Psst.....

Even thought I do not work in a field that typically recieves tips or gifts during this time of year, we do have clients, not all of them but some, that get us little gifts. Generally it's a little something from the dollar store, but we do occationally get a really nice gift, such as the one above. I have always appreciated these gifts, no matter what they are, because I think that is the parent's way of saying that they are grateful for what we do. But if I'm being entirely honest, a sincere "Thank you" from a parent means more then anything that could be bought.

My Grown Up Christmas List

Here is my real Christmas list, NOT in order of importance:

1) A new Job- I'm not entirely sure that I want to work for a different company- things have definately changed for the better- but I would like either a new position or a promotion. Or at the very least:
2) My own office
3) A pay raise
4)Mr. Right- you will notice I didn't say "a boyfriend", I said mr. right because time's awastin'
5) My own apartment- things with the roomies have been a slight bit better, but I have come to the conclusion that things will always have to be done Liza's/sometimes Jen's way. Plus I think I'm a better decorator!
6) A winning lottery ticket
7) Faster results at the gym
8) to be further along with my master's degree
9) Health insurance (without a huge price tag)
10) for my apartment to be mouse free!
11) to be able to fix the scratch on my pretty car
12) for the rest of my family to be able to move somewhere where they will be safe

We girls...Can Do Anything! That's Right Barbie!

Andrew, the one who has worked for us for a long 5 months, assumed the role of director at the start of this week. I have been dreading this because Andrew, bless his little soul, knows nothing about BHRS( the type of program I work in- Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services). I fully expected to see further signs of the apocalypse upon arriving at the office on Monday morning. But it has been, MUCH to my suprise, a pretty good week. The head honcho and I had a discussion one morning about how he just now realized that the company had previously been run by an evil little clique(I'm paraphrasing) and that certain employees were being "sabataged". And I was given a slight promotion. Andrew has decided that there should be 3 levels of TSS, each with a different pay rate. The highest TSS, called Level 1 ( yes, I know it doesn't make sense- there's a reason I nicknamed him Barbie), has the added responsibility of training the new TSS- something that I already did, but now I will get paid extra to do it. YAY ME!! I am not totally convinced that I want to stick around at this place, but it's a possibility.

I am thankful for:

I post so often about the things that have gone awry in my life, so I thought I would post about all the good things:

1) My parents- not until I started working with children with a mental health diagnosis did I fully appreciate the tremendous impact good parents, or the lack thereof, can have. I am lucky enough to have parents who are supportive, who made sacrifices to make sure that I was taken care of, and are, knock on wood, healthy & alive.

2) My sisters- while being an only child looked good when I was growing up, I have come to value my sisters.

3) My big, crazy, disfunctional extended family- Dull holiday or family function? Not with my extended family!

4) My job- Even though it is a stressful job and my boss really seriously could win an award for unprecidented stupidity in decision making, I love what I do. I love that I spend my day doing something good and making the world an ever so slightly better place.

5) My niece and nephews- they are adorable and most of the time, they make me want to have kids of my own in the worst way!

6)My apartment- my bedroom may be the only place in the apt that is truely mine, but I like feeling like an adult.

7) My car- I know that a car is just a possession, but knowing that I bought a new car makes me feel ever so slightly successful, which is priceless. Also I need it to make a living

8) Thunder From Down Under- because hello! Have you seen them?!

9) That I am a grad student! Not only do I get to further my career, but I get to feel smart!

10)My Friends- do I need to explain?

11) Yearly trips to Vegas- make up for all the spring breaks that I worked through. And now that I have a decent income and paid vacation time, soooo much better then spring break!!!

12) I belong to a gym- I get to workout and more importantly, I've seen results!

13)Sick days and paid vacation- because I need a break every now and then!

14) Christmas, my most favorite holiday, is almost here!

15) My big, cushy bed that feels soooo good after a long day with the short people and their, sometimes, hostile keepers.

16) Dane Cook and John Heffron- the only comediens who make me laugh out loud.

17) The Wedding Date- the male lead's lines are so good you KNOW they were written by a woman, but, a girl can dream.....

18) That this year is almost over- I have always felt a sense of promise with the start of a new year and a sense of hope that it will be better then the last.

FYI: I'm Awesome: Part deux

I finished my tenth and final assignment for school today!!! This is the third(3rd) assignment I have done this week! And then I requested my next two classes, which will start in January.

why you should never fall asleep at a family party!

