Umm, not feeling so good... :(
Good morning … this is me here at kitty central. Our kitties are driving me bonkers this morning. They are making strong cases against this no wet food phenomena. We’re all a little testy. Trying to shake it off … I’m going to grab the coffee that should be made by now and we’ll start getting into things. Couple of sips …. Easy does it.
Not sure what to do next … want to get more sleep, but it’s almost 6 am and I should be up getting things ready. Tummy hurts … umm those things are ok, just its queasy. Ahh, I know … I had a margarita last night wonder if that’s affecting us. Ok, let’s take 5 more minutes … its before 6 am. Thinking here …
There we did something good … did the kitty litter Missy is meowing at me I’m not sure if that’s good or bad, but for extra measure we used the Febreeze. My chair sits close enough to the kitty closet that I know what I gotta do … just that gets resisted like everything else. I’m thinking though maybe I’ll have some oatmeal and maybe that’ll settle my tummy. Wait a minute or two … presto breakfast … maybe all those days of sugar are weighing on me now. I know I’m pretty resistant to going down those stairs.
Ok it’s up. Feels good so far … now let it sit see if that works. Maybe I could go back to bed some? Would that be giving in? Could sleep until about 8 am that be enough? 1 ½? Could I do everything I have to in two hours? I don’t think my middle son is coming. I’ve left him a few phone messages, but he hasn’t returned them. Maybe he is being guy like though … sometimes they just don’t.
I don’t have to do laundry before they come. I do have to take a shower, dress, go to the bank pick up a few things, and I would like to vacuum because my youngest granddaughter still crawls. Well, that and you just should. I’m worried about this drained part. I think I’m going to lay down. First thing has to come first.
Hmm, this is where we were before it got worse … Now it’s the next morning. We got pretty sick quite a few times and saving you all the gore … fortunately as things work out they usually do. My son called not knowing that we were having tummy problems and suggested that we switch the event to his place because of problems moving the girls around. He noted that it would also be better for his youngest brother. Neither of us could get a hold of the middle brother, but plans and times were changed up. It allowed me to get some medicine in slowly and for us to take a nap without worrying about getting the house in order for company. It was a blessing.
We are still trying not to go on and on about our family, because they’ve asked that we not, but I think I can say we had a very, very wonderful time together. I love them like the dickens! And, Granddaughters? There’s no better flavor ice cream ever! Ok … I won’t go on with my gushing, but let it be known if given the opportunity I would write everything I am remembering and it might take the rest of the day hehehe. BUT, we can be respectful. WITH effort!
There’s not too much too talk about without that part. I did so much enjoy the talking/listening AND visiting my granddaughter’s room … ACK we’re talking about it aren’t’ we … ok you stooooooop… You can do this.
Other than being sick … we did ok at my son’s, but now this morning we are paying for perhaps the fallout of the other and the family’s choice of Mexican. ARGH! But, the last part of the day was in IMing or writing with our sweetie. Dr. M. let us know the poor choices with the food was our self-destructive urges in handling anger. That had all happened before we were moved til this evening with our sweetie and then moved again til maybe tomorrow. Seems his daughter got snowed out of her desert town. Go figure. She’ll be staying over at least one more night, so we know we have to wait patiently, but it is still hard. There is frustration about hurting ourselves with food that is getting involved here. We feel angry at ourselves for not being able to control it. Parts of us thinking we don’t deserve to be in a relationship, because we can’t even take care of ourselves. Our friend usually tries reminds us that we can punish him … not exactly, but sort of like that. But, we both know I don’t want him to feel hurt. This time we remembered Dr. M. and thought we need to talk about this more like bigger people. So, after long hesitation, we finally steeled our nerves and told him what had happened. He was pretty understanding and did the stuff that is probably good for us. He let us know that he’d give us a nice couple hugs when we saw him and he reminded us to take a shower and get our medicine, and maybe lie down some. He’s a pretty good friend … and it makes me cry to think we’re not holding up our side of being ok. I know that if he could be here, he would, just don’t know how that translates in our mind to say we’re not worthy of our own exceptional good care. We’re trying though.
Hmm. Just been petting Ms. Missy for a while. Sort of looking at the pictures from Friday. Kind of letting our mind wander. By now it’s about 10 am and we’re thinking we’re going to need eating something. Since we continue back and forth to the washroom you might understand why that leaves us feeling vulnerable. We don’t think we can handle much so we’re going to try handling a tomato pasta side dish … just a small one. It’s been a long time since we used the stove, but we remembered to set the timer, so should be ok. We can do this, right? Missy is going to jump cuz she laid down on the timer. Hmm. That wasn’t a good idea. Feeling light headed … food will help? We figured not the jalepeno side dish though. Ok … says 12 minutes but we’ll check it in 7. I guess it didn’t take 6 minutes to boil on 8 … I just forget these things. Hmm, Missy is down now Chief is up … how’d that happen?
The days is kinda neat out there if it weren’t that we were in the Midwest and it’s almost January. Nice balmy rain kinda day. It’s the kind of day that not even the lights and open curtains in the living room let in enough light. Although that is relative.
We’ve been thinking on and off again about some dreams we were having between washroom trips this morning. Most of it involved being at the center. Not all the feelings and patterns were good though. Like I think being caught in the hallway naked is a not so good thing. Sister was there trying to tell us basically get a grip on it. There was one portion of the dream where we were trying to clean up one of the rooms, another where we were trying to catch the attention of a co-worker, and then a couple other parts where we were trying to integrate lessons for old clients and new clients. The new clients had come in with aides who were very disruptive. Lead in total to a whole mess of feelings, but the one most pronounced was the feeling of being behind the eight ball. We were having a hard time keeping up with the changes.
Maybe this is the feeling of having lost most sense of order over the last couple of days. We don’t know what to do with ourselves. Silly tummy problems - I think if we’re not feeling better after something to eat, we’re going to try lying down again.
Ok, so far so good. Hmm, kittie retucks himself. Still feeling lightheaded though. I hate to spend a perfectly good day laying down, but maybe that will let me feel better? Having a pretty hard time concentrating. Let’s see if we can do it just for a little bit, k? It’ll get better, it’ll get better.
Pretty much ... a bunch of updated pictures. It's coming along, right?
Good morning. This is us. We’re waiting on the maintenance guy and a OneNote upgrade thing that is taking a long. I’m not sure if its stuck. It’s spending a long time at one part … I think its copying over all those movies, but I’m not sure. We’ll let it run 20 minutes see if it advances. The top shorter bar seems to be moving along fairly steadily. I think its doing something, just gotta move it beyond 6 bars on the bottom. We’re trying. We’re hoping that it converts over all the 03 stuff to 07 so that we can use it. There’s no going back to the old stuff, but we’re trying to deal with that … I think it will be ok. Just a matter of “steel nerves” hehehehe.
I think we’re going to aim for the bank by about 2 pm. AND, its been noted we have to take the kitty litter out. YEEKS!
We’re back!!!
I am pretty excited, but trying to calm down. Roberto has been here. He’s the maintenance man and he is real nice. He’s a smart guy too. He can do like anything. He’s always the most pleasant person. Hehehe he does let me know too when we’re stretching our luck, but so far we haven’t been busted. He says that no one else gets him to hang up stuff in their apartments. But, we’re very nice and cause no problems and pay rent on time and everything. We tip him also, but I think he’d be just as nice without it. We always have the nicest conversations while he’s here and I smile and giggle throughout. That was one of the things I loved about my husband … I loved to watch him work. I do the same with Roberto.
Our friend God Bless him … just doesn’t fill this same bill. Like he makes me work WITH him. HMPF! Roberto can hang up a whole tapestry all by himself. And, he lets me just watch. Love to watch, especially when there aren’t many moments to contemplate. Roberto looks at the wall and he starts reaching for his tools. They are all very conveniently tucked around him. He’s brought up his drill for sure (just in case), but he’s got his pencils, tape rulers, little punch wall things, everything right in all his loose jean pockets. He’s about our age and tells us just a little about his home each time. He bought his own and did all the improvements over the course of 2-3 years. Those are good conversations. And, he’s working all the time. Not too fast, not too slow. Just right and when he gets done with one project he’s learned to say is there anything else he could do. It’s not like fighting the Liquidator.
Such a nice experience, I almost wish I could have more for him to do, but the point is, I don’t … I consider myself decorated all out. Really, I mean it. From now on … I want to sit back and just look forward to my daughter-in-law get me one or two pictures for the rest of my life.
That’s all … I’ve dedicated a wall and a half to things that are her. I’ve got one nice size frame waiting for pictures of my granddaughters, but the other wall in my bedroom has all things girl, but not necessarily granddaughters. My boys have their own wall, but this one is going to be special. I don’t even mind her making a little cash for … I will buy the pictures. That’s what we did this year. We got one of her fairy pictures for sister and one for us. I love it. We put it in the higher spot right above our big round mirror. It’s magical like everything else girl like.
