After this week I think I've decided I might be an adrenalin-junky. :)
This week was nuts...and I loved it. The crazier my job is, the more I love it.
Story #1
I have a client who ran away (aka went on run) to Chicago a few weeks after I started. He's been living in a shelter in Chicago ever since. Because he's been on run, my responsibilities for him have been less than they would be for my other clients. He is refusing to come back to Peoria so we've been looking for a more permanent place for him in Chicago. This week I was mediating between him and a possible placement (he couldn't get a hold of them).The hard part is he recently went on run from the shelter, has been sleeping on trains, and has to use random stranger's cell phones to call me.
Story #2
One of my clients is pregnant. She is also in a very abusive relationship with her boyfriend. She called her therapist the other day crying that he had been locking her in the apartment, throwing her, beating her, and he stole her glasses. During the phone conversation the therapist heard he swallowing pills. I tried calling the client and she did not pick up. So, the therapist and I drove to her apartment to check on her. She was alive, thankfully, and said she had only swallowed two pills. But, we stayed with he for an hour making sure she was ok and not suicidal. I eventually went through the apartment and confiscated all of her medication before we left.
Story #3
Thursday I took my client to court in Lake county (north of Chicago). It was supposed to be a routine court with the Judge checking in with him and seeing if I was doing my job right.
I wasn't feeling well and was hoping for a smooth day. Ha. :)
On the way there I realized I was going to the wrong address and my GPS quit working. The map I had printed no longer was taking me to the correct place. So, I called Nathan and had him help me figure out where I was.
Here's the picture- I'm driving 70mph in Chicago rush hour traffic, with a fever, in a rental vehicle with terrible blind spots, talking on the phone (hands free) to Nathan, with a client who is borderline some-mental-illness-that-is-socially-awkward and who keeps trying to turn my radio on to rap, and running completely out of money trying to pay the tolls.
um. yah. I may not have been enjoying the adrenalin then.
We finally made it to court and settled in to wait to be called. In court my client threw me a curve ball. He asked to be released from DCFS guardianship, and the Judge released him. I pretty much sat there speechless. We got it all worked out though. He went home with his grandparents, and I headed back to Peoria.
The drive home was much better though. I started feeling better and got to listen to my own music, and sing along very loudly. :)
I got home in plenty of time to get ready for potluck. Yup. I hosted potluck that night. Really though, It was a great night and a wonderful way to end the day. We had Troy, Ellie and Cyrus, Kendra and Aaron, and Wendi and Daniel.
Friday, I got back to work to crazy amounts of work due to all 3 of the above stories. But, as usual it all fell together and by the end of the day I was on top of things again.
On the way home I picked up Kayla and then Carli and Kandace joined us. :) Nathan was going to be gone for the night so I took the opportunity to have a girls night. It was great fun. I realized I am getting older as I can't stay up til 2:30 as well as I used to.
Saturday we broke out our ice skates and I skated for the first time all year. :)
That's my crazy life these days. :)
In Christ
~Michelle
This week was nuts...and I loved it. The crazier my job is, the more I love it.
Story #1
I have a client who ran away (aka went on run) to Chicago a few weeks after I started. He's been living in a shelter in Chicago ever since. Because he's been on run, my responsibilities for him have been less than they would be for my other clients. He is refusing to come back to Peoria so we've been looking for a more permanent place for him in Chicago. This week I was mediating between him and a possible placement (he couldn't get a hold of them).The hard part is he recently went on run from the shelter, has been sleeping on trains, and has to use random stranger's cell phones to call me.
Story #2
One of my clients is pregnant. She is also in a very abusive relationship with her boyfriend. She called her therapist the other day crying that he had been locking her in the apartment, throwing her, beating her, and he stole her glasses. During the phone conversation the therapist heard he swallowing pills. I tried calling the client and she did not pick up. So, the therapist and I drove to her apartment to check on her. She was alive, thankfully, and said she had only swallowed two pills. But, we stayed with he for an hour making sure she was ok and not suicidal. I eventually went through the apartment and confiscated all of her medication before we left.
Story #3
Thursday I took my client to court in Lake county (north of Chicago). It was supposed to be a routine court with the Judge checking in with him and seeing if I was doing my job right.
I wasn't feeling well and was hoping for a smooth day. Ha. :)
On the way there I realized I was going to the wrong address and my GPS quit working. The map I had printed no longer was taking me to the correct place. So, I called Nathan and had him help me figure out where I was.
Here's the picture- I'm driving 70mph in Chicago rush hour traffic, with a fever, in a rental vehicle with terrible blind spots, talking on the phone (hands free) to Nathan, with a client who is borderline some-mental-illness-that-is-socially-awkward and who keeps trying to turn my radio on to rap, and running completely out of money trying to pay the tolls.
um. yah. I may not have been enjoying the adrenalin then.
We finally made it to court and settled in to wait to be called. In court my client threw me a curve ball. He asked to be released from DCFS guardianship, and the Judge released him. I pretty much sat there speechless. We got it all worked out though. He went home with his grandparents, and I headed back to Peoria.
The drive home was much better though. I started feeling better and got to listen to my own music, and sing along very loudly. :)
I got home in plenty of time to get ready for potluck. Yup. I hosted potluck that night. Really though, It was a great night and a wonderful way to end the day. We had Troy, Ellie and Cyrus, Kendra and Aaron, and Wendi and Daniel.
Friday, I got back to work to crazy amounts of work due to all 3 of the above stories. But, as usual it all fell together and by the end of the day I was on top of things again.
On the way home I picked up Kayla and then Carli and Kandace joined us. :) Nathan was going to be gone for the night so I took the opportunity to have a girls night. It was great fun. I realized I am getting older as I can't stay up til 2:30 as well as I used to.
Saturday we broke out our ice skates and I skated for the first time all year. :)
:) ice skates
In Christ
~Michelle
3 comments:
thanks for sharing. girls night sounds fun. how about here sometime?
oops.
a.k. in ks
Jealous... but only of the ice skating. :)
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