Thanks Amy and David. Going through the red belt training is not part of the normal progression, it is in addition to the regular belt material. Being a red belt means he is an apprentice instructor. In addition to learning how to teach, he is also learning about the business side of the dojo. He hadn't passed the test that was given at the end of the summer training. He retook the test in the fall, but that happened at the same time as the pencil stabbing incident which threw a monkey wrench into the whole thing. Not going to go into that cause it was a mess.

Anyway, the Sensei a couple of levels up from our head Sensei gave the approval for his red belt to be awarded tonight. It was a very nice surprise.

Jilli - I am so sorry for your loss. I can't seem to find any other words.

Awww, that's a very cool vote of confidence from the sensei, Suzi. Well done, CJ.

Oh, Steph, I'm sorry. But despite your guilt, you did right: you knew when it was time, and you took action to prevent her being in any more pain.

What Consuela said.

With two of our cats( Bertram and Percy) it was 'easy' as it would have been torture not to let them go. For AndyCat it was horrible. It wasn't that he was fighting to stay alive, he just adjusted to the changes. But even with that , it was time when I took him in. and it hurts to even think about it. You did right, but I am sorry for your pain, Steph.

and lots of love, jilli I hope you can feel the blanket of love everyone is sending you

Well, darn. I wonder if the Comcast NBC merger has anything to do with KO's departure? While I became much more of a Rachel fangirl than a dedicated Keith girl, I'm still sad to see Uncle Keith leaving evening news. I wonder where he'll end up?

Hec and quester, it does unfortunately pay like crap, but jobs tend to be at univerities so at least there are decent benefits and good job security. I'd say first find someone local to do an informational interview and see what the job landscape is in your place. Library school is a 2-year degree; archives is often a certificate done as part of a library degree or as part of, say, a history Master's. Look at the websites for the American Library Association or the Society of American Archivists for a list of programs and more info.

Congratulations, CJ!

Wah wah wah. Now I have the full cold of last weekend's sick baby. And the cough does hurt! Poor noodle. I mean, poor me! I have had more colds this year, and I don't appreciate it at all.

In better news, congrats to CJ! That sounds like quite an honor.