So I have been at a conference this week in Austin for work. First you'll want to notice the time stamp on this blog.
Second, let me point out that our agency seemed to cheap out and got us 2 double beds for 3 people. We decided to charge a cot on our tab so I have the little bed up against the window with plenty of roaring cars on 35.
You learn a lot about coworkers when sharing a room. I've been fortunate to really get to know the two people, that also came, much better. Lots of relationship building. That's the good news. The bad? I think I am able to conclude and armchair diagnose one of them with sleep apnea. BAD BAD apnea. I am on my second night of not being able to sleep. Last night I got 3 hrs, tonight I made it to 2.5. If I put in ear plugs I can STILL hear it too well to sleep! I have a hard time getting back to sleep after being startled awake anyway. She did warn she's a "noisy sleeper." That's like calling a prison stay a quaint getaway. I think I'm losing my mind. I pray I can make it through 8 hours of training again tomorrow (ok, well actually today now). I don't want to make her feel bad but its been rough!
I will be SO glad to get home to my puppies and hubby!
(Wishing for) Peace.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
simple steps week dos
I'm a little behind but doing well. I didn't get in all my walking but am ahead in getting organized, having done WAY more than one drawer. Feels good. I even got out the sewing machine and whipped something up for my neice's 1st birthday this week. Just wish I had mailed it sooner!
I have training for work this week. Sometimes its nice to be away. But I feel behind so its a temporary relief. I real hope by getting more organized I won't feel so overwhelmed.
Ok. On to the new steps to add this week:
Keep a food journal
Squeeze in isometrics (exercises without movement where you contract an isolated muscle for say 10 seconds, ex. Your stomach)
Set up a laundry system
Plan a to do list each day
Remember to continue with last weeks too! Good luck!
Peace.
I have training for work this week. Sometimes its nice to be away. But I feel behind so its a temporary relief. I real hope by getting more organized I won't feel so overwhelmed.
Ok. On to the new steps to add this week:
Keep a food journal
Squeeze in isometrics (exercises without movement where you contract an isolated muscle for say 10 seconds, ex. Your stomach)
Set up a laundry system
Plan a to do list each day
Remember to continue with last weeks too! Good luck!
Peace.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
nutty
I was so glad it was Friday yesterday....at about 5pm that is!
We are still awaiting my mother in law's biopsy results. She sees the doctor on Monday. Her job has already put her on full disability until the end of the year. In the meantime, we found out Wil's great uncle in St. Louis passed away this week, so she will be travelling up to that funeral over the 4th.
Thursday I interviewed for a contract job--a one time a week, 1 hour, group therapist gig for kids that have been sexually abused. One of my old work buddies passed my resume along to her boss (THANKS). Although nothing is in writing, the interview went well, and I was even invited to the 3 hour training I would need to attend. In saying goodbye the woman stated "I will see you later." So it's just a matter of placing me with the right group from the sounds of it. A couple extra hundred dollars a month is nothing to sneeze at...especially since we will need to be looking at replacing Willy's wheels this year yet!
Had my last session with that mom I was worried about. It was a tough one! She is really making progress, just hoping enough seeds were planted and watered during our time together. It was a great growing time for her...but it was also a great learning one for me as well! I will miss sitting on the floor sipping tea. What a strange and wonderful cultural counseling experience. The good news: because of this situation, our agency is evaluating how we can fill the gap for these moms and so we are now trying to collect data to create a new program to serve this type of client. That is the amazing thing about my supervisor/agency. For all the frustration, there is a silver lining (at least).
My mom is *hopefully* awaiting an offer on her house...all these young couples trying to get loan approval...say a prayer that the bank will approve them so she can get herself down here and enjoy our wonderful Texas summer (hehe).
That's my week in a nut shell. I'll post some pics later =)
Peace.
We are still awaiting my mother in law's biopsy results. She sees the doctor on Monday. Her job has already put her on full disability until the end of the year. In the meantime, we found out Wil's great uncle in St. Louis passed away this week, so she will be travelling up to that funeral over the 4th.
Thursday I interviewed for a contract job--a one time a week, 1 hour, group therapist gig for kids that have been sexually abused. One of my old work buddies passed my resume along to her boss (THANKS). Although nothing is in writing, the interview went well, and I was even invited to the 3 hour training I would need to attend. In saying goodbye the woman stated "I will see you later." So it's just a matter of placing me with the right group from the sounds of it. A couple extra hundred dollars a month is nothing to sneeze at...especially since we will need to be looking at replacing Willy's wheels this year yet!
