In the summer months, Karal opts to keep herself downstairs, where I'm greeted in the morning for outside rendezvous before entering for her first meal. Nope. Not when the temps begin to drop. Then, she entirely chooses upstairs sleeping arrangements with scratching imaginary fleas and/or hosting nocturnal dreams with whimpers, barks, and running. This, of course, is up against my body as she hordes the space for her own comfort. Then, she joins me for coffee, where she falls back to sleep for several hours on the front-porch couch.
We've entered the autumn rituals of her rest. And I don't get mine. I have to figure out a plan.
I worked on syllabi and CWP projects yesterday before walking Karal and joining Beth and Michell for dinner. Michelle is heading to Spain on two incredible opportunities, projects funded by varying sources, while Beth and I try to figure out a year without our courageous friend to process the shenanigans of higher education. There will be much adjustment to this process.
Today is the Faculty Welfare Committee's faculty picnic and I was put in charge of coolers and beer. I hope they don't mind, but I'll likely get the beers that I enjoy most (and haven't sipped in many years, as I don't like the full-bladder ramifications of such hobby. With bourbon, the heft is lighter, although I haven't been drinking that, either.
Karal looks little (is little) but not when she stretches out. Then she is long, and I'm longing for a good night's sleep. I have a very early national call this morning and am excited that I gifted joy to the Women's volleyball team that is heading to Boston for a game and a tournament. I wanted to send them off (faculty liaison) with a smile.
I do love this time of year with the crickets and cicadas. The temperatures are wonderful, too.
I had a great spinach and mushroom lasagna with a green spinach sauce for dinner, followed by chocolate cherry gelato. Pricey, but worth it. I did embellish with an Umberto Echo, cherry liqueur old fashion, too. Can't believe I stopped myself at one, because it was perfect.
The garbage is out and the work piling up, so onward I go. Here's to the day.
