I waited too long, and the candle shop took down the help wanted sign.
Sigh.
Junior wasn't too happy about me going to work anyway, so in a way I guess it's a good thing. Brandi was furious and cried for hours when she found out I was going to apply, so I guess it's for the best.
It's not that Junior doesn't want me to work...he doesn't hold me hostage here...he is just afraid that the kids will lose their medicaid if I go to work...and we can not afford family coverage through his job. I mean, it's bad enough we don't have insurance...the kids NEED it, especially Ryan. Now I just have to hope that there is a page rank increase on one of my blogs.
Higher rank = more money.
Junior also fears having to deal with homework and supper and showers and all the evening things I would miss if I was working. I have a routine, and it works, but he hates following "orders", so he would do it his own way, and that is where things will go nuts. So for now, I will do my paid posts, and save money where I can.
I touched on this on my other blog, but it is something that is really on my mind right now.
Christmas.
I am trying not to get stressed out, because I know we always find a way to get the kids what they want. It's just that buying for my nieces and nephews is going to be tough. My sisters always spend more on my kids than I do on their kids, and I hate it that this year, I will be lucky to scrape together the money to spend even $5 per kid.
Sad, I know.
Junior is trying to sell some of his fishing rod holders...with my dad's help...and hopefully those will bring in some money. I am trying to see how long we can go without turning on the heat...that right there will save some money.
Even though it is supposed to be in the 30's tonight.
I think it's time to pull on the fuzzy socks.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
A Tough Decision
I think I mentioned, a few weeks back, that we lost our therapist at therapy. We ended up with a very nice woman, and a man(Bob), who junior was never really comfortable with.
Over the weeks, Junior never really warmed up to Bob. I was willing to give him a chance, but there were things he has said that kind of made me a little uncomfortable. For instance, a few sessions back, as we were wrapping up the hour, Bob said that he was going through a similar situation with his son that Junior is going through with his dad.
Weird. I didn't think the therapists were supposed to share so much about their personal lives. When Junior and I left, we began wondering what he meant. Was he acting like Junior's dad, and being toxic towards his son? Was his son treating him like Junior's dad does him? I was unsettled thinking about it, and told Junior that given the chance, I was going to ask Bob what he meant.
Next session, Bob starts telling us about his car problems. For 30 minutes of our 50 minute session, Cindy (our female therapist) and I just stared off into space while Bob and Junior talked cars. Cindy tried several times to steer the conversation back to Junior's issues, but Bob always ends up talking about himself.
At the end of every session, Cindy always asks if there is anything else we want to say before we end for the week, and I asked Bob about his comment the session before. He started saying how his son is a deadbeat, and can't keep a job, and how his wife is a drug addict, and they are raising his child...and then he pulled out his wallet and started showing us pictures.
Now, his situation is NOTHING like what junior is going through, and I found it extremely unprofessional that he shared so much about himself, and PICTURES! When we left, Junior and I both thought that maybe we should say something to Nancy next time we saw her.
This brings us to today.
Cindy came into the waiting room, and asked if it would be okay if we started our session with Bob because she had to take an emergency phone call, and she would join us in a few minutes. What could we say? So off we go with Bob, and he starts by asking how our last two weeks have been.
Fine. No stress with Junior's family, which has been nice. Then Junior brings up the incident with Ryan getting pushed at school. I won't go into all the details, but Bob ended up telling us how when he was a kid, he was fat, and the kids picked on him, so one day he turned around and punched a kid in the face and then sat on him. This was supposed to make us see that Ryan shouldn't fight back.
Okay, first off, Junior brought up the incident because we disagreed on how Junior handled the situation with the vice principal. I thought what he said to Ryan in front of her was inappropriate, and should have been discussed in private. We were not looking for advice on how to raise our son, and we certainly didn't need to know about Bob's childhood. Again, I found it a little strange that instead of counseling us, he was comparing us to him. That's not what therapists do.
When Cindy walked into the room a few minutes later, she tried to pick up on what we were talking about, but she couldn't follow. So while explaining, it to her, Bob made a comment about Junior being to old and ugly to live like he used to.
WTF?
