January 22, 2016

Up at 4:37 (without alarm) because Mags has Quoai Café on Fridays and I wanted to get yogad and showered.  She told me at 6:45 she wasn’t  going because it was raining.

Off to JH, where my new Use of Keys was akin to riding without training wheels for the first time.  I saw the POs and guards watching me like nervous but proud parents, yet I did it all by myself – code, signed key in, close, code, signed key out, close.  And with that, I was able to go pee without having to ask anyone to buzz me out.

A terrific aspect about the things I have done in the past  (in terms of career) is that today I spoke with the woman who is in charge of the education there.  It was wonderful to be able to discuss a wrap-around service for the kids which includes education (follow the child) and mental health services.  Somehow my two worlds collided today.

 

After the hall, I headed to the agency and I got to hold a baby!!  When she’d cry, I swear my boobs hurt, but fortunately the lactation gig has been up for some time so no shirt rings here.  I’m so grateful my kids are the age they are because I am past the age of raising babies, but it is so nice to hold them, once in a while.

Picked up the kids and we headed home.  Mags fell asleep in her room, so Ethan and I hung out, cooked and spun The Doobie Brothers.  Somewhere in there, I started organizing my records when Ethan noticed that the drawing of M  I also have finalized some plans for a Hips weekend (very excited about that). 

arty Robbins looks remarkably like Will Ferrell, so once Mags awoke, we decided to rent Anchorman (which had “El Paso City” in it, btw).

Pictures:  Organizing my records; Today's Wicked Tree

January 6, 2016

Never, never, never leave the dogs out of their crates anymore at night.  It wasn’t too bad, but the whining was a bit much at 5:17.  Was pleased to get a house concert ticket for the Ball-Point Birds at the end of the month in Chico.  That'll be cool.

Meet…meeting…mee…meeting.  Back-to-back-to-back-to-back.  4 meetings (the first and the third were the same one, I only caught parts of it), the second one was regarding juvie, the fourth was at juvenile.  There was no supervisor here, which made it more fun (I was told, as this was my first).

I’m enchanted with the way circles continue to close.  I’ve met the kid now – I worked with the parents before and so much has made itself more obvious.  I am going to make a statement which isn’t necessarily evidence-based, but I will say that kids do not turn out the way they do when they have family support.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it needs to be there.  “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” is true, though there are always outliers.

Ok.  I am not really like this all the time, but:     

 As I left the hall, there are a series of locked doors (obviously) that I had to be let out of by the guards.  There’s a system with the doors: some you wait on, some you push/pull as they buzz you through.  It clearly requires someone being in there.   I signed out, talking to dude guy, and then buzz, buzz, buzz I was out in the rain, loading things in my car.  Then I saw the yellow prog note…which should have been inside in the office.  So I quickly threw things in the car, and ran back to be buzzed in again (buzz, buzz, buzz).  This is my beginning here and I do not want the initial impression to be that I’m a blonde ditz; intelligent professionalism is my goal amongst colleagues and co-worker, but I swear unless I get a pocket sewn into my body where I can keep spare keys, I’ve got my work cut out for me.  Of course you know where I’m going with this – I get to the car and of course I had no keys, they are locked inside, so I grab my cell-phone which I had fortunately put into my back pocket and called my ex-m-i-l.  There was NO WAY IN HELL I was going to walk inside and say “hi, I also just locked my keys in my car.”  It wasn’t raining very hard – it is actually my favorite weather – a soft, warm (43F) drizzle).  I walked up to the library, looked around the books for a bit, headed back to the hall and just walked up and down the street as if I had a purpose.  I didn’t want to wait in front of the hall by my car, they probably had cameras outside.  Soon she pulled up and I got my keys, explaining my foolish mistake before walking to my car.  After about 30 minutes later, I finally opened my car to grab my – nothing.  I soon realized my keys were left inside when I had returned the yellow prog note.  I had to buzz back in, after all – and there they were, given to me by the guards on duty through the bullet proof glass.  Oh, Pride – you are a joy.  Always present. 

 

Quick run to the store to grab some bread, lettuce, fruit, and at home the kids showed me the box John had carefully packed and sent from Wisconsin.  Inside – 5 delicious cheeses and two packages of fresh cranberries.  The kids and I sat down and enjoyed the most divine “snack” we have had with a warm,  toasty fire making for a perfect evening. Thanks, John – you really turned my day around . 

Pictures: Wisconsin cheese from John!; Inuit dude takes a ride;  There's my car, sitting around waiting to be opened; What a day....