We arranged the pillows on our bed a little lower so that we could see the back of the bed frame. It is like a metal footbridge and now the tree is tucked just beyond it. The room is soooo much more warm and friendly. There are a couple of other pictures on my DIL girl wall. There is a picture of a girl sitting on a Victorian couch reading from her journal/diary. There is another really old picture of some small birds on a limb. There is a picture of my son, dil, and granddaughter at their wedding … there is correct they were all there. It is in a beautiful wooden frame, not too big, but nice. Hmm, I think that is all … there are three other pictures though all on smaller walls. There is a picture that looks like cross-stitch and it is like colonial time … mostly a house in the center, some trees and curly kind of stuff. Then there is a bust of a girl/women that is also very old and she looks like she’s from Greek times long ago. That’s been one of my favorites for quite a while. AND, the last picture is a newer, less expensive picture, but one that always makes me smile. It is a toddler sitting in front of a sparkling white toilet spreading toilet paper as far as her arms can reach. This is the picture that always reminds me that we are actually free. Once upon a time we thought of it as the girl we’d like to be, but over the years it has become a picture of who we are in real. We like it for its fun and play.
In the backroom we got hung 3 things, which is fine enough. My MIL had given to my husband, but we took it that part of it was for us too. Even though she probably didn’t sew it with us in mind. It is a nice size padded frame of hands and leaves etching in a phrase from a Kahil Gibran poem on friendship. I think it starts, “Your friends are your needs answered.” It’s very beautiful. It is showing its age; there is a rip in it and theirs some dirt, but it looks fine enough … it stood many years in our care going from one living room wall to another. It was always what we centered our living room around. I don’t know why my ex didn’t take it, but I’ll never let it go. I believe in friendship. Rarely do I find it lasts, but I believe in it. There were just two more minor pictures. Oh that’s right we only hung one. One is a real cross-stitch picture my cousin made after my first two were born of two boys comically fishing and a can of worms. That one actually made it to a lower shelve in my living room. And the last was a wooden picture with a print of the Parent’s Prayer. That went in between the two closets above the desk and TV in the back room.
I can’t tell you the sense of completion I have at this very moment. Me and Chief are still both soaking it up. Hey … we forgot … we have a camera! BRB
OK … we are going to show them, but I’m not very good with light ok? And, since taking the pictures we figure we got some more filling in to do. MORE PICTURES. Just the main stuff is up, k? We’re going to post this and keep on writing … Just want to get these where we want them to go … Thank you for your always endearing patience.
Little bit of a rush ... on to Dr. M's
Good morning … I’m sorry it’s been a while since I’ve written … I just now posted my last project … we’ve been working, but maybe too much obsessing too. I find now that we’re too tired of it to proof read one more time. We’ve probably gone through it about 100 times and at this point feel like throwing the whole darn thing, so best not to look at it again. Hmpf!
While we’re here we’re going to make a little confession. We bought some stuff at Baker’s Square last night. We’ve never done that before and usually don’t go out at night for anything. No, I’m not ready to say what exactly and how much or nothing, but it’s weighing on our mind AND hips. We talked a few minutes to our buddy this morning, but we didn’t say anything to him although we were thinking we should. Just couldn’t … think we’re a coward at heart.
Ok, trying to detach from those thoughts a bit. Feeling too much pressure. Maybe we will cope a little better later on.
We’re using the new 2007 program from Microsoft this morning. We don’t have all the bugs worked out yet, but we’re trying her out. We haven’t seen all the things that come with it. She has like 10 programs in one package … we got the Enterprise one. We had been looking at it and hadn’t made a decision because it cost like probably above $8-900 minimum. The ultimate and professional plus models are between the Professional where we used to be and the enterprise model. They gave a price of $679 for the ultimate and they won’t tell you the price above that of the professional plus and enterprise without speaking to a sales associate. Yah right.
What changed us over though to getting it was we got an advertisement from a company at soft4download.com. They have about 100 titles or so and the Enterprise was one of them, but instead of paying $8-900, it cost $87. The price seemed too good to be true, so I called a couple of numbers. It does seem to be upfront good, but there is some problem messages coming up that I want to talk over with someone. I sent a troubleshooting thing into them this morning and now they are supposed to get back to me in 24 hours. That’s better than pay Microsoft $35 and them contacting us within 72 hours. We’ll have to see … I hope to get all the options working soon.
There there … we just had a call back to on a loft that we’ve been looking at for quite a while. It is right across from a park in Chicago near work. The lady called back today. She said they are about $200,000 for 695 Square feet. For that you get hardwood floors 11 foot ceilings, a balcony, 1 bedroom and a den. She says that the kitchen, living room and dining room are all open … which seems pretty cool to me. Good chances are that I’m not going to be able to afford it, but we’ve been watching this building transform from a warehouse to lofts for so long, we would be remiss if we didn’t ask. She gave me the number to a mortgage company and now we are waiting on that. I think they take care of people without great credit ratings. I still don’t have a credit card so that hurts my rating, BUT the major part is that we went bankrupt in 1997. Hopefully after this next year at 10 years that rating will not show up on our reports, but for the meantime its still a sting.
Yeeks just looked at a simple mortgage calculator. It says that 30 years at 5.75% interest $200,000 would be $1,167.15 a month … we’re paying $870 now so I’d have to come up with an extra $300 each month. Don’t think that is going to happen unless I get a HUGE raise … hmm maybe 8% … Don’t think that’s happening. AND, even though they have Internet options, I think I have to buy our own fridge. I could give up the oven for a bit. I wish I knew how much space I am living in now. That sure would help.
Aha!! That’s all about over now. Got the call back from the loft realtor and the mortgage guy and back to the realtor. I’m being bumped down now to a realtor that looks for cheaper places. Basically, with mortgage, assessments, and tax I would be looking at a 42% increase of what I’m paying now. To breakeven at about $1,000 worth of payments that I could do … we’re talking about a place for $100,000. The first realtor shook her head and said … don’t know of any place for that range. Mortgage guy was a lot nicer than the realtor. She said I had really hoped I could work with you and that made me feel guilty for not making enough money. I think I figured out too how much square footage is. You need to put feet by feet of the room convert to inches so my living room which is about 20 x 20 would be 240 inches x 240 inches = 57,600, which needs to be divided by 144. That means the room comes out to 400 square feet … I did the same for my other major rooms. It seems then that I’m getting about 900 square feet apartment WITH balcony and free parking, where her $200,000 loft was only 675 square feet. That’s like a reduction of 25% for about twice the cost. I understand throwing rent money away compared to home ownership, which is an investment and saving money on your yearly taxes due to interest payments. But, the bottom line is that things are skimpy enough so let’s not press it. It would be different if I were living with a partner and we had at least 2 incomes of $45,000, but we don’t. AND, we don’t want to share a misery 675 square foot home … so that’s enough of that!
I guess we just have to continue throwing our money away and appreciate that someone else does maintenance, replaces my appliances, and hopefully hangs up tapestries on request.
AHA! That leads to another discussion. The tapestry is in!!! We went down to the center yesterday to pick it up. I was so relieved it turned out there was only one box, but the tapestry, rod, AND tassels were all in the same box. WOOOHOOO. I spent a great amount of time yesterday ogling the tapestry and trying to figure things out. We came to a stop point when we couldn’t find a needle. We are going to need to sew a few things to get a couple of secondary tapestries up. BUT, we called the building management and asked for help putting up the new tapestry, moving the old “tapestry” – art work to the bedroom, and about a half dozen other various pictures. We worked hard to figure out on the additional two tapestries how to hang them. Means sewing. Gulp. I had bought standard thread and needles, but they’ve disappeared. I hate that when it happens, because it took me forever to be at the right place thinking the right thoughts toward getting the package of needles in the first place. Now, we’re thinking the repairmen is going to come and we’ll not have everything ready.
I guess this means that we’re going to need getting ready at some point. We need to prepare better for company too, because we still think the boys are coming on Saturday. AND, we need to remember to go to Dr. Marvin’s place – leaving her about 3:40. Pshwoo … that’s a lot on our mind while just trying to figure out we want to avoid everything and just write.
Hmm. Where were we? Just spaced out …. But I don’t remember what we were just doing.
Something on computer … hmm, maybe something with email, because I think we just sent something to Deb about her weather. She’s having a string of snow that’s for sure. She probably already knew that though. I think its going to turn to rain again by the time it gets here. Read a little on President Ford not liking Bush’s war, and something about a Chicago/LA Producer for cop shows. Don’t recall what that was about … think there was more, but our brain is burning up with difficulty rating. Maybe we’ll have to reread a sec to see where we left off.
Hmm, tapestry. I think we were about done there. But, for the record, I want to say that I’m very, very happy with the purchase. Our friend saw it last night and I think he likes it too J.
It’s colors are kind of muted on the dark side, but that gives it an appearance of originality. The funny part? One of the major colors in the map – all the oceans match exactly the color on our couch … it’s like sage I think. We draped it over the couch to get a feel for it and placed the pole with it and tassels. It is absolutely gorgeous. We knew within minutes of seeing it that we were going to need putting it in our living room rather than the bedroom. It is like a masterpiece YAYYYY! Our friend said that it would make the living room look more scholarly. That is a thought we had too, but the resounding thought is that it appears as if it were made exactly to go with the couch. It’s pretty darn classy. Even if we are just a little classy.
I think we said before that the tree will go to the bedroom. I think it will do ok there. Mostly because I still love it. It’s about 6 foot by 5 foot tree. We’re just soo cool to have really neat things. EVEN though, we can’t cramp them in a 25% reduction of space HMPF! The lady was trying to emphasis at the loft having 11-12 Foot ceilings. I WOULD LOVE THAT! But, not worth paying that much for, because you couldn’t use the space reasonably. Be cool though, wouldn’t it?
Let it go, let it go. I really do love our apartment and how its all pulling together. Just a little disgruntled of throwing away $10,000 each year, which goes toward the landlords equity and not ours. We’ll see, we’ll see. Ok, moving on … what’s next?
