Training, day 1

So our first day of training in Portland was today. We did some basic routes, worked in a mall a bit so that Lenore would have a destination, and worked a lot with mechanics of turns, street crossings, etc. I loved the way she felt when we were walking together, she was fast, but not to fast for me. It was such a liberating feeling to have a dog by my side again. I'd forgotten how hard these past few months have been and how slowly I've been doing things with out a dog. Today, for the first time in a long, long time, I felt great about crossing streets, going around obsticles, and trusting my dog. She did a wonderful jub at the up curbs and also weaving around pedestrians, things on the sidewalks, and dog distractions. Tomorrow, I think we work on more of the same, and perhaps do some more complex routes. When we got back to campus, I groomed her and we cuddled on this beanbag chair that I have in my room. I think we were both tired from the day because we fell asleep together for an hour or so until someone knocked on my door to summon us to dinner. It was the cutest thing ever, and something that I think we both enjoyed! I found out from my class supervisor that Lenore was in class with another person for about a week a couple of classes ago, but the individual decided that the guide dog life style wasn't for him, and opted to return her. One of the instructors said that it was like they'd special ordered her for me, and so far, I'd have to agree. She is such a cute, affectionate, and lovable little dog, and I can't believe that anyone could decide that they didn't want her, though I'm glad that he did because she was here waiting for me. That's about all I have for tonight. Bed comes early for both of us, because we're up at about 6:30 or so and start with breakfast at 7. I hope you're all doing well, and thanks, as always for reading!

It's a girl!

Hi everyone! Well, it was Dog Day here in Oregon! I got a small female yellow lab named Lenore. She's 50 pounds, 22 inches tall, and was born on 2/24/2010. Strangely, she shares a birthday, though not the year, with Steve Jobs. When I pointed this out to one of my instructors who is as much of an Apple fanatic as I am, she said that the match was meant to be, and we had a good laugh. Seriously, though, she's beautiful. I'm told she's a red color, and that her eyes match her coat. Today we just did some basic obedience work, but tomorrow we head into Portland for some guide work in harness. I also chatted with my classmates, and ate great food, which is all part of the experience here. I don't really have much else to write tonight, but I'm pretty tired and have a busy day of training ahead of me tomorrow, so I'm heading to bed. I hope everyone's doing well, and thanks as always for reading!

I made it

This is just a quick update to let you all know that I made it safe and sound to Portland early this afternoon. It's cold and rainy here, but I guess that's to be expected of Oregon in the winter. The weather reminds me of a damp English day when you can't wait to come home and have a lovely hot cup of tea!
I met my classmates today. We are a group of 6 women, not a single man among us. So far, this is a great group, and I think we're going to have a lot of fun!
The only downside is that my iPhone isn't getting great reception here, because AT&T leaves some to be desired. I did bring my bose sound doc, though, so I'm able to enjoy music and my phone is streaming well. I'm listening to Pandora as I write this post on my iPad.
Email is proving to be the best way to reach me, as all of my various iThings work well with data and texts, so feel free to text me, too! :)
That's about all I've got. I should meet my dog tomorrow around lunchtime, and I'm so excited!
Thanks for following my adventures! I will keep you updated!

test post

I am testing to see whether I can only take my iPad and keyboard doc, as it will lighten up my bag considerably.
Tomorrow, I head out super early to catch an 8:00 AM flight to Chicago, and a 10:00 am flight from there to Portland.
I am not sure what the rest of Sunday consists of, but have been told that I'll get my dog on Monday afternoon around 2:00 PM PST. I will be sure to write and update everyone on how things go.
I am hoping to catch some sleep on the flight, because I'm sure I'll be pretty tired once I get there.
Hope everyone's doing well, and I'll update again tomorrow once I arive!

Dog number 4

Well, I'm back, and pleased to report that I will be heading to GDB's Oregon campus next Sunday, 1/29/2012, to train with my new guide.
After some thought, I decided to keep my training experiences together in one blog. The reasons I decided to do this were so I could quickly and easily look through and compare class experiences, and also so those who are new to the blog this time round could see both experiences side by side.
I am going to be in class for two weeks this time around, in a completely unfamiliar setting which I am excited and terrified about, depending on what moment you catch me in. I am certainly up for the challenge, and looking forward to the adventure. It will be strange being away from everyone and everything I know, last time, I was in San Rafael, so not far from people I know in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. I also had some familiarity with San Francisco, the airport, Bart, etc, so wasn't especially worried about training there. This time it's a different ballgame, I've never been to Portland, don't really know anyone there, or what to expect in terms of the training area or environment.
In many ways, I feel that this is a good thing, as it will let me truly bond with my dog with out the distraction of friends visiting, me wanting to catch up with people while I'm in the bay area, and me constantly comparing this to when I got Jimmy in the same place. This will really be a chance for me to start with a clean slate, in a different environment, and a different place, which I'm ready for. The uncertainty of the unknown is greater this time, but all in all, this is a good thing. I know that the school will take great care of me, and that they will give me a wonderful dog.
The class is also smaller this time, with six students and three instructors, which is good because the instructor student ratio allows for a more individualized training experience.
As I did last time, I'll try and update this every day with my training experience. Come with me on my journey to Oregon and enjoy!