No news, good news? I somehow doubt that.

Still no contact from "Sam." I am concerned, but not sure how to proceed. Tomorrow, I will telephone the school to see if she is there... if she is... I may try to get down there before she leaves. I'll have to be very careful to not turn it into a confrontation (or to something that she perceives as a confrontation). I don't want her to begin to feel that I am somehow policing her - that is neither my desire nor my role.

Ironically - the situation at work grows better each day. My colleague has begun to express how much he values my contributions... I've noticed that he has begun to do this for others on the team too. I think this is a profound evolution in the way he communicates with us - as his natural inclination is to play the "clown" and crack jokes. He still lightens the mood whenever possible - but he has also become more and more apt to let people know when they are doing a good job and when he sees value in what they do. I think this shows that he is beginning to see the real value in what he does as well (and that gives him the confidence to articulate the value he recognizes in others).