On the Road Again
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Job Hunting
I was furloughed by the Women's Treatment Center in April.  I hoped to get back with them at first but as time wore on, I realized that was probably not going to happen.  So, I started looking for another job in the substance abuse field.  I still don't have a job yet.  Now I am thinking I will spruce up my website to expand my horizons.

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I had a PET scan done at St. Francis Hospital today.  I am waiting to hear the results.  It was done in a trailer next to the MRI wing of the hospital.  I went home and rank lots of water and took a shower.  The 1/2 life is 110 minutes plus drinking water flushes the stuff out of the bladder.  So, I have less than 1/(512) of the radioactive stuff in my body than I did at 8:00 a.m. this morning.

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Even though I had several down days at Pearson last week, I managed to get in 27 hours for the week.  I should make around 400 for the two week period since the first week was short begining on Wed.

Yesterday I got in about 5 1/2 hours and today 6 1/2 hours without being kicked out.  Hopefully, there will still be work left for tomorrow as well.

For classes, I have to do a report on my group that I let for Groups on Tuesday and on Thursday I have my first outside group.  Wish me luck.

For counseling II I have two tests to take at least once and a reflection paper due on Wednesday.

For my treatment strategies class I have some catch up homework as well as another paper due.  I think it is a reflection paper.  That is all on Thursday which is the same day as my outside group.  So, I want to get it done ahead of time.

I went to the Presbyterian church yesterday.  They had a clothes closet and a woman's spa in addition to the free lunch.  I got a hair cut but skipped everything else so I could go upstairs and eat.  This is my first haircut in two years and it looks pretty nice, I must say.  Wed. I am going to add some money to my phone and also buy a charger.  I will post a picture then.

After bringing my loot home from the Presbyterian Church I went to Hillside and got free groceries.  It printed out tha tmy birthday was coming up.  So, I got an extra cake.  It was pretty good but I haven't finished it yet.  (I only got it yesterday and it's not my birthday yet.  LOL.) I also got an angelfood cake which I did finish off yesterday. (Hey, it was low or no fat, how could I resist?).

I have been cleaning my room every since I quit working for Pearson.  I still have a bit to go.  Let me get back to cleaning! 

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Still no work at Pearson.  Bummer.  I went to see my psychiatrist today, and then road the Metra (free) to Des Plaines.  I took the 208 to Oakton and here I am.  We were supposed to have 3 chances on our chapter 11 test but it had been closed out.  So, I guess I will do the chapter 12 test.  There are still 3 chances left on it.  The chapter 11 was on logo therapy.  It is someway you get people to think about the meaning of their life or help people who are thinking about it to explore it.  I had heard of this a long time ago and then my psychology of adjustment teacher talked about it in a class I took about 10 years ago at Oakton.  Her name was Bonnie Agnew. She was younger than I but was able to retire a year or so later.

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Well, Pearson was out of work again today.  However, I have my presentations for Groups tonight and am not overly concerned.  I am going to ahead and go see my student at Anixter.  I was kind of thinking about postponing our session until Thursday but I am going to need to work full blast on Pearson to get in my 40 hours this week and will need to work Thursday until time to go to my class at Oakton.

Yesterday, I made pinto beans and some kind of meat I got at the church with Kale.  It was pretty good.  I am going to take a couple of helpings with me when I leave the house.  I will probably eat one at Anixter and then another at Oakton.

All of the other students have been passing out a treat at Oakton when it is time for their group presentations.  So, I bought some candy last night at Walgreen's.  It was on sale because of the after holiday sale.  Unfortunately, I barely have enough left for the kids because I ate so much last night.  I should have waited until today to buy it!

My Icebreaker for the group is going to be progressive relaxation.  I found a script for it online from a Law School at the University of California, Bearkley.  I am still a little hazy about what to do after my presentation.  I think I will open it up for discussion after I talk about the Karpman Drama Triangle.

Well, guess I had better get going.  Have a great day! 

Transitions
No work at Pearson today until about 7:30 p.m. they let me take a brushup on my assginment.  So, I spent the day reading and preparing for my group session tomorrow.  My icebreaker is going to be a 10 minute relaxation exercise.  Then for the main group I am going to talk about Transactional analysis with an emphasis on the Drama Triangle.  Then I am going to open up the group for discussion on the drama triangle or other aspects of TA.  Wish me luck.

