Checkbook is now reconciled. Unfortunately.

The unexpected 4 new tires threw me further into the red than I thought I'd be, but I think if I live like a hobo for a while, I should have my checking account more or less at a zero balance (versus a negative balance) by June.

I seriously have to pay closer attention to this stuff. Jesus.

I think I'm going to fold laundry and cry into my nice clean towels.

Oh Steph, I'm sorry. That is so of the suck.

I hope Franny gets better quickly too. Poor baby.

JZ, oh dear. I hope he learns quickly. Do you evaluate them? Does someone watch them? How does that work?

Deena, darling, do you have time to jump on AIM for a minute?

I do! I'm having my first cup of coffee and feeling positively decadent. I didn't have to feed anyone this morning. Yay!

How lovely!

Deena, we evaluate them. We've got a patient history and a checklist of exams they're supposed to perform and pieces of our history they're supposed to ask about, and we also get to write a few sentences directly to them saying what worked and didn't (and a blunter and colder assessment to the doctor running the program so he knows what the red flags are).

t waves to vw

t hands Teppy a box of tissues so she doesn't get her nice clean towels all drippy and snotful

Aww. Here's hoping JZ's next doctor-cantidate is better.

I'm trying to decide how much I want to get done today. Originally, I had big plans to get shit done yesterday. That didn't happen, so I figured "eh, I can do it Sunday". Now I'm thinking "hmm...". Go to the gym, the medical clinic for vaccinations, the used bookstore, the thrift store, dinner with friends, AND laundry? Seems like...a lot. It could happen. But I may be punking out right now. I *should* go to the gym....

Also, the travel meds? Freakin' expensive! $50 for the visit (so they'll stick me), $90 for hep A, and $75 for typhoid. YEESH. This trip may have a free ticket, but it's becoming a very expensive trip!!

t waves back to JZ

Next doctor? Such better English. Such better verbal communication. So much better about doing things like summarizing and paraphrasing the patient's responses so that it was clear that she understood everything I was saying. Great physical exam. Great bedside manner. Sweet, compassionate... and when I said that the big honking bruise under my ribcage came from whamming myself on the high-armed couch while picking up the kids' toys, smiled and nodded and didn't ask one single more question about the kids or the home or the father of the kids.

It just amazes me how fucking easy it is to lie to people. Even to doctors. If you were afraid and ashamed and deeply invested in protecting the kids and not leaving, it would be incredibly easy to lie and lie and lie and never be challenged or even questioned.

Jeez JZ, feast or famine!

How great is it that you are doing this work...and that such a program even exists.

In the very, very old days, when there was a lot of abuse going on in my house, not. one. single. question. ever. Okay, that's not quite true...one nieghbor, 'the busybody', tried to help by sending the police. I lied, they went away. I was 7 and a very bad liar, as I recall.

Wow. Watch my head spin on this existential question...For a fairly imperialistic ours-is-the-one-true-culture country, how did we become such a nation of not-wanting-to-get-involveds.