The roach fiasco followed by great customer service

So, today begins another work week full of the unexpected. Well, let me begin with the roach fiasco. So, I am getting ready for bed last night and as I am washing my face, a huge, flying roach descends upon the sink. Well, I jump back in shock and then proceed to peer at this monstrous roach. Anyway, I get my tennis shoes in order to stomp this beast, but he is in a crevice behind the sink so my shoe does no good. Now, mind you this whole time, my face is still wet as taking time to dry it with a towel might have caused me to lose sight of the roach, whom I have endearingly named, Joe. Well, I nudge the roach with my shoe so he will move out of the crevice and he moves behind some of the bottles of stuff I have on my sink. So, one by one, I slowly move the bottles in order to see the roach and there he is, still taunting me. So, I attempt again to squash him, but the angle of the wall and the sink again causes him to be sitting in a crevice. He moves again and lunges towards me. This time he crawls under the cabinet under my sink and crawls into some dark hole up there. I try to poke under there with the end of my swiffer, but no luck, he is gone, but yet at the same time, he is still in my apartment. So, all that can be done now is to become friends or at least learn to live in the same apartment with my little flying friend, Joe. So, I contemplate going to sleep at Michael's place, even though he is at work. But, I decide this would be silly and I will not have a silly little roach shooing me from my own apartment. So, I calm myself down and head off to sleep curled up in a ball under my covers so Joe can not crawl in bed with me. :) This all leads me to believe, I do need other people in my life, especially other people who don't mind killing and fighting with roaches. :)

So, on to the customer service I experienced today. First off, my day started with a visit to the women's doctor. Lately, these visits have NOT been great or welcoming, but today it was different. In recent previous visits, I have received bad news or have been reprimanded for not following through with prescribed actions. Today, I was actually complimented on taking such good care of myself and following through with recommended appointments. I responded with, "but I am a few months behind when I should have been in here." the nurse said compared to other patients, I am doing pretty great with following through. The visit was short and sweet, just the way I like them. I think I received such kind service because I went to the health center at UTA instead of a private doctor. So, this has already made my day better and then I took my car in to get one of my tires replaced during lunch today. In the past, I have had some complaints with the customer service at Discount Tire Company, but today I was very satisfied. The service was amazing. The representative was very friendly, knowledgeable and patient with me. Also, it only took about 20 minutes to get my tire changed and only cost me $13 just to get a new warranty on the new tire. Anyway, all this to say that I was so satisfied with the service that I just finished sending a shining email to the Discount Tire Company Customer Service folks.

Well, I will say this is an excellent way to start off the week. :) So, the weekend went well. Friday night, Michael and I enjoyed some sushi at Piranha, the best sushi place in the world. Saturday, we made a visit to REI for some more backpacking stuff and then headed over to First Chinese BBQ with Miriam and her niece. God, that food is delicious. Then we spent the evening at Miriam's sister's house since Miriam is babysitting her niece for the weekend. It was so nice to catch up with Miriam and hear how she is doing. Miriam is in town from New Mexico and it was so nice to see her. It is amazing what kinds of things 4 social workers will discuss on a Saturday evening full of hookah smoking and a few beers. Good times. Sunday, I went to the grocery store to stock up on some food for the week, then headed up to Plano to take my family out to dinner and to say goodbye to my mom since she is heading to Lebanon for two weeks. I promised them I would take them out to dinner for being so supportive and helpful during my job hunting time. It was their pick and they all decided they wanted to go to Houston's. It was very delicious and a great time. Then, I headed back home to do some laundry before the week began. Well, all I can say is that for a Monday morning, things are going pretty great. I definitely do not have "a case of the Mondays." :) (please refer to the movie Office Space if you are unsure of that quote). Have a great Monday!!

