Farewell January

Last day of January. Hard to believe this month is already over. It has seriously flown.
Which, having to work weekends now makes the days and weeks past so much swifter.

Had a lovely Christmas with the family back on January 18th - 19th. My brother and his wife were in Dhabi most of December, so we opted to hold off and do our Christmas once they came back.

Logan & Lindsay got me Georges St. Pierre's book, The Way of the Fight, and I devoured that book in three days. It's a very well written book and gives you a lot of food for thought. I also got a garnet bracelet, some silver snake earrings (mom picked those out), some magazines, cash, and a great weekend with my family.

While there in Houston, we hit the Downtown Aquarium and I got to feed their cownose rays. VERY cool.

The craziness continues with Dylan, my aide that royally screwed up last week. I pulled him aside and let him know what the rumor mill was churning about him and his buddies (namely that they were doing illegal drugs and roofied themselves "accidentally"). He got all pissed off about that but totally admitted that his friends were doing hard-core drugs. I was shocked. That's not information I can keep to myself. These guys work with kids. So I passed the information along to my boss and today she told me he is suspended without pay pending a full investigation at this point. He's not allowed on campus until HR clears him. We'll see how this all pans out.

And now, I'm just waiting for David to come home so we can go get something to eat. We have nothing in the apartment. We desperately need to make a Wal-mart AND Costco run this weekend. Hopefully we can get at least one of those accomplished.

A Special Kind of Special

So, Dylan, one of my aide's, pulled a no-call, no-show on Wednesday....along with two of his buddies. No one could get a hold of them.

Then Thursday, his mom calls my work number and leaves this funky message about him being "really, really, really, really sick" and that she doesn't know who to call to let us know that he won't be in that day or Friday. But when I call her back, she cannot or will not give me any information beyond the whole he's "really, really, really, really sick".

And he was out again yesterday. His mom emailed my boss to let her know. *shakes her head* The kid's friggin' 19 years old. Come on!

And apparently, the rumor mill is saying that he and his buddies are WELL known potheads. And the rumor mill goes on to say that Wednesday, they were trying some illegal drugs, and......I shit you not.....accidentally roofied themselves.

*dies laughing*
 
So they lost all of Wednesday, which is why they were all three a no-call, no-show.

Austin, one of the guys with Dylan, was at work Friday and was bragging about it to his friends. One of which, then came and subbed at my campus for Dylan. And Kym, one of my other aides, who knows of the guys, also heard the same thing.

What a bunch of dumb-asses, if this turns out to be true.

*dies laughing* It wouldn't surprise me at all if Dylan "accidentally" took a roofie.

A Punch in the Face

I don't even know what the hell I'm doing most days now.
I feel so lost.
Like I'm supposed to be doing something, but for the life of me, I don't have any clue what it is.
I just know that what I'm doing right now is not it.

Yeah, the restlessness is back in full force.  I blame it on GSP's book, The Way of the Fight, which is a damn good book.  But it's lit a fire inside me. 

I need to go to my general doctor.  I need some serious allergy medicines and possibly something for the mini-migraines I've been getting.  But I keep putting it off because I'm sure the first question out of her mouth is what medication am I on for my bipolar depression.  And the second I say I'm not on anything, but that I'm feeling worlds better, she'll automatically think, "Ah, she's manic.  No one wants to come down from that high, so of course she's not on anything."  And that's not it at all.  I'm not manic.  I'm more stable than manic, and hell, I even dip down into a touch of depression from time to time, more often than I touch mania.

I just hate what the meds have done to me.  I feel like they've drained all my creativity and I'm never getting it back.  I've barely touched my art journals.  Hell, I no longer have the impulse/desire to even buy journals, let alone write in them.  And I used to hoard journals.

On a positive note, I paid and registered for the Denton Police's "Rape Aggression Defense" class for March.  So that's a step in the right direction.  I figure it will do me a lot of good.

