hey mon

I've spent some time in an assisted living joint. The client is great but I really love accompanying them to the dining room. There is a wealth of material there. Its like being back in high school. Those old folks love to make fun of the food and the service. If the gravy runs out at breakfast its a major happening. The flank steak is usually tough and they all shout it out to the new comers at dinner.

Yesterday the table behind us was reminiscing and trading stories about when they all had their first strokes. I was only temping, going to miss it there. My lovely summer floral and tropical print wardrobe fits right in with the ladies twice my age too. I dont do ruffles but I love florals. Cant help it. When I was in the big city a few weeks back we were talking to some homeless guy in the park and he looked at me and said I wasnt from around there, I didnt look like the rest of them. I took it as a compliment.

The third agency has just hired me with a schedule consisting of 8 to 12 hour shifts. Right now I'm driving all over the place w#@king shifts averaging 3 hours but up to 12 hrs. I'm putting in 60 hrs this week the hard way. I have one 24 hr stretch w$#king with 4 different people with only an hour or two off in between this weekend. Good thing I'm a coffee achiever.

Anyway I went to quit the second agency expecting them to be understandably pissy and they were so nice. Three people there asked me if I would still stay with them at least a few hours. As luck would have it they sent me reluctantly to their pickiest toughest client who cant stand most of the caregivers and that person loved me. I only temped a few shifts but on my second day with them this person was on the phone with my boss when I walked in their door trying to get the caregiver after me to come in later so I could stay longer. They are high maintenance but we get along. Its nice to be appreciated. So I said I would still try to fit some hours in for them too.

I guess extreme w$#k beats extreme poverty for now. Everyone I w$#k for is so nice and positive. Soon I may not spell it w#@k. NOT! But after 125+ jobs I have found the one most tolerable for me until the powerball comes in. Its really a surprise after all these years.

Cavedog is not getting the 24/7 concierge service he grew to know and love and is getting wilder by the day. One short walk isnt cutting it and no time for the bark park.

poverty with a view

Wish I was here.

I remember back in the days of my semi/unemployment when I could hang out at places like this with a pitcher of margaritas, a couple of dogs and an equally semi-employed man. What a difference a few weeks make. Today is my last day off until I drop dead, pay off Visa or win Powerball.

The phone is still ringing with more and more w$#k. I'm to the point I cant even say yes to shifts without looking at my calendar. The agency I really wanted to w$#k for called and want a second interview. They pay better than the newest place that just hired me and I think they can give me a better schedule so if I get hired I'm going to have to dump the newest one. Kind of shitty but I have to watch out for myself. Make money. Get paid.

This past week alone I traveled 6000 miles by plane train and automobile over 4 days, chased luggage at midnight, w%#ked for both agencies, stayed up 24 hours, hosted a canine sleepover in my twin bed (nothing like being squished between a wall and 100 lbs of mutts during a record breaking heatwave, I woke up furrier than they are), took care of a neighbors garden, cleaned the Trailer, walked Cavedog daily and did my own yard w%$k.

I'm going to w%$k regularly for the person with Oldtimers, unpredictable at times but I'm getting the hang of it. They were in a pissy mood about taking their meds so finally I begged and said "Pleaseeeeee client x." They snapped back at me, "Did you just say please?" gave a big sigh and said "Oh alright." Like the please made them feel obligated. Good manners never go out of style. There are some rough times but I genuinely like them.

Besides the end of Motime and Guiding Light has anyone noticed Kleenex lately? Remember when I used to post about the tastefully decorated boxes? Reproductions of the masters, scenic vistas and holiday designs? They're gone, at least in this town. All thats left are crappy two tone designs in crappy blues, greens or grays. I dont know what happened but its taken some of the joy out of my allergies.

Be careful what you wish for

I knew after all these months of scrounging for w#@k an explosion was in the making.

Agency #2 hired me yesterday and is promising all the hours I can handle. They are in a huge rush and gave me a client schedule minutes after I walked into the office for an orientation after being hired. There was supposed to be a two week delay in my hiring because living in New Hamster 7 years ago popped up on their biographical colonoscopy. Somehow they got the backgroud check rushed. I assured the evil HR there was nothing hiding in New England but a lot of moose.

Our lack of privacy makes my throat close up a little. I never changed any ID's, car tags, billing addresses etc from this here Trailer Park address when I moved to New Hamster. They dont even have a state tax so I never filed but I guess with just a local job and bank account there it popped up. I'm also paying 50 bucks for a fingerprint card with the man. Even more personal info piling up in my permanent record.

