Soo Long!

I can't believe how long it has been since I last blogged! My weeks and days have been insanely busy and I have collapsed in exhaustions at the end of most days.

I went to my yearly week-end with teens last week and it was fun as ususal. Picture 135 High School Sophomores (15-16 years old) pumped up on sugar, yelling cheers as loud as they can and discussing the future of the world the rest of the time. We had a blast. Some of the kids were amazingly smart, which gives me hope and balances some of the challenges I face with the kids I work with for my job.

Speaking of which, It has been closer to a pain than anything else. WARNING: the following paragraph contains intense raving and bitching about work, upbeat section of blog comes after, feel free to skip to that part. END OF WARNING. I had some training which was good, and since then I have been trying to catch up. We have mountains of documentation that we struggle to keep up with, and more work than can be done. I get frustrated. More and more responsibilities are put on me and I want to move on. Last week, after a week-end of not much sleep with the crowd of teens, I was required to attend training every mornings from 8 to 12, and then basically do all of the rest of my work, which takes at least 6 to 7 hours just to stay afloat. I was a real bitch all week to everyone, and very short with my boss. We finally talked on Friday and I will not do the second week of the training. Two of the reasons that pissed me the most were that this was a training for the trainer of a basic communication training for foster parents. I don't want to have to take another assignment, because I don't have time for it. The nature of the training was very basic and nothing I did not know, so basically useless to me. I'll do the time crunch thing if I will get something out of the training, but not if I won't. In addition, I have a hard time being at work at 8 am because I have to do my meds which take a half hour, and I really need to go to the gym to keep my lung function at its best, that takes about 1 and 1/2 hour before breakfast and shower and drive to work, and no, I will not get up at five in the morning to get to work at 8. Anyway, I did bitch to the boss and now I'm out of the training for the second week. Another thing that pissed me off was that there is a huge conference of all the folks who do my program in california in June and I really wanted to go, but was told we could not send anyone. Then I find out that my boss, the agency CEO and another person all are going to present on our program. That really upset me, not that I am not going, but that I was not in the loop of setting it up. My boss kept saying he would rather not go, and I don't care about how he feels about going or not, I would have like to be included in decisions being made about my program, since I am the supervisor of the program! GRRR!

NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS:
Another thing that has taken time away from blogland is that I have applied to the local college as an instructer and was accepted. I will teach a class in the fall. That may help me move on away from a job where I feel like I am treading water and never get closer to the shore. I am really excited about it and realize that it will be a lot of work at first, but I am ready for a change and something where I feel some fun. I may be able to have a private practice too in the future, so that could bring some positive changes.

I also have been to concerts that were very uplifting. I went to the closing season concert of the choir I toured with last year and it brought back such strong memories. It was wonderful. I loved hearing all of their voices. I also went to see a funk group that is great and danced some. So it is not all bad, actually there is quite a bit of good. I just don't do well when I am overtired and don't get an opportunity to exercise.

On the horizon, the music festival I attend each year is coming up and I will be delighted to have fun with friends and fill my heart with music.

Internet Issues

Not only did I have a crazy week that kept me busy beyond belief, but also I had litterally no access to the internet all week-end. The system was slower than molasse and I could not check any blog or write or anything.

I also sent in an application for a part-time teaching position at the local Community College. That should be fun if I get one or two classes. That might allow me to go ahead and open my own practice and get some much sought after changes in my life to happen. But getting the application together, writing the cover letter, new resume, equivalency letter (they asked for any kind of degree but an MSW!), and then this silly letter that describe how I am suited to understand the diversity of students found in the college system. And then this long application, requiring my past 15 years of employment, that I filled online. Oof! It took a lot out of me. And then to rest this week-end, I had the pager! Which ran non-stop with all kind of situations all week-end long. I was so glad to pass that thing on!

So today I decided to not go to work in support of the protest, and because I worked so much over the week-end, and I am and immigrant. So there! I did feel slightly guilty though and took some calls as I knew others were out and did not want the clients to need help and not have support.

At home, Quebec, we always celebrated the "Jour du travaileur" (day of the worker). We did not get it off that I remember. Refresh my memory Mystic, did you get the day off? I saw several folks protesting with signs and flags as I went to a nearby town to get my oil changed. I know, I know, it is oximoronish, but will leave on wednesday for two trips, one up north, but not as far as the Bay Area, and one down south on Saturday, and I could not be car-less while I am on-call.

This week's trip is a seminar on integrating consumer in service delivery. It should be interesting. The week-end is a training for the upcoming seminar I do each year with high school cream of the crop kids. They balance some of what I see everday.

Spin you mention how you love Billy Holiday's voice, you should try to find music by Madeleine Peyroux. She is very similar in her phrasing and voice. I just discovered her and just love her. Anyone out there knows of her?