At the time, we had another dog, Sammy.  He was two when we got him the year before.  He and Mocha got along so great that we knew we could keep her.  She and I connected immediately.  We let her sleep on our bed, and she would snuggle above my head at night.  We were terrible at training, and she constantly peed in the house; eventually, though, we were able to teach her to go outside.  But, even to the end, if we left her at home alone, she would pee or defecate in the basement to tell us she was angry.  When I would leave her at home with everyone else, then upon my return she would promptly tell me she was upset I went without her.  She would make a series of growling remarks at me, and I knew I was in trouble.  Yet, we were on the couch together a minute later, hanging out.

Her hair was soft and flowed like silk, and her eyes were welcoming and full of appreciation.  We did almost everything together.  We spent virtually every waking moment together.  She was there when I woke up and went to bed at night.  We would cuddle on the couch and in bed.  I wrapped my arms around her as often as possible.  I loved her so passionately, and I know she loved me.

She and I trained for four half marathons together, and before her back started to go out, my wife would walk with her in the mornings.  She was so loyal and obedient that we rarely needed a leash.  She would just follow along, at her own pace sometimes.  We could have her off-leash when we went camping, and she would stay close to us; she didn’t like adventuring unless I was going.  Sometimes she would go with my wife, but she usually stayed close, or she would race from one of us to the other, just because she needed us to be close.  She had terrible separation anxiety, which we never learned to fix.  I always told myself I’d help her get over it, and in the last few weeks, I was trying to help her enjoy her kennel again by putting treats in there.  She’d go in and grab them, then bolt out as fast as she could because she knew what could happen if she stayed.

She got to see the birth of our children, move into a new house, go camping in many places, lots of road trips, and was loved so much.  Through it all, she was a loyal dog that just wanted to be pet and loved.  It makes one a little jealous sometimes to have such an easy life where someone feeds, cares for you, helps you get exercise, and makes sure you’re healthy.

But this last semester felt like it had been in retrograde since it started.  In January, my wife and son contracted COVID.  Our youngest daughter was not fully vaccinated and needed to stay home from school until there was no longer a concern about exposure.  The entire month of January had us working together on her homework assignments.  She finally went back to school in February, and I was able to get some schoolwork done.  The months started to get busier with sports, Scouting, and personal appointments.

From there, the schoolwork started to slide.  Mocha, my best friend, injured her back and needed daily care.  The care didn’t take long, and she began to feel better for a little while.  Then in April, it got worse.  She had it x-rayed, and we found out it was mostly tissue, but then we got the news that she had developed cancer.  We all talked about our options, how we proceed, what we should do, how much time she had, and can we cure it? With some pain treatment, we were able to get her mostly back to normal.  But that was the limit of treatment, and surgery was not an option this time.  She was palliative.  We were devastated.  We all cried, held each other, and talked about our next steps.  We vowed that her last day would be the greatest day ever! We would pull the kids out from school, get some hamburgers, and steak, and keep each other company until it was time.

Then at 3:31 pm on April 28, 2022, she took her last breath.

Grief is a potent emotion.  I am having a difficult time processing it.  Almost everything I touch or see reminds me of her.  Everywhere I go in my house reminds me of our time together.  I am fortunate to have had 15 great years with her.  We spent every day we could at home together, and when we could, we went out together.  We would walk or drive to the school to pick up the kids.  And if I went out alone, she was beyond excited to see me when I got home.  She would often voice her displeasure that I didn’t take her with me or tell me how glad she was that I got home safely.  We spent so much time together that it was difficult for me to remember a time when she wasn’t there.

When it was time for her to pass, I felt this wave of sadness, anxiety, depression, and loneliness.  She was surrounded by everyone in our family who loved her.  We cried.  I might have cried the hardest.  We grieved together and told her how much we loved her.  We cried, touched her, said our goodbyes, and reminded her how much we love her.  In the end, we’re sure she loved us too.

Then we just left her.

We got in the car and drove away.

We left my best friend’s body behind.

As much as I am uncertain about a higher power, or a deity that looks over us, I hope that if she has a soul and spirit, that it went somewhere peaceful.  I have struggled with the idea of a God, one almighty force in the universe that controls and creates everything.  But, on the other hand, something brought us together.  A power beyond explanation set our paths to link.  From the moment I met her, I knew it was true love.  I knew because I’d already experienced it before, and I would experience it multiple times until now, yet I’m sure I’ll experience it more until my time is done.  If there isn’t a higher power, a God, a destiny, or some grand plan, then I’m not sure how to explain our friendship.  It is a force that I cannot explain in words.

My house feels empty, even though my family is home.  A piece of my soul is missing.  My heart is aching, and my mind cannot focus on the tasks I need to accomplish.

I have a massive hole in my life, and it’s one I’m not sure how to fill yet.  While everyone here can sleep, for the first few days, I found it difficult.  I feel lost and alone though family and friends surround me.  I sure didn’t think that day would end like it did, and how I would get up and experience not having her in the bed with me.

