Just in case anyone is unclear on this point, clonopin is the best thing in the world.

U is the name of your boss right, not the company? Initial only in case you need to delete.

Right. Umbridge is how I've taken to referring to my boss. Now ex-boss!

Just in case anyone is unclear on this point, clonopin is the best thing in the world.

I vote Ativan. Of which I am full right now.

Good grief I am so glad you don't have to deal with her anymore, Jilli. I guess it would have been too good to be true for her to be carried off by a centaur.

NO NEEDLES IN LADYPARTS OH GOD. You win all the alcohol.

Suzi, that is such a shame. I was cut from JV soccer as a junior (having a decade of experience and having started every game as a sophomore) while a sophomore who tried out in softball cleats (never having played soccer) made the team. I was fucking bitter and upset; so I get the kid's pain, but the parents ought have a longer view. Ought.

Googling seems to confirm that Swinton was one of many Hollywood people who signed a petition in support of Polanski.

That list is so long and so fucking depressing. Natalie Portman, former child actor, I'm looking at you.

I feel relieved and FAR less stressed.

That is excellent news. Suck it, Umbridge.

Hi, I'm an eldergoth. I do petty social politics REALLY WELL.

Mess with a vampire, get the fangs (to paraphrase a certain Principal Dick).

Re: fb discussion - either NC is being willfully obtuse, or he's a total idiot. Both possibilities are sad-making.

Just in case anyone is unclear on this point, clonopin is the best thing in the world.

I vote Ativan. Of which I am full right now.

I'm rocking a fading buzz from my two ciders, and contemplating Xanax to ensure an excellent's night sleep which I very much need.

I think it's sort of driving home the fact that I should be preparing to take care of her if need be, and I don't even know how I'm taking care of myself long term right now.

I have a feeling that the answer to "how old is your mom" is going to depress me.

Yay for Umbridge becoming an ex. Yay for mind-altering drugs.

I apparently have rats again. I can't express how depressing this is. In the middle of the night, Mr Peabody started barking and alerting the way he does when he's found an rodent. Usually he does this outside, but in this case, he was barking at the kitchen cabinets. I started pulling stuff out the cabinet and discovered evidence of rodents. Also, I found myself pondering existential questions like "why do I have three cookie presses?" and "will I ever make a wedding cake again or should I get rid of all these cake pans?" at 3 a.m. In addition, my bathroom sink was full of little black ants and fruit flies have moved into my kitchen on a permanent basis. I'm thinking about an exorcism.

I vote Ativan. Of which I am full right now.

I actually prefer Ativan... but since I only have Clonopin that's what I took... thereby rendering it the best thing in the world.

Glad the interview went well Steph, and that you have booze to smoothe over the rest of the afternoon.

And Jilli, yay for moving on! No one should have to work for Umbridge.

well things sound pretty good for jilli and steph under the circumstances - and I am hoping things go that way for you to Sean

I said I forgave this person when she apologized, but I kinda need to vent here.

We had a long staff meeting this morning, including training on "Positive Behavioral Supports" to prevent violent behavior and then the physical holds and defenses we can use when violent behavior happens in spite of the Positive Stuff. Mind you, I can't remember the last time I had to physically restrain anybody, and all my coworkers love to work with me because when I am there, things are much happier and more relaxed. So, I think it is fair to say I have mastered both the theory and practice of "Positive Behavioral Supports". One of the strategies I employ is to offer a variety of activities to the individuals who live there - crafts, going for walks, coloring, games, sitting around BSing (seriously people, I am getting paid to be silly), singing goofy songs - one on one and in groups. And that isn't counting the stuff we go out into the community to do.

Bad shit happens when I'm not at that location sometimes. I was there last Friday. I've worked at my other locations and had a couple days off in between. On Tuesday, someone got so pissed off he punched the windshield of the van and broke it. On Wednesday, someone else had to be physically restrained for ten minutes & hurt the staff member who was doing the restraint.

I've worked there, doing the afternoon/evening shift for 8 years. L has worked there about 4 or 5 years. She is now wintering in Arizona, so she was gone for a while but came back for the summer. She used to work the overnight shift. Now she is mostly doing the afternoon/evenings. But you can see that she has not spent remotely as much time with the residents when they are awake as I have. She was there during at least one of the incidents this week.

During part of the discussion in today's meeting, she said how she thought the house should buy a bunch of craft supplies so she could do crafts with the people, keeping them busy and out of trouble. I pointed out that there are *some* craft supplies already in the house. (Yeah, not a heck of a lot, but lemmee see you use what's there before I endorse spending dough on more stuff, eh? ETA: I should specify that I have zero purchasing power.) She denied the value of what was already there, and said that nobody even tries to do any crafts. I pointed out the untruth of that because I know that I do. She said, "I've never seen you sit down at the table with them to do any crafts." This is true in a very literal way. We have worked two shifts together. On those two shifts there was a great deal of running errands followed by softball practice for two of the people. "But," says I, "You see that cheesy looking wall-hanging over there? I admit, it's wrinkled and it does not look as awesome as I hoped it would, but I worked on it with A and M - they helped me pick out the fabrics and hung around with me while I did the sewing - and S helped me staple it to the frame. So it may not look the best, but we had a heck of a lot of fun making it."

L said, "And how many years ago was that?"

I replied, "Try three months ago." (And honestly after we finished it, I was kinda crafted-out for a while.)

She did back-track and she apologized sincerely. So I am trying to forgive her. I kinda think maybe she was projecting more than a little.

Grr, Argh.