FYI: I'm Awesome

My professor just graded all of the assignments that I have turned in so far (7 out of 10) and I have 100% on every single one!!!! She has written comments on each, so I know that they have really been read and the grade is legitimate. In addition to giving a grade, the professor has to score my writting ability on a scale of 1 to 6 with 6 being excellent. The icing on the cake? Every assignment has been given a writting score of 6. The University also requires each student to write a Statement of Intent, which is a short essay about your goals and how your program relates to said goals, for the purpose of assessing your writting ability on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being excellent. My score was a 5! Why, you ask, does this delight me so much? Because what caused me to drop below the minimum 3.0 GPA at Liberty was a "D" grade on a paper. So take that mr. hoity toity professor man!!!!!

Mental Health Day

Lately my job, well, really my coworkers, have been driving my Crazy. I realized exactly how crazy when I woke up late on Wednesday morning and the first thought that popped in to my head was not "oh crap, I only have a half hour to get ready", it was" I need to use a sick day soon". So I decided to be sick today and I feel so much better!

One Expensive Sticker

I recently renewed my car's registration- but lost the little '07 sticker that you put on your plate. So today I went to an agency that does license stuff to get a replacement. 20.00 bucks for that tiny little sticker!!!

An Act of Management

Last week the guidance counselor of one of our clients called the office looking for the client's BSC, who I happen to share a TSS case with. Both the acting director (Michele) and the guidance counselor were having trouble getting in touch with him. The acting director emailed him telling him if he did not contact her by this past monday, she was going to start restaffing his cases. Now Michele is in for an hour or 2 a day- what hour changes on a daily basis-so it's pretty hard to catch her. Needless to say the BSC didn't catch her in time and Michele immediately started restaffing his cases- including the one I share with him.(Not, however, the one that started this mess!) This irritates me because our case was going very well: the client and his parents were happy and responsive to all of his therapists- something that doesn't always happen immediately and for that reason you DO NOT mess with it!! The BSC position is critical because this person oversees the entire case and decides exactly what we do with the client. So Michele has now completely disrupted this case for no good reason- her ego is the only thing that was benefited by this decision!! Silly me, I thought we should be doing what is best for the client, NOT the staff!!!

Public Service Announcement

I have heard so many complaints, mostly from my mom, that I don't talk and tell people what is going on in my life. It's not that I don't want to tell you what's going on, it's that one of two things generally happens. One- you are so busy telling me about what's going on in your neck of the woods that we run out of time. Or Two- I start to tell you, only to be cut off by my delightful neice or because you have thought of something else you want to tell me or because you have to chase or tickle or otherwise tease your grandchildren. And then you wonder why I am aggitated!!! I spend over 40 hours a week listening to other people's problems and trying help them. And then I visit my Family and listen to them and their problems. I love my job- helping people is a wonderful way to spend your day, and I am glad that I can be there to let my family members vent- I know how important that is. But sometimes, sometimes(!), I need someone to listen to me!!!!! Without interuption!!!

The Ties that Bind

The day that my mom had her heartattack, my sister called me to ask if I wasn't working could I take her to the hospital because our mom had been taken there by ambulance. I was horified to think that my sister thought that I was that cold that I would put work over family and I told her that day that if anyone in our family was taken by ambulance I would be done with work the second I knew! And I absolutely meant it! Recently I have been asked to care for Mimi- checking up on her and giving her a ride. After a lot of thought and with a lot of guilt, I declined these requests. It's not that I don't want to help- I know that Mom and uncle David have a lot to do with her. Or that I don't love her- because I do. When I declined, I said it was because between work and school, I really have very little time- And that is absolutely true. But I know if it was a member of my immediate family(or someone that a member of my immediate family either married or gave birth to) that needed caring for, I'd make the time. The difference is that I have a bond with these people that I don't have with Mimi. I love her very much- but not as much as my parents,sisters, brother-in-law, niece, and nephews. There is a part of me that would like to try to bond with her, but I don't know that that is possible. Mimi has always had her favorites, and I was definately not one of them- I was far to shy and heavy. Not being accepted by your grandmother is a little tough to stomach.

All Freaked Out

So today when I got home there were Fifteen messages on our answering machine. Yes FIFTEEN messages. And all fifteen were hang ups from an "Unknown" number spaced approximately a half an hour apart. I am at a lost for who could have been calling. All three of us have cell phones and anyone who needed to get in touch with us that badly would have called the cell of the person they needed. And telemarketer just don't get paid enough to be that persistant.

'Tis the season

Now that summer- and the increased hours that go with it- is over, I am a little strapped for cash. I have decided to apply for one of the seasonal positions at Bath & Body Works. Any one want to make a family affair? Claire? you know you wanna....

