Welcome, Mirrorface!

It looks like my brother may have an auto-immune disorder(although it still isn't lupus...something weirder, with a longer name...dermato-something.)

Much treatment and alleviation~ma for your brother, erika.

I thought that was who you worked with--will there still be group homes for other people (who?) that you'd be working with, or would this be "sorry find a new job"?

Yep, I work with developmentally disabled adults. I know there are "foster care" group homes for certain levels of elder care, and I assume that some drug-rehab and other types of "half-way homes" could be similar. I suspect that this may be a "sorry, if you knew the right people you could get a job at the re-opened state institution, but you don't, so have fun with the job search," situation.

Andi, do not explode anything! I will send pictures from Scotland! And possibly pictures of Shir. (And The Girl. But she's less interesting to the Buffistas.)

I promise not to break out the C-4 just yet. Unless the Mythbusters come calling. I'm counting on pictures, The Girl included. She makes you happy, so I'm interested. I suppose that it is truthful to say the interest in Shir is more immediate, but The Girl is not chopped liver. It is your solemn duty to have as much fun as possible while in Scotland! With SHIR! And The Girl. To make up for all the fun I'm not getting to have there. In Scotland! With SHIR! And SESKA! And The Girl!

ION, would they really go back to state institutions for developmentally disabled people? That sucks.

There could be advantages and disadvantages to the bigger institutions - one of my older coworkers used to work at the local state-run place before all the residents got parted out to group homes. I get the impression that it had been one of the decent ones - as she tells me she believes there was greater protection from abuse, because if there are a dozen caregivers on duty, an abuser never know who was about to poke their nose in on what s/he was doing, or who would actually report it. Also, with the larger facility, there were more planned activities that were easily accessible - parties, dances, movie nights - and it was easier to socialize individually, because they had plenty of friends right there. Two of the houses I work at are populated by younger people, who will likely be living there for years. The other two houses have an assortment of middle aged and elderly people. There are at two people who will need significant accessibility remodeling done to the bathrooms in the near future (age-related mobility issues) if they are to stay in the homes, and that may not be possible (possibilities for funding are being sought for, but not assured). So they may end up in nursing homes. What happens when there are only two people left living in a particular group home, I don't know.

I hope you get to do what you love for a long time yet, and congrats on the great work review.

Thanks, and thanks again.

I'm officially enrolled in VHAP! I just need to pick a primary care provider.

Didn't WindSparrow do a big post about kitty nutrition? Was anyone smarter than me and bookmarked it? I'm trying to nilly and failing miserably.

I didn't mark my own posts here, but I have several "canned answers" saved. I use them in various pet care forums, as so many times similar questions crop up. I can email stuff to you. Is there a specific issue in mind, or do you just want to hunt for the best possible nutrition within the limits of your budget?

Well, crud, Maria. I'm sorry it didn't work out.

Thanks, Dana and Andi.

Andi, I hope your work situation remains likeable for as long as you need it to be.

ION, I love my friends. They know when I need to talk to them, even if I don't pick up the phone first.

I have several "canned answers" saved. I use them in various pet care forums, as so many times similar questions crop up.

Are you any good with cats that don't eat, Andi? Milo isn't a tiny cat, so I'm not *too* worried yet, but he doesn't eat much. Then Pythagoras, the big fat blob, comes and eats the remainders. Milo likes to 'graze' and Py likes to wolf his food down, which isn't really working as a combination. We're currently trying sprinkling cat milk on the food, which is helping a bit. Running out of ideas though! (Ah, being a catmummy. It is new and lovely but too stressful and this is why I'm never having kids.)

It is your solemn duty to have as much fun as possible while in Scotland! With SHIR! And The Girl. To make up for all the fun I'm not getting to have there. In Scotland! With SHIR! And SESKA! And The Girl!

There will be fun! And updates! And Shir and The Girl and Seska! Yes.

I'm sorry to hear you didn't get the awesome job, MFNlaw.

No, Maria!! I'm sorry! I'm so disappointed for you.

I'm sorry, Maria. I hope the rest of 2011 treats you better.

erikaj, I'm glad there's a diagnosis, at least.

{{{Maria}}} I'm sorry this year has been so difficult for you. I hope things improve soon. You deserve better.

I just had a panic attack when I didn't see my monthly check deposited into my account, until I realized that the 1st is Monday, not Sunday. The check gets deposited on the 1st, unless the first is on the weekend in which case it is deposited the Friday before. This debt ceiling thing has me seriously on edge.

Tea:

Also, word is that TPTB will begin phasing out group homes for developmentally disabled adults. The projected strategy is to simply not fill beds that become vacant. I'm sure that will take years to do, but whether it takes five years or fifteen, I still don't really have a plan that I can do anything else. If they go back to large state-run facilities, I'm not sure I could handle that environment

WS, that really sucks both for you and for the people you help. I hope you have enough time to figure out what your next move is going to be.

erika, ~ma for your brother. I'm so sorry.

Hivemind, how should I discuss the layoff in a cover letter? Normally, I'd say something like "My current position is X", but should I just say "My position as X has been eliminated" Also, technically, I'm on administrative leave for the next 4 weeks, so it is still my current position.

The one thing I'd be concerned about is what your (soon-to-be) former employer would say to a potential employer, given that whether a person is/was employed somewhere or not is one of the few questions former employers will answer these days.

For the next month, you are employed there, Vortex, and, as I understand it, your employer is obliged to say that. After that, I don't know that I'd say much if anything about it in the cover letter. I would write something like, "As a [job title], I have coordinated projects that...."