recalibration

I've been up since 5:30, trying to turn my body's clock around, in preparation for the big return to the working world. I was in bed by 9:30 last night. I'm hoping to get it to a 9pm bedtime and a 5am rise, most nights anyway. Allowances will be made for my knit club, which runs til 9 most weeks, now.

I tracked Ella this morning, a brilliant set of one very long straight track, and one shorter track with 2 turns. I'm being coached to give her no help, to let her pull me on the trail, and to give her more lead, so I just hung back and watched her. We are working at a distance of 10 feet apart, now; for a tracking certification test she has to be 20 feet away from me for most of the track. My instructor is a very dry, somewhat cranky older(83 years to be exact)lady, and praise from her for my handling is rare. She always praises the dog's work, and then turns, points her finger and starts with "...but you, you..." followed by whatever my handling transgression of the moment was: jerked too hard, gave too much slack, allowed her to be off track, forgot to pick up my flags...yada yada. Anyway, today, I didn't get that. I got actual praise for hanging back, not coaxing or indicating the track, not tugging the dog back onto the trail when she went off. I was flabbergasted.

I did not track Cricket. He isn't very sniffy, and I really want him, at this point, following my hand and watching me, not focusing on some smell on the ground. By not working him in tracking, I've more time to work Ella, and then I can work him in obedience at some other point.

I'm a little worried about the return to work and my life being filled; going to the dogs and the job. Ugh. The dogs are a true pleasure, but training eats up time, and my weekends have suddenly assumed this exaggerated sacred importance to me, as I shed a little tear for end of my unmolested mornings and afternoons. I know I don't have to train them, but it's fun, and they are big, active, interactive dogs who seem to do better with some mental activity. Thank the gods I don't have a border collie!!

I've been thinking a lot about my VA pagan friends. I'm still on their mailing list for rituals and events, and I'm missing them a lot. I'm planning a trip to the Old Country for my fall break, and will try to get together with Leah and T, at least, and maybe Ed. Yes. An income, at last, has made travel to the mainland a possibility again! I have about 10 days off work in October, and I'm using it to go back to VA. It's funny how nice it's been to NOT think about money, the past few days. Oh, I think about it, but I don't think about streeeetttttcccching what little is in my bank account for some unknown amount of time, anymore. A huge relief, and yet, I'm trying to be more cautious with what I spend on. I am going to make a concerted effort to knit from stash and not buy yarn,(okay, if Lorna's Laces goes on sale again, I'll make exceptions)use the public library instead of buying books, and continue to do my clothes shopping at thrift stores. I think, in this past year, I've strengthened the ability to walk through a store and not buy something that intially strikes my eye. It's been something I've been working at for a long time, curbing the consumption habit, and the year of unemployment has helped, that way.

And now, I am back to take a mid-morning nap. Probably not a good idea for resetting the body clock, but the cool breeze has made me sleepy.