I Love Holiday Fridays!

So, its almost Memorial Day Weekend. Many of us have started the prep already - digging out the sun tan lotion and the beach towels, getting out the bathing suits and then promptly putting them back in the bottom drawer for when you lost that 10 pounds that found you over the winter.

Right...no problem. Some are cutting out a little early, some have totally taken the day off and started the Official Beginning of Summer on this Friday before Memorial Day. But for those of us who are seeing the day through (like myself and my blog-colleague Jennifer) life in the office is hillarious.

I started my morning preparing for my 4-family tour of campus... apparently other families started their Pre-Memorial Day Festivities early with a trip to SCC... getting my thoughts together, pulling information that these families might need...and all of a sudden I hear the girls out front (oops, sorry Mike-you're just one of us) wondering where the word 'rigimorole' came from...is it a derivative of 'rigor mortis'? Then hillarious laughing and cackling - Yes, I LOVE Holiday Fridays!

Is it the anticipation of a 3-day weekend? Is it that Jen had prepared and stuffed just one too many diplomas? Is it the sugar high from sampling all the bagels, creme cheese, donuts, stollens, muffins and brownies that each department in Admin brought in and, of course, we all had one excuse or another to go visit? Holiday Fridays are the best! Now, Tuesday Day-After Holiday Mondays...that's a day when 'rigor mortis' sets in!

A NEW 'LEASH' ON LIFE!

Compared to the horrendous devastation that occurred in the south, the tornado that hit Girard, Illinois seems rather small but the differences in severity does not diminish the emotional ware it takes on a family or community.

And What Keeps us Plugging Along When Tragedy Hits?

For some of us, it may be actually experiencing miracles of survival, hearing stories of bravery or reading about the tremendous generosity of strangers. When we hear about others who have persevered in similar circumstances, we feel encouraged or maybe the cockles of our hearts become a tad warmer and some of us are inspired into action.

One Such ‘TAIL’ is about a Dog, a Tornado, and Survival:

On April 19 I heard about the tornado that hit Girard. I thought of Andrea and Chet. I saw the tornado damage on TV and called Andrea the following morning. I was literally saying to myself, ‘Please answer, please answer.' And Andrea did – she said, ‘Hi, Jen.’


While listening to the horrible experience described by Andrea and trying to visualize the wreckage on their 10 acres of land, I could not help but feel for them.

Andrea said that she and Chet were very grateful to be alive but very overwhelmed.

Some of the comments Andrea made that stick in my mind are: ‘I don't even know where to begin…everything is such a mess...’ But the comment that she said with the most emotion and struck home (no pun intended) with me was that 'Patch was still missing'... the kennels, where Patch may have been were demolished... she had been calling for him and had walked around but could not find him. 

Andrea called the vet and left her number in case someone would happen to see Patch.

Patch is one of the several dogs Andrea and Chet have. They were able to get three of the dogs in the basement before having to take shelter. Unfortunately, Patch was not among them.


The following day she and her neighbor walked about 8 miles around the fields looking and calling for Patch. After trudging that many miles and hours with no sign of Patch, Andrea began to lose hope. She was tired and upset.

She told her neighbor she was giving up. Andrea started to walk up her driveway and her cell phone rang.

Patch was found around 4 miles away (no one knows if he was blown that far or wandered) but he was one lucky dog. This amazing dog is 14 years old and literally lived through an EF 3 tornado.

I had the honor of meeting Patch last Friday and I asked him what happened.

Patch told me, he was outside sniffing around and he knew something was not right. His floppy ears plugged up as he sensed something was in the air. All of a sudden there was a loud noise (a cacophony of splitting tree trunks, metal clashing, glass smashing and howling wind). The wind was incredibly strong. Patch said the wind speed was between 136–165 mph and he felt every bit of it.


He said his dog house was blown to smithereens.He also saw some funny looking birds - they had no feathers, flying shingles, shards of glass, siding, and lots of unidentifiable flying debris. He saw his porch swing fly up like paper and lodge itself into the top of a tree. A rusty piece of metal (about the size of a license plate) whizzed by his head and pierced a tree like a thumb tack.


Patch eventually landed on all four paws. After that whirlwind ride, Patch rested for a while in a nearby field. Eventually, a man found him and took him to the vet. While there, Patch was checked by the doctor and given the okay to go home. A very generous stranger paid Patch’s vet bill - she had set up a fund in honor of her dog.

Patch was found about four miles from home. Upon returning home, he noticed that about 100 of the trees that landscaped his property were no longer. Nothing looked like home; he felt bruised, stiff and scared.



As Patch was sitting in the field, he spotted his mom running towards him. (Andrea said she felt like she was in one of those bad romantic movies except she was not running on a beach.)

Patch's heart beat excitedly. But he could hardly move due to recent adventures and he still felt a little sore and traumatized. But Patch said he immediately felt safe when he saw his mom.

For the second time in his life (Patch was rescued by Chet and Andrea from a shelter), Patch felt like the luckiest dog in the world - to be home with his parents and his fellow pack members!

Andrea said to me that before finding Patch she & Chet were heartbroken. Now that Patch is home safe and sound nothing else matters... 'Well, maybe that pear tree, or maybe my shed!'

(Me getting my boots on to help clean up - not many people know that I ruffly understand dog speak.)

make mom happy - Get A Job!

Can you sell? Do you like to manage people(other than your children, your sister or your brother)? Is Hospitality and Entertainment EXACTLY what you've been looking for? Well, SCC not only provides knowledge and wisdom BUT an opportunity to get a job! We are holding our 18th Annual Job Fair in conjuction with the Missouri Career Center and the Missouri Division of Vocational Rehabilitation on Friday, May 6th from 9:00-1:00 in the College Center Gym and it is FREE! WOW - it doesn't get much better than that.

Are you extremely knowledgeable about conveyer belts? Can you design and make yard signs and banners? How about children - have you watched every episode of The Nanny and now you want to be one? There's just a mecca of opportunities. Even Apprenticeships for students not quite graduated - might even give you a step-up if you want to meet Donald Trump. Bank tellers, Internet Marketers, Security Officers, RN's, LPN's...want to know more? Cut and paste this URL to find the entire list: www.stchas.edu/academics/student-resources/career-services/job-fair/index.html

I hope I have whet your appetite. Have your resume ready, brush your teeth, cut the tags off your new dress or suit coat and your professionalism will set you apart from the crowd. You can get mom off your back because you can say...I Got A Job!