A Welcome Home

Today was one of those nasty 'Minimal Mondays'.  I have to back up and tell you what those are.

Once upon a time, when the economy was strong, the school district decreed that on certain days the students would have a 'day of rest' (day off), while their teachers met together and learned ways to be better teachers.  These days were known as Professional Development Days.  The children of the land were happy, and while the teachers wished they could take the day off, too, at least they knew they would receive an extra day of pay for their efforts.  And so, everyone was content.

Then came the dark times.  The economy fell.  Money was scarce.  The district, in an effort to spend less money, yet still assign the teachers time to meet together and improve themselves, decided to do away with Professional Development Days and decreed a new system... Minimal Mondays!

Four times a year, students would be released from school at a ridiculously early time (12:30).  The rest of the day would be spent by teachers in meetings that would go much longer than their normal contract time.  In this way, the professional development could happen on 'face to face' instructional days and the district could cut out the extra pay needed to have the teachers come to work on non-teaching days.  Students have less time in the classroom, and teachers have less pay, what's not to like?  (insert sarcastic voice here)

Okay.  So.  Today was one of those 'Minimal Mondays'.  The kids got home from school before 1:00, and I didn't get home from work until 6:00 pm!  On a normal day, the kids and I usually hit the house at about the same time... 3:00 pm.

By now, you are probably wondering what this post has to do with the photo at the top?

Bill and I got home at the same time tonight, an event that never happens in real life.  Will was gone up the canyon with his friend's family, and Helena was asleep in the basement.  The puppies, missing the human part of their family, were OVERJOYED to see us and were wriggling nearly to pieces in their ecstasy and eagerness to slobber us with love.  Bill is the loving parent to the puppies and lets them 'kiss' him all over the face.  I am the evil puppy parent.  I will pet them briefly, but that is all.  And yet, they are still brimming over with love for me, too.  That is the beauty of owning a dog.  Absolute and Unconditional Love.  Where a dog loves, she loves with every fiber of her being.  There is literally no room in her body for anything else.  She is just bursting with it.  That is the annoying part, too.  I don't always want puppy affection.  But they don't know how to turn it off.

I think that is why I am a cat person.  Cats are more aloof and will mix equal parts love and disdain, just to make sure you know that you are NOT the center of their universe, thank you very much!