I’m supposed to move forward, but I feel stuck.  Part of me wanted alcohol to take away the pain, and the other wanted to feel numb.  Yet, another part felt guilty for wanting to push her through and just give her meds for a while longer.  I told my wife that it would never be a good time to let her go, and I couldn’t watch her suffer.  I wanted to put her down because I thought it was the best thing for her.  We talked to our kids about what was best for Mocha, and then we talked about what was best for us.  As the vet injected the liquids, Mocha was at peace with her family.

We all got to pet her, hug her, and say goodbye.  But what makes this difficult is knowing that we can’t have another pet like her.  She was there the day our children came home from the hospital.  She smelled them, protected them, and helped raise them.  She helped teach our kids what it was to be a good pup and how to behave in the pack.  She loved us all, and as they got older, she found that they were helpful and could help her get what she wanted.

If we left the kids home as they got older, we would tell them that she would be sad, and they will have to help her see that she’s not alone.  As long as someone was home, she was happy because she knew she wasn’t being left by herself.  It wasn’t as much of a concern when Sammy was still around, but she became the princess of the house after Sammy passed.  She knew we were wrapped around her paws.  In the last few months, we started to give her more treats.  I would feed her meat from the cutting board, get her a cup of whipped cream from Starbucks or a plain cheeseburger, and share my fries from McD’s.  I knew it was getting close to the end.  We’d been talking about it for a couple of years.  I wasn’t ready yet, my wife wasn’t ready yet, and I didn’t know if our kids would ever be prepared.  There was never going to be a good time.  We just had to rip the bandage off and hope for the best… It turns out the best is still a struggle—more for some than others.

I lost my best friend.  She was 15, and we loved her more than anything ever! I would joke with my kids that she was the favourite child.  I would also tell them that I love them all more than the world.  If this is what it’s like to lose your best friend, I hope that I am fortunate enough never to experience the loss of a child.  I know that I might have to lose my other best friend, my wife, one day.  And I will be just as devastated because the love I feel for her is my whole heart.  I can’t give any more love than that.  I’ve given more than I ever thought I would be capable of giving, and I always will.

I love you, Mocha, wherever you are.

I love you, Sammy, wherever you are.

I miss them dearly, and I know I’ll be able to move forward, but for now, I’m grieving—a lot.

“What’s for dinner?”

“Leftovers.”

“Gross!  No WAY!”

And that’s when the fight starts.  I can relate to that feeling of despair when you look in the fridge and realize you forgot to get groceries for the meal you had planned because either a) you were working all day, or b) you were studying all day, or c) you were just busy—the dog wanted in and out five times an hour, the phone kept ringing, another email from that important contact kept coming in.  I know the frustration.

As much as we try to plan for the week’s meals in our house, eventually, the day comes where we just need supper.  And neither of us has the energy to grab our masks, reusable grocery bags, hop in the car, and drive to get the groceries we need.

Enter the leftovers.  That almost vulgar phrase that we cringe at.  The thought of reheating that meal from four days ago, and then remembering the fight you had with the little one who decided s/he didn’t like potatoes anymore, even though it was her idea to make them!  Okay, things might have gotten a little personal there.

The vulgarity of the word leftovers reminds me of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the scene with the Knights who say “Ni”.  Any time someone says “it” they cringe and cover their ears.  Like hearing your mom use the f-word for the first time, and you always thought she just didn’t know of its existence.

But what if I told you it is possible to still use your leftovers but transform them into something new!  If you question my sanity, you’re probably right to do so, however, this crazy idea works, and restaurants do it all the time.  The trick is to figure out what you can make with them.

So let’s talk about a few dishes that you can make from leftovers.  Let’s say you have chicken with peas, carrots, and mashed potatoes from the night before.  Have you tried chicken pot pie, or, for a twist, shepherd’s pie but with the leftover chicken?  You could also turn those mashed potatoes into Gnocchi or potato dumplings for chicken vegetable soup.  Turkey or chicken, both can be substituted almost equally.

How about that pulled pork you made a few nights ago.  You’re getting down to the last third, and everyone is tired of eating pulled pork on a bun with coleslaw.  Instead, try homemade pulled pork mac ‘n’ cheese, pulled pork tacos, or pulled pork poutine!

Let’s say you already made tacos with ground beef (or turkey, or pork, or whatever you might have used).  You could make taco soup, taco salad, a tex-mex sloppy joe, or save it for Friday pizza night and make a taco pizza!  One cup of ground meat is perfect, then you can add tomatoes, cheddar, salsa, and sour cream once it’s done.

Last, when in doubt, make soup or nachos!  Leftover pulled pork or ground beef both make for great nachos, but so does chicken or turkey.  And soup is a great alternative; you can freeze it for the winter months when you need a quick warm-up or for the late summer camping trip.

When you change the leftovers into something else, it’s more exciting, and the word doesn’t have the same connotation that we’ve all come to think of.  Leftovers aren’t bad, just misunderstood.  So next time, do a quick google search for leftover ideas, and you’ll be whipping up a culinary delight faster than your 3-year-old can tell you they don’t want it.

