Feeling fortunate

Thursday morning, things started badly. Really badly. Badly enough that I expect it to effect me for at least the next few months [1].

But then the day went significantly uphill from there. I got a nice response from the chair of Grinnell’s Board of Trustees [2]. Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) succeeded in reinstating two funds that we can use to support CS students [3]. I got a very supportive note from a colleague in another department. And I had lunch with someone from across campus (okay, across town) who I don’t see very much.

In the evening, I went to watch Youngest Son perform as part of the Grinnell High School Marching Band and had Middle Son accompany me (and FaceTime it to his mother, who could not make it). There were a lot of people I knew there, and it was good to be with a wide variety of people I like and care about, and who seem to like me, too.

Best of all, Michelle and Eldest Son returned from setting up his new home. I really do feel less whole when she’s not here. And it’s wonderful to see Eldest. It’s going to be rare that he comes home and I won’t see him much this weekend [4], but I still got a bit more time with him.

Things continued well today [5]. I had another nice interaction with DAR. Community relations treated me to lunch at one of the new places in town [6]. And I got to talk with more colleagues and students whose friendship I value. I learned that one of my former students has a film showing in Grinnell on Wednesday [7,8]. And I had a wonderful dinner that a friend brought for us.

I feel very fortunate.

[1] Don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong with any of my family members or any of my colleagues. I just had an extremely negative work experience. One benefit of the negative experience is that it clarifies many things about how I should be spending my time.

[2] BOT, which both amuses and scares me when I see GrinnellBOT as a wireless network.

[3] More details forthcoming.

[4] Alumni swim weekend. I think he counts as a swammer.

[5] Today is Friday.

[6] Yes, that’s places, plural. Grinnell has multiple new establishments in town. I had lunch at Peace Tree Brewing, which doesn’t usually have much food, but Community Relations brought in pizza. The newly-established Hotel Grinnell also has a restaurant which includes a wall-size Scrabble game and a tabletop shuffleboard.

[7] Andrew Sherburne ’01, who was a dual CS/Studio Art major, is co-director of Saving Brinton and director of other documentaries. He’s also written at least one children’s book.

[8] Now if I can only figure out how to coordinate the dinner I was invited to on Wednesday night with the movie, I’ll be in great shape.

Version 1.0 of 2017-10-20.