November 17, 2015

I guess 4:54 works for me, because this is the second night in a row..second morning in a row I’ve woken up at this ungodly hour, yet I like it.  I’ve had two great days…I feel alive, energetic- on fiyah.  As soon as things are set up, you bet your sweet ass I’m starting up yoga in the early a.m. again.  I tried to a few weeks ago, except the dvd player has been packed up and moved into storage.  Dropped kids off at school – these mornings are incredible – the fun we have.  Ethan laughed and called me “unique.” 

I headed right to work to quickly get some stuff done before I needed to head off to my school site.  I have 76 things to do and zip to zero time in which to do it.  Somehow though, those phone calls are no longer frightening for me.  I no longer stumble over what to say.  I’m still faking it a bit, but boy, oh boy, I feel like I’m making it more.  Off to school and I realized it (the school) was possessed.  Here’s the sitch:  I walked in to the room, into the office to use.  I set down my things and then boom.  Keys were GONE.  I searched everywhere at least three times.  The thing is, I had to have keys to get into the room, so I knew they had to be there – except they weren’t.  I went outside, and then…door locked behind me (of course) so Trish had to give ne another loaner key to get back in.  My client was there, waiting, and smiled when she saw she was needed for a second pair of eyes.  It worked, too…because suddenly, there they were…in my coat which I had already checked three times.  We had a good session – first talking, then I pulled out origami paper and magic sand.  A little different than her usual, but switching things up is a good thing sometimes.

No place to be for a while so I brought the English bone china teacups and saucers as well as Currier & Ives calendars to an antique store.  It sure is fun discussing this stuff and then telling them you just donated crystal European wine and cognac decanters.  Next, shoe place to pick up my boots (where I wrote in the item line “I got sole, baby!” because I now had two new soles on my boots).  Then..I saw I’d grabbed the bus keys instead of the Mazda keys and so…I went in to let them know I was going to run home to get my spare key.  “We could give you a ride” they said, but no, no…life is an adventure and had I not walked home I wouldn’t have seen Stefanie from the B&B that I worked the Sand Fire with, nor would I have seen the doe standing high on the hill, looking down at me and watching my every move.  Had they given me a ride, I wouldn’t have quickly checked Ethan’s texts to make sure all was kosher and seen his kissy faces and hearts to a young lady I have known he has a crush on, but he won’t tell me.  She responded with kissy faces and hearts, too.   I love that so.very.much.  I got to run half a mile back to the show place and donate items to hospice, still make it on time for supervision.

I’ve been in plenty of communication with Marco – my handsome AirBnB host, enjoying the German communique.  My godmother also wrote me – my heart breaks for her as she must endure chemo.  I’ll find out more about her cancer diagnosis when I get there, but she will be so weak.   She let me know how the cold weather, rain and snow is arriving with us and this is information I already knew, but we will be in Zürich, my city. The weather matters not.  After supervision (not really sure why I just threw that in that time slot, but I received emails from both throughout the day, so there ya have it), I got back on the phone. This is not necessarily “productive” work, but it is necessary work.    I spoke with many parents, many referrals and feel like a little something was accomplished…but after a time period, I had to go get my kids.  The day was just too busy to be able to pick them up later.  Point Two about Zürich – excellent public transportation: tram, bus, train, ferry – you can get there.  I wouldn’t have to stop work to go get them, they could hop on a tram as I did and get home themselves.  

Dropped kids off at home, grabbed keys, wallet, and headed off quickly to my 4:00.  Again, origami and magic sand after talking a bit.  I feel I am creating good therapeutic relationships with these kids, that they feel comfortable with me.  Still – looking forward to the kids in juvenile hall.  Then…Parent Project group with my Jen.  This one is a human I met when our older kids were tiny young ones.  We met in a park and spoke as we had been friends forever.  8 years later, here we are working together and I love that.  Jen is a magical human – filled with light.  I’m serious: she radiates happiness.  I gave her the task of finding me my guy  - someone who is decent and good and in it for a committed partnership – not just a fling.  I kind of wonder how awesome this dude is if it is taking this long to find him(CH – I know).  Jen is the one, who, after we have both had 12 hour work days, she waits in the parking lot to make sure my car is running and I’m moving before she goes anywhere. I love that.  When I got home, I saw the kids had done an amazing job in packing up  - Maggie cleaned out the whole bathroom and Ethan cleaned and emptied his room.  These kids impress me to no end. 

Pictures:  5 years and school makes a difference. My inspiration pic of me to get me back to rock-climbing yoga days; There was a beautiful sunset tonight;  Just making sure my daughter knew I was at work tonight.