It's official...

... the rents and two youngsters are moving to LeMars. Still not sure how I feel about that. I will be glad to have them nearer for at least a short time while I'm still around. It would be nicer yet if my brother was coming too. But I still don't know if I like the fact that mom will be able to come over a lot more quickly and spontaneously, or that my little sisters will spend any of their significant developmental years in that town. I suppose overall I will view this in a positive way. At least now Yolanda will actually visit.

I might end up checking out houses for them before they get here. Not sure why they'd trust me to do anything of the sort.

I also will most likely help them move. That could be fun. Never driven a moving truck. Though I suppose I'd probably end up driving their car...

It's the 20's tonight.

cry baby cry

When I first started working at my job, I had a bad day here and there, but for the most part everyone was cooperative and aimed to please and work was rather a delight. Recently, however, and somewhat cooinciding with the arrival of our newest client, there's been a change in the air. People have become less happy and are increasingly uncooperative.
Yesterday there was a staff meeting to discuss this recent change of weather and as if to drive the point home, the day turned into the most tumultuous we've had yet.


Client one, the tazmanian devil, was his usual whirlwind self, going here, leaveing there, and coming into the office every 20 minutes or so with a new crisis, a piece of irrelevant news, or just to share his digestive gasses with us or to belt out a shitty pop song.
Client two, the bear, was threatening to kill my coworker again and we almost called the cops on him. We should have.
Client three decided my coworker had to do her shower today, not me, but my coworker was away so fiiiiinally I got her in her apartment and showered, but the whole process took about an hour. Usually it takes fifteen minutes.
Client four was slamming doors and throwing things in her apartment because we would not allow her to return her new pair of new shoes for the second time to get a new pair of new new-shoes. When the tantrum did not work, she stormed out of the building and began to "run away". Should have let her and called the cops on her too.
Client five kept rolling his eyes and saying "give me a break" when I asked him to please take his shower.
Client six, the old man, who is typically happy and cooperative, had resisted the tumult of the day and was so still, until he was snapped at by his companion, the bear, on the way to the grocery store. Then the two bickered and fought the whole way there and the whole way back.
When we got back, the runaway bunny was silently stewing in the lobby, while I was accosted by client seven, the building newscastor, informing me she was waiting all day for her turn to shop. Those two usually shop in the afternoon, but they were pusehd aside by the meeting. My coworker ended up taking them so that I could brush teeth with the bear and my coworker's endangered life could be spared.
The last of the bunch, which probably would have amused more than frustrated me, had I not already been strung out, was client eight. All day he had been great, doing what he needed to and on time, but upon discover of having no lunchables to pack in his lunch, he became quite agitated. Nothing else would do because everything else he had for meals required microwaving. This is not usually a problem, he likes to watch the microwave display countdown. At work, however, I soon learned by playing twenty questions (because he never says anything straight up) the microwave has a dial, which means no exact numbers and no display. Drives him absolutely insane. He would not make a sandwhich because he does not like cheese on bread and he could not take an english muffin because that is for breakfast only. Though he was not trying to be uncooperative or obstinate, spending 10 minutes going through the entire fridge trying to find an acceptable lunch is a trying experience.

What a night.

Today they have all been much more pleasant. Honey moon stage I guess, before the next round of verbal abuse and emotional drainage.

I decided to join the aerobics group at Dordt. Thursday was my first day going and aside from being a bit lost a good share of the time, I think it went well. Friday I expected to be a bit sore, but not debilitatingly so. When I woke up, however, my arms were in knots and I could not straighten them. I felt like a t-rex, having to bend my whole body in order to grab something right in front of me...

Clove cigarettes are no illegal.

crazy days.

The most ironic thing I heard today is that there exists a school called McPhail. Really? Who wants to go there?

Lisa left today. I miss her already.

Dee came back yesterday. I think she's part nymph. She hung a tree in her room today. Can't stand to be apart, I guess.

My parents are here this weekend. One more round interviews of sorts with a church in the icecream capital....

Five times this week I've gone for drives through rolling hills of corn and beans with dark clouds hanging down to what seemed just a few feet above me (not really, but it looks that way sometimes, no?) and I wished I had my camera every time and every time I had forgotten it again... This morning there was even fog, so the clouds really were hanging down. That and the humidity was rising from the ground. Some of both, I think. Beautiful either way.

Help me, Rhonda

I did not sleep very well last night. I could not fall asleep at first, so I read. Then when I did sleep, I dreamt for what seemed to me to be all night. I never feel as rested after a dream filled night than I do after a night of sound dreamless sleep. But the worst part was my dreams were about work. Documenting, of all things. If I believed in lawsuits, perhaps I could sue medicare, or DHS, or the government, or whoever the hell it is that makes us write so much at the end of every shift, for ruining my sleep. And maybe I'll throw in some emotional trauma charges as well...