Davis (the girl that doesn't care much for me) is still acting like we're best buds in the whole wide world.  We do our little interview tomorrow, so I'm curious to see how her behavior changes after that is accomplished and she no longer needs anything from me. 

Sometimes I wish we just had a day, like the movie The Purge put out, that it would be totally ok with punching someone in the face and no assault charges would be filed.  No weapons or anything, as I don't really wish to kill anyone.  But sometimes, a person just needs a good punch in the face.

Right now, I'm punch my aide Dylan in the throat if given the chance.  He did a no-call, no-show on Wednesday, and no one could get a hold of him, or two of his friends, who also were no-call, no-shows.  Then Thursday, he gets his MOM to call my work number and leave a voice mail saying that he was "really, really, really, really sick".  Um, I'm not 12 years old.  I understand that when you put "really" in front of something, you mean it is significant.  More than two reallys just makes me suspicious.  It's just too similar to the way the students starting trying to feed me a line a bullshit. 

So I call her back and see if I can get any information out of her, because at our school there is the flu, strep throat, and a 5 day stomach bug going around, and I wanted to know if he had any of those, so I would know to keep an eye on the students he comes into contact most, in case they wind up sick too.  But she just said he was "really, really, really, REALLY sick" and couldn't/wouldn't give me any details beyond that.  Turns out, his two friends were also out Thursday.  And then they were all out again on Friday too.  *shakes her head*  And now, come to find out, all three are well-known pot heads, and one of the guys is known to be a damn dealer.  *shakes her head some more* 

Now don't get me wrong.  I'm not saying all pot heads are horrid people.  I'm just saying be fucking smart about this shit.  Do it on a Friday night, when you have the whole fucking weekend to recover!  The same goes with alcohol or any other illegal drug you want to do.  Just don't make it MY problem, and honestly, I don't give a shit what you do.  You are old enough to make your own decisions, but understand those decisions have consequences.  And Dylan just might get fired over all of this.  The only thing I have to say on this is don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya.

I am so glad I have tomorrow off of Starbucks.  The past two shifts have just been utter beat downs and I'm worn out.  And turns out, Ayla, one of my favorite girls there, the one who's always been encouraging and had my back since day one, today was her last day.  Sucks.  She's on to bigger and better.  Which I guess is where my touch of melancholy is stemming from.

Still need to write about our family Christmas that we finally did on January 18th.  I'll get to that when I'm in a better state of mind.  It was great and we all had a blast.

I Smell Bullshit

So I got my shift this morning at Starbucks, and Davis (a girl), who typically cannot seem to stand the sight of me, gave me a HUGE smile and a double HUGE hello.

I apparently do not have a poker face and Kali commented that it seemed I was taken by complete surprise.  Duh. 

But I go on about my business.  And Davis tracks me down and says when I have a minute she really, REALLY needs to talk to me.

That explains the crazy, over the top greeting.  She needed something of me.  I figured she'd want me to cover a shift for her or something.

Turns out, for one of her classes, she has to interview someone who has taught for a year, and she'd heard around the store that I was a teacher.  I explained to her that right now I just run an afterschool program, but that I've taught a private Montessori class for a few years, and would be more than happy to let her interview me.  So we're apparently doing that sometime Sunday.

I knew, right off the bat, the greeting was totally bogus.  She went way overboard, given she practically loathes me.  But maybe this will be a step in the right direction to getting her on my side.  She's the only one that doesn't like me there.  And if, after the interview, we go right back to the loathing?  *shrugs*  No water off my back. 

A Little Bit of Everything

Man, I am so incredibly glad to have the 365 Photo Challenge over and done with and off my shoulders.  I made a photobook through Shutterfly that should be here in the next few days, cataloging all 365 photos with dates and small captions, much like I did in this blog.  It's my reward to myself to have accomplished such a feat.  It's my 2nd time completed, and my 2nd book.  It will go on the shelf next to the first Challenge book that I did back in 2008. 

