auntmo9 | Why yes, I am still here...

So, I really am still here. I just haven’t had an original post in…well, I would have to look it up. I have tried to keep up with all of you and comment and say hi, whether we are old or new friends.

As both a way of introduction to my new friends, and an update for old, here is my life right now, which has been kicking me in the pants lately:

For those who don’t know, I am a director of a residential program for people with developmental disabilities. It is not an understatement to say I have been insanely busy since the beginning of March. I had to attend a week long class that now allows me to teach and certify my staff in something they are required to have (crisis intervention). But of course, there was still a ton of stuff I had to do in the evening for my regular work load after class was over. We are also currently attempting to move 70% of our residents in to new locations within the next month while at the same time add the same amount of new residents. So my work load has more than doubled. I have been searching for homes, getting permits, furniture, meeting with the new residents, their families, their case workers etc and, trying to hire and train the new staff. Basically think of all the things you have to do when you move, and multiple it by the number of people I am moving and/or moving-in, and then multiple it by the fact that I am hiring and training staff, too.

Oh, and of course, don’t forget that we have to keep the normal day to day stuff going in the mean time, too. That means making sure there are groceries in the homes we do have, dealing with staff who can’t seem to stay certified in state required courses, putting on my plumber's hat and using an auger to unclog toilets (yes that is a skill I have).

As part of this, we have to deal with the state government, as we do all of the time, as well as local governments. It seems like every time we turn around they are changing the rules or, at least their story. “Now you have to do it this way” or “We didn’t get that”. It is two steps forward, three steps back, hurry up and wait, unless of course they need something and then of course they need it now. I have been in this field for over twenty years so I am used to dealing with government bureaucracy, but this has been a very frustrating process, more so than usual.

I just want things to slow down.

The good news is, apparently I have been at my company long enough that my vacation time had increased last year and I didn’t realize it. I thought I only got two weeks of vacation but apparently it went up to three years on my anniversary date last year. We are allowed to bank up to twice the amount of vacation time we earn each year, so where I thought I had three weeks in the banks, I really had four. The problem is, I am getting three more weeks next Tuesday on my employment anniversary, which would take me above the maximum we are allowed to save. However, my company also allows us to sell some time back to them. So I am selling them two weeks back to them in exchange for two weeks extra pay and between that and my tax return I might just actually go somewhere for vacation this year, and maybe Chi Con as well.

Of course it will all have to wait until all of the residents move. And my assistant manager gets back from her honeymoon…