I'm going out of town for a few days on a private paid gig assisting disabled. Between the family agency #1 sent me to and the rush of agency #2 they have me w$#king just hours before I get on the plane and hours after I get back.

Even without agency #2 for the past week every day my boss calls with a different temp job or the family adds to my schedule. Its a relief after no w#@k and having a sour stomach everytime I broke out the ole Visa. The bad part is the schedule for the man I love was so crazy I can only w$#k part of it and he'll have to find someone else for the other part. I'm going on the 7 day a week plan until that $@#$@ credit card is paid off once and for all. I was really knocking it down but add a 2 grand dental bill last year and forced unemployment and wahhhhhhhhh!

I now have files, a day planner, a huge notebook, calendar, dry erase board, the all important box of latex gloves and the dreaded cell phone after 11 years of being mobileless. My last phone was the size of a brick and had the features of the two Donald Duck orange juice cans with the piece of string system. But now I have a camera and can text. Only thing I've figured out was the camera. A caregiver who relieved me the other night showed me how to text and last night she used the sneaky gathering of my number to text me at 10 pm asking me to come in early today. I'm starting off on a love hate relationship with that little electronic bastard but I love opening it up and seeing Cavedog's smiling face since thats the only way I'm going to be seeing him these days.

C'mon Powerball.

Happy Birthday America

Thanks for giving me the freedom to enjoy a lack of w$#k, affordable basic healthcare and most likely any kind of Social Security benefit that I have been paying into for the past 28 years. Thanks for spending billions of tax dollars on a personal agenda war and bailouts for the greedy corporate sleeze who suck up the money and as a thank you make their fees for services for basic necessities such as a bank account almost out of my reach.

Feeling a little stressed today. My latest assignment is for an individual with Oldtimers Disease and they can become verbally and physically abusive. My first time in this situation. I've sat only a few hours with friends parents who had this disease before but none had the mean streak.

As far as w#@k goes my past experience is leaning towards folks who end up physically disabled, either through an accident or disease who may have a little forgetfulness but mentally are there.


After my first shift the family member asked me if I was still interested in coming back a few more times in a tone of voice that expected me to say no. I know its not the clients fault and it doesnt anger me at all to be told off by them but making sure they stay safe, dont run away and trying to get them to take their meds is stressful.

The family explained that they dont want the person totally drugged up but they are mood altering kinds of meds. The catch is gently trying to get the person to take the drugs (no one is forced to take drugs) can set them off enraged for hours but when they dont take them the last dosage is wearing off and they can get ugly. Either way you lose. I'm taking it all in stride and staying positive and calm around the client but the family has said when they get agitated there is no reasoning.

My boss has said this could lead to a regular position with them. I think after I get more experience I could relax a little more and know what to expect but this may not be the best fit for me. What a bitch disease for the family to go through. I will say about my boss, I rarely see her in person, which isnt a bad thing but whenever I complete one of these temp jobs she always makes a point to call the family and me and say really nice positive things about my w$#k. She probably does this with everyone but its still good to hear.

On the good news front, I applied at 3 other agencies a few weeks back. The first reply was a rejection and really caused me to have a miserable evening freaking out about money but the next day another agency called and we talked several times over a few hours. Finally I went in for an interview and the folks in charge seemed excited to meet me but then I had to take this dreaded test they called a "Survey".

This was the craziest test ever. All on the computer so you could only mark your answer with no explanation. I had to pick which one I would be most likely to do out of two choices that were both right. Over 100 questions. Which would you be most likely to do, A. wash dirty sheets B. greet the client before beginning caregiving. The whole "survey" was stuff like that, A. show up on time or B. communicate with the family. WTF, I have the feeling if I didnt pick the correct right answer even though everything listed is part of my job I could be baked.

But while I was gone taking the "survey" the 3rd agency called and set up a first interview which I aced. He told me definitely to expect a call after the holiday from the guy who could be my boss for another interview. This may be the job I want the most along with the man I am already set to care for regularly in a few weeks. My interviewer was a thinking person, and I got a little deep on the "where do I want to see myself/goal question in 5 years" but he liked it.

The 4th always reminds me of being in 5th grade during the Bicentennial. We had a parade around the block the school was on and I got to be the Liberty Bell.