The Twenty Seven Days Are Up and PhD?Sparty Has Departed

On Thursday June 12th we said our goodbye's.  Actually I didn't say goodbye.  I handed her a Post It note with my email address on it and asked that she email me her wedding pictures.  I also said when you return to Indianapolis to visit your Dad contact me and maybe we can get together for lunch or dinner at Shoefly.  I then said I'd order the meatless meatloaf.  God, I can't believe I said that.

For the better part of the two years that I've sat in the back of the room she at some point would enter the room.  As a Behavioral Therapist she was there to observe the scholars and when necessary correct inappropriate behavior.  On Wednesday's she was there to hold group sessions with the scholars with the purpose of improving their social skills and to get them to work together as a team.  BaseG and I really liked group Wednesday.  It started at 2:00pm and lasted until 3:00pm and we both new that once PhD?Sparty started group our day was over.  

Ok, here comes the hard part.  How do I explain what was going in the back of the room on those days when she was in the room and was either standing or seated next to me.  Some how it went from her observing scholar activity to the two of us having a conversation.  Technically not a conversation but multiple conversations on a wide range of subjects.  I think what I'll do is share with you some of  conversations that took place over the past two school years.  Maybe after reading them you'll see how special she was to me.

1. This is the oldest recollection.  I can't recall the specifics but I know how it ended.  It believe it was during group and two of the scholars got very animated and may have been close to starting a fight.  I saw what was happening and was moving towards the two scholars but didn't quite get there in time. She had gotten in between them to try and deescalate the situation.  She had one of the scholars and I had the other.  I moved mine away from the incident and when I  turned around she had ended up on the floor trying to control the scholar.  When I looked back she asked me to help with this scholar because she was wearing a dress. After assisting and she was upright she said I have to remember not to wear a dress during group.  Take note not wearing a dress on Wednesday's is a key comment as you will see later.
2. The sports rivalry.  She is green and I'm BLUE.  I guess I better give a hint, it's a state of Michigan thing.  I used the white board at the front of the room to do my boasting.  If BLUE won I posted the score in really big letters on the white board.  She chose to be very brutal and placed a stuffed university mascot of a man wearing a skirt on my desk following a green victory in football.  That was actually quite funny especially for the scholars as they figured out the rivalry.   
3. The gentleman caller.  He kind of slowly entered into our conversations.  I didn't think much about it at first because it was none of my business.  After he entered into our conversations a couple more times I thought to myself she has a serious gentleman caller.  I know his real name but gentleman caller just sounds so much better.  I actually go to meet him and he is a real nice man with one exception, he was wearing green and white.
4. Introducing to the scholars and to me her intern, IvyL.  That was a great addition to the team and opened the door for a whole lot of different conversations.  
5. Dad.  Her's not mine.  He came up a lot in our conversations and the more he came up the more it liked him.  He golfs and so do I.  He knows about Tigers, Lions, Red Wings and Pistons and so do I. He knows Detroit which I suspect a lot of you cringed when you read the word but he knows the old Detroit and so do I.  Best  of all  he found on YouTube an old Faygo Red Pop commercial and sent it to his daughter who then played it on her iPhone in the back of the room.  Oh, the memories that brought back.
6. The engagement ring. Very nice, very exciting.
7. The family talent competition in Georgia where the gentleman caller and his family.  I'm not participating.  Yah! Right!
8. Planning the wedding.  This one we talked about a lot and it was fun.  There were times I felt like a wedding planner.
9. Working out and crossfit competitions.  A gym regular.  Just before departing she showed me on her iPhone a short video of her doing squats with 145 pounds of free weights resting on her shoulders.
10. She ran the 100m and 300m hurdles in high school.
11. Meatless meatloaf.  Yes, such a thing exists and it is right here in Indianapolis on 22nd Street between Pennsylvania and Talbot.  I've been there a number of times.  If you are in Indianapolis you need to go.  It's called Shoefly.
12. The one time she opened up a little about her work with other scholars in the school.  With just BaseG and me in the room she said that there was one scholar that she could never get to open up and talk. You could tell by the look on her face that this really bothered her.
13. The push up competition.  It was supposed to take place in the classroom in front of the scholars.  Just the two of us for major bragging rights.  Sadly on the day of the competition (a Wednesday) she showed up in a dress.  Sorry, no excuses.  I win by default. 
14. I have three more and I'm changing the order because the last two are particularly important to me.  I once told her when I knew she was leaving to be careful what you say when you are around me as I might right it down and use it in the blog.  Here is the last note I made.  "It sounded like a wet one".  I'll let you us your imagination to determine what she was talking about.
15. Probably my favorite PhD?Sparty comment. "I have a conference with a scholar but I'm waiting for him to find me".  That still makes me laugh.
16. This is the last one and it is special because it saved me when I was at my lowest point in the two years I spent in the classroom.  It is one I'll never forget.  "It's not stupid.  It's a human error".

On Thursday June 12th my school lost the services of a very special person.  The last time she left the classroom she was carrying a large plastic tub as there was packing to do.  BaseG and I were sitting alone in the room when he said the following.  There goes a a young woman with composure well beyond her young age.  That was a perfect ending to our time with PhD?Sparty.

One last comment.  On Thursday June 12th a very special friend walked out of the classroom for the last time.  I'm really going to miss her.