That was kind of the last straw. I knew Junior was upset, and I think Bob did too, because a few minutes later, he excused himself from the room. Cindy asked if we would excuse her, too, because she had something to tell Bob.
As soon as they were out of the room, Junior looked at me, and was furious. There were other things Bob said that upset Junior, but I don't want to say here because I still think some of his family are being sneaky and reading this. He started to say something when Cindy came back in, and totally shocked us by what she said.
She started by saying that she had too many clients, and that she was trying to find a few who wouldn't mind switching therapist. She asked us if we would like for Bob to become our only therapist, since he has been sitting in on our sessions, and knew us.
Um, no. She said okay, that she would continue to be our therapist.
Then we asked her if Bob could not meet with us anymore.
She asked why, so we told her everything I just told you guys, plus some.
The funny thing was, she said that she had also picked up on everything we said, but she thought it was just her. She said she would bring it up to their supervisor so that he could talk to Bob privately, and let him know what he needs to improve upon.
I feel really bed, because I know these therapists are students, and that they are learning. I don't want to hurt Bob's feelings, but I also want Junior to be comfortable with his therapist, or he will not want to go.
I believe he still needs to go. He is doing wonderfully, and I want him to continue down that path. I think talking to the therapist helps him to deal with things.
So for now, we will continue to see only Cindy. I also asked that she switch our session from Thursday to Wednesday, so that if I decide to apply for that candle job, I can be available on Thursdays.
See what happens when I wait so long to post over here? I have too much to say! lol!
Over the weeks, Junior never really warmed up to Bob. I was willing to give him a chance, but there were things he has said that kind of made me a little uncomfortable. For instance, a few sessions back, as we were wrapping up the hour, Bob said that he was going through a similar situation with his son that Junior is going through with his dad.
Weird. I didn't think the therapists were supposed to share so much about their personal lives. When Junior and I left, we began wondering what he meant. Was he acting like Junior's dad, and being toxic towards his son? Was his son treating him like Junior's dad does him? I was unsettled thinking about it, and told Junior that given the chance, I was going to ask Bob what he meant.
Next session, Bob starts telling us about his car problems. For 30 minutes of our 50 minute session, Cindy (our female therapist) and I just stared off into space while Bob and Junior talked cars. Cindy tried several times to steer the conversation back to Junior's issues, but Bob always ends up talking about himself.
At the end of every session, Cindy always asks if there is anything else we want to say before we end for the week, and I asked Bob about his comment the session before. He started saying how his son is a deadbeat, and can't keep a job, and how his wife is a drug addict, and they are raising his child...and then he pulled out his wallet and started showing us pictures.
Now, his situation is NOTHING like what junior is going through, and I found it extremely unprofessional that he shared so much about himself, and PICTURES! When we left, Junior and I both thought that maybe we should say something to Nancy next time we saw her.
This brings us to today.
Cindy came into the waiting room, and asked if it would be okay if we started our session with Bob because she had to take an emergency phone call, and she would join us in a few minutes. What could we say? So off we go with Bob, and he starts by asking how our last two weeks have been.
Fine. No stress with Junior's family, which has been nice. Then Junior brings up the incident with Ryan getting pushed at school. I won't go into all the details, but Bob ended up telling us how when he was a kid, he was fat, and the kids picked on him, so one day he turned around and punched a kid in the face and then sat on him. This was supposed to make us see that Ryan shouldn't fight back.
Okay, first off, Junior brought up the incident because we disagreed on how Junior handled the situation with the vice principal. I thought what he said to Ryan in front of her was inappropriate, and should have been discussed in private. We were not looking for advice on how to raise our son, and we certainly didn't need to know about Bob's childhood. Again, I found it a little strange that instead of counseling us, he was comparing us to him. That's not what therapists do.
When Cindy walked into the room a few minutes later, she tried to pick up on what we were talking about, but she couldn't follow. So while explaining, it to her, Bob made a comment about Junior being to old and ugly to live like he used to.
WTF?
That was kind of the last straw. I knew Junior was upset, and I think Bob did too, because a few minutes later, he excused himself from the room. Cindy asked if we would excuse her, too, because she had something to tell Bob.
