgeous, affectionate, playful white cat with blue eyes (probably deaf) that was adopted so quickly that I don't even remember his name!
Most recently there was Ginger. I remember the first time she arrived at Pet Orphans (with her stunning sister, Janey). She was so scared that she stayed huddled in the corner of the shelf with Janey. I thought Ginger and Janey were just about the most lovely cats I had ever seen. They are both tri-colors, Janey a long-hair and Ginger a short-hair. Eventually, they let me pet them and it was obvious that they craved attention. After a couple of weeks Ginger came down and she quickly became comfortable in her new surroundings and with her new roommates. Ginger turned out to be a playful and friendly kitty. She loved being petted and would roll onto her back and expose her belly for lots of rubs! When visiting Pet Orphans, I found myself seeking out Ginger first. She definitely had a special place in my heart and I called her my little Ginger snap.
Then one day she wasn't there! Sometimes the cats are taken to the vet so I didn't think too much about it, although I was disappointed that I didn't get to see her. But on the third visit I checked their name cards and hers was gone and my heart dropped! I knew then that she got adopted. When I got home, I checked the Pet Orphans website and saw "ADOPTED" written across her biography. That normally makes me happy, but a piece of my heart was missing this time.
Ginger's new family is very lucky to have her. But I will miss her friendly face and loving demeanor. But there's always (at least for now) her sister Janey!!!
A hui hou
=^..^=
There was Oreo, a handsome black and white tuxedo who would follow me around. He loved attention, getting brushed, and playing with string. Shane was a beautiful orange long-hair cat that eventually warmed up to me would sit on my lap. He and Oreo became good friends and I often imagined the two of them joining my family! And there was a gorgeous, affectionate, playful white cat with blue eyes (probably deaf) that was adopted so quickly that I don't even remember his name!
Most recently there was Ginger. I remember the first time she arrived at Pet Orphans (with her stunning sister, Janey). She was so scared that she stayed huddled in the corner of the shelf with Janey. I thought Ginger and Janey were just about the most lovely cats I had ever seen. They are both tri-colors, Janey a long-hair and Ginger a short-hair. Eventually, they let me pet them and it was obvious that they craved attention. After a couple of weeks Ginger came down and she quickly became comfortable in her new surroundings and with her new roommates. Ginger turned out to be a playful and friendly kitty. She loved being petted and would roll onto her back and expose her belly for lots of rubs! When visiting Pet Orphans, I found myself seeking out Ginger first. She definitely had a special place in my heart and I called her my little Ginger snap.
Then one day she wasn't there! Sometimes the cats are taken to the vet so I didn't think too much about it, although I was disappointed that I didn't get to see her. But on the third visit I checked their name cards and hers was gone and my heart dropped! I knew then that she got adopted. When I got home, I checked the Pet Orphans website and saw "ADOPTED" written across her biography. That normally makes me happy, but a piece of my heart was missing this time.
Ginger's new family is very lucky to have her. But I will miss her friendly face and loving demeanor. But there's always (at least for now) her sister Janey!!!
A hui hou
=^..^=
Friday, August 6, 2010
I found my inspiration!
Something prompted me to try writing a welcome poem for my 7th grade advisees (refer to earlier post saying I wasn't feeling inspired) and it came rather easily, thanks in part to an online rhyming dictionary. I thought I'd share my poem with you.
Another summer has flown by,
I hope yours was a blast.
I read, crocheted, and volunteered.
Now time for school, AT LAST!
In 7th grade you'll make new friends,
Take mini-courses too.
Clubs will let you learn new skills
Like knitting and kung fu
(probably not kung fu but I needed a rhyme)
To help you finish The Graveyard Book
I made this bookmark for you.
It reminds me of a plumeria flower
From my home in Honolulu.
On August 31st we'll meet
For orientation and lunch.
Be ready for a year of FUN
Of that you'll have a bunch!
Corny, I know! But my poems usually are.
A hui ho
=^..^=
Another summer has flown by,
I hope yours was a blast.
I read, crocheted, and volunteered.
Now time for school, AT LAST!
In 7th grade you'll make new friends,
Take mini-courses too.
Clubs will let you learn new skills
Like knitting and kung fu
(probably not kung fu but I needed a rhyme)
To help you finish The Graveyard Book
I made this bookmark for you.
It reminds me of a plumeria flower
From my home in Honolulu.
On August 31st we'll meet
For orientation and lunch.
Be ready for a year of FUN
Of that you'll have a bunch!
Corny, I know! But my poems usually are.
A hui ho
=^..^=
Thursday, August 5, 2010
$25
This was the cost of two movie tickets at Arc Light in the Sherman Oaks Galleria! And one of the reasons we haven't been to the movies in about two years. Sheesh! But it was our anniversary so we thought we'd SPLURGE and spend $25 to watch a movie we could have waited three years to see for free on t.v.