Nada is cooking

Oh my god, yes, it is true...I am cooking. Now, I am not talking Ramen or rice and beans, I am talking chicken with olives and dates. Ok, I guess I should be honest, Nada is helping Michael cook is more like it. Or another way to say that is Nada and Michael are cooking together. Alright, enough of all that. So, we cooked chicken with dates and olives last night and it turned out great. Tonight, we are cooking easy oven chicken. It has beans and chicken in it and it is baked in the oven. it sounds quite easy to make and super delicious. I think next week, I am going to choose some red meat dishes (I have to try it again sometime and poor Michael can only eat so much chicken) and vegetarian dishes. Anyway, the reason that we are cooking more now is three fold. First off, I am on a regular schedule again, so it is much easier to plan out meals and cooking time. Second, I have started the weight watchers diet program. Ok, I am usually not one to follow specific diets, but this one is really great. It is basically about making a lifestyle change in the way I eat. It is all based on points, so you can eat anything you want, you just cant go over your point value everyday. It is very flexible and does not require cooking crazy meals with all kinds of wierd ingredients. Thirdly, Michael and I want to cook more dinners together now that we both have the time. So, this past weekend, I bought two weightwatchers cookbooks. Basically they are a bunch of recipes from other weight watchers users. They are all pretty easy and very healthy and they include the point value per serving. It is quite great. This gives us a chance to develop our recipe box while also learning how to make healthy foods. I am really excited about it. Also, I think Michael being so supportive about this has definitley made it easier. It is hard to watch what you are eating when the person you eat with most often can eat anything and everything and never gain weight. anyway, he is being super supportive, as usual.

well, this week at work has been quite unproductive. I have learned more about my coworkers and we are doing kickoffs at the different clubs in the afternoons, but in the mornings, there has been a lot of down time. anyway, i am sure it will pick up soon. the first few weeks at any job tend to be a bit slower until you figure things out. I like things slow sometimes, but i also like to be busy, so time goes by quicker and I feel like I am actually helping others. anyway, I have a few things to take care of before the kick off this afternoon, so i am off.

It is officially hump day

for all you sickos out there, I mean that it is Wednesday, the middle of the week. :) well, today started off great. Michael and I are having a hard time seeing each other during the week since he is working nights and i am working days, so we have decided to meet for breakfast once a week when he gets off work and i am on my way to work. It was quite nice. we were able to talk, laugh, and just catch up on the week. I am so glad that we are always able to make time for each other no matter how busy the two of us get.

well, work has been pretty good today. we got a huge shipment in from the food bank today, so i helped unload that this morning. My back is not very happy with me right now. they have two programs here that use the food from the food bank. one is called "food for thought" where the kids can bring in 3 grades from school that are 90 or above and they can take a bag full of groceries home to their family. the other is where we serve a hot dinner 4 days a week, so the kids can make sure and get a good dinner. they are both great programs. the food that came today was great. we got watermelons, strawberries, potatoes, onions, a lot of snacks, some frozen foods, cleaning supplies, cookies, some baking supplies, and all kinds of other stuff. it is pretty great to see programs like this trying to help these families.

on a not so great note, one of the kids i have been trying to see here at work got suspended from the club yesterday. He seems to be having some major anger issues and is acting out and talking back to other staff members. He is suspended till monday, i am hoping to catch him on monday so we can begin talking about what happened. wish me luck.

...and Tuesday is almost over

so, I met another one of my clients today. She also seemed like a good kid. I am worried about being able to have counseling sesssions in the Boys and Girls Club enviornment. The clubs are great, but they can be very loud and disorganized at times. Anyway, I am usually pretty flexible and I think I should be able to accomodate just fine. Anyway, we had our first kick off today where we go to the club and introduce ourselves to the members and play some games and give out prizes and stuff. Today we went to one of the clubs I will be counseling at. It was a lot of fun and I think the kids had a good time also. :)

I think I am going to take a Conversational Spanish class at Tarrant County College. I have only been working here for 2 weeks and I have been asked to speak Spanish a million times, so I think I am going to try to learn. I know I won't be able to learn everything, but I hope to at least get a working knowledge of the language. Anyway, i asked my boss if work would cover the cost and she is going to try to get it approved. Even if it doesnt get approved through work, I think i am still going to take the class. Since I am not in school anymore and am only working 40 hours a week, I feel like I have some time to spend learning another language. :)

anyway, I have about a half hour left here today, so I am going to get a few more things taken care of before i head out for the day. Talk to you all soon.

Another week begins

well, the weekend was short, but very fun. Friday night, I just chilled at home and relaxed with Michael after my first full week doing the 9-6 thing. Michael bought some new "premiere" hookah tobacco and at first I was a bit skeptical, but it turned out to be quite delicious. It was very nice, no fidgeting with the coals or anything. It was a very smooth smoke. Good times. Saturday, we woke up pretty early to head over to my parent's house for a family portrait followed by a BBQ. My brother, his girlfriend and a few of his old friends from college showed up. One of his friends just got married and has a 5 week old baby, she was quite cute. I feel like we are definitely growing up. :) The family portrait went well, short and sweet. The food was great, as usual, and we stuffed ourselves to the limit. Michael and I set up my dad's hookah in the hopes that my brother's friends would try something new. They tried it once and then moved on. Oh well, Michael, my dad and I ended up smoking it for a bit. When it was time for us to head out, my mom sent us home with quite a bit of food. I thought it was a very nice, peaceful, relaxing afternoon.

the evening was also very nice. Michael bought me tickets to Little Shop of Horrors for graduation, so that was our evening plan. It was also our 11 month anniversary, so we celebrated both at the same time. :) the musical was quite good. It was very funny and super sadistic for a musical. There was this big plant eating people up on stage. It was very humorous and light hearted. A nice evening, if I do say so myself.