As soon as they were out of the room, Junior looked at me, and was furious. There were other things Bob said that upset Junior, but I don't want to say here because I still think some of his family are being sneaky and reading this. He started to say something when Cindy came back in, and totally shocked us by what she said.
She started by saying that she had too many clients, and that she was trying to find a few who wouldn't mind switching therapist. She asked us if we would like for Bob to become our only therapist, since he has been sitting in on our sessions, and knew us.
Um, no. She said okay, that she would continue to be our therapist.
Then we asked her if Bob could not meet with us anymore.
She asked why, so we told her everything I just told you guys, plus some.
The funny thing was, she said that she had also picked up on everything we said, but she thought it was just her. She said she would bring it up to their supervisor so that he could talk to Bob privately, and let him know what he needs to improve upon.
I feel really bed, because I know these therapists are students, and that they are learning. I don't want to hurt Bob's feelings, but I also want Junior to be comfortable with his therapist, or he will not want to go.
I believe he still needs to go. He is doing wonderfully, and I want him to continue down that path. I think talking to the therapist helps him to deal with things.
So for now, we will continue to see only Cindy. I also asked that she switch our session from Thursday to Wednesday, so that if I decide to apply for that candle job, I can be available on Thursdays.
See what happens when I wait so long to post over here? I have too much to say! lol!
related to:
therapy
Thursday, October 8, 2009
I Need To Do This More Often
I keep forgetting to update this blog. It's not my main blog, and it gets little traffic, and I mostly use it to write about myself, and since nothing exciting ever happens in my life, I don't write much here.
What have I been up to? Let's see...I still haven't started packing, even though I have 20 or so boxes ready and waiting to be filled. I am hoping to get motivated this weekend, when the kids are home to help. I especially want to do Ryan's room, because his party is next friday, and I want the kids to be able to go in there and not get lost. Yes, it is that messy.
Speaking of Ryan's party...I am still trying to figure out the menu. I want to do chips and finger foods, and I have a few I do every year, but I want something different. I need to look around online to see what I can find. I just need to find the time to do it. My mom called last night, making sure I wanted her to do the cake. She won't tell me what she has planned, but I am sure it will be amazing. I am going to make a few little pumpkin cakes using the pan I bought, too, just to make sure there is enough.
I need to get a grocery list together, too. Our first month back on food stamps kicks in on Saturday, so we are going to get all the party food, and the basic staples we have been doing without. Plus, Food Lion is having an awesome sale on chicken strips, and I use those all the time. Even when I but boneless skinless breasts, I always chop them down into strips. Anyway, I want to stock up on those while they are on sale.
I am still looking for work. I am debating walking down to a candle store that is literally a minutes walk from the end of my driveway. They are looking for part time work, and my friend went in to see if she could get the job, but she wasn't available the hours they are looking for. They need someone to work Thursday and Friday, from 10 until 6. They only pay minimum wage, which really doesn't make it worth it. Plus, I need the 16 and 30th of october free, and those are both Fridays. Maybe if the sign is still up in November, I will go look into it more.
What have I been up to? Let's see...I still haven't started packing, even though I have 20 or so boxes ready and waiting to be filled. I am hoping to get motivated this weekend, when the kids are home to help. I especially want to do Ryan's room, because his party is next friday, and I want the kids to be able to go in there and not get lost. Yes, it is that messy.
Speaking of Ryan's party...I am still trying to figure out the menu. I want to do chips and finger foods, and I have a few I do every year, but I want something different. I need to look around online to see what I can find. I just need to find the time to do it. My mom called last night, making sure I wanted her to do the cake. She won't tell me what she has planned, but I am sure it will be amazing. I am going to make a few little pumpkin cakes using the pan I bought, too, just to make sure there is enough.
I need to get a grocery list together, too. Our first month back on food stamps kicks in on Saturday, so we are going to get all the party food, and the basic staples we have been doing without. Plus, Food Lion is having an awesome sale on chicken strips, and I use those all the time. Even when I but boneless skinless breasts, I always chop them down into strips. Anyway, I want to stock up on those while they are on sale.