That was such a great year.  My 2nd trip to Wolf Park and my first time to Wolf Creek Habitat.  Both, wonderful experiences that I carry with me daily.  Anytime I start feeling down, I remember my time in with WOLVES and that never fails to put a smile on my face.  I'm planning to go back next year.  Maybe for my birthday? 

This year we're doing a trip to see David's parents again.  David's actually kicking around the idea of driving, which I'm all about.  It's a 23 hour drive, but I've done those before, no problem.  Plus we'd be able to stop at the replica of the Pantheon of Greece that's located in Nashville, TN.  THAT could be nifty for a Greek/Roman mythology buff like myself.  My mom may or may not be going with us.  It's all very still up in the air at the moment.  We're shooting for mid-June, which would work for her (as she works for our small town school district and gets summers off).  So we'll see.

This weekend, we're headed down to Houston to finally do our family Christmas.  My brother and his new wife were in Dhabi most of December, so we held off on our Christmas until they made it back State-side.  And awesome news = I'm going to be an AUNT.  They'll know in 2 weeks if it will be a boy or a girl.  I haven't been able to say anything about it yet on Facebook, as they didn't want to jinx it so early into the pregnancy.  But you bet your butt, as soon as I'm given the go-ahead, I'm bragging on Facebook.  I'm quite excited at the prospect of having a niece/nephew.  I'm just ready for it to be like 7 years old and I can take it to the zoos and aquariums and all that great animal stuff.  *smiles*

Starbucks continues to go well.  It's quite challenging, but I'm rather enjoying it.  I truly feel like I've accomplished something at the end of each shift, and I'm just utterly spent, regardless if it's a 4 hr shift or an 8 hr shift.  Though, I will totally admit, I like the 4 hrs more than the 8 hrs!  *laughs*  And that's not to say that I don't feel like I'm accomplishing great things with my students in the after school program, only that with Starbucks, there's a very real, very tangible accomplishment.  That, and after a Starbucks shift, my after school program feels like a vacation.  It's so much calmer (even on its crazy days) and I can truly relish interacting with my students.

Allison, my favorite aide, has put in her two weeks' notice.  Her last day is the 22nd.  She's having to resign because for her master's degree, this semester she has to log 500 volunteer hours WHILE taking two graduate level courses.  And there's just not enough hours in the day to get all that accomplished and work in the afternoon.  She will certainly be missed.  I do hope the person we get to fill that spot is at least half as awesome as she is.

I'm all geared up for the Full Wolf Moon on Thursday.  I'll be celebrating on Wednesday though, as I don't have a Starbucks shift that day.  *smiles*  I'm re-dedicating a wolf statue David gave me in 2007, when I got home from my first trip to Wolf Park, plus re-charging the snowflake obsidian necklace my Spirit Wolf likes.  I've got a white candle, rubbed down with my Wolf Spirit oil (smells heavenly) that I'll light in my SheWolf's honor. 

Then I need to start getting ready for Imbolc/Serpent Day on February 1st.  I'll do the ritual I wrote last year for my Coven.  And I still have the small token bags and shed snake skin needed for that ritual.  Just got to figure out what I'm outgrowing (symbolized by the snake skin that I'll bury in the woods) and what I'm growing into (symbolized by the wooden token) and I'm set for that.  Might even wear Leviathan around my neck for that ritual, just to bring in a little more serpent power.  She's never been in ritual so I'm curious how she'll do. 

I've come to realize I'm less crazy off my meds than I ever was ON them.  Starbucks is super close quarters with a lot of people constantly moving.  Used to (on meds) that would send me screaming for hills as I can't stand people being inside my personal space.  Which goes double for men.  But now, off the meds, it doesn't phase me one bit.

