College Day

I was really good yesterday - I listened to my own advice. I went out in the morning planning to run about 3 miles - I ended up with 3.8. I spent the whole day talking to myself and finally decided to walk at the track last night. I've picked up my mileage every week since I've been back at it, and I decided I should have a cut-back week. I'll go three or four in the morning, then run the five mile on Sunday - that'll put me at about 27 to 28 for the week. I might go out again Sunday night, but I'll wait and see how the day goes. Then next week I'll push it back up to 34. The week after that starts three consecutive weekends of racing for me. I'm so excited!

I had a fun day today. I was out the door at 5:30 this morning. I packed a set of clothes and a pot-luck salad for the afternoon, then went to the Y and taught Pilates, changed there and drove straight to the other campus for an employee recognition breakfast. (Our college has two campuses - one located here in town, where I work, and the other about a half hour away). At the breakfast, Wynette, (my boss) was honored for 27 years of service and her retirement. Another co-worker, Greg, was honored with the Excellence in Achievement Award by the college. This is a huge honor, and a complete surprise to him. He is most deserving of this award - he is a fantastic instructor and a huge advocate for children and Early Childhood Education.

After that event we had about three hours to kill till the retirement party - in the same area of town. Wynette's daughter was here for both events, so the three of us went shopping. We stopped by Starbucks, then hit multiple stores. Have I ever mentioned that I hate to shop? I don't like anything about it - except hanging out with friends. I just kind of wandered and chatted while they shopped. After that, we headed over to another colleagues house for the party. She lives in a 1920s era house with lots of quirky corners, built in bookshelves, wavy glass in old windows, window seats and old wood floors. I love her house! To top it off, she is a Master Gardener - but of course, it was raining so we couldn't enjoy the huge deck and gardens.

Most of the women I work with have been in either the Parent Education or ECE department for over 20 years. Greg has been with us for about four years. Once again, I realized just how lucky I am to work in a field that I love, with an outstanding group of people who have a consuming passion for what we do.

The woman who started both programs at the college drove up to attend the party today. She has had an amazing impact on our community and our college over the years. At least ten of the people there had her as an instructor or were hired by her and worked under her supervision for several years. I missed working for her by two years. Even so, I've always known that she set the standard for our department and that I had to live up to her expectations. The first time I met her, about 10 years ago, she queried me closely about my background and my philosophy. Apparently she followed that up with discussions with both department heads - two years after she retired she was still making sure that we were up to par! (She has mellowed considerably over the years).

Anyway, it was a long and eventful day, that I shared with many that I consider my mentors. I expect that the next five years will find us facing many retirements, till eventually, the old guard is gone. The funny thing is, at that point, I will be considered the old guard! I'm glad the day is over, though I enjoyed every minute of it.

Have a great weekend everyone!