Transitions

I only got in about 10 or so hours at Pearson this weekend but I have an excuse.  They kicked me out today because they ran out of work temporarily.  I also studied quite a bit for my Groups test.  We had until 11 p.m. to take it but I went ahead and took it a few minutes ago.  I only made 88 but I am not sweating it.  She said that was a decent grade when she was telling us about it before.

I also sent her an outline of my inclass group.  I can't decide whether to call it a night or take the quiz for my couneling ii class. We have 3 attempts on it.  I was thinking it might be a good idea to see how I do and that way can gauge better how to study.  Or I could just take a shower and call it a night.

My landlady/room mate saw an ant in the bathroom.  So, she took the opportunity to tell me to be sure and keep my room clean.  I referred her to an article on the NY Times recently that talked about the vast number of bugs contained in the ordinary home.  I have not heard back from her on that one.  LOL.

However, I did sweep my room good just to be on the safe side. I would hate to have to move when I am just starting to make money on my pearson job.  That would be poor timing, no?

I went to the  food pantry yesterday.  They gave me a pint of macornoi salad.  I ate on it yesterday and finished it off today.  I also got some bacon.  I fried four pieces today and hate it with mushrooms, cucumbers, whole wheat toast and tomatoes. Pretty yummy.

A lot of times when I get fruit from the food pantries they are ripe.  Such was the case yesterday.  I had two bananas yesterday and two today.  I also got some brown rice.  I was glad of that.  I like white rice too but brown rice is supposed to be better for me.  I will probably make some beans and rice tomorrow in the slow cooker. 

Pearson said to check back tomorrow to see if they had loaded more items to grade. That means I can probably get my clothes in the wash before I start grading tomorrow.  Heck I could probably sweep my room again first too.

Hasta luego! 

Transitions

Things are going pretty well so far this week.  My midterm grade was an A in treatment strategies.  I was kind of surprised but glad.  I got in 4 hours at Pearson yesterday and 2 so far today.  I think I am going to go up to the Congressional Church and get lunch just so I get some exercise in today.

After Pearson, I have to finish an assignment for my groups class and then email it to my instructor, who happens to be the same teacher as for Treatment Strategies.  Then I am also going to email her an outline of my plan for my group which I present next Tuesday.

Over the weekend I signed up to work 16 hours for Pearson, do my online part of my midterm for groups and take a test for my Counseling II class. So, I should be pretty busy this weekend.

I think I am going to skip the computer club today.  Too bad I can't work from school because if I did I could go to the computer club and still get in my 8 hours at Pearson for the day. 

Transitions

I got back into the swing of things yesterday.  I went to Anixter in the morning and then to school at Oakton afterwards.  My student and I read the introduction to The Autobiography of Malcolm X at Anixter.  At school I got a copy of a biography of Eric Berns.  I am going to do my group on Transactional Analysis and am trying to brush up on my knowledge of it and its founder.

We had a good group in my groups class.  I had my bike with me but was able to transfer to the 97 at Old Orchard Mall and had very little problem getting home.  On the way there I missed my connection from the 97 to the 208 and darted through the parking lot on  bike trying to catch it.  By the time I got there it had disappeared.  So, I rode my bike up to a hotdog stand I used to frequent when I worked at American Bankcard and then again when I worked at Peapod and yes, I indulged.  I figured that I had done enough exercise to escort that hotdog right through my colon without aplomb.  LOL.

I am short on cash though and am hoping I can get through the beginning of my job at Pearson without having to renew my pay-as-you-go plan on my phone until pay day.  The battery needs charging on my as well and I lost one of my chargers and the other had a short in it.

Well, let me get back to Pearson and start this new project. 

Transitions

Spring break is officially over at Oakton but since I don't have any Monday classes, I am still enjoying my time off.  I am washing a few jeans and my bedding since most people in the building are at work today.

It is a bright but brisk day today.  I rode my bike about a mile to the Unitarian church and had a free lunch.  They had chilli, chopped steaks, scalloped potatoes and different flavors of those fish shaped crackers. I got two brownies still packaged for desert.  I brought one of the chopped steaks back home with me for later as well as the brownies. We also had some kind of biscuit I had never had before.  Maybe it was a communion biscuit? I got a good imagination, hunh?

I am still working on moving my Squidoo lens on resale shops to my angel fire account.  Check it out if you get a chance:

https://www.angelfire.com/goth/floweb/resale 

 I am also pushing my book review of the medical math for nursing students today:

http://www.squidoo.com/henkes-med-math-dosage-calculation-preparation-administration