Just Because

Last week sucked. All of my Clients were flipping out left and right- a full moon must be comming. I'm am posting this forward that Jen sent me forever ago because it is funny and true, and it applies:
YOU MIGHT BE EMPLOYED BY A SCHOOL IF:
1. You believe the playground should be equipped with a Ritalin saltlick.
2. You want to slap the next person who says, "Must be nice to work 8 to 3:20 and have summers free."
3. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.
4. You believe "shallow gene pool" should have its own box on the report card.
5. You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says, "Boy, the kids sure are mellow today."
6. When out in public you can feel the urge to snap your fingers at children you do not know and correct their behavior.
7. You have no social life between August and June!
8. Marking all A's on report cards would make life SO much easier.
9. You think people should be required to get a government permit before being allowed to reproduce.
10. You wonder how some parents ever MANAGED to reproduce.
11. You laugh uncontrollably when people refer to the staff room as the "lounge".
12. You encourage an obnoxious parent to check into charter schools orhome schooling.
13. You can't have children of your own because there's no name youcould give a child that wouldn't bring on high blood pressure the momentyou heard it uttered.
14. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form. 15. You know you are in for a major project when a parent says, "I havea great idea I'd like to discuss. I think it would be such fun."
16. Meeting a child's parent instantly answers the question, "Why isthis kid like this?"
For Those of you who do not work with Children (other people's, not your own), YES we really do think like this!

Men in Kilts

Yesterday I went to downtown Bethlehem and celtic fest with my mom and sisters. The downtown Bethlehem part was fun- I enjoy the stores down there and I don't go to them often so they are always a nice break from the mall. Celtic Fest was...ok. I have never been a huge fan of loud crowded places. It's not that I don't have fun at these places, its just that I find I generally want to leave long before the people I came with. This is why I'm pretty sure that I won't meet Mr. Right at a bar. Unless he goes to bed early. What generally happens is that I express my wish to leave and it either goes ignored (making me feel like my feelings don't matter) or the person or people make comments much like Claire did last night implying that I want to leave because I have a stick up my ass. I like bars and festivals, but I only like them in small doses (a few hours). This is not because I have a stick up my ass or because don't like to have fun or whatever other stupid reason you can think of- it is because I am a textbook example of an introvert. Places like this become overstimulating and make me tired- both physically and mentally. This is not something I am doing to be a killjoy or something that I can change- temperment is genetic. In the time I was not updating my blog, I was busy reading a book called The Introvert Advantage. I have seen books on introvertedness and shyness before and have always been courious, so I bought one. Like I said before, it turns out I'm pretty much a textbook example. You are all welcome to borrow it.

(gasp) An Update!! Alert the Media!!

Ok, so maybe I am not as good about keeping up with my blog as Steph or Claire. Ok, maybe that is an understatement. However, unlike those two, I have roommates, one in particular that spends, in my opinion, an unhealthy amount of time on the computer. On the weekends, when she stays with her boyfriend, I never have trouble getting online- coincidence? I think not! That said, I do realize that I need to update more often because apparently all of you are just foaming at the mouth to read about my life- "What will she do next?! "you think. So I will try, but I'm not promising anything!

You got fight..For your right..to Paaarty!

This year's birthday was sponsored by the Penguin- bath mats and windchimes(Liza) and ice cream scoops, oh my! Please no more ice cream scoops! I now have 3, two of which are penguin ice cream scoops -I think I'm good for a few years.I also got the Ny Firefighter's 2007 calendar from Jen. A couple of them should not be models. Sorry, I know it's for charity and all, but seriously! The party was fun. Claire ,naturally, was only present when there was food and for the openning of the presents, which I thought was kinda rude. I realize that we aren't riveting to her, but it's not about her- it was MY birthday celebration so it's about ME. And we topped the night off by insulting Steph & Tom's parenting skills! Yes, it was just non-stop joy!

Just Me & My Mom

I had a really nice, relaxing day with my mom today. First she came over and admired my apartment, which is always nice- both the admiring and having someone visit me for a change. Then we wondered around the shops of Bethlehem township and had a nice leisurely lunch and discussed the extended family- always a lively topic! It's days like this that make me miss those nights when we'd all plop in to Mom&Dad's bed and chat.

Smarty Pants

I have to give myself a pat on the back. Yesterday I decided to ask for vacation days for black Friday and five days around Christmas and New Year's. Because Christmas and new year's are on a monday and are both paid holidays, my five vacation days will last almost a week and a half! AND I have requested these days before anyone else, so I am pretty much ( I don't take anything as a given with my supervisors) guaranteed to get them! And then today, I ordered my books for the class I am taking on Amazon instead of the textbook supplier the school uses and saved myself a little over 50.00.