Hmm, it’s already noon. Haven’t taken a shower today. Haven’t done anything serious. Haven’t even done light pick-up. We brushed our teeth though that should count? The last hygienist or whatever they are called at the dentist office asked if we were gargling. LIKE HMMM??? Sure, right. But, that seems to be the next thing toward good teeth besides brushing with fancy tooth brushes and flossing. We let it go, but then yesterday when looking for needles (in haystack), we found we had a brand new big bottle of mouth wash in one of our closets that hadn’t been used yet. Hadn’t even cracked the seal. So … WHALAH! We’re gargling. Haven’t taken a shower yet, but our mouth is good to go.
I’m thinking that Dr. M’s time is going to sneak up on us and the right choice would be to get it done now. Why is it that I resist so much moving and handle best just writing even if its writing about not wanting to do what we are avoiding? Lord only knows. I suppose the right thing then would be to stop writing and just MOVE! Ok, ok … we can do this, right? Has anyone thought of opening our goal stuff? Maybe we can think that through just a minute? It would give us our lists of things to do, right? Where did we leave that off last. Which program do we open?
HMMM??
Oh, I remember … it wasn’t working out on the Project Manager, so we opened the excel program and developed something there … Let’s take a look, k?
Woo HOO … forgot we color coded it …
Shoot doesn't work
It looks something like that. ‘Cept in actuality it goes out to Saturday. I guess its been awhile since we thought of this, because the last time looks like we were here and not finished on Monday. Pshwoo. That’s the part I hate about holiday’s they disappear like you in quick sand.
Damn.
Spose the right thing to do then would be to read what it says and follow its instruction. Seems though we got to add something that has apparently changed our time. And, that’s that even though we said nothing new, we ended up getting the MS Enterprise program and that’s like 10 programs of learning new stuff. Better add that to the chart.
Oh good figured something out. I decided to add another subheading so that work is a highlighted category and the job of paper tiger was an item of that. We’re using the 2007 Excel for the first time and we found that if we copy a cell where there is one formula, we can highlight all the cells we want to place that formula with the exception we want it to be relevant to the new column … if we use “paste special” then it will ask us what we want to copy, and then it give us an option of using “formula” and that’s exactly what it did … WALLAH! What we wanted it to do even. That was some pretty smart figurin. BUT, we don’t know how to get the Outlook program to behave correctly. We want it to send our AOL email to it, but we couldn’t figure that out. You gotta know stuff under stuff, which we don’t. SOOO their instruction are useless unless they tell you the steps to get to the point they already assume you know. POO!
AHA! I just figured out something. I CAN get my AOL email on Outlook … I just have to look under a file that’s attached to some imap something. Ok, that’s not too bad. And the nice thing is that I still have the option of looking it up under my aol account. That’s good, because I don’t have it all connect to both home and work accounts.
Hehehehe we’re teasing Deb back and forth … we figure she’s like a ZOMBIE! Girl doesn’t get enough Z’zzzzzzzzs
Ok, got the next thing figured out too. Our maintenance guy just stopped by and it seems as if having him work on the tapestries is going to be a done deal. He was just checking on hardware, he is going to come back tomorrow around 10 am to do the work. WOOOHOOO!!! Hehehehe just left a message with our sweetie pie. We told him it is an extended gift that he doesn’t have to put the heavy thing up. SOOOO happy. And, just because he is who he is and operates as he does. We don’t have to listen for three years of well, I’m going to do it … We don’t mean to be mean to our sweetie, but he’s a slooooooow person when it comes to home maintenance tasks.
PSHHHHHHHHeeese!
So, that’s making us feel pretty happy. We will send pictures of it when we are done. He thought it matched good too and he said it before we rambled on to that subject. They are both fuzzy soft muted colors. Pretty darn cool. We told our friend too that they matched our National Geographics. Hmm I didn’t really think of it before, but I guess we do have some interest in the world and sciences. I know pretty darn sure that if it’s a choice between Women’s Day and World that we’ll take world any day.
I think Roberto is used to seeing us in pj’s because he didn’t seem to mind. I started to show him what I wanted done and he asked if he should follow me. Hehehehe maybe Roberto gets propositioned often by women meeting him at the door in their pjs … just for the record mine are long and flannel! I’m glad that he’s always been so gentlemanly, but the guy just seems to gosh darn happy! *Giggling*
Hmm, maybe I should give him a tip too. YES! That’s a good idea. I think I have one more $20. I don’t have my cards here, but I can tell him it’s just my way of saying a little thank-you! I think we did that before, but we’re not sure. Good enough. Ok, we’re not going to stop here to obsess. Let’s move on to our next thought. Shoot, sure is a beauty of a wall hanging though!
Think it be ok if we left our Christmas decorations up a couple of months? Getting to look pretty neat in here. I’ll NEVER want to go back to work. Shoot! Just think REAL art! I told my friend something pretty sexy about it that I won’t be repeating here, but man-o-man!
SHHHHHH…
Ok, ok … it’s about 1 pm now. Let’s do something about that task list over on the excel program. I know, I know … we’ll do it in a second. We’d like to take just a tiny couple of peeks and open a few of the other programs, K? We’re going to do the one called Groove … I think its about several computers working together … woohooo we’re going to watch a movie!
Well, maybe no movie. It looks pretty much like the program is just a skinny launch bar for program sharing. I’m doing an experiment right now with it. It gave me a sharing folder, so I made a copy of “My documents” everything I got and put the copy in my new sharing folder. It’s thinking its going to take a long time … it’s copying literally everything in my docs. I hope it works. It seems like not to hard a set of instructions to put it in sync with my computers at work … this would be even better than our flash drive, though maybe not so fancy. It’s a pretty good deal nonetheless and one of the reasons we wanted the higher version MS.
Now since it says its got about FOUR HOURS of work? Who knows. We’re going to look around at another of their programs. BRB
Next one we’re looking at is InfoPath. We’ll check that out … hmm slow to load, where is it?
AHHH
Seems this one has stuff to do with forms… might be bogging down cuz of the other program, OR because we’ve got about a dozen windows open now. Hmm 74 minutes left … now time is 1:45 pm no shower in site. Just said bye to Deb she’s off somewhere to do with a sidewalk? Hmm, I worry about that girl.
Hmm seems like the new program for groove does not share programs that exceed 2 GB (5,000 files in their shared space. We got the warning, but it still looks like they are copying now it says about 30 minutes just seconds after … timer is unstable now says 124 … best to leave it go.
I’m going to drive myself bonkers if I watch the time changing on the copying screen … bottom line is that I have to watch and see what it can do. Then we’ll know what to do next. Ok, moving on … where did we leave our last program, hmm?
I’d like to find out more on Sharepoint, but I think that’s another expense Item of MS … seems like it is a place on-line where people can share different information. I think all the new 2007 program features are lined-up to be using it. I think it would be the best thing now for the center even if I haven’t seen it yet. Maybe I could take a look now. What I think it is though would be a place we could use to back-up all the center’s files and share all the information on computers as networking was supposed to do and we never got to figuring it out. Really need a course on networking … remember to look that up when there’s time heheheh. Think the special thing about it is that we can network through sharepoint with computers outside our center and with our computers that are in different locations like our friends laptop or my home computer. Let me check that out though.
Hmm, saw a couple of movies there. That is like WOW! Some system, but again MS scares the hell out of me. I went to one site and they list all these component programs that they are making you pay for each round. And on that one they talk about licenses, which means everyone in the system is going to pay again. AND, they don’t tell you what any of the costs are … they make you talk to a rep who probably doesn’t play static on you line and drop you until they figure your company isn’t worth more than a half million dollars. HMPF! Whoops super breaks. I went to one page trying to get financial bearing and it says something about annual payments amortized over a three-year term PSWHOO BACK-UP Girl … thinking they want us to take out a private loan to pay for the service … BRRAAAKEES SSSSSSSSQQQUEEEEEALLLL!
I’m still a little foggy on what a server is. We really have to figure in more time for business and IT planning. WAY out of it here. BUT, we’ve managed to successfully play around on the computer and avoid taking that dreaded shower for a little bit longer. Now looking at the clock it is 2:30 and we’re a half hour away from our … emergency get in the shower now messages! We’ll use that to our advantage, which automatically gives us a ½ hour to play … Let me see what other programs look like. BRB.
Shoot still bogging down because of that “runaway program” AHA! Checking out PowerPoint. Bout time we figured that one out!
Hehehehe well man-o-man I figure that is about the easiest thing to do … is to create a slideshow. That adds allll kinds of elements to the fun. Now, we have to figure out how difficult it would be to get a computer to hook up to a TV screen so that the movies could be played to others. We’re thinking in mind here specially of the meetings for staff and for thinking Group.
They loved looking at the pictures we had for the slide show, but it was terrible quality on the old overhead projectors. I was excited that I could figure out how to make slide shows though.
I just made a couple slides one has our ever-ready Aardvark. We’re now emailing ourselves a copy to see how that works. Hold on let me check mail. Darn .. oh there it is
Should never do a whole file … think its including all the videos. Hmm, can’t publish slides yet.
Might be because the other program is making the space unavailable or it might be that generic problem we’re having all over the place. Hmm that’s pretty cool found a place that will let us look at our slideshow from the beginning .. umm we have only 2 slides. Shoot froze the screen … it didn’t like that I wanted to try out the Snag it part. So I did it by hand and now its being stubborn shoot. Trying to close it, but it says its doing a capture … shoot, we don’t want that to happen anymore … it’s taking too long and its 2:59 pm.
