Saturday, January 24, 2009

Third Week's the Charm

Aside from my crazy insomnia, this past work week has been the least stressful since I got moved in October. I attribute a lot to my change in prayers (and attitude). It donned on me how my morning prayers during my drive to work (while I "bump" my church music, as H2B likes to tease) have literally doubled, if not tripled in length .

I mean, I'm doing the whole 9. For the first several minutes, I pray my usual ones of blessings over me and my loved ones...but then I added the Serenity Prayer back in December (or the Alcoholics Anonymous prayer, as H2B likes to refer to it):

(I stole this image off of the World Wide Web and still have it as my iPhone wallpaper.)

Recently, I added the Lord's Prayer. I'm just saying that I could use all the help I can get, ya know??

Awesome things about this past week:
  • No work on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! (Mondays are one of my full days in MB.) This was probably the biggest tip-off for a good week...that meant I wasn't in MB until Wednesday at 1 PM!
  • Got to watch the Presidential Inauguration with my favorite kiddos/class
  • Co-workers, parents, and staff weren't so bloodthirsty this week.
  • High-profile student with severe autism was handed to the woman who created this outrageous change in my assignment in the first place!
  • Went to BCBA Supervision meeting and got to see my hilarious GF that I totally miss -- and that meant I didn't have supervision alone.
  • Held 3 easy-peasy IEPs -- I LOVE it when parents are easy-going, and let me be the professional in my areas of expertise.
  • Nerdy moment: realized that next Friday's annual SLP conference features an awesome speaker/expert in Asperger's Syndrome, Timothy Kowalski. (Heard him and Michelle Garcia-Winner in Chicago back in November).
  • I won't be in MB next Friday b/c of the conference!
  • My MB kiddos are finally starting to take to me, now that I'm getting to see them more often. One cutie-patootie was walking by me and said, "hi!" and then I heard her say behind me to her friend, "Oh, I was just saying hello to my Speech Teacher."
  • Got to wake up most mornings to H2B being awake. One morning, he came into the bedroom and laid with me and said, "I love you like a 10." Continually thinking about that made me smile throughout the rest of the day.
  • Ended the work week with happy hour at Daily Grill with H2B.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

First Work Week of 2009

It was soOoOoOo rough, stressful, and busy.

The worst was that I knew that Friday would be the busiest. Yesterday was crazy what with office politics as well as my most intense IEP (yet).

By the time I got home around 5:30 P.M., I was soOOo out of it and exhausted. I was secretly hoping that H2B and I could go out for a nice, relaxing to dinner. I was thrilled when H2B suggested it. We headed out around 6:30 PM...and while I was putting my shoes on, I told H2B that I wasn't feeling right/well. He didn't hear me and asked me to drive so I grabbed my keys and we walked out.

I realized too late that I had grabbed the wrong set of keys and we were locked out! I was so upset. All I wanted was a stress-free evening to start the weekend. We headed out anyways and had dinner at Yokohama, our local sushi joint (best scallop rolls!). Afterward, we called a 24-hour locksmith. While we waited for half an hour, I went onto the roof to assess whether I could hop down from the roof onto our balcony McGyver-style or rapel down with rope I didn't have. H2B thought I had absolutely lost it by then. The good news is that it was too high up for me to do either (unless I wanted to break both legs), and I was able to dispel any paranois about crazy people breaking into our place by jumping down from the roof while I'm alone and/or asleep.

The locksmith got to our place around 9:30 and charged a fortune ($100) to tell us that he couldn't unlock our door and had to bust the knob. So he did. After about 15 minutes of "yay, we're home!," we headed back out to Home Depot to get a new door knob and deadbolt for $50.

By the time our whole ordeal was over, it was 11:30 P.M., we were out $150, and we were exhausted. I couldn't wait to go to bed and "end" the week.

The lame thing is that one of my biggest paranoias is losing my keys/locking myself out of my home or car. I'm so paranoid that if I put my keys in my purse as I walk out, I refuse to close the locked door unless I pull my keys out and have them in my hand.

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Ugly Shoes

H2B got us an eliptical machine...and it arrived today! Yay! I tried the new rig out with a new pair of Adidas...that I vow to never wear outside b/c they are so heinous looking.

I recently ordered 3 pairs of Adidas -- all Ozweegos. I now have 6 in different color combos...and seriously? These 3 are by far the ugliest. I went from a really cool, black and white pair to 2 pairs of 70s-meet-red-light-district (yellows and silvers with white fish-net stocking-type material) to these 3 that range in dark, silvery gray combos...the ugliest being one with turquoise (my Home Gym Pair). I got this pair purely for the sale price.

I got these b/c I thought these were pretty cool:
And thought these were the coolest of the 3:
But really? There must be something wrong with either the pictures or my monitor b/c all 3 are really ugly in reality. So ugly they crack me up! I don't really care b/c I love Ozweegos and besides, I never wear shorts when I work out.

The problem lies wherein my choice of foot apparell when I'm at work...I usually wear my athletic shoes! (I only break out the heels for meetings.)

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Work Funk

It's only the first week back from break and it's been a busy, crazy roller-coaster ride. Monday was alright, with a little kink that I'm finally over. Yesterday was alright b/c I was with my Autism class and managed to shuffle my way to a BCBA supervision and accrue yet another hour of individual observation hour. Sadly, I've only completed 1/3 of my total clinical hours. Only literally 1,053 more hours to go...and at least 22+ more individual observation hours.