And now begins another week. I think I am going to have my first sessions with some clients today. I am looking forward to getting started with some counseling. We also have kickoffs this week and next. This is basically where we go to each club and play some games and introduce ourselves so all the kids can meet us. I think it should be a good week.

I am also looking forward to Saturday. My good friend, Miriam, is going to be in town. I haven't seen her since she moved out to Albuquerque after graduation. She is coming into town to babysit her niece for the weekend. Michael and I are going to spend Saturday with her and her niece lounging by the pool. I cant wait to see her. Anyway, I guess I should get back to work. Have a great Monday everyone.

Check out this link

I thought it was quite funny. Enjoy!!

http://www.kaicurryservices.com/peacecandy/gwbush/dishonestdubya/

all is well

everything worked out just fine, as usual. I always get so worked up about things when there really is no reason to. I guess i just hate waiting to talk things out. anyway, I am going to really work at trying to trust that things will work out since they continuously seem to. I just need to believe in that trust. Anyway, i just got into work a little bit ago and i have a few things to take care of today, then i plan on hanging with the kids this afternoon and maybe shooting some pool or watching some olympics. anyway, thank goodness it is friday. I am looking forward to this weekend. Lunch with the family and Michael and my brother's girlfriend, Elizabeth tomorrow, followed by Little Shop of Horrors with Michael. Then, hopefully some much needed relaxing time on sunday before starting another long week. anyway, i am off to get some work done.

What a world

I just got back from visiting one of the other clubs I work at and it's right in the middle of one of the projects in inner city Fort Worth. All the kids that go to that club live in that project development. It is just one more eyeopener to see how these kids are raised and how much they have to face in their lives. they are so young and yet so strong and resilient. I am really looking forward to working with these kids to help them make a change so they can accomplish all they dream of. I know that I might not be able to change the world, but i can definitley try my best to help out a few kids here and there.

so, I had a new hire orientation meeting this morning. It really was not that bad. we went over all the programs and services the Boys and Girls Club provides and then we discussed insurance and filled out a lot of forms. The insurance here doesnt kick in for 3 months, but when it does kick in, it is pretty darn good. That is a really good thing because at that point, i will need to start doing all my medical checks for the peace corps. anyway, after the meeting, some of my coworkers and I went out to lunch at a place called the Coffee House Gallery and Cafe. It was a really cool place. It reminded me of Austin in the atmoshpere and the people there. I had a portabello mushroom salad full of greens with some rasberry viniagrette dressing. It was quite delicious. i would definitley go back there. Now, I am just getting ready to head back into the rain to visit the other location I am going to be seeing kids at. I am really looking forward to starting sessions with the kids next week.

Well, I am still trying to figure this whole thing out about where my future is going. It seems that the same thing keeps getting in the way of me moving forward with my life. I guess it hasnt always gotten in the way, but it has definitley made things much harder. It is so crazy to me how many people can pass judgements and make decisions based on one event. I feel that I have worked very hard to fight and overcome this thing and move on with my life, but it seems that it will always be there and it will always be a point of discussion. Well, i guess what they say and what i used to tell others who came to me for help is true. Once it happens, it will always be in your life, maybe not at the forefront of things, but it will always be there. anyway, i know this is pretty sketchy, but i am sure those that know me well know what i am referring to. I guess it could be a time to change some of the ways i deal with this thing. wish me luck in overcoming what lies ahead.