Had my last session with that mom I was worried about. It was a tough one! She is really making progress, just hoping enough seeds were planted and watered during our time together. It was a great growing time for her...but it was also a great learning one for me as well! I will miss sitting on the floor sipping tea. What a strange and wonderful cultural counseling experience. The good news: because of this situation, our agency is evaluating how we can fill the gap for these moms and so we are now trying to collect data to create a new program to serve this type of client. That is the amazing thing about my supervisor/agency. For all the frustration, there is a silver lining (at least).
My mom is *hopefully* awaiting an offer on her house...all these young couples trying to get loan approval...say a prayer that the bank will approve them so she can get herself down here and enjoy our wonderful Texas summer (hehe).
That's my week in a nut shell. I'll post some pics later =)
Peace.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Say a prayer...
Say a prayer for my mother-in-law. She had found lumps in breasts last week and had a mammogram. The results today point to cancer. She will have a biopsy tomorrow on both to determine what is going on. Wil is in OKC so it's very hard to be away right now.
Keep them both in your thoughts.
Peace.
Keep them both in your thoughts.
Peace.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Week One
Simple steps for week one:
1.) Drink 8 cups of water/day OR if trying to lose weight drink 4 cups/50 lbs you weigh (ex. 150 lbs=12 cups of water)
2.) Take a 20 minute walk every day, rain or shine. If you already workout this will be an addition, not substitute.
3.) Clean out one drawer, closet, or cabinet every week.
4.) Start saving $2 a day or 1% of your weekly net, whichever is greater. Also save any change you find around the house.
That's it! There are more ideas in the book, but these are the main steps for the first week. Next week 4 more will be added to these and so on. GOOD LUCK!!!
Peace.
1.) Drink 8 cups of water/day OR if trying to lose weight drink 4 cups/50 lbs you weigh (ex. 150 lbs=12 cups of water)
2.) Take a 20 minute walk every day, rain or shine. If you already workout this will be an addition, not substitute.
3.) Clean out one drawer, closet, or cabinet every week.
4.) Start saving $2 a day or 1% of your weekly net, whichever is greater. Also save any change you find around the house.
That's it! There are more ideas in the book, but these are the main steps for the first week. Next week 4 more will be added to these and so on. GOOD LUCK!!!
Peace.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Simple Steps
I picked up a book this week at Half Price. I saw it on an end cap, read the back but kept walking back to the clearance isle. After a few minutes of looking at kids books for work, lo and behold, there it was again! I decided it must be fate and spent all of $2 on it.
The book is called "Simple Steps.". It's not rocket science. It takes 40 healthy habits (health, weight, home, spirit) and puts them into a 10 week program, each week adding a few more. Every Sunday I am going to post the next week's habits. Feel free to join me in a journey to find more peace and wellness and energy...feel free to post a comment if you're joining in so we can work on it together :). More to come...
Peace.
The book is called "Simple Steps.". It's not rocket science. It takes 40 healthy habits (health, weight, home, spirit) and puts them into a 10 week program, each week adding a few more. Every Sunday I am going to post the next week's habits. Feel free to join me in a journey to find more peace and wellness and energy...feel free to post a comment if you're joining in so we can work on it together :). More to come...
Peace.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Revelations
It's been so hard to accomplish things lately at home or work. I've been a bit scattered! I just need to write some of my thoughts out...for myself (what better way then a public blog, huh? LOL)
Wednesday I had my monthly clinical supervision session (which I had missed in both April and May). I almost didn't go because there was a training I had been invited to attend...but it had been SO long that I thought I should get back..only fair to my clinical supevisor who I pay to see...since I have promised to come once a month. It's really like group therapy. I LOVE it.
Staffed a few cases which felt like normal, until I left group and realized all the feelings it had brought to the surface. I figured out my "spring funk!" Cleverly disguised as being overworked, my real problem was what I talk about all friggin' day long to my clients: grief. Granted the past year has been filled with some personal grief, but this was social work grief for a client I have to terminate with next week. Not becuase she isn't making progress...not because she doesn't want to continue...not because I don't think she needs more session...it's just for one reason: the state of Texas (ahem, $$$).