*Side-story: I always end up being the only one to show up at the supervision meetings, ever since summer. My friend/classmate always teases me about that. So yesterday, she texted me while I was there. My supervisor was searching an ABA video on YouTube to show me, so I took a quick moment to read what she texted: "aww. Just told [other friend/classmate] I'd go tomorrow! I miss you! Have fun making out with [BCBA supervisor]." GROSS! I was totally fighting myself not to LOL though when I read that, as I looked up to see my BCBA supervisor looking at me while telling me something serious. That girl cracks me up every time. :)

Fast-forward to today. I spent the morning with my Autism class and then headed to MB. I called my bro up to whine about how I was feeling down today and really did NOT want to go to MB. He said, "maybe you're feeling down because of MB." When I got to MB, I sat in my parked car for 5 minutes, whining to H2B about the same thing. He said, "Maybe you should get back on your Regulators. You've been sOoOOOoOo moody and down ever since you got off them."

The rest of my day went alright since I got out of a meeting to complete a special assessment...that ended at 3:45. Sucked for me but sucked even more for the poor kid. My boss left me a VM close to 4. I called her back right away, eager to hear any good news. She told me about some more staffing changes and throughout it all, my heart was pounding hard...not sure if it was stress, anxiety, frustration, or what.

It's supposed to be "good" news for me that she is replacing the SLPA with a VTW...for me to supervise and train! I am so tired of supervising and training, never mind the endless case managing and paperwork. What's worst is having to explain all over again to the parents and staff about yet another major change.

To top it all off, she implied that I may have to stay at MB next year. If after I tell her no thank you and she still places me at MB next year, I will seriously look for another job where there isn't a ridiculous amount of additional, unnecessary stress.

Oh, but the funny thing in all of this? My boss called my home number before she called my cell. She NEVER does that. Was she checking to see if I was home already?? Hmm...! (I get paid an hour of straight overtime every workday...although I totally work more than 5 hours of OT a week for this site.) I hope H2B told her that I was still in MB doing a special assessment and that I should get paid more OT and that he should get paid as an outside agent for having to be my therapist and counselor!

Saturday, January 03, 2009

Visiting Pastor Aunty - Day 2

On Saturday, we decided not to go to SF but went to the local Westfield mall instead. After 2 hours, Gramma and Pastor Aunty had only finished shopping at Macy's! Never mind how ginormous the mall is. We ended up having lunch at the Food Court and my bro built a HUGE Mongolian BBQ tower. (Sadly, this is the ONLY picture I took all weekend.)


We were so proud of our tower! See the one farther away? That guy cheated -- he had to hold his up with a hand. But just when we thought we had won the competition, this little Asian lady totally schooled us 3 bowls down the line. Her tower was even taller and while she waited, she had a handful of broccoli crowns that was strategically placing in crevices.

After lunch, we shopped for another 3 hours! Well, the two "old ladies" did. Gees, they can out-shop us any day of the week and twice on Sundays (or Saturdays). The ironic thing is that I really don't like shopping! I got really lucky though, b/c as I waited with Gramma at one point, Doctor Cousin found a cute sweater jacket...so I picked two up! (I hate shopping in big department stores b/c I don't like going through racks upon racks.) Pastor Aunty purchased them for us as a New Year's gift. :)

We finally left the mall around 4:30 and went back to Pastor Aunty's to kick it before meeting up with Attorney Cousin and Older Genius JD-MBA Cousin for dinner at a yummy Chinese restaurant (where they had a special ox-tail pumpkin dish). Afterward, we went to Attorny Cousin's to have dessert and kick it a little bit before she had to go back for a late Saturday night of work.

We went back to Pastor Aunty's and stayed up late talking. Come to think of it, that sounds so "old Taiwanese lady"-ish. That's exactly what my aunts do (with Gramma) whenever they visit!

We leave tomorrow morning...so that I can get back to get amped about going back to work. Boo!

Friday, January 02, 2009

Visiting Pastor Aunty - Day 1

All Winter Break, I didn't do much except lolligag and spend the holidays with my loved ones. It was soOOoOO nice to be on break. At the spur of the moment (sort of), Bro asked if I wanted to head up North with him and Gramma to visit Pastor Aunty, Attorney Cousin, and Doctor Cousin. So, Bro picked me up this morning and then we picked Gramma up from SM before going on our merry way up the stinky 5.

We got to Milpitas around 5, where Doctor Cousin happily greeted us at the door. Apparently, car-less and friend-less, she was bored all week and couldn't wait for us to get there. Pastor Aunty prepared a delicious meal...which made me realize I hadn't eaten her cooking in literally years. Quite honestly, I forgot that she is quite a chef. Actually, all of my aunts (sans the youngest aunt -- sorry Genius Cousins!), Daddy, and Gramma are excellent chefs. My Bro is so good, too. H2B doesn't believe I'm talented, but I beg to differ. (It's just that I don't eat red meat much. He thinks that the only thing I know to cook is mofo'n awesome miso salmon.)

After dinner, Doctor Cousin, Bro, and I went to the Great Mall for an hour, then headed to Lucky. It was so funny b/c right away, Dr. Cuz and Bro grabbed beers, candy, and popcorn and said to me, you have no idea how boring it is here. I guess I was lucky b/c it was my first time up at Pastor Aunty's, so these seasoned pros knew exactly how to keep us entertained for the weekend. (I was wondering why my Bro brought his laptop.)

We also rented from the $1 DVD machine outside. We were cracking up when we selected The Bank Job and Dr. Cuz had to "agree" to the disclaimer about the movie being Rated-R. Later on, we were totally mortified when the beginning scenes had so much gratuitous nudity and seks. Thankfully, Gramma and Pastor Aunty had went upstairs. After the movie, we hit the sack.