Double damn … just closing windows and I think we cut off the one we’d been waiting on for so long. Ok, ok … good good checked it out … I can open the email attachment of the slides from both emails. 3:03 man we’re messing here now … I want to try the next program, but we know better better get this published and on our way … thanks for stopping by!
Working on Project Manager...
Table of Contents Initial Considerations –
Chart 1 3
Position Chart 4
Type chapter title (level 3) 5
Organizing Goals 6
Past Goals 6
Present Goals 6
Future Goals 6
Ideal Goals 6
Plan the program by keeping in perspective the Mission statement 7
Comprehensive program to 7
Value and support 10
Challenge to responsibility by ..
Increase individual competency in ..
FIRST CONSIDERATIONS
CHART 1
Organize Past Goals
Present Goals
Future Goals
Ideal Goals
Plan the program by keeping in perspective the Mission statement
Comprehensive program to assist in securing independence within the community; Strive for highest potential
Value and support individual self-sufficiency and control by enlisting acts of choice-, decision-making and self-regulation
Challenge to responsibility by utilizing forethought, performance, and evaluation of personal and community goals
Increase individual competency in achievement, social, personal, community, and living domains
Technical Aspects Utilize the new Office 2007 – change all computers in the system to match
Maintain usage of extra programs such as Paper Tiger, Print Shop, and Personal Brain
Check on-line for assistive programs such as encyclopedia, dictionary, blogs, and groups
Train and excite staff on usage of programs and educational CDs and DVDs
Learning
Self – Work toward being back in school by July working at Educational Psychology Degree
Others - Focus attention on willingness and appreciate of open minds and curiosity
Keep cost perspective of tools available and tools necessary
Train self to parallel what we are learning toward individual’s learning
Responsibilities
Maintain open communication w/Sister w/o overwhelming her, the staff, and us
Incorporate CARF and other business practices into the program Document/format everything placing the program elements in perspective
Divide components between functional and project tasks
Chart the initial considerations associated with the development of the program and position of Program Director
This list does not have to be conclusive, but more as a means to a starting place.
Organizing Past Goals
The past program goals of the center have been charted primarily through the State regulations and the specified set of CARF folders. While this has seemed orderly in the past it has been unruly to change or alter. Each year CARF puts out a new standards manual, which usually disorientates the standards.
Organizing Present GoalsAre such that the State regulation book has been updated by Sr. and the CARF folders have had new information added, but remain mostly unchanged. It would seem to change over the books to a new numbering system; we would lose the old references, especially critical for the use of the Paper Tiger Program.
The solution would be to assure that all the older standards listed in the Tiger have been given a 2003 reference number according to their location (i.e. 1.2.27). Then we will need to go through each request from the new CARF book and locate its past usage, and then add the new reference number to the old listing (i.e. 1.A.1.a.2) under the Tiger’s “Item name.” In this manner using the search feature, we can pull up and sort according to which reference number was used because the reference will come up whether we use the old reference number or a new. This will also be a good time to purge the old records.
We should make note to continue adding the date to all documents entered in the paper tiger, so we can pull together lists of the most current or recent priority. Also, we cannot change the location tab name, so when we are adding new material for similar input, accessibility, information or other, we should add the year in the newer location title. We shouldn’t duplicate previous records entered.
Organizing Future Goals
In the future, we will need to go back to the original plan where if any document is added to a CARF folder or a location is changed then we will need to change first the notations in the Tiger. We might also want to consider documenting in the Tiger Sister’s responses to the survey by noting a reference of its location in the survey book. This way when we ask the tiger for a certain reference number, Sister’s response will become available in context with other information. This establishes the most relevant chain of responses to the actual question.
Organizing Ideal GoalsAn ideal goal for the program would be that the CARF system and all other aspects of the position of Program Director would be documented so that the Administrator or staff could have easy access to the information and that similar efforts of working through CARF and Program direction could be duplicated. It is under this assumption that anything pertaining to the role of my being a Program Director will be documented.
Plan the program by keeping in perspective the Mission statement
The center offers a comprehensive program to assist individuals in securing independence within the community; Strive for highest potential”
“What is the comprehensive program? How can we best assist the individuals?”
In answering these questions and introducing the business practice of CARF “Criterion A,” we can explain the first priority of a comprehensive program is to receive input from the stakeholders. The stakeholders include the individuals served, personnel, families, government (a funding and advocate resource) and others.
Documents found in our CARF “Input” folder such as rosters, policies and procedures, state regulations, etc. verify that there are systems in place so that we can carefully conscientiously serve individuals. We listen as a matter of compliancy to mandated rules and regulations and in serving best practice.
We benefit individuals and the community directly when we listen to them and accept their established values and those given to us by the Order of Daughter’s of St. Mary’s of Providence. We gain insight toward value in the sight of God.
To achieve this lofty ambition, St. Rose Center surveys the individuals, parents, personnel, volunteers, and is surveyed by the State of Illinois and CARF as well as other safety systems. Information gathered, is analyzed and presented back to the stakeholders in various forms. Through the verbal and non-verbal responses we receive, we can answer the question, “How are we doing?” We look for responses that relay individual and group trends and we try to deduce how our affect can be better trained to improve the service.
We have learned to sort out the information given to us by paying attention to a system of self-established domains. The domains are our given focus on living, community, social, personal, and achievement. In framing interests by domains we learn to better understand general priorities and principles without being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of responses from formal and informal surveys.
Individuals have different ways of saying for example that they have desires to be out in the excitement and variety of the community, or they want to help their Mom pay for a “better life” (back yard swimming pool), or they have psychologically tuned in to an interest in the investigation of science.
The center tracks individual goal progress, but in addition, we test or balance our program affect and cost by tracking positive and negative increments added to or subtracted from the domains from the base of individualized annually-derived standard rates. This will be explained more fully later.
For now, it is important to know that domains assist us as stakeholders and the individuals in tying together various competing goals into a recognized direction like connecting many charms onto one charm bracelet.
Respectively, being in the community and working to help Mom pay costs are in the domain of community. Having a better life is tied to the living domain and having an interest in science is tied to the achievement domain. There is no personal priority expressed that is more correct than another, and there is no conflict of interest in choosing one domain over the other – it is a matter of personal preference riding on certain tides of change.
For example, after two or three months of questionable progress on one goal, an individual may ask or be given a suggestion to discontinue one goal such as functional reading. Reading falls into the personal domain. The team realizing that the individual was overwhelmed or discouraged with the weightier task of reading may offer instead a goal to increase the individual’s effort and endurance levels and this might be done by challenging him to timed puzzles.
The individual still progresses forward along the same vein, but is given more options to be successful. Persevering at self-improvement allows for higher self-esteem and hopefully will power to increase momentum in general. The secondary goal might then support later going back to the original goal after optimism is restored. The two goals are aligned in that they are each recognized as part of the personal domain. The priority is self-growth.
In truth, most of us work toward our goals in a manner that adapts to change no matter how serious we are in keeping one set of resolutions. The domain system works as safety net. It recognizes there are many alternatives to living life to the fullest and these alternatives arrange themselves within our day-to-day and moment-by-moment choices, decisions and ability to self-regulate.
Because the center is tuned into the priority of gaining input from the individual served and his supporters the individual does not become locked into fixed or stagnant strategies. He learns to enjoy the practice of goal-making as a process because it adapts to him in the present. He does not have to fret over a long-awaited end result, which is the kind of goal reward that becomes so allusive to most of us. Domains make for a general sense of healthy perspective because they live and breathe with the individual.
The domain method is more akin to standing at the top of a mountain and choosing which course to take while understanding the many slopes lead to the bottom of the mountain with its cup of hot chocolate, sweet marshmallows, and roaring fire. The skier is challenged immediately by a variance of obstacles and rewards set to his present ambition. Because choice is exactly in the present it is most real and likely to help the individual self-actuate.
We recognize that to accomplish an improvement in a domain - such as community - many aspects need to be come together that may not be written-up as a formal goal, such as opportunities to be “out there,” or a developmental interest with money, or an ability to work hard while skill training, or perhaps in better understanding peer competition.
In the case of domain programming (without losing the sense of self-determination of having goal structures) intuition wins against a more formally-coded or restrictive sense of maps, schedules, and clocks. Paradoxically, because of the staff’s discipline of recording, space and time are not lost.
Each element toward domain increase develops confidence toward the whole. Whether or not we correctly label or pin down the “perfect” goal the first time, we maintain an on-going look-out for that which supports personal direction in real-time.
We keep in perspective that often the individuals served will ask for more of what they automatically get “handed down” and will also often ignore responding in the negative even though their experience may not be positive.
It is up to the staff to assist the individuals in further developing interests that are real to them without overshadowing the individuals’ sense of originality or discrimination. Life is balanced naturally between all shades of good and bad, green and red. Usually when one door closes another will open and it is the staff’s calling to encourage that another door be tried.
In general, most people seek and are motivated by that which is inviting. This seems to work in our favor. For example, most individuals served at the center “love” food preparation and dancing; their tummies feel good, their bodies are stretched. The domains covered are living and achievement.
We offer these interests as part of “the program package.” We find the individuals in these activities are self-directed and emotionally self-sustained. Anticipation beats out boredom, and as an aside these things that are found to be enjoyable are healthy for us. If we are premeditated to think learning to dance is an achievement, then we are more apt to look for milestones.