Kids can help

Sometimes, I wonder if the kids help me or if i help them. I guess it is a two way street. Anyway, I went to one of the other clubs i work at today to meet the staff and visit with the kids. I had a great time. I helped some of the kids with their homework and chatted it up. i met another one of my clients. It was a nice time. I left feeling so much better than i did this morning. It is amazing how the innocence of youth can have such an impact on me. their biggest problem was trying to get their homework done so they can go play. It was so refreshing. It was also very nice to get out of my office for a bit and play with some kids. there's nothing better than that, in my opinion, especially when you are getting paid to do it.

well, as far as my earlier post, i am just hoping that things work out for the best. I know things will work out because they have to, but that doesnt mean they have to work out for the best. but, i guess i have learned a few things in my short life. one of which is that everything happens for a reason. so, no matter what, i will get over and move on and look for the next opportunity. life is full of them. well, i am off to play with some more kids before i head on home for the day. peace out.

some days are better than others

well, I guess things can't be perfect forever. That is my cynic self talking. I thought I got rid of her. :) anyway, I have realized that life is good, which is something I really didn't believe when I was younger. But, sometimes, I wish that things could just work, you know? Here's the deal. I know that planning for the future can be very challenging. Change can be challenging, career choices can be challenging, decided where to live and who to be friends with and who to date can be challenging, etc. Now, what I have realized is that doing all that with another person in mind can be even more challenging.

We all have the same questions. Where will I be living in 2, 5, or 10 years? What will I be doing? Where will I be working? Will I be affecting others? Will I be making changes? Will I be married or single or dating? Will I have children? Will I have achieved my goals? Will I regret any decisions? Will I have the chance to experience what I want to experience? Will I have lived my life to my fullest capabilities?

Life is so unexpected and can be so unpredictable. I am really enjoying my new job, but I have also found myself asking, do I really want to work 9-6 for the rest of my life. I feel good that my work is helping others, especially children. But, I also wonder if there is more to this life. I think of exploring the world, of seeing other places, of helping other people. I feel that I have left behind so much of who I am when I left Austin and UT. When I was there, I felt like I had a cause, I felt like I was making changes, like I was affecting people. I don't feel that anymore and I think that really affects me. I don't usually talk very highly of myself, but I feel that I have some talents. I feel that I can motivate others when I am passionate about something. I feel that I have the organizational skills to develop programs and make changes. I feel that I can really make a difference in this shitty world of ours. Now, there are a few things holding me back. Well, really one thing...Fear. I have a fear of making a big leap. What if I fail? What if I cant handle it? What if..., what if...? I guess only time will tell, but I hate waiting. :)

anyway, all of this refers to Michael and I and the PeaceCorps. I am not sure what he is thinking about all this, but I think I want to do it. I would love to work at this job for a year and then head out to the middle east and help them make some much needed changes. I could overcome these fears I have of making such big changes. I know that I am capable and independent and very determined, but for some reason when it comes to leaving my family and friends to head over seas for 2 years, I get scared. Anyway, this is my rambling, so I think I am going to cut this off. Have a great day everyone.

So, I met my first client today. He seems like a good kid. I am excited about working with him. Anyway, today has been pretty chill. I had a staff meeting this morning followed by a pizza party becuase we won a united way contest. It was a great time. I think my coworkers are all really cool. I dont really see us hanging out outside of work because we all live pretty far away from each other, but i will enjoy hanging out with them at work.

I also found out that i have labor day off, which is only in 3 weeks. I am not sure if Michael has that day off yet, but if he does, i am thinking we can jet out of town. I am not sure where we would go, but it would be nice to head out of town. I am thinking maybe to jet to austin and see mayling and leith before they head onto california, but i am not sure what their plans are yet. Anyway, we will see what happens.

I found a new stuffed mushroom recipe online today. I am going to make it for my mom's lunch thing this saturday. I think it will be quite delicious. I am not sure what else we are going to take to the lunch, but the stuffed mushrooms will be great. :)

well, getting out of work at 6pm is definitley taking some getting used to. I dont usually get home till 6:40 and then if i have any errands to run or want to workout, i wont get home till 7:30 or 8. anyway, i am sure i will get used to it, but this week it is still pretty hard. anyway, i am almost out of here for the day. have a good one.

Back from Amarillo

Well, I had another fabulous weekend. Visiting Michael's family in Amarillo was a blast. They are such wonderful people. Michael was an excellent tour guide and showed me all the great places he used to work and such. I got to meet all his family. they were so great. They were all very friendly and welcoming. His dad even got us a hotel room and they stocked it with some food and roses and a basket with fruits and wine. It was so nice of them. I felt completely comfortable around them. We went bowling, watched Alien Vs. Predator (which was a very, very bad movie), did some drinking, went out to eat, and chatted it up. We went to visit his brothers do jang. he has started a Martial Arts School and is still working on renovating the building. Thus far, it looks great. I wish him the best of luck. We went to visit his sister and see her home. Her son is quite adorable. We were also able to spend some time with his mom and her new fiancee. I also had the opportunity to meet his grandma, who was very sweet. His whole family was truly great. I also had a good time on the drive there and back. It is always so nice to take a road trip with Michael. Well, I would definitley say the weekend was a success. I had a super time and I really enjoyed meeting Michael's family. I look forward to seeing them again soon.

