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My Mother-In-Law had a second, very normal, restful night without my wife staying overnight.   We are very glad.  We are taking the physical therapist's suggestions and a) changing her mattress to a slightly firmer one and b) swapping out the "pretty" relaxing chair she especially likes for her "auto-lift" chair that was brought over from her house.  The auto-lift chair (the physical therapist suggests) will allow a less cluttered walkway for my MIL than her "pretty" chair with matching ottoman offered in her apartment. This will help her be less likely to trip and fall.  I am hoping, though, that if she actually engages in the physical therapy, it will help to decrease the "splaying" of her feet which I believe is the primary culprit of her fall and the biggest risk factor of another fall occurring.   

It is strange, I am feeling a little bit "Topsy-Turvy" at the moment at the U.  For the first time in, hell, I think since back in 1998, I had the ORDER of my A&P 1 and A&P2 classes in this semester swap places (meaning swapped times).   It took a lot of discussion about 18-20 months ago to get the "ok" to have these two courses swap times.  I only pursued it because of a pressing need from another Department and their request to see if it would be at all possible.  I worked with several folks for about two months researching/writing/talking with others about how the timing flip-flop for A&P 1 and A&P 2 would impact students because I and others had to assure that the swap would not impinge anyone's progress.  You may be surprised, but that was a big risk factor that had to be avoided.   

My schedule has been extremely consistent for DECADES because the lion's share of my lower division classes (Freshman & Sophomore classes) are prerequisites for a variety of other majors.  And, my upper division courses (Junior & Senior classes) are able to be and regularly are taken by a variety of different majors across the U.   This situation is relatively unique to me in my Department because my background gives me course specialties that are far more integrative and far more integrated that most the other biological specialties in my Department.  And, because of this significant integration, even the tiniest bit of shifting of the timing of my class schedule throws a lot of different majors into chaos.  

Sometimes this inherent stability of my courses causes a bit of ire in some of the folks in my Department, because most have courses with greater ebb and flow of times, positions, locations, etc. I (of course) get a helluva lot of biology majors in my classes, but I also have a lot of students from about a dozen other biology-ancillary majors (think Physical Therapy,  or Exercise Science, or Medical Technology for instances). My colleagues'  lower stability for their courses are because they tend to be more "Biology Major" only sorts of classes.  Their ire is further fueled by the fact that because of a) the stability of my undergraduate courses AND b) my seniority.... my graduate level courses ALSO are extremely stable because the undergraduate courses lock me in position.  

I like the stability I have with my courses.  But, I do get tired at the annoyance some of my biology colleagues exhibit towards my stable schedule. I sometimes want to be "snarky" to a few of them and say to them in a sarcastic voice, "I am so very sorry my courses are valuable and popular, and yours are apparently not."  However, I have always held my tongue, even though I used to imagine saying it especially to the two folks who had hurt my feelings so... they tend to be especially annoyed about my stable schedule.

* * * * * 

Well, after drifting off course with much of the above.... I am feeling a bit "Topsy-Turvy"  because I am SO used to what I do in timing while teaching the two A&P classes, it felt a bit "off" talking about the subjects in the reverse fashion to what I have been so used to doing.  Fortunately, however, this feeling should not last long.

* * * * * 

• 10 miles this morning (~16 km).  Reasonably fun morning run.  I need new shoes, however, as I have ~1,500 miles (~2,415 km) on this pair.  Most folks suggest a new pair after 500 miles, but I think that would be outlandish.  But, now with ~1,500 miles, I am noticing they are becoming a bit wonky and are less comfortable.  
• PCS = 8.  

I want to finish my Chicago story.  I am hoping to do so in the next day or two.  I am a bit too wiped out today though after all the teaching and research I had to get done today to an adequate job.

• My wife and I both still felt a bit hesitant towards each other yesterday in our discussions because of the "snapping" challenges we had on Sunday.  But... I can say that today feels back to normal in the couple of times I was able to speak with her.  
• Even though I still do not remember hardly any dreams when I wake up.... I have a far better sense of faith in that I am confident I am still HAVING a lot of dreams.  For the past couple of weeks, I have woken up without remembering any dreams, but SENSING dreams that were in my mind just moments before... but are just now outside of my recollection.  
• The one exception is a dream where I DID remember a brief snippet when I awoke from the dream back on Sunday evening into Monday.  In this snippet, I was painting all the walls in our home, new colors from their current state. Not sure why, how, or for what, but I clearly remember the painting part.  
  

This is about all my addled mind can accomplish right now.  I have to go and do some nematode transfers in my lab and also do some match paring with my rodents and some fly cultures.  My title is backwards to indicate that "Topsy-Turvy" feeling... and that I am tired.

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