Granted, the theater is very nice -- stadium seating (which I actully found annoying because the head rest angled toward me and made it uncomfortable to look UP at the screen), cafe & bar, gift shop, reserved seating, and of course clean bathrooms. It's in the Galleria which has lots of restaurants (PF Chang's, El Torito Grill, Cheesecake Factory, Hana Grill) and DSW (yea!). So I'm guessing the rent it sky high, hence the $12.50 per ticket. And that's the matinee price!
What was also surprising was that there were no employees selling tickets. There were a dozen or so kiosks from which we had to buy our tickets. I guess that's cheaper for Arc Light, especially since there really weren't many people there watching movies in the early afternoon. Our theater had about 20 people and another had maybe five people (according to one of my students who was in that theater).
I will admit that, before going to the movie I searched online for theaters showing Dinner for Schmucks and found one nearby that had tickets for only $6. So why did we go to Arc Light? you ask. Because I also read reviews of that other theater online and, shall we say, the reviews did not applaud the theater's ambiance and cleanliness. Sounded like the only thing going for this cheaper theater was the cheap ticket prices. In this economy that isn't a bad thing! I think next time, if there is a next time, we will try the cheaper one.
To rub salt into my open wound, yesterday I walked past a theater charging $3!!! Only $2 for a matinee! The catch -- the movies are not always the newest, big box office releases. And for us, it's about a 20-25 minute drive to get there which costs money for gas.
I now remember why I don't go the movie theaters. Luckily, there are a lot of shows I like on the telly. And with DVR, I'm happy staying home, watching Burn Notice, Warehouse 13, Modern Family, and Castle. And popping my own popcorn in the microwave. Oh yeah, the regular popcorn at Arc Light was $5.50.
A hui hou
=^..^=
Granted, the theater is very nice -- stadium seating (which I actully found annoying because the head rest angled toward me and made it uncomfortable to look UP at the screen), cafe & bar, gift shop, reserved seating, and of course clean bathrooms. It's in the Galleria which has lots of restaurants (PF Chang's, El Torito Grill, Cheesecake Factory, Hana Grill) and DSW (yea!). So I'm guessing the rent it sky high, hence the $12.50 per ticket. And that's the matinee price!
What was also surprising was that there were no employees selling tickets. There were a dozen or so kiosks from which we had to buy our tickets. I guess that's cheaper for Arc Light, especially since there really weren't many people there watching movies in the early afternoon. Our theater had about 20 people and another had maybe five people (according to one of my students who was in that theater).
I will admit that, before going to the movie I searched online for theaters showing Dinner for Schmucks and found one nearby that had tickets for only $6. So why did we go to Arc Light? you ask. Because I also read reviews of that other theater online and, shall we say, the reviews did not applaud the theater's ambiance and cleanliness. Sounded like the only thing going for this cheaper theater was the cheap ticket prices. In this economy that isn't a bad thing! I think next time, if there is a next time, we will try the cheaper one.
To rub salt into my open wound, yesterday I walked past a theater charging $3!!! Only $2 for a matinee! The catch -- the movies are not always the newest, big box office releases. And for us, it's about a 20-25 minute drive to get there which costs money for gas.
I now remember why I don't go the movie theaters. Luckily, there are a lot of shows I like on the telly. And with DVR, I'm happy staying home, watching Burn Notice, Warehouse 13, Modern Family, and Castle. And popping my own popcorn in the microwave. Oh yeah, the regular popcorn at Arc Light was $5.50.
A hui hou
=^..^=
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The 3 Best Things About Teaching
June, July, and August! And June and July are already over. Yesterday I received e-mails about the start of the new school year .... sigh! I did not do nearly as much as I wanted to over the summer, but it's been relaxing and rejuvenating. As much as I enjoy teaching, I really need to retire soon so I can have time to do all my extracurricular activities hahaha!
One project I just finished was crocheting bookmarks for the 7th grade advisees I will have next year. At my school, the advisor teachers write a note to each student welcoming them to the junior high and we are encouraged to make it personal. Sometimes I write a poem (but I'm not feeling the groove this summer) and I always crochet this bookmark.
One project I just finished was crocheting bookmarks for the 7th grade advisees I will have next year. At my school, the advisor teachers write a note to each student welcoming them to the junior high and we are encouraged to make it personal. Sometimes I write a poem (but I'm not feeling the groove this summer) and I always crochet this bookmark.
This bookmark says a lot about me.
1) it's crocheted, which is one of my favorite things to do
2) it reminds me of a plumeria, the simple yet fragrant flower from home
3) and I love to read
As I make these bookmarks for my students, I know the end of summer is coming. But I look forward to the new experiences that the school year will bring. And I know that at the END of the school year, we go to Disneyland! YEA!! (I'm already thinking about next June)
This blog is kind of short because the groomer just called and my dog, Siobhan, is ready to come home!
A hui hou!
=^..^=
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)