I am still looking for work. I am debating walking down to a candle store that is literally a minutes walk from the end of my driveway. They are looking for part time work, and my friend went in to see if she could get the job, but she wasn't available the hours they are looking for. They need someone to work Thursday and Friday, from 10 until 6. They only pay minimum wage, which really doesn't make it worth it. Plus, I need the 16 and 30th of october free, and those are both Fridays. Maybe if the sign is still up in November, I will go look into it more.
related to:
halloween,
jobs,
moving,
packing,
party planning
Thursday, October 1, 2009
A Mish Mash Of My Day
Junior took today off to deal with some landlord issues...I am so ready to move!...so we went out and had breakfast at Hardee's. We haven't done this since he started morning shift at work, and it was nice to sit with him, without kids, and have an adult conversation. Not ADULT adult, but just a normal conversation where we talked about Christmas and moving, without little ears around. The one big drawback about our little duplex is that even when the kids are in another room, they can still hear every word we say.
We also went and looked at storage buildings...I wrote about that on my other blog...and when we got home Missy called. We decided to meet up for supper, and I gotta tell you, I had a really good time. This surprised me, because I was on the verge of a panic attack, because the restaurant was sooo busy. But once we were seated, I was okay. I don't know when I got so crazy, either. Those things never used to bother me. Missy's mom came too, and I really enjoy spending time with her, too. If you read Missy's blog, you know how great her sense of humor is. Well, she gets it from her mom, and the two of them together is hysterical. We are all going to go trick or treating together, and I am really looking forward to it!
Junior and I also went to therapy today. It was a good session, where we basically discussed how much improvement Junior has shown in the past year, and deciding what we still have to work on to get him where he needs to be. I think he is well on his way, and his therapist(s) agree. I am so proud of him.
I was proud of myself the other day when we went to Burger King with Brandi, and I was able to sit in a booth. I may have mentioned this before, I don't remember, but I never used to be able to fit in the booths at fast food places. It's nice that I can now.
I guess that's about it. Have a great night!
We also went and looked at storage buildings...I wrote about that on my other blog...and when we got home Missy called. We decided to meet up for supper, and I gotta tell you, I had a really good time. This surprised me, because I was on the verge of a panic attack, because the restaurant was sooo busy. But once we were seated, I was okay. I don't know when I got so crazy, either. Those things never used to bother me. Missy's mom came too, and I really enjoy spending time with her, too. If you read Missy's blog, you know how great her sense of humor is. Well, she gets it from her mom, and the two of them together is hysterical. We are all going to go trick or treating together, and I am really looking forward to it!
Junior and I also went to therapy today. It was a good session, where we basically discussed how much improvement Junior has shown in the past year, and deciding what we still have to work on to get him where he needs to be. I think he is well on his way, and his therapist(s) agree. I am so proud of him.
I was proud of myself the other day when we went to Burger King with Brandi, and I was able to sit in a booth. I may have mentioned this before, I don't remember, but I never used to be able to fit in the booths at fast food places. It's nice that I can now.
I guess that's about it. Have a great night!
related to:
friends,
therapy,
weight issues
Friday, September 25, 2009
Sleep, Where Are You?
I am so tired! Junior left work early today, waking me around 9:30. I had just laid back down! I am extremely happy that tomorrow is Saturday, and I do not have to get up to an alarm. I will enjoy sleeping in, and will kill anyone who disturbs my sleep.
Okay, maybe I won't KILL them, but I can make their day miserable. I am the mom, ya know!
I have been crocheting like a madwoman, trying to get a few things done. I have also been working on a Halloween header for my main blog, and I am dying to put it up...but I will wait until Oct.1st. Hopefully :)
I also finished Ryan's birthday invitations, and they came out really good, if I do say so myself. I am looking forward to his party, and hanging out with friends and family. I want to find some new recipes for this year, so any ideas for Halloween themed foods is greatly appreciated.
Junior and I were discussing what we're going to get the kids for Christmas at lunch today, and it's going to be hard this year. Not only financially, but the kids haven't really asked for anything. Brandi wants a couple of movies...Camp Rock and Princess Protection Program...and that's easy enough. I want to get Ryan a television for his room...his is broken...and the girls will need one for their room when we move, so maybe I will get them a joint gift. Or maybe I will just wait til we get our taxes and buy them. I don't know.