Well, I am at work now and thus far the day has flown by. I have actually had a few things to take care of. the kids should be arriving soon, so I get to meet them all this afternoon. I am looking forward to that. I think this job is going to be pretty great. I got my first paycheck on friday. Yeah for that!!!

In other news, I set up a hair cut appointment for this thursday. Now, this is big news. I have been so broke lately that i have been putting off important things like getting my hair cut. Anyway, we are getting a family portrait taken on saturday and so i thought this might be a good time to cut my hair. my hair has gotten quite long, it has been several months since i cut my hair. anyway, i would like to keep it long, but i need a trim to get rid of the nasty split ends. Also, i am going to get my rec center membership this week. There is a rec center 2 seconds from my apartment and it is only $15 a month to use their track, cardio machines, and weight room. I checked it out and it seems to fit my work out needs just fine. So this way i can start working out after work. :) well, that's all i got for now. I'm out.

Yeah for Thursdays that are Fridays!!

well, I have about an hour left here at work. Today has been a pretty slow day since I am not seeing any clients yet. I basically just set up my office and looked through some resources to help me with my new clients. I did get a bit bored, but I cant really complain since I am getting paid. Anyway, I am not working tomorrow because Michael and I are heading out to Amarillo this evening when I get off work. We are going to spend the weekend up there to visit with his family. I have already met his mom and dad, who were both really cool. The rest of his family like his siblings (of which he has 7) and his grandma live up there also. Anyway, I am really looking forward to this trip. Getting out of town and exploring new places is always cool, even if it is Amarillo, Texas. Just kidding.

Well, last weekend was pretty nice also. Michael and I went camping at Ray Roberts Lake. It was a blast. We have a lot of new camping equipment that we were able to try out. I think we did pretty good figuring out how to use the new technical toys. We actually purified water from the lake and cooked with it. Arent we awesome? :) We also did some kayaking, which at first was very frustrating, but then turned out to be quite nice. We kayaked over to our campsite, which was right off the water. good times, if I do say so myself.

On a different note, Chris called me today. It was so nice to talk to him, I haven't talked to him in over a month. It was very nice to catch up on each other's lives. I miss having him around here to hang out with. I guess that is the case for all my friends. Most of my close friends have moved out of town or are on their way to moving out of town. I guess the best way to look at that is that I have a bunch of great places to visit now that I have friends staying there.

Well, what else is there to share...next weekend, my brother and his girlfriend will be in town for my brother's high school reunion and my mom is having a lunch on saturday that Michael and I are going to. It is so crazy that both my brother and I are dating people we are both serious about. I think this is the first time that has happened. Before the lunch, we are getting a family portrait taken since my sis is getting her graduation pictures taken. I think it should be quick and painless. In the evening, Michael and I are going to see Little Shop of Horrors in Dallas. That is my graduation gift from Michael. Isnt he the best? Well, I obviously think he is and since this is my blog, i get to say what i want. :) I am pretty excited about it, I think it will be fun musical.

well, I guess that is it for now. I hope you are all doing well. peace out.

First post from the new job!!!

Hello all. Well today was my first day at my new job and all is going very well. I am actually writing this from my computer at work in my own office. :) good times. I can say that you all better get ready to have daily updates again just like when i worked at the Rape Crisis Center. :) Let me tell you all a bit about the job. Mainly, I will be doing individual therapy with kids from the ages of 7-17 who are dealing with many types of problems from anger management to suicide to self esteem problems and school problems, etc. I have my own office, my own pager, my own laptop, and a hefty set of keys. Now to you that dont work in the social service field, these are all major things. No one is ever guaranteed anything, not even an office in the social service area. Anyway, I will be doing therapy at 3 clubs in the Fort Worth area. So, I will not have much driving especially compared to my previous jobs. it is basically a 9-6 job. I do paperwork and prepare for sessions and attend meetings and such from 9-2 and from 2-6, i conduct therapy sessions with the kids. the dress is way causal, jeans and khakis and stuff since we are working with kids. also, anytime i dont want to work or dont have anything to do, i get to hang out with the kids in the club and play pool or video games or help with homework or just chat it up. I am really excited about this job, i think it is the perfect fit for me right now.

Well, i just got a call to my personal phone line from my boss's secretary letting me know that we get to leave at 5:30 today. so, i guess that means I am on my way out the door. YEAH for this job!!