And then there's the fact that I'm down 31 pounds just off the meds.  I haven't really changed my eating habits, and I'm a little more active, but not enough to explain the 31 pound loss.  Yeah, so I definitely don't want to go back on anything.  And while I stay stable, I won't put myself back on that. 

Photos 335 - 365

Last month of the 365 Photo Challenge. 

Photo 335:

Day planner that I will write 3 things I'm thankful for each day of 2014.

Photo 336:

Better photo of the bracelet my mom gave me.

Photo 337:

Potty snowman.  I hate this damn thing.

Photo 338:

Fiona with her pumpkin in Wolf Park's "Give a Wolf a Pumpkin" program back in October.

Photo 339:

Beautiful, bright red leaves.

Photo 340:

Ice storm hits.

Photo 341:

Day 2 of ice storm -- dangerous getting out of the apartment.

Photo 342:

Day 3 of ice storm -- that looks like snow, but really it's 3 inches of frozen solid sleet.  Looks pretty though.

Photo 343:

Day 4 of ice storm -- icicles on the oak tree.

Day 344:

My Starbucks Coffee Passport journal.  :)

Day 345:

Postcard from the Netherlands.

Photo 346:

Showing school spirit.

Photo 347:

Side of our frig with my various Wolf Park program photos and magnets we collect.

Photo 348:

Sammy, my buddy when I babysit at the Robinsons'.

Photo 349:

Layered Leviathan

Photo 350:

More water droplets.

Photo 351:

Green Apron Book from Starbucks -- all about customer service.

Photo 352:

Leviathan, looking up.

Photo 353:

Gift from a former ESD student -- a box of Dots (my favorite candy).

Photo 354:

Random altar shot.

Photo 355:

Leviathan and Santa.

Photo 356:

My pretty beast.

Photo 357:

Cruising

Photo 358:

Postcard from Russia

Photo 359:

Starbucks drink codes.

Photo 360:

Babysitting again.

Photo 361:

BEAUTIFUL card from John and Laureen.

Photo 362:

Starbucks logo on my apron.

Photo 363:

My Polar Bear trip money that I'm saving up -- currently at $830.

Photo 364:

Currently reading.

Photo 365:

Since we haven't had Christmas yet with the family, Mom was nice enough to mail us our calendars (yearly tradition).

And that is IT!!!!!
365 Photo Challenge COMPLETE!  Woohoo!

Photos 305 - 334

Photo 305:

Art Every Day Challenge

Photo 306:

Strike a pose.

Photo 307:

Art Every Day Challenge

Photo 308:

Art Every Day Challenge

Photo 309:

Art Every Day Challenge

Photo 310:

Camera shy.

Photo 311:

Postcard from Brazil.

Photo 312:

Water droplets on the tree.

Photo 313:

Sekhmet painting by Kimberly Sneed.  Amazing.

Photo 314:

A gift from my mom for my 32nd birthday.

Photo 315:

Currently reading.

Photo 316:

Entry in John's journal (swap).

Photo 317:

Postcard from Russia.

Photo 318:

Holly, relaxing.

Photo 319:

Pretty good movie.

Photo 320:

UFC journal page in John's journal (swap).

Photo 321:

Tabula Rasa ritual reading.

Photo 322:

Leaves are beginning to change.

Photo 323:

Poem in John's journal.

Photo 324:

Coffee mugs at Starbucks.

Photo 325:

Treat bag from my ESD boss.

Photo 326:

Holly and David

Photo 327:

Broke my toe.

Photo 328:

Icy landscape near Coleman, TX.

Photo 329:

Icy "jump" cactus near Brownwood, TX.

Photo 330:

Lil broken toe is slowly on the mend.

Photo 331:

Top of our DVD shelf.
1st photo of me, David, and Holly with Santa; Easter Dog; David in Egypt; our engagement photo; and two pool trophies of David's.

Photo 332:

Top of my bookshelf in my room.

Photo 333:

Some holiday decorating.

Photo 334:

My truly lovely girl.

And November is DONE!