Another example would be to recognize our own flourishing feelings as we plan an upcoming vacation or holiday. Planning is a community (Community plus) domain and is a healthier and more inviting option than rehashing a spat we had had earlier with a co-worker (Social minus). I would certainly hope in the case of calling my mother on the phone that night I recall to her between the two only the plans. As a supporter, I can then add my encouragement especially if I was focused on your gaining relaxation (personal plus). When we are at the end of our day, chances are we will feel more secure having thought about our adventure and self-care.
The pleasant feelings place us in “our comfort zone.” Perhaps given a choice next time we will feel challenged to rent a video on fly-fishing and clean out our tackle box rather than crawling back to bed to take that premature Saturday afternoon nap, which might suggest a depressed affect of “giving up on the day,” or “being tired of it.”
We recognize human achievement hardly ever surpasses expectation, so by obvious need; staff challenges individuals to work from a field of optimism and belief in their future and potential for growth.
The comprehensive plan includes all of the things the individuals and other stakeholders remember as good and ought continue in their goal-planning, but as well it includes the things that make each of us stretch a little bit further toward being the people we want to be; our ideal selves.
Sometimes it seems we need help drawing ourselves out of passivity toward activity. We invite the individuals to shed thoughts, ideas, and behaviors that constrain their freedom, such as letting go of jealous anger from which direction they might recover spontaneous joy in other-directed relationships.
By maintaining conscious awareness of the five domains, we keep in mind our most lofty-ambitioned ideals. I set about a direction.
If I keep in mind that my goal is to increase the domain of social, I might start and/or be given opportunities to grow in that direction. I might make changes more conscientiously and plan to spend extra time trying to get to know someone, or I might be more optimistic when the group talks about party games, or I might choose more freely to participate in a role-play about peer pressure.
All of these things are possible because I am “looking” for these kinds of good possibilities. If I shy away, then that is the next thing I need to address. I have to ask, “Why? What happened?” The likelihood of safely inspired brainstorming is a normal duty for the center’s staff. The center is like a well fertilized pasture. We recognize and encourage growth – plant the seed. When things are left more to chance one never steps past his habits, and eventually becomes disengaged and discouraged; couch potatoes.
Staff is trained to focus-in, note methodically, and encourage new behaviors such as dancing during the lunch break (achievement plus), dancing with a partner (social plus) would be a credit toward that direction. The positive notation is an increment added to the program affect of the training program. Some events or activities are going to be missed, but if consistent change is happening in either direction (positive or negative), it would be difficult to ignore.
In practice the domains funnel into thirteen program areas and these areas spread out in about 50 varied interests. Individual goals are furtherance of objectives within the domains, but also as specific objectives defined by the individuals, personnel, family, and state representatives who meet annually as a team to establish an Individual Program Plan (IPP).
The goal-making process represents the practice of establishing a focus on the individual. It is hoped that time spent showing and teaching people that they and their opinions and decisions count will prompt them to be more unique and independent in their choice-making and those choices will take on more meaning and purpose for them.
The individual reaches his or her highest potential as they work through and achieve responsibility for their goals. Less formal goals are watched for and recorded as are the formal goals. This might be like when one learns positive behaviors to gain peer attention (social plus), completes a task faster than a boss recommended (community plus), or gets through the day without road bumps so as to speedily reach Mom’s delicious home-made lunch (living plus).
When the individual can do something they mean to do rather than things just happening reactively, he or she has learned about being independent. It’s this ownership over one’s life direction that allows us to feel well about ourselves and we soon take on self-encouragement and become braver people; we take more risks and become more attuned to our environments or communities.
Each day invites new opportunity to break through an inner wall of self-constraint. The individuals learn to ask, “How can I be my best me?” And, “Can I have more?” It is the feat of learning, “I can” rather than, “I can’t,” or, “I won’t.” It is learning to not only ask, but to answer, “What is it that I really want? Is this goal short or long-term? Is this particular choice a “big” deal to me or a “little” deal?
The comprehensiveness of the program encourages these questions while maintaining the focus on the individual’s inner domains of achievement, social, personal, community, and living. We help the individuals by assisting them to follow through on their priorities; we listen to the input they and their supports give us, and then we give it back by framing in perimeters that act as soft structures.
Value and support individual self-sufficiency and control by enlisting acts of choice-, decision-making, and self-regulation
Shoot just getting to yesterday :( Christmas slipping away on us.
Good morning. Or, should we say good afternoon. It is now 12:03 pm. We’ve been busy working on our goal/task project structure. I am saying that singularly, because
Even if they are appearing to compete … sooner or later this project carousel will fall into line. For the most part getting from one place to another seems to be a process of figuring things out along the way. I have many tasks going, but I’d like to think just one project. And, at the time being the one project is to complete tasks and routines. Following along the mode of the Project Management course we are now taking routines might be functional management, although we are going to time date ours for one year to see what kind of discipline we can corral.
As anyone that knows us knows we’re better at starting than finishing. Ok, ok … I’ve heard that before give me something new. But, for now we’ve worked all morning on our order and if you’d been paying attention … we’ve been trying to organize ourselves to be completing goals for quite a few weeks if not months. Each time we get a little more concise in understanding our needs. We are doing this while conceding new goals are added and others completed so this has to be like an living breathing organism.
We mentioned yesterday that we need to restructure because our job/career path is changing. Sister had asked us to work out the details of assuming a position as a Program Director rather than a QMRP, although I will suggest to her we maintain the standards of a QMRP by achieving 12 CEUs a year. This is a very easy task and gets us out into the community. We haven’t gone over yesterday’s loose materials in further narrowing down skill sets for the position, but we decided that to be a program director without any direct authority beside staying on top of one of the two Q’s and staff development (the Q and the 8 DSPs). I think that is how many there are. Pshwoo Sr. seems to be adding yet. Good idea that someone’s doing something! We still don’t know or have any reason to assume yet the chain of command has changed, although it would make sense there was some differences. We’ll wait and see on that one. We’re up to here so far …
I need to define the present program and further develop it. Naming projects will assist me in framing necessary tasks that will help build a program, but there needs to be upfront vision.. We don’t know if program director at our center is going to direct people within the program, or directs projects that compose the necessary elements of the program. It would seem I would have a responsibility to form the program’s present and future scope. We don’t know if the program will continue to be connected to only my mind/CARF papers, or if it will be a program of real substance. The five domains are at the moment the pillars of the program (achievement, social, personal, community, and living), but in all practicality their direct affect on the organization is within my head. Hmm, so as a Program Director I might develop the domains to be more useful to DSPs, Q’s, and Administrator. Projects might need to be approved by the sister, or she might give me a little latitude. Until she trusts me (not cause ripples) we can count on little latitude. As long as I don’t impose (seamless systems), I have more latitude, so it behooves me to create a program she can trust.
The Center offers a comprehensive program assisting adults with developmental disabilities secure independence within the community; we assist individuals striving for their highest potential. We value and support individual self-sufficiency and control by enlisting acts of choice-, decision-making and self-regulation. Under the center’s guidance, individuals are challenged to responsibly give forethought, perform, and evaluate their goals and the goals of the community. The pillar of the program is to increase individual competency in achievement, social, personal, community, and living domains.
Wow …
We’re back again … but now its about quarter after 4. We had spent a really long time on the mission statement in the above paragraph. We kinda burned out our brain a bit. But, we really liked what we had. It incorporates ideal, plus what we had, plus what we need. I haven’t read it now since back. We gave ourselves a GOOOOOOD amount of time on a routine goal of sitting back and reading from the National Geographic. That was nice. Let me look at it again now.
Hmm, pretty good … It’s not perfect yet. We’re going to work on it over the next few days. We need a working mission statement … something to base everything else so it has to be very tight. I like the first sentence fine. Ok, ok … done it over I like it a lot now.
AHA! Someone just SPLURGED on Pizza! As much as I love my sweetie he just doesn’t seem to appreciate Chicago Deep Dish Veggie Pizza!!! Woo HOOO Mushrooms on the side too. Wow … that’s the way to go. *Sigh* My tummy is in such appreciation. It’s about 5:30 pm now and the football game is on in the background. Denver against Cincinnati. Denver’s in front 21 – 7. Well, that’s enough football. Have to see if I can focus for the rest of the night. I REALLY want always to get more done, but I’d be happy with some Project school. I think we are to the point where I’m going to type out some responses here to questions asked. Just a few. Hold on.
Project management is a sound strategy because proactive styles work better in environments where more has to be done with less. In these environments people look ahead to potential risk and resolve prior to things becoming a problem, which is considered reactive. I could benefit by project management principles by just thinking ahead of what I am looking for in a new position. I can assess risks and contraindicate their development like loosing sisters trust by going to far in front of her. We need to focus on developing a style of directing that allows me to gain her trust. The project that I’ve tried to focus on today have been listed in the MS Project program as “Completing Tasks and routines.” The tasks and routines are listed as 1) Doing the morning routines, 2) going to the gym, 3) reading “the Motivated Mind”, 4) Completing the course on Project Management, 5) Learning the MS Project Manager program, 6) Working at least 2 hours a day on the Paper Tiger Program, 7) screen projects for competing tasks/goals, 8) Gramma’s history work, 9)learning to self-regulate, 10) increasing commitment to education, and 11) completing some off-task maintenance chores; like eating.