I'm still holding steady with the weight loss. I haven't lost any more weight, but I haven't gained any back, either. Thankfully my life is more stress free every day, so now I need to make a conscience effort to lose. I am liking how I'm feeling these days, so I have faith I can continue down this path.
I guess that's about it for now. Have a great weekend! Ours will be low key, and I'm looking forward to it.
Okay, maybe I won't KILL them, but I can make their day miserable. I am the mom, ya know!
I have been crocheting like a madwoman, trying to get a few things done. I have also been working on a Halloween header for my main blog, and I am dying to put it up...but I will wait until Oct.1st. Hopefully :)
I also finished Ryan's birthday invitations, and they came out really good, if I do say so myself. I am looking forward to his party, and hanging out with friends and family. I want to find some new recipes for this year, so any ideas for Halloween themed foods is greatly appreciated.
Junior and I were discussing what we're going to get the kids for Christmas at lunch today, and it's going to be hard this year. Not only financially, but the kids haven't really asked for anything. Brandi wants a couple of movies...Camp Rock and Princess Protection Program...and that's easy enough. I want to get Ryan a television for his room...his is broken...and the girls will need one for their room when we move, so maybe I will get them a joint gift. Or maybe I will just wait til we get our taxes and buy them. I don't know.
I'm still holding steady with the weight loss. I haven't lost any more weight, but I haven't gained any back, either. Thankfully my life is more stress free every day, so now I need to make a conscience effort to lose. I am liking how I'm feeling these days, so I have faith I can continue down this path.
I guess that's about it for now. Have a great weekend! Ours will be low key, and I'm looking forward to it.
related to:
christmas,
party planning
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Hidden Surprise
I was talking to our neighbor, Paige, this afternoon, you know, the one who I fought with over her stupid dog. The past few months she has been as nice as can be, acting as if nothing ever happened between us.
Whatever.
Anyway, we were talking today, and I asked when they were moving, because they just bought a house. She said hopefully in the next four weeks. We got to talking about what happened here yesterday with the phone guy, and she was telling me how she has had mice in her kitchen. She said every night they can hear them running around in the kitchen, and every morning the traps are full.
Gross.
Thank goodness I have the cats, who kill the mice before they can get into my side. She said a few days ago, she came home, and heard something in the cabinet, and assumed it was another mouse. (she is using sticky traps instead of the snap kind) When she opened the cabinet, she found a snake stuck on the trap! Can you imagine?
I know there are snakes around here, because we have caught a few in the minnow trap in the creek, but I didn't know they were coming up to the house. She said Josh (her boyfriend) said the snake was probably after the mice, but still. Kind of makes me a little weary.
Have I mentioned that I can not wait to move?
I asked how the mice and snake got in, and she said her kitchen sink leaks underneath, and it has rotted holes in the boards. She said when she mentioned it to our management company, they said it was something they could live with, so they weren't going to fix it. How crappy is that? I am so glad Junior fixed our plumbing problem, because I have a feeling the management company wouldn't have cared about that, either. Paige said they can not wait to get out.
Neither can we.
Whatever.
Anyway, we were talking today, and I asked when they were moving, because they just bought a house. She said hopefully in the next four weeks. We got to talking about what happened here yesterday with the phone guy, and she was telling me how she has had mice in her kitchen. She said every night they can hear them running around in the kitchen, and every morning the traps are full.
Gross.
Thank goodness I have the cats, who kill the mice before they can get into my side. She said a few days ago, she came home, and heard something in the cabinet, and assumed it was another mouse. (she is using sticky traps instead of the snap kind) When she opened the cabinet, she found a snake stuck on the trap! Can you imagine?
I know there are snakes around here, because we have caught a few in the minnow trap in the creek, but I didn't know they were coming up to the house. She said Josh (her boyfriend) said the snake was probably after the mice, but still. Kind of makes me a little weary.
Have I mentioned that I can not wait to move?
I asked how the mice and snake got in, and she said her kitchen sink leaks underneath, and it has rotted holes in the boards. She said when she mentioned it to our management company, they said it was something they could live with, so they weren't going to fix it. How crappy is that? I am so glad Junior fixed our plumbing problem, because I have a feeling the management company wouldn't have cared about that, either. Paige said they can not wait to get out.
