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Friday, March 09, 2007

Umm surprise ending ...

Good morning. This is me. It is Thursday morning at about 5:10 am. We’ve gotten to the point where we’ve had our cereal, but haven’t had the hot coffee yet. Maybe that’s next … hold on. Actually, it’s the next day and we’ve just started our original sentence twice. I guess, we must do the same thing every morning? Eh, I’d like to think some things are different. We were up a while before, but we found ourselves sleeping at the keyboard. It’s still a struggle to think are we more up or are we more down. Not sure yet.

Whoops guess we were more down. Just woke up again. We slept through the timer by a half hour. Heard it in the dream, but couldn’t get up to shut it off. It became a part of the dream. Just said hi to buddy cuz he was finishing up work thing and now we’re here WITH that hot cup of coffee. We emailed sister and told her we’d be in a couple hours. I figure we put in about 8 hours overtime this week … we could afford that. We need to remember to stop at the bank too. Damn just thought of that … cant do that either will have to stop for a money order. Damn … ok ok … we can handle this we done it before. It’ll be ok, it’ll be ok. We better plan leaving here at about 8 to get to work at 9. Or something close to that. Shoot that means a shower in about a half hour that’s not good … I wanted to wait and get some coffee into me first. I do though want to go to work … too much to do to stay home. Better yawn now and get through it.

Hmm, not much to tell with this short of time … We had a nice talk with the second sister who lives at the center. I was going out when she was coming in, so I opened the car window and we chatted for about 45 minutes. She is the only one beside our friend we can talk to when Sister starts riding our nerves too much. She emphases, but gives me light-hearted motivation to go on. I would have anyway, but I can definitely say she lightened the burden. She’ll be in Rome working for next week for a couple of weeks. So that means a change of Sisters be staying with our sister. I hope that works out ok. I think this is going to be another formable sister. I hope she doesn’t make our sister crabbier. *Sigh*

We’ve been getting pretty hard hit (not literally) by her this week to be doing CARF, but other stuff goes on too. Yesterday, we were working during the morning to get client goals accomplished and then we were hit with OIG coming in for that person with problems. The are the state’s office of inspector general. It was a real low-key guy compared to the last one. He seemed gun shy, but determined to get to the bottom of things. We talked with him for a good bit and then he went over to the families place. The mother stopped being mad at us and called us back to say that he’d been over. She seemed to like him too. He represented a reality in that he had the power to take people out of their homes, but he also was there to try and work things through. He was the most helpful in that he presented an idea that not only the girls, but she receive help. That helped a lot … I don’t know if he can manage, but we’re hoping so.

Our friend was in a little yesterday too. We talked for a bit after the other guy had left … some professional some personal. He seemed to have a harder time leaving the conversation and we weren’t helping him to go any sooner. We wanted of course to know how he was getting along. I know that we haven’t talked to much this week and I think when that happens he doesn’t get a chance to unburden his thoughts … and he has a lot during the week. So, we encouraged him to go on.

After that we had walked past one of the DSPs typing in the room past the two offices. She as I thought stopped me to help her take care of her immediate problem. It was about something personal. We added our two cents that took another 15 minutes, and then we pushed ourselves to be on our way. When we got back from our task, then another DSP was sitting next to her helping type the letter she was working on … and we thought eh … better her than us, because we had WORK to do. We still had to go through our tickler file to make sure everyone was taken care of. That meant progressing the situation of 6-7 clients. Usually, it means a note or a mail or a phone call or something like that. By this time it was about 5 pm. AND, although we’d worked to get to CARF all day … there wasn’t much time. I then started to work on the project of giving sister something to do with CARF … she had asked for it in the morning and had been frustrated we couldn’t meet because of me doing client goals. She snapped about doing them faster and making them easier. I was going as fast as I could … but we’re pretty sure that each goal should be given at least 8-10 minutes … just that there is 15 goals to get through between the 5 people. She doesn’t seem to understand that if we rewrote the goals it would take a very long time to get through it, because it takes a while to create and produce goals. I’m pretty sure I don’t want to go through that 15 times.

I was happy with the work that the clients are doing toward goals. They seem for the most part motivated. One of the guys was sloughing off, but we called him on it. I think a lot the process is just giving them a special amount of time just for them … they seem to appreciate the attention. One of the things we’ve done to expediate is to have them present as we are marking the goals.

I’m teaching them to remember what their goals are and I’m teaching them our system of how we mark their work. I think that helps them understand the process of what’s going on … and in that I help them to understand the differences between their last marks and the next. I want them to work on improving all the time and if they are not improving I want to be telling them why, so they can get past it. Pretty good system actually. I might complain about not enough time, but it’s really a pretty good system. And, I will hold onto the thought that being a teacher again is a good thing.

Sister canceled my staff training meeting yesterday because she wanted me to give more time to CARF, but that’ about when the OIG guy had come in. Shoot fussy kitty … circling in front of me like a shark. Oh good … there she goes …. She laid down. That’s another time cruncher … KITTIES! It’s 7:30 am now too … maybe we’ll give her just a little time before we dash off to the shower. Be rude after she took so long to settle while whacking me with that tail! HMPF!

She’s a little upset I think that we are off-shedule … she works so hard to get me out of the house on time. AND … we are off now about a half hour with the medicine … we better do that right away when we stand up to start the shower.

I hate to tell Sister, but we told our friend and the other sister that although she wasn’t going to like it … we still needed to soon get some Qnotes done. State still hasn’t been in to inspect and we’re going to need doing that sooner than later. Not the time to get behind with the Qnotes at this point. Shoot … special kitty got up on her own … better get to the medicine and shower … brb for a few moments after. K?

Ahh that was good … letting the shower warm up for a second. That’s all, just an opportunity to be here a few minutes longer. Goal to get out let’s say not until 10-15 after k? Could really use the time … and by then sister will be in chapel? Man oh man are we devious… well, that or tired. Ok, shower, right? Go!

Pswhoo … now the shower and dressing is done, but the shoes. Better knock that out too … don’t want to be slowed down in case we get in motion to go. Good good … that’s done. Just remembered that we have a 10 am appointment. Shoot … better get out certainly in next 10 or 15 … want to get comfortable at work first … I don’t have too much to do with these people, but they like to sometimes stay around to chat. So we entertain that notion. Nice to get caught up to in what’s going on in the community. These are state representatives from our PAS agency.

Just enough time to finish the coffee. Well, yes we’ll take some with, but you know finish THIS
cup!

I don’t think I’m hanging on because I have much to be saying … whoops better get the money from the other pocket.

Hmm, went through the stuff on the kitchen table to get the bill … a few other matters to take care of too. Just thinking though … I’d forgotten that our bank also has those cashiers checks and the bank is more toward on the way … maybe we should stop there … then we’re not going out of our way … hmm, good thinking! Just want to breath a minute to make sure we’re all put together. Let’s see got coffee ready … dressed … billing ready … seems nice out there … better wear winter coat just a little longer. Be glad to shed that soon. It’s like March people! Ok, better get going … posting please!

Oh yeah ... one more thing ... this is the picture of new mask ... the trick is to think F-14 Fighter pilot :) Thanks Deb and David!