This Must be a Wednesday

Good morning, good morning ... We’ve been up for a little while now and did some visiting. Lovely thing to do top of the day. I like sneaking over to folks journals who are still sleeping. It makes me feel like Santa Claus being left out chocolate milk and cookies! Yayyyyyyyy Journalists!

Yesterday, we had one of those days ... I started to do the work with one individual’s annual, then we soon changed over to finishing up the work with another individual’s annual. Then there was the meeting. The DSP ended up not able to come due to subbing for another group, but those notes we’d typed the night before came in real handy. The meeting was a great success. After that we became involved in the work of one of our clients whose parents are working toward getting him in a group home. He was having a hard behavioral day that needed attention. There was a lot of ranting and pounding on things and shaking his fist angrily. I think change is hard on most folks. Then another of our individuals who works got caught stealing. That was a bad scene that took quite a bit of time too. Then at the very end, I heard that one more of my clients was going off the deep end. She was shouting and hitting herself because her OT therapy had gotten too tense. Please believe it isn’t like this all the time. Hmm, full moon was last Friday ... so, its not that!

At the end of the day, my desk was covered in paperwork ... it happens when things are happening too fast and I’m not able to put away one file before I’m pulling another file. So, I spent an hour after hours sorting out the notes we’d made and getting the little scraps written out on regular paper that could be filed into the folders. Usually, we are very neat in keeping the desk cleared off so that only the immediate task we are on is out. Otherwise it is apt to drive me batty. It’s kind of funny, but there was an earlier point in the day (before things became so hectic) that we were thinking how wonderful it was to have our office. When I get in mood like this, my writing desk is cleared off and I’m able to see the shine of the desk light on its wooden surface. I can turn to the computer desk and note that the screen saver is on which looks like very realistic fish swimming in a tank. I can hear the bubblers. I take the time to look at the walls to where there are pictures, see objects and books on the shelve, and it occurs how beautiful it is looking out the large picture window to the garden in the middle ofa busy city. And, I think how fortunate I am to have work that is so satisfying to me. I breathe in excitement as I chance the thought that this is all part of who I am and what I do. It feels sooooo good.

LOL - I was busted by my friend though ... He had come in to sit down in my office at about noon. He wanted to complain about how bad things were at his other job. Always the same thing. His employees are incompetent and have just messed up on another contract which he must now correct and make amends. By that time of the day, we knew of our major problems, but had not yet worked them through. Later we would get in touch with other agencies, doctors, family members, have interviews with clients, staff, and the Administrator. Usually when one thing happens it has a ripple affect and there needs to be a lot of extra communication and a paper trail of all discussions and decisions. But, before this time we were laughing at our friend, we were telling him "overambitiously" that it was easy. I said, "See, we could be overwhelmed too, because we also have problems. But the problems are now on this piece of paper or this other sheet, and now I can disregard the paper, because I’m going to lunch!" He was catching our point, but still perhaps dismayed that I hadn’t taken the time to hear just "HOOOOOW BAD IT WAS!"

Later in the day, I caught up with him in an IM. I said that it had been a troublesome day and he cut me off reminding me of our previous lecture. Thought HMPF! Well, to be honest, first we thought, "No Fair!" He is not even going to hear what the problem is?? So, we reverted to our ability to actually take care of the problem, which as we said before was merely a point that we had to take care of all the paper trail we’d left on our desk explaining all the problems. You know what? It really did help! There were five client files, our November file and the garbage can pile and when all was said and done?? Everything had a place! Nothing else to really be done at that point. Sure this morning we’re going to have to open those client files and advance them another step. Like maybe write a letter to that doctor that didn’t respond to a phone call, or call that other agency we had just learned of the day before, or meet with the sister of one of our clients, who yesterday was only able to handle a phone call. PLUS, maybe get back to the paperwork of annuals and Qnotes which make up mostof the regular days. But, we still have the option of starting the day by thinking, "Oh what a nice office, what a nice desk, I sure would like to be the one who works here! Oh, that’s right, "I" work here! LOL I know, I know ... we’re being silly!

One other confession ... I had a hard time after all was said and done maintaining the boundary between work and home and being upset by work. The girl who stole was pretty sure her sister was going to pull her out of the program. After talking to the sister, it turns out that this was a correct assumption. The sister is considering dropping our program. This made absolutely no sense in our head for a dozen or more reasons. Thing was that we’d worked with this girl for five years. And, now that she made one mistake, we were going to throw everything away? Keep her from her peers and opportunities for what? A secluded life at home cleaning her sister’s house? We were and I guess still are infuriated. This girl’s whole life is going to be swept under the carpet??

Ok, ok ... boundaries. This morning ... pretty soon, we’re going to be out there again. We’ll say, "Good morning office! What have you for us today?" LOL she’ll lay there subtly at first kind of like that icon in the IM window that winks at you sexually. We’ll put our keys in their drawer, hide the lunch on the back of the desk, turn on the lights, open the shades and sit down in our wonderful chair. Maybe today we’ll lean way back and stretch our arms before turning on our AOL. We like to check mail and email right away. Then? Hard to say. We usually look at our notes from the day before and prioritize which comes first, second, and so forth. So, its a matter of doing that, or just waiting around for the first person who shows up at our door. LOL it’s all about the same. Most people start off with "Do you have a minute?" or "Are you busy?" Things like this still make us giggle. "Sure we do, what’s up?" And, very faithfully there are problems waiting for resolution. In all actuality? It’s a beauty of a system ... cuz, after all is said and done. We’re pretty damn good at resolving issues! Yep, yep ... time for another day!