Neither can we.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
My Phone Problem Was Actually A Plumbing Problem
I was expecting the phone guy between 1 and 3 this afternoon. At 10 til 3, the guy still hadn't shown up. I called Charter, and asked if there was a delay. The guy on the phone looked on his computer, and said the technician had marked my order completed.
WTF?
I told him I had been here all afternoon, with my door open, and he never showed up. The guy said he would call the technician and see what was going on, and call me back. HELLO! My whole issue is that I can not receive incoming calls. I tell him this, and he tells me he'll just put me on hold.
Five minutes later he comes back and says the guy says he knocked on the CLOSED door, and left a tag on the handle. He asked if I lived in a gray duplex. I said yes, then told him to hold on while I went to see if maybe the guy went next door.
Nope.
The guy on the phone tells me to hold on again. Another five minutes and he comes back, saying the technician admitted that he wasn't sure he was at the right place, so they would sent someone else out before 5. He told me that they usually don't send someone else the same day, but because the technician admitted fault, they would.
Well, wasn't that nice of them.
The other technician shows up, and after almost an hour discovers what the problem was. The cordless phone in my bedroom is plugged into a jack that was at the head of my bed. (well, to me it's the foot because I sleep upside down on the bed...I always have...I know I'm weird...it's okay...I own it) The jack had a filter on it from the three days we had DSL when we first moved in, and that filter was laying on the carpet. The carpet was soaking wet, which made the filter soaking wet, which was shorting out my phone line.
Why was it wet, you ask? Because this apartment is a piece of shit.
The duplex was build on a slab. The bathtub is on a step up, with all the plumbing underneath. It seems the pipe that drains the tub came undone, and was leaking underneath. The water went through the wall, into my bedroom, under my bed, so I never noticed. This has been going on for almost two weeks! You can imagine the mess I had to clean up. The carpet is soaked, and I'm hoping it is just in that one area. Junior spent tonight fixing the tub (God knows how long the management company would have taken to come...my tub still leaks and it has been over a year!) and I have to clean out from under my bed in the morning. It looks like the water is just in the one area, so hopefully nothing is ruined.
I am just glad I have my phone back, and I can't wait to move.
WTF?
I told him I had been here all afternoon, with my door open, and he never showed up. The guy said he would call the technician and see what was going on, and call me back. HELLO! My whole issue is that I can not receive incoming calls. I tell him this, and he tells me he'll just put me on hold.
Five minutes later he comes back and says the guy says he knocked on the CLOSED door, and left a tag on the handle. He asked if I lived in a gray duplex. I said yes, then told him to hold on while I went to see if maybe the guy went next door.
Nope.
The guy on the phone tells me to hold on again. Another five minutes and he comes back, saying the technician admitted that he wasn't sure he was at the right place, so they would sent someone else out before 5. He told me that they usually don't send someone else the same day, but because the technician admitted fault, they would.
Well, wasn't that nice of them.
The other technician shows up, and after almost an hour discovers what the problem was. The cordless phone in my bedroom is plugged into a jack that was at the head of my bed. (well, to me it's the foot because I sleep upside down on the bed...I always have...I know I'm weird...it's okay...I own it) The jack had a filter on it from the three days we had DSL when we first moved in, and that filter was laying on the carpet. The carpet was soaking wet, which made the filter soaking wet, which was shorting out my phone line.
Why was it wet, you ask? Because this apartment is a piece of shit.
The duplex was build on a slab. The bathtub is on a step up, with all the plumbing underneath. It seems the pipe that drains the tub came undone, and was leaking underneath. The water went through the wall, into my bedroom, under my bed, so I never noticed. This has been going on for almost two weeks! You can imagine the mess I had to clean up. The carpet is soaked, and I'm hoping it is just in that one area. Junior spent tonight fixing the tub (God knows how long the management company would have taken to come...my tub still leaks and it has been over a year!) and I have to clean out from under my bed in the morning. It looks like the water is just in the one area, so hopefully nothing is ruined.
I am just glad I have my phone back, and I can't wait to move.
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