I didn't mean to hurt you..

I was raised by a father who really should be a professor teaching "the history of Rock and Roll". He played all the classics. They are the soundtrack to my childhood.

Why did it take me until Lennon/McCartney night to first hear this Lennon song?

AMAZING.

Lori Ann

Everything

I do love nothing in the world so well as you.

William Shakespeare
Lori Ann

In your eyes..

Life is never what you expect it to be, is it?

I have this new job. There are so many things I love about it.

Family, Group, and Individual Therapist.

I never in my life thought I would be a 'therapist'. It's a title I have always held in some reverence and never imagined that it would a title that applied to me.

But here I am.

Today, I decided to let the kids decide on some of the rules for our group, and they said they thought music should be a part of it.

We spent the next hour listening to our favorite songs on the ipod I borrowed from my sister.

It opened doorways of communication that I had been trying to pry open for the last week and a half.

Imagine a group of 6 or 7 "bad kids" all singing along to "Love Story" by Taylor Swift...and then spending 15 minutes talking about it. Or about how the song they chose reminds them of when they lived with their mom, before they went into a foster home. Or how the song they chose was all that kept them from committing suicide a few months ago.

It was both powerful and sad.

Powerful because I know that it was healing for some of the kids, and sad because I want so much to help these kids. I would love to take them all home with me and shower them with praise and encouragement. I would love to go to their concerts and parent teacher conferences. I would love to ground them for bad grades and set a curfew and lecture them about keeping their room clean.

They haven't had any of that.

I guess what I am saying is that it's kind of cool to have a job where you learn more than you teach, and where you get more than you give.
Lori Ann
 

p.s.- I played "in your eyes" as my song. Apparently Peter Gabriel isn't that popular with teens:)

You know what I hate??

I hate, more than anything else on Earth, smugness.

I CANNOT STAND IT.

It's what really propels my political views. I don't think I'm being biased when I say that there are FAR more smug liberals than smug conservatives. (though I am sure that both exist). Liberals just have that smug "I am smarter than you and I really care about people, unlike you" attitude that irritates me.

ANYWAY,

I was reading someone's blog and she was commenting on how she was excited about health care reform, and I was like "oh well, whatever makes you happy". I am not a fan of it, but I don't begrudge anyone their opinion...until...

the comments section.

I kid you not there were AT LEAST 100 comments from Canadians, stating things like "welcome to the modern world...finally you've learned that you need to be like us"

OH MY GOSH.

Which brings me to the other thing I hate most in this world..

Canadians!

Lori Ann

Strong words in the staff room...

My new job is crazy. Which I love. Keeps life interesting.

I think my boss (who is famous for sending people inappropriate text messages) may be self medicating. I am scheduling all of my meeting with him when he is on an upswing.

My coworkers all have cliques. I love clique warfare. (thanks, Pam!)

I have already started my own alliance with the clinical director and her assistant.

I have approached a few others about an alliance, but I think they are afraid...or they think I'm crazy. Which is a win-win for me.

I am giving myself 3 more weeks to accomplish the following:

Form and break numerous alliances

Stab, minimum, three people in the back

Be the object of both pity and scorn

Steal someones lunchable from the staff fridge

Make someone fall in love with me (piece of cake)

Convert at least 2/3rd's of the day treatment clients to "team Jacob"

I know what you are thinking...how am I going to convert teenage girls to "team Jacob"? With their love of emotional thinking and lack of insight into what makes a healthy relationship, they are all strongly team Edward.

Don't worry.

My middle name is Persuasion.

(Well, it's actually Ann...I going to add that to my list of stuff to get done, though..."change my middle name to Persuasion")

Lori Ann

Blah, blah, blah

I start my new job tomorrow. It's with the same agency, just in a different department.

I am sure that I have mentioned it before, but I am working on getting my LCSW.

 

Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

 

To get this, you have to have a Masters Degree in Social Work and then two years of supervised experience and then the state exam.

If I pass the exam, I will be an LCSW this October.

This means that I can open my own practice, if I want. (as a therapist)

I don't have that kind of enterprising spirit though:)

Anyway, the reason I mention all of this is because I hope that this new job will teach me alot. I will be doing group, individual, and family counseling.

The group therapy that I will be doing will be what are called "process groups". Kind of like AA, where you say your name and everyone says "hi" and the topic is very much directed by the group members.

I've never really done this sort of group before. Everything I have done has been "psycho-educational"...like groups ABOUT something: self esteem, education, etc.

 

I am not at all nervous. Which is strange for me.

I think that talking to and engaging with people is the one area of my life in which I am completely confident in my abilities.

I can't talk about confidence without thinking of this quote "Your over confidence is your weakness"..."Your faith in your friends is yours!" (Return of the Jedi, baby!)

Wish me luck tomorrow!!

Lori Ann

Today, "the man" smacked me in the face..

The Harry Potter glasses I am going to make my kids wear!


So,

Trying to be a responsible adult, I made myself an eye appointment and went to see the optometrist today.


And by "optometrist", I mean "Satan's revenue collector"



I went in thinking it was going to cost me 25 dollars..how wrong I was.


25 for the co-pay, 77 for the contact lens exam (had no idea it was seperate charge or I wouldn't have gotten it), 30 for them to take a picture of my eyes, and 110 for contacts. I wanted to get new glasses, but (with my insurance) the glasses would have cost me close to 400 dollars.


So, I guess I am lucky it was only 240 something, instead of the 600 + it would have been if I had gotten glasses.

Sheesh.

I'm not too concerned though..I figure Obama will be paying for my lasik surgery soon.

So, it's all good.