But overall, things are fine. I'm nursing a sunburn I obtained as my just reward for skipping church on Sunday to go canoeing. And I'm not sorry! The sunburn doesn't hurt that much, thanks to the invention of strapless bras. :)

I went job hopping yesterday. Went to coffee making at 8.15am. Straight from there to interpret at WIC at 8.45am. Straight from WIC to Hope Haven at 4pm. Stayed there until 10pm. Only went home once inbetween all that, for about 3 minutes around 4.15pm on my way to see one of my community guys.

I got my exercise in yesterday too, since my car is out of commission and I had to bike from home to Dordt, to New Life, to Ridgebrook, to the New Homestead, to Ridgebrook, and then home again. Plus I went for a 30min walk with another couple clients. SOOOO HOT!

Tonight we go wild.

I saw the coolest looking old man today. Tall, lean, wrinkled, good old man style, and a flat cap. I wanted to call him grandpa and I don't even know his name. But he reminded me of my Grandpa Vanderploeg.

For the first time in ages, it seems, I am bored at work. Caught up on my documenting, nobody to see at the moment, just waiting to pass meds and for teeth-brushing sessions.

I finished Grapes of Wrath this week. Gave me the chills. Yikes! So I thought I'd read some Jane Austen next to cure my depression, but came out of the library with some Emily Bronte instead. Hmmm. Hopefully it's not too depressing.

All in a days work.

Adventure #1.
Lisa and I packed up my bike baskets and strapped her into a backpack and cycled all the way to Oak Grove. 15 miles. Two and a half hours of strenuous work up hills, in the sun, and against east bound wind. Totally worth it.

Adventure #2.
Upon arriving we saw there was a boy scout day camp. We asked a woman what time they would all be leaving and she said 4pm. She asked where we came from. We said Sioux Center. She looked a bit bewildered. "You biked?"
"Yes."
"And you're camping here tonight?"
"Yes."
"Do your mom's know you're here?"

Now it was Lisa's and my turn to look bewildered. Apparently this woman thought we were 16. In our surprised amusement, we acted quite awkwardly, probably just confirming her suspicions about our age, no matter what age we claimed to be.

Adventure #3.
Lisa and I had a goal of getting out of state, which required us to cross the river. We were a bit concerned about the water being safe to swim across, but swim we must for we needed to reach South Dakota and did not want to bike another 10 miles to do so. Determined to meet our goal, we cautiously maneuvered our way across the rocks by the shore and then plopped off and began swimming like crazy to get across without getting carried too far down the bank. Just when I was getting quite tired, I looked over at Lisa who suddenly popped up a bit and said, "Hey, I can touch." As it turns out, you can pretty much walk straight across the whole river. A sheepish smile, a slight blush, and then some roaring laughter to regain our self confidence.

Adventure #4.
Begging for bug spray from other campers.

Adventure #5.
After a very rigid search, Lisa and I finally came upon the perfect camping site. Two trees secluded enough to not be found by the park ranger, and close enough together with branches sturdy enough and low enough to hang a hammock from. That's right. We shared one hammock and one blanket. Slightly difficult, slightly uncomfortable, really cold. And we got bug bit.

Adventure #6.
Watching the sunset, then skinny dipping, then almost getting caught...

Adventure #7.
Getting up with the sun, hearing birds all around, and seeing deer calmly grazing nearby. Packing up and heading home with no wind, cool morning air, and just a few stops for breakfast and to strip down as we warmed up from exertion. Thinking I might not make it, but I had to, so I would. Almost bagels. And finally making it back in time for church.

Seven is a good number, so we end there.

Once upon a time...

This morning I worked (and still am there) at one of the waiver homes in Sioux Center. Not my usual place. In fact I've only worked here a few times in all. Anyway, I went with one of the guys to his church, as is custom. He goes to 1st CRC.
Towards the beginning of the sermon, when everyone is still fully alert and not shuffling around yet, I noticed my client had a runny nose and was coughing too so he had snot running down and smearing all over his face. I took him to the bathroom and he cleaned himself up.
After fixing his belt and tucking in his shirt all mother-like, we began to walk back to our seats... only he was in front of me and before I could stop him he power walked right down the wrong isle - the middle isle. Not until he was all the way at the very front of the church did he stop in confusion, realizing he missed something. The pastor just ignored the whole scenario and preached on, which was nice, so I calmly followed my client in my noisy heels (didn't have my chasing shoes on) and quietly directed him to make a right turn, cross through an empty pew to the next isle, and then back track a little to get to our pew. He walked right past that too, but I was a little quicker this time and managed to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention before he walked right back down to the back of the church...
Finally we were safe and sound back in our little pew. *sigh* And then I realized this is the church that gets aired on television (I think). How embarrassing. Though at least now I can maybe say I've been on TV.