I see the biggest problem is in time management and focusing. I also see that I have set-out to do a lot of goals.
Long Stretched out one like only Saturdays can truly be!
Dear Life, Good morning. Ohhhhh what a nice morning! This is the first day of Christmas vacation YAYYYYYYYYY!!!!! We started off the day reading a couple of email cards … so we felt in the Christmas spirit. Hmm, How bout some Christmas music? That’s a good idea! Ahh 67 John Denver Christmas songs. That’ll keep us busy for a while. Sigh that’s 4 albums and we’ve got it on skip around. Cool, cool AHH Muppets!
Life is good. *Sigh*
We got to eat a couple things morning. One very special. Our sweetie pie put a few gifts under the tree, but there were notes saying which days I could open. This mornings??? A juicy, sweet caramel apple with THREE kinds of mini chocolate chips. WoooHOOO that was heavenly. Our guy knows what makes us happy. *sigh* We’re still working on a ham he left in the fridgerator … I figure we must be the most spoiled person in life. Just treated so gosh darn nice. Well, except by the kitties … they are all business … pet me, feed me, never let me go!
We also got around to handling that giant grapefruit Sr. gave to us in her fruit basket package. Pshwoo was that a chore for strong fingers. I found out that it was inside like a regular grapefruit size, but the peel was like a half inch thick. Wow … strong stuff. And, the nice juicy inside part was buried under tough skin. Definitely a diamond in the rough kinda fruit. When we were done our whole dinner plate was piled high with peels and stuff. Might have to give our fingers a break after a while.
Now Chief is happy … though he was happy earlier sharing a little ham. He’s curled up in arms. Oh man is this funny … I think Chief is listening to the 12 days of Christmas with the muppets. Everytime they sang another day his ears would change their scope. Each of Henson’s muppets would sing about a different day. Kitties are so funny. I think though that he likes John Denver.
Our sweetie just signed on for about 5 minutes. He was being interrupted in the background and we both knew he was going to need going. It’s about 7:30 am and someone was telling him he had to get in the shower. He has his whole family home which includes his daughter’s partner and a couple extra grandchild type people hehehe… God Bless them. And they are all for the time being under the same roof and hot water system. Lordy Saints preserve. Good luck to all that. We’ll stay safely tucked in over here. Lotsa room!
His intuition was that there was going to be problems. Part of it was his daughter stayed to long at her aunt and uncles. I think our friend gets hurt feelings about that … Lotsa stuff probably happening that I don’t know about. He had stopped over for a few minutes last night while waiting for his son’s train to arrive in Union Station, but the train seemed to be almost ahead of time … pretty sneaky train. It umm interrupted a nice time, but there was a nicer time for him to come, cuz his son was coming in. Probably enough of all that, but sure more to come … Going to be a long week
Hmm, we seem to have drifted off there … it’s 8:15 am now. Wow disappeared for 45 minutes. We were listening to the music and then got a little sleepy. There … there … better to take medicine. Ok, we did that. Maybe we have to turn down the music a little so its not in the front of us so directly. Shaking off that grogginess … so now where are we? Still listening to the songs. Need to focus … hmm, maybe we need to give it a half hour.
Coffee? Ok, that’s a good idea.
Hmm, do we have ANY thoughts? Let’s see our friend came over … we did that thought. He’s our superman … hmm, that too?
And, the part where it is vacation?? Hehehe Good us. We did bring home some work though … We’re figuring out whether we can get something done on the project with the Paper Tiger software. I think we did the start-up of thoughts toward Tiger and brain … “Tiger Brain.” We worked on it a little yesterday, but I don’t recall it as being a real good work day. We were going to incorporate the two programs somehow, but at minimal do the tiger. We might want to think of that for a few moments. Let’s see if there is anything else we want to clear up first. What happened yesterday?
I think we were a little frustrated yesterday, because the peer Q was so busy chattering and visiting that she didn’t do her job of opening the center’s front door when it rang and the UPS guy came and left without delivering our sweetie’s Christmas gift. We tried calling back and they said they would redeliver, because it was still on the truck. They had later told sister they would deliver “tonight.” So, we went to our dentist appointment at 2 pm and fought traffic back into the city and stayed until just after 6 pm, but no delivery. Sr. said she would call back if it got in, but she didn’t call back and we don’t know if she would have heard the delivery if not expecting it. She had “taken over” the last call to them without routing it my way, or even remembering to tell me she had talked with them. It has made for a frustrating situation. I am still hoping the gift arrives before Christmas, but am not banking on it. I will go down if I have to, but kinda crabby about it. I most likely won’t see my Sweetie between now and Christmas. It shouldn’t be a major thing, but you know how it is … the gift is there … just want to see things through. I want to give it to him. I want to see him happy.
Ok, ok … can’t do anything there. Need to let things go. It’ll work out the way it is supposed to. Right?
It was kind of a quiet time back at work. We felt helpless until we tuned into the new Q’s computer. She was on our big one and we’d taken the little one home. We fell asleep for a little bit while using her computer though. I was pretty sure that after packing things to go home the first time that I wasn’t coming back on a Friday night to do more work. She did a real fine job ending the year on a good note. She finished the Qnotes for the year. Was pretty darn happy with her and I knew she was proud of herself. We both wanted to be moving on. Both of us can now be thinking about new roads and paths into the New Year.
I want to be spending a great amount of time this week on CARF and on CARF through the Tiger-Brain project. Maybe it would be a good time to flesh out those ideas. We haven’t thought through them very concretely yet.
We had picked up a book that we really wanted to read concerning mostly curriculums for developmentally disabled. I opened up a new location in the Tiger program and added the chapters and subchapters listed in the index. I started to add page numbers later, but for them I had to go back through the book page by page. We’ll finish that as soon as we open the computer. The thing that was different this time was that we thought through the idea of putting the index into the Paper Tiger. It takes some time, but I like the idea a lot. I think realistically, it could be a lifetime before I could read through all the books, but the index has the key terms anyway and that would help them in being better referenced into the system. We played around a little with it yesterday … it works like a charm.
The Paper Tiger is extremely fast at being a search engine for the things you enter into it. There is a fault in that I don’t think it can look for more than one word at a time, but maybe there is something I’m missing. I’ll have to look up something for search terms. I’m thinking now that I have to integrate a system for getting old information together with new information from the two separate CARF years. There are changes made to the book, especially in numbering the different standards. We need to get a grip on that. If we change the white folders over to the new system of numbers in updating it then we will loose the referencing system of the old books. And, vice-versa for the new … unless I can figure out a system. It’s going to take some concentration to follow those mental threads. I think to do that we are going to need setting up the laptop we brought home. I’m not sure if I want to put that here on this table because it will be a strain on our electrical outlets here and will block us from easily using our regular computer. The other thought is to put it out in the kitchen, but we’d have to work on lights. The overhead light isn’t good out there for reading small indexed words and numbers. I’ve got two lights I can move … one from each of the bedrooms. I would also want to change around chairs. The kitchen chair isn’t good for the long haul. Too uncomfortable. Could move out the desk chair from the back bedroom. That would work. Next, is to get over our fear of being away from the Internet computer. Maybe we could arrange just to take internet breaks? I don’t like being away from the music too. I don’t want to confuse the systems by doing and undoing cords here. That’s a pretty done deal thought. I need to be connected don’t want down time even switching machines. I might just have to set up the laptop in the other room and get used to it.
I’ve already thought through the idea of being off line with the little computer. I figure that is going to be ok. Just going to have to get over fears. It’s very important to keep the stuff on my work computer. I’ve thought of bringing out my teacart or typing on the smaller desk in the back bedroom to keep my kitchen table clear, but they would both be uncomfortable, because they lack decent leg room. Ok, thing is now … moving lights. I think our bulb is burned out in the back bedroom. But, the light’s more important in the big bedroom to keep. I’ve only got one light bulb between them though. I don’t usually use the bedrooms except when sweetie is here … and then we use the low light by the bed. Hmm. Except when I’m getting stuff in there to get dressed. I think we’re going to need doing it. We’ll need to use the big bedroom light. Don’t know where its plugged in … hopefully its not too hard to get to. Ok, ok … good … think we got it pretty much sorted out. I don’t think we’ll need the kitchen table until my smoochie friend comes over to eat … but he was talking like New Years Eve or something … that’s a long time from now. If my boys come over … more than likely they’ll be using the round coffee table again. It really was a nice size to gather them. Loved it. Ok, let’s not get side tracked.
Ok, we’re pretty much thought through this one. Next time, Missy gets up we’ll set up the back of the house computer. Now. If we are keeping a log while we’re back there … can we get it to the front computer? Hmm, ahh flash drive! That will work! Ok, Missy’s up brb.
Hi hi … it’s me again … It’s about 10:45 am and we’re back. We’ve been in the kitchen testing out the system. We entered a few pages and decided we’d been away for our Mama computer long enough. We didn’t change over the chair in there yet, because we like the height, but the chair is wood with only small cushion and not quite big enough to be real comfortable for all our size. We’ll see later … I don’t think the alternative chair is so comfortable either. We’ll have to see. We’re having a chair crises ARGH!!
