The World of Work Continues, but More Peacefully

Mornin ... It’s just me. We were up earlier, but decided to go back to sleep, so there is not a whole lot of time left of the early hours. Trying to make the best of things. Still stretchin...

I tried to do a little journal reading last night, but it took some time and we only got about four down, and at that, we didn’t finish. I apologize for not getting around as much as I had been. Seems that work has nearly encompassed me. I want to say thank you to especially Vince, Bill, Flora and Tammy for coming by regularly to check-up on me and add your special daily supports. It’s been appreciated more than you could imagine. Maybe we can catch up between tonight and tomorrow? We’d like to try.

Yesterday, most of the day was put in the working through the new Outcome Report. I think it is going to be a much better document than the first. We’re making some structural changes first, then we’ll try working through the literal changes CARF is asking for. We are very excited about it. The first time, there just wasn’t enough time. We are using all the same data, but the presentation of it is significantly better. Like we said, very pleased. We figure to have it done sooner than the 4-6 weeks it’ll take them to announce officially it needs to be done. Very cool!

The atmosphere at work was a little better than it had been. Not 100%, but better. We spent the first half hour talking/listening to Sr. Tess first thing before even entering our East Wing Garden Spot office. She has a lot of things on her mind. It wasn’t until much later in the day that anything was said about the overtime. She’s still leaning on not giving it to me, but when asked about today, said, well you can come in at least this Saturday.

We thought about it again this morning in the first few moments of waking up. We are very sure that we want to be able to not live off my father’s and Sandy’s gift. We figure too that if we are putting in all these hours, that we should at least be able to have enough money to survive our monthly expenses. We live very frugally.

We’re still very upset that she would deprive us of this. I am not the corner she should be cutting back on. Both times she mentioned to me the surveyor commenting on the lack of money she pays us, she forwarded the information, but she IS ahead of others in paying the DSPs. Seems like it is a violation of the trust we should have between us. We figure if we give her 20 overtime hours, she could at least pay and not quivel about eight of them paid in regular hourly money. It’s not asking for so much, especially if its needed for survival income. *pshwew ... ok, nuf of that..."

Other stuff happened yesterday, I’m sure ... One of the things my mind goes back to now is that Sr. Tess came into the office at one point and took the lilies. I'd been so proud of not killing them!  She’d given each of the staff one for Easter. I had in our window both ours and our friend’s since he hadn’t taken it home yet. Usually, because I have no place for them (apartment and kitties that think they’re chew food), I give ours to our friend so that he may plant them at his place. This year Sr. Tess shwooped up both of them to be planting in the garden. Little worried over what our friend is going to think of this. Hmm...

We did have a good time watching them be planted. We are the only one’s at the Center with a private office window looking outside the building (DSPs have big windows though too). And, at that our window faces out to the long garden bordering the south side of the property. Our other friend, had the lowest functioning group (there were only three yesterday) and a couple of the higher functioning group out helping her plant and turn the soil. Well, you could figure there would be some peeking at all that going on. :)

Everyone at the Center takes pride in the garden. It is about 25' x 8' and is elevated and blocked in by a wooden frame. Usually, Sister plants a row of marigolds around the border to cut down on mosquitoes, then she fills it up with different kinds of vegetables. I’m not sure what’s happening with it this year, but for now there is a very long row (from one end to another) of assorted tulips. It is very beautiful and it managed to all bloom just in time for CARF :)

There is also a statue, but we can’t remember what Saint it is. Between that and watching the birds ... it is very relaxing. And, when our windows are open, we are given to be listening to a couple of the neighbors roosters! I know city and all!! Someone has a couple of geese out there too, but I don’t like their music as much as the roosters. Our second friend says, this is what it sounds like in my country. She was born and raised in Guatemala. Very peaceful. Very nice spring we’re having.

Hmm, don’t think much more important stuff going on yesterday. I think today we are going to definitely be back working on the Outcome report. I am thinking we are going to be doing some very important thinking today. We are going to show that the Center really needs some planning in regard to the program areas and goals. I think in the back of my head we are setting up the position of a Program Manager. I’d like to think there were rhyme and reason to what is offered at the Center ... and we think we can do it through the satisfaction of the individuals we serve. Lookin forward to continuing the project.

Oh, one more good thing happened yesterday. During the long morning talk to Sr. Tess, we managed to progress the situation with the Developmental Book Collection. We brought it back to her attention. At first, she wasn’t so happy, then we figured out why ... she had not gotten to the back page where the finances were concerned and had thought we were asking her to buy the collection herself.

After that was straightened out, she put out her next concern over where the collection would be placed. We had pre-thunk this one. We said that we’d thought either the Staff resource room or the window ledge in our office. We knew there was a pretty good chance it would end up in our office and was our preference, but theoretically the resource room made more sense as themes go.

We were up against two things. She thinks the resource room is too crowded (She’s got a bunch of old stuff in there nobody can use, but she thinks is valuable) and she’s stated before she thought my window ledge should remain cleared. I think she was worrying about keeping the collection in tact, so the window ledge worked out in our favor.

We’re very, very excited to have the references at our finger tip!! We figure the window ledge is about 6-7 feet long and should handle the load. And the shelf is 6-7" wide, so that all works out. A couple of the books will be taller and wider, so those can be tucked away in our upper open cubby hole on the top of the hutch along side the professional journals we keep and a stuffed bear family :)

See, see ... things progress ... at least she’s now imagining the books IN the building :) :) :)

Well all, take care of your day ... and again thanks for stopping in!