See, in our program, when the parent's child turns 3, regardless of whether there is more work to be done, that's it. Over. Give them some referrals and be on your way. Usually we wind down to a place where both me and the client are feeling OK with the termination. But this particular mama I see is one of those clients that WANTS to make positive changes and we click in a way that she is able to learn/be supported to make changes and is ready to change! Yet, next week when her child turns three it's over, despite the fact she's not quite finished with this change process...I feel as though I helped open her chest to work on her heart only to leave mid surgery! And there is nothing I can do other than try to persuade her to take a referral and prepare her the best I can. She'd love to continue and it would be in her best interest, *I think* (many more facts that I cannot share that would make it tough for her to feel comfortable and access services elsewhere). But my hands are tied.
So I think I've been carrying that around with me the last month, and with no other agency socal workers to get support from...on my own all day long in the community seeing lots of depressed moms. Wil travelling on top of it. Just feeling like everyone I know has problems and so I don't want to add to their grief pots! It was enough to really get me into a funk and slip on my own self care while grieving this situation (good lord, it's been 2 weeks since I went to the gym!). But leaving the group session, as I finally figured it out, I could cry about it (and subsequently cry at my meeting with my work supervisor today). Then, having had a kick ass session with that mom today, I am feeling some relief. Everyone has work stress...but when your job is to help bear some of the weight of another person's problem, there's a special kind of burnout that makes you truly need a "mental health day." It is this everyday experience and drama that binds us social workers together. And probably what stresses out the non-SWers who are close to us and want to help ;)
I picked up some clearance books at Half Price Books (gotta love clearnace on already cheap books)...I found a good one that I think I will write about more...tomorrow. For now, I am off work early and doing some much needed R&R.
Peace.
Wednesday I had my monthly clinical supervision session (which I had missed in both April and May). I almost didn't go because there was a training I had been invited to attend...but it had been SO long that I thought I should get back..only fair to my clinical supevisor who I pay to see...since I have promised to come once a month. It's really like group therapy. I LOVE it.
Staffed a few cases which felt like normal, until I left group and realized all the feelings it had brought to the surface. I figured out my "spring funk!" Cleverly disguised as being overworked, my real problem was what I talk about all friggin' day long to my clients: grief. Granted the past year has been filled with some personal grief, but this was social work grief for a client I have to terminate with next week. Not becuase she isn't making progress...not because she doesn't want to continue...not because I don't think she needs more session...it's just for one reason: the state of Texas (ahem, $$$).
See, in our program, when the parent's child turns 3, regardless of whether there is more work to be done, that's it. Over. Give them some referrals and be on your way. Usually we wind down to a place where both me and the client are feeling OK with the termination. But this particular mama I see is one of those clients that WANTS to make positive changes and we click in a way that she is able to learn/be supported to make changes and is ready to change! Yet, next week when her child turns three it's over, despite the fact she's not quite finished with this change process...I feel as though I helped open her chest to work on her heart only to leave mid surgery! And there is nothing I can do other than try to persuade her to take a referral and prepare her the best I can. She'd love to continue and it would be in her best interest, *I think* (many more facts that I cannot share that would make it tough for her to feel comfortable and access services elsewhere). But my hands are tied.
So I think I've been carrying that around with me the last month, and with no other agency socal workers to get support from...on my own all day long in the community seeing lots of depressed moms. Wil travelling on top of it. Just feeling like everyone I know has problems and so I don't want to add to their grief pots! It was enough to really get me into a funk and slip on my own self care while grieving this situation (good lord, it's been 2 weeks since I went to the gym!). But leaving the group session, as I finally figured it out, I could cry about it (and subsequently cry at my meeting with my work supervisor today). Then, having had a kick ass session with that mom today, I am feeling some relief. Everyone has work stress...but when your job is to help bear some of the weight of another person's problem, there's a special kind of burnout that makes you truly need a "mental health day." It is this everyday experience and drama that binds us social workers together. And probably what stresses out the non-SWers who are close to us and want to help ;)
I picked up some clearance books at Half Price Books (gotta love clearnace on already cheap books)...I found a good one that I think I will write about more...tomorrow. For now, I am off work early and doing some much needed R&R.
Peace.
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