Ok, deep breath … where are we? We did check out a few line items with the brain project. I’m not sure if that is going to be a worthwhile system in getting into for business needs. It is easy enough to copy and paste items from one program to another, but it is very time consuming. We wouldn’t want to take that much time for it … and the deciding factor was that the Tiger program was much more efficient in figuring out paths of thoughts in that it could pull single word elements together using the find feature where they’d have to be put in by hand using the brain program. It’s probably much more worthwhile in diagramming out our own personal thoughts. We have use of the Paper Tiger program at home, but at this time we’re thinking they don’t overlap. This would be a serious flaw in the program. I think there are systems where you can get various machines to interact, but that might be pretty complicated. I can see this eventually becoming a need, but I would count on their program evolving within itself before I needed to go that far. We’re talking like 15-20 years down the line. IF I’m still an employee of SRC. I’m processing into the Tiger system my own resource books, so I see that as all good.
Do you remember back when I got this program. I had thought we could enter all the books from our massive library. Hehehe … we’ve always been ambitious. I think we’d have to work first on table of contents before we indexed the set. Heheheh for now … we’ll think through just the important books we have at the center, particularly in learning and education. I figure that’s our field after all. Not to say other books wouldn’t be assistive like the ones on grieving, or sexuality, or community involvement. They are really all inter-related around the general topic of people with mental retardation. It be the same as all society really, but in this case we’re dealing with specialty knowledge.
Man oh man … life’s a pleasure.
AHA! Forgot! You thought we did?!! Well, we did, but that’s beside the point. Point is … this is our first day off and we’ve yet to think of being a program director. WooHOOO!!!! Lots to think of here. Hmm, are we otherwise caught up in other areas?
There is one side-note … we decided to cancel the invitation to go to my son’s MIL for the holidays. We needed to make a decision and he had stated well, it doesn’t make much difference to me if you come or not. Maybe he was frustrated with our indecision, but knowing that it didn’t matter to him if we were there … we obviously declined. If he didn’t care who else would?
Shoot that was kind of a bummer note that’s most likely to cause problems down the line. Better being by myself than just take-up space around others. OK OK … nuf of that! Bottom line is just that we weren’t looking forward to being around strangers, so that it was then better to stay at home. Why make everyone uncomfortable for nothing. Specially, since my son had already started setting down rules of engagement such as what I could or could not bring for presents with my Granddaughters. He said it was better that I gave them my gift at another time. But what kind of crumudgion would I be to show up for Christmas without a gift. And how terrible would it be also not to receive when gifts were getting handed out. He said something about coming after the gift part, but there’d be gifts all over the place. I don’t think I could handle any and all of that. Just don’t want it. My Christmas tree has four gifts … well now three cuz I ate the super-duper apple, but that is enough for me … AND, I know I get one special big gift and that’s not under the tree yet. Since my kids only want money … nothing to put under the tree for them. HMPF!
Hmm, interesting. I have most of a roll of quarters here. I wonder how hard it be to make our tree into a “money-tree.” Hehehe seems it be just a matter of tape and quarters to hang up the coins as ornament. Might try that. At least it would be SOME surprise for our Granddaughter. She could take them home with her and maybe use them to decorate her own tree. If her mother can handle that. I don’t know how they are keeping my youngest from the tree. But, most likely she’s having a great time with it HOORAYYY!!
Ok, that’s a thought for later anyway … it’s SOMEthing that made me feel happy!
Heheheh had been thinking of giving the girls their $100 in singles … I like that idea after handling all the money with the clients. I think we could wedge the bills in the tree and scatter them down below … that way we could REALLY have a productive money tree. It be a nice way to “wrap-up” the money hehehe good good … as far as those stuffy old kids shoot … forgot the cards at work. Have to think of something else. Be fun to give them their money in $1 bills too. Hmm, they might not appreciate that so much though? What to do for the big folk?
You know what would really make me giggle … is to get a set of four more little Christmas trees and scatter them around the house. We could have one in our bedroom, the spare room, the dining room and the kitchen … Better stay out of the bathroom. That take a bit of managing. If they all came through the front door … they’d see first the granddaughters tree and more important the granddaughters would see the tree. And, the boys would have to discover there’s and we could say … oh sure we’ve taken to raising money trees on our own … Go ahead and take one! LOL We’re so gosh darn goofy! Hmm, where would I buy a set of little trees on special before the 30th?
Hmm, lost some more time here … its’ 12:15 … we’ve been looking at trees … Best one is at TerrysVillage.com and it is a 3-set with tall artificial trees that that are like 3, 4, and 5 feet tall With the widest … 24” The set sells for $39.99, but if not everyone wanted to keep them, maybe my oldest son could help me out … He’s got a motherinlaw AND a garage and basement. To make it less difficult … we could get just 2 sets and spread them out so that the oldest gets 4 trees for his family and the younger two get one each, or they can give them to me and we’ll make room for them. Pretty sure and am counting on the oldest taking four, but in a pinch if he didn’t want them, we COULD find places for them. I wouldn’t mind having six tall trees! I would have to figure a couple by the TV a set of 3 in the dining room and a couple maybe one in the bedroom. The ads got me when they stated something about planting a forest inside our house hehehe. The trees don’t start their branch thing except about half way up the tree and they look to be planted in a burlap bag, which might surround some kind of basket, so that the tree stands sturdy. The affect is as there is an unplanted tree clump of dirt and roots under the burlap. Hmm, guess we do sorta have a tree motive … hehehe the big art thing over our coach is a wide leaf dropping red tree. Just have to think the crowded affect of either my sons or our own. Don’t think anyone has a lot of storage space. Thinking though our DIL might find some creative things to do with the trees … she’s pretty art orientated. And if all else fails. She’s got the back yard! It doesn’t state what kind of material they are made of. It looks nice … lets wait a couple of days … be nice to find I can order them in a sale and still have them delivered in time for the 30th. Have to look at it Tuesday morning. Good enough … that’s enough of that right now.
Missy has found us so we are doing ok on that account tucked into our kitty. We got our paycheck for the end of the month. What did we do with that? Better check the bank. Ok, seems ok … says that there is enough to pay $870 rent and $650 gifts for kids/dinner and still have $400 So, I could pay for friend’s $200, but if I paid $80 PLUS shipping I’d probably only have $120 for gas and parking, plus auto payments until the 15th. That’s cutting it kinda short, because of three payments that are in the $50 range. PLUS school loan! Maybe the reasonable thing is that we shouldn’t get money trees, cuz we don’t have enough money? Wow what a thought. Need to do SOMEthing fun with the money? Cuz money’s not a fun gift. Hmm, we could at least do the money tree for the girls. At least THAT much is ok AN we got one tree they could share. It’s good to see that everything is posted and the client, srs, and staffs gifts as well as our friend’s gift is paid for … Pshwoo … another year without credit cards That makes us feel happy!
Ok … wandered for a while again. It’s now 1 pm. We spruced up the living room and opened the drapes to finally let in the day. That’s usually a pretty good idea unless its after 5 pm in the winter time. Then you gotta collect a glow from the inside. We’d like to settle down now and put some thought into what it is going to mean to us to be a Program Director. So … One more time … is there anything we HAVE to do considering it’s the first day of our vacation, lunch (ham sandwiches) is done … there’s one last cup of hot coffee and we’ve a mind that’s free to roam?!
Think we got last week covered fine. Let’s move on then. One more thing … just in case you look a little to the right and up??? You’ll remember that we’ve got a dozen cut roses sitting on the shelf. Only a super duper lover would know where to place them optimally for the red exposure and away from the kitties. Hehehe he must have sat in my computer chair and thought … where can I put them that’s safe where she might look. Ok ok dear you got my attention! He’s so damn cuddly!
Hmm … one housekeeping note is that I’m not sure if my program is out for the video, but last week we took our son’s graduation video and I can play it on the windows media window, but it doesn’t play in the One note Progam and at the time it didn’t copy over to the video copying thing. I might want to check that out now to see where we’re at. Hold on.
Primary responsibilities
Providing leadership and support
Implementing effort by coordinating, supporting and managing this effort
Recommend direction to accomplish … design
To insure coordination of effort across groups
Sharing project status
Meeting information
Assignment updates
Contract monitoring – planned, ongoing or periodic activities for purpose of reviewing, observing, testing, evaluating, documenting, and providing technical assistance, reporting or ensuring contractor compliance with the terms and conditions and requirements of a contract
Examination and analysis of a contractor’s performance in order to document that the outcomes and/or activities are in accordance with the contract
Corrective action – informatl administrative process to assist or guide contractors when a problem with contract compliance is identified
Responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of statewide standards
Following federally mandated components: identification, evaluation, procedural safeguards; case management; developmental or family training, health/medical services, psychological services, social work services
Provide advice and assistance regarding …
Plans and provides continuous training for … and technical assistance to …
Conducts classroom consultation
Trains and oversees “shadow” aides
Functional analysis assessments
Develops behavior intervention plans
Provide information and education to families with … on most recent scientific advancements in the field of …assure service delivery and collect appropriate data to quantify effectiveness of the treatment modality.
Provide educational training and outreach for parents, schools, professionals and vendor agencies regarding evidence-based effective services, best practice, diagnostic services, and best practice service delivery strategies.