That leftover pulled pork mac ‘n’ cheese sounds good right now.  Here’s how you can make it.

Leftover pulled pork mac ‘n’ Cheese

Ingredients:

1 box of elbow macaroni
3 cups milk
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
1 tsp yellow mustard powder
3 cups cheddar – shredded
2 cups leftover pulled pork and sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the macaroni to al dente, then strain it and put it back into the pot off the heat.
2. Meanwhile, place a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the butter.
3. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and stir for 2-3 minutes. This is called a blond roux; it has the most thickening power of all the roux.
4. After the roux has just started to brown slightly, or after 2-3 minutes, add the milk and stir with a whisk to break up all the clumps. The sauce should start to thicken.
5. Add the mustard powder and continue to stir.
6. Add the cheese one cup at a time and allow it to melt.
7. Once the cheese is melted, add the pulled pork.
8. Cook until the pork is warmed. Taste it and add more salt and/or pepper as needed.
9. Combine the sauce into the macaroni and mix together.
10. Enjoy!

If you want to cheat a little because you just don’t have time to make your own mac ‘n’ cheese, I have used the store-bought product and combined these, and it’s still delicious!  Watch your salt though, you may not need to add more at the end.  Just make sure you salt your pasta—that’s a rule.  I’ve heard stories of Italian Nona’s crying themselves to sleep because someone didn’t salt the pasta before it boiled.

So, what is it?  Well, according to the AUFA’s website, anyone whose job function is related to academia is a member of the AUFA.  Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, Deans, Associate Deans, Professionals, and Academic Coordinators are all included in the AUFA. But the policy may be changing.  The new policy will see only Professors, Associate Professors and Assistant Professors as members of Academics.  Thus, anyone not in those job roles will not have representation by a union or associate, and the Faculty associate would lose more than half its members.

I reached out to Dr.  Fassina and received a response from Charlene Polege, Chief Human Resources Officer.  In the response, Charlene clarified that the University is not de-designating the AUFA members (of which the professors and much other staff are part of).  She went on to state, “The University is undertaking a review of its policy surrounding the designation of academic staff.  The University’s policy on has not undergone significant reviews or revisions for some time, even though the University has undergone substantial changes in that time and despite changes to the legislative framework within which the University operates.”

Charlene further stated that the Alberta Government had passed Bill 7: An Act to Enhance Post-secondary Academic Bargaining in 2017.  The bill updates the meaning of designation, the idea being that all public post-secondary institutions were following the same Provincial Framework.  Ms. Polege also went on to state that the University had not reassessed the Designation of Academic policy in a long time and that the union partners we involved in the consultation process.

I also contacted Dave Powell, President of the Faculty Associate, to get his take on the matter.  He sent me a summary as well as a few links (see the references).  According to Dave, “AUFA is the union of AU academics and professionals.  There are a little over 400 of us.  AU is advancing a policy that would reduce the AUFA bargaining unit to less than 40% of its current size, leaving hundreds of members without a union.  They have refused to explain why they are doing this or admit to any intent.  If passed, this policy will have a catastrophic effect on hundreds of AU staff and severely worsen morale, labour conditions, and the quality of service provided to students.  Our working conditions are your learning conditions.”

According to the AUFA website, the Faculty Association was created in 1983 because AU was, and is, a unique institution.  The original policy was to be inclusive of anyone who was related to academics.  The Deans, Professionals, Professors, etc.  were all bundled into this association and have had a nearly 40-year history, at least until Sept 11, when they will all learn their fate.  If the University’s Board of Governors approves the proposed changes to the current policy, which is to be in line with Bill 7 from the UCP Government, the AUFA says the Faculty Association will have less bargaining power, not more, as the Government and the University is proposing.

In my exchange with Ms. Polege, I had asked how they respond to accusations that the University is attempting to union bust.  Her response was, “with respect to your question regarding union-busting, the allegations are quite simply false.  The University continues to honour its legislative obligations through the consultation and review process, and I can confirm that no decisions or changes have been made with respect to the designation of any employees at AU.  The policy and related procedure are still in draft form and have not yet been presented to the Board of Governors for consideration, review, approval or rejection.”  Yet, Mr. Powell responded with, “We have completed consultations, which AUFA maintains were shallow and insufficient.  An updated version of the policy  was sent to us.  Some ground has moved, but it still would remove most of our members on the face of it.  The additional criteria they have added may or may not be used and have no real weight to them.”

If you’re currently a faculty member, Sept 11 will be even more significant than it already is.  We hope that both sides can come to an equitable agreement where everyone gets what they want.  After all, our University has classes like ORGB 364 – Organizational Behaviour.  In ORGB 364’s textbook there is a section titled Interpersonal Conflict Handling Styles.  Problem-solving is the first style listed and is defined as finding a way to benefit both parties and is also known as win-win.  Perhaps a quick read of this might help.

References
McShane, S.  L., Tasa, K., & Steen, S.  L.  (2018).  Canadian Organizational Behaviour.  Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
Bill 7: An Act to Enhance Post-secondary Academic Bargaining.
https://aufa.ca/we-choose-aufa