Provide technical assistance to providers and programs that serve consumers and families
Participate in multidisciplinary staff meetings
Assist in problem resolution with outside service providers
Design and supervise early intervention programs
Direct the operation of a comprehensive … program serving individuals and their families
Ensure quality, maximizing revenue and profit and implementing strategies for growth and diversification
Evaluate performance for quality assurance
Manage staff development and training
Provide administrative support including compliance with state regulations
Provide guidance in empirical classroom management systems and data-guided teaching
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Knowledge of special education laws/regulations
Demonstrated ability to handle complex tasks
Assist individuals to function as independently as possible in a variety of home-life situations and community settings
IPP development and implementation
Establish, implement, and ensure compliance with policies and procedures
Function as independently as possible
Provide a responsive, cooperative lifespan delivery system of support, training, care, monitoring, protection and crisis response
Maximize opportunities for self-determination and self-sufficiency
Value integration, independence and productivity
Experience & knowledge of the broad social service system
Collaboration & systems development and monitoring
Plans, organizes, and manages the development, implementation and on-going operation of program
Provides leadership direction to program staff
Interpret each situation to determine the appropriate solution
Trouble-shoot system problems; and, monitor program activity
Implementation and administration of … program
Ability to work effectively as a team member
Provides leadership and direction; develops short and long-range plans, goals, and objectives for assigned program; identifies service design and delivery options; reviews and updates plans to reflect changing conditions and regulations.
Establishes, implements, and update policies, procedures, guidelines, and standards for the efficient and effective operation and maintenance of assigned program, assuring compliance with applicable legal requirements and county policies and goals.
Manages the budget and all fiscal records for the program; prepares annual operating budget and amendments, agency cost allocation plans, and related funding requests; monitors and documents all revenues and expenses.
Selects, supervises, and evaluates assigned staff; establishes work rules and performance standards, conducts performance evaluations and initiates and implements disciplinary actions as warranted. Resolves grievances and other sensitive personnel matters; provides for the training and motivation of subordinates in order to make full use of individual capabilities and to meet changing systems demands.
Actively researches and prepares, or supervises the preparation of, applications for federal, state, and local grant agencies and for funding from other sources; assures compliance with grant requirements, directing the preparation of required reports.
Represents the county and promotes community awareness of and participation in assigned program by providing information and education to citizens, schools, agencies, business, industry, and other community groups; makes presentations and speaks before a variety of audiences to present program goals, objectives, and activities.
Serves as key liaison for the program and directs the resolution of inquiries, problems, complaints, or emergencies affecting availability or quality of services; responds to the most sensitive or complex inquiries or services complaints.
Interprets complex and detailed federal and state regulations to ensure program and planning compliance, and provides, or oversees the provision of technical assistance and/or training to agency staff, volunteer, contractors, and service providers.
May serve as key administrative and professional staff for advisory boards and commissions; supervises employees providing staff support to boards and committees.
Analyzes program effectiveness and recommends improvements to existing services, equipment, and operating systems; researches, analyzes, and evaluates new developments in assigned area and works to expand existing program and services; develops and recommends new programs and program modifications.
Develops and maintains a record-keeping system that provides for the proper evaluation, control, and documentation of assigned operations; may include client tracking and complex management information systems.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
Thorough knowledge of principles and practices of program management and administration, including budget development, monitoring and evaluation, grant acquisition and administration and contract negotiating.
Knowledge of data collection and analysis, and research methodologies.
Knowledge of the application and interpretation of federal, state, and local rules, regulations, codes, and ordinances as they relate to area of assignment.
Knowledge of modern supervisory and management principles and practices.
Knowledge of practices, principles, and techniques of public administration and the organizational structures and functions of governmental entities and agencies.
Ability to prepare, research, develop, and administer plans based on survey and analysis of data, citizen participation, and agency consultation.
Ability to set work priorities and train, direct, motivates, and evaluated work of assigned staff.
Ability to apply judgement and discretion in resolving problems and interpreting policies and regulations.
Ability to develop, organize, and oversee work programs, including monitoring budgets and funding, work schedules, contract administration, grant requirements, and progress reviews.
Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with other staff, public officials, the general public, and representatives of other agencies.
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing and to make effective public presentations of technical, complex, and often controversial information.
Ability to establish and maintain accurate records of assigned activities and operations.
Program goals:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/detail.10001056.2005.html
• Directors of the functional divisions manage both project and functional personnel. They are responsible for defining requirements, scheduling work, setting priorities, providing facilities, acquiring and managing resources, adhering to company policies, and ensuring quality.
BRAKES…..
Ok, here I am back again … by this time it is 5:30 pm about and we’re taking a course in project management. I’m aware that this is more direct than Program Director, but since I’m not aware I have anyone to direct yet, we’re practicing managing a project without people resources. I’ve read through the first chapter, taken a pre-test and am reading the chapter one more time because it says that I should read the chapter twice. My plan is that we’re going to have the course finished over the Christmas holiday. It shouldn’t take up too much time, the chapters seem to be only about 25 pages and the focus of the reading is fairly easy and straight forward.
They are asking me now to think about something … They ask, “Would applying project management standards in our organization produce benefits? How?”
My answer has to be of course yes our organization will benefit from applying project management standards. It will give me a framework or framing to complete projects such as establishing a program for me to direct.
That’s a good idea right?!
Ok, back to reading.
Ok, up to page 7 of 26 … they are asking me to give two examples of functional work. Functional work is like the DSPs going in and doing the same kind of tasks with clients day after day. A functional task for the traditional Q is watching over a caseload and managing things that affect the client … same thing all over. Two examples of project work is when someone gets a job like “CARF” accreditation and has to think about doing stuff related to that with a beginning and end point at this time of being now till survey date in April or May. Another example of project work is in defining the role of a program director within the next 10 days. Beginning and end. Next … does my organization understand the difference between project and functional work? I think sister understands functional as DSPs and Q’s do functional and project work. We could better implement project management philosophies by becoming more goals orientated … so in a sense I can manage the program by working with specific projects. Each of these projects has a start and end point that will leave sister delirious, because she thinks I don’t finish anything. Most of the time she’s right, but in this instance, I am ready for the state inspection before it gets here. We are finished with annuals, Qnotes, and course coordination. WooHOOO!!! Yeeks … Now we have to draw a responsibility grid showing how our organization manages projects.
Sister --- Ann
Sister --- Other two Q’s
Sister --- All DSPs
Sister --- Support Staff
Sister --- Consultants
Get the drift. Our organization now runs projects via sister. The question would then be if Ann gets any one to be responsible for or whether personnel wise it stays the same. I know I am responsible for the new Q and I teach the DSPs. I also have developed more of the program than any one else. Does director mean direct people, or does it mean simply direct projects as might be a project manager, with the exception that I get to devise my own projects. And, all the projects developed constitute the program. Kind of makes us wonder … Is the program that which goes on in my head or is it something on paper that can be followed. Right now it seems to be in my head like the usage of the five domains. I know the domains are achievement, social, personal, community, and living, but in all practicality … none of the staff or administrator understand this system. It is only face value or what I am using in the performance analysis as my 5 pillars. Hmm, so as a Program Director I might assign me the project of developing the domains into an actual visible part of the program; that is usable to the DSPs, Q’s, and Administrator. Projects might have to be approved by the sister, or she might give me a little latitude. Until she trusts me we can count on little latitude. As long as my systems are working I have more latitude, so it behooves me to have good projects.
Ok, good good nice to be back in school with only $89 cost opposed to $1600 cost. Takes some pressure off the game. Ok, we’re doing good so far. We have a structure from which to formulate ideas on program directing through project management. Again a director is in charge of all the parts to the program which are its projects. I’m coming to self-definition here
It’s funny. We asked Dr. Marvin last Thursday too after we told him we might be the new program director … what exactly did that mean. I knew he couldn’t answer it in the time allowed, but it did service the fact … that sometimes the cart does lead the donkey. Heheheh
Ok, next … complete page 7 and on to page 8. Wow! What a concept. I’ve been going and was assigned CARF as if it were a project. But my intent is for it to be part of a program. That’s a phenomenon of a concept jump. It seems to be a difference of scope. Sister seems to now be giving me a little latitude. Like maybe now I can devote some time to working on the performance analysis report as part of the program’s analysis of output … output being the program affect increase.
Hmm … not getting far very fast. It is almost 9 pm now and I’m at about the same place I was before. I don’t know if I told you yet, but we’ve had dinner, figured out how to plug in those silly lights and have been all over Microsoft. Damn them for their inconvenience and expense! I think they go to bed laughing at regular mortal men and women. It just isn’t right to be selling programs so expensive piece by piece until they bleed us dry. Man … they frost me. They still haven’t fixed their site either so that the scroll functions aren’t working. I think they want to see me shrivel up and cry. Damn them Microsoft!
That’s ok, I will just sit back and bide my time. They are probably too expensive for them to hire self to fix their site. HMPF! Sure can learn a lot about business that way though. I’m pretty sure those videos are meant for the big guys.
LOL shoot forgot why I had gone over the fence in the first place. I was a little revved up about our project management project that I figured I was going to try taking from Microsoft AHA! A free demo copy of their project package for the next 60 days. WooHOOOO. Almost got it! We’ve downloaded it and am in the process of installing as we speek. Lucky we remembered to go back! It’s a good thing to have a copy of it.
Shoot copies are good in general … it’s now about 10 pm. We went through a bit with MS again but finally, we prevailed. We’ve got now a copy of MS Project loaded on our computer for the next 60 days. We’ve got until February 28, 2006. *Sigh* On the surface it looks like what I remember of Project 03, but I haven’t tried using it yet. We wanted to have it up and running at the same time as we’re going through the mini-school Project. Lordy if ever there was a woman who wanted a project to organize her projects hehehe. NO we’re not going to tell our friend. He’d only laugh and giggle. Nothing worse than a know-it-all friend. *Hmpf!*
