I was going to blog, but.......

I was going to blog, but....... I am surrounded by children at the library and am getting mighty freaked out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great distractions...

So.... I have few friends in the far away town of Red Wing, and the one near Rochester moved far far away..... *glares*, Soooooooooooooo................... when I do manage to stay in Red Wing, I need to look for as many distractions as possible to keep myself busy. Yesterday, I took care of the cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, worked some overtime, drove to Wisconsin to go for a walk with a friend, read, and talked on the phone. Today, I was all excited because I had decided to distract myself by annoying the Amish and going for a trip where I could corral one and ask a multitude of questions, but, alas, it is raining out, so I thought the Amish may be hiding in such weather. Then I decided to go to the Mall of America (ha ha, I can do that on whim!!!). After further consideration, I decided I didn't want to spend money on stuff (even though my shirts are in tatters and I need some new ones) and driving, so I went shopping for vehicles and cloths in the pathetic town of Red Wing. I must admit I was very successful, I bought nothing!!!!! I must be bored because I honestly hate shopping...... Well, at least I can save my trip to visit the Amish for another exciting day. My next distractions will include a trip to a recreation park in Wisconsin, a trip to Hudson, a trip to harass the Amish, some frisbee golf, hiking, and perhaps some basketball. Hmmmmmm... or maybe sleeping and watching TV?

Someone stating "I'll knock their head off" can be considered an improvement!

So the other day (Monday to be exact), I was working, and I came in with a rather gleeful spirit with all intentions of locking someone up. No reason why, I just knew it would happen. So this argumentative kid who never shuts up, accepts responsibility for his actions, is loud, and a big pain in the butt (Yes I still want to help this kid), was continuing to be a pain throughout the weekend. On Sunday night I had told him he needed to "Run down an issue" (program langauge) for being disrespectful to the other residents. On Monday, I asked the argumentative kid if he had "run down an issue" for being disrespectful, and he stated no pointing fingers and talking about all the wrongs that had been done to him the past couple of days. The other residents stated they tried to get him to run it down, but he had stated, "I ain't running down shit." On he went for a good hour while we were at the gym with this smirk on his face. So we returned from the gym with this kid still going on and on, irritating every one around him. I asked the resident to step into the quiet room with a few of the other residents to run down the issue. I directed him to run down the issue and he got more vocal telling others they had wronged him, flipping the focus, cutting others off, being disrespectful, and in general refusing to run down the issue, instead stating all the woes inflicted on him (all not true, but if you keep others on the defense they can't hold you accountable." I tapped my fingers and tuned him out waiting for him to run it down knowing he wouldn't, and starting to get excited about sending him to our security unit. Eventually he again stated, "I ain't running down shit." I then sent him down to his room, and turned to my co-worker stating gleefully and clapping, "Can I lock him up, can I, can I?" He then replied, go ahead. At this point I hear the resident yelling from his room and slamming things against the door. So I called up the Watch Commander, and rather then ask, I told him I would like to lock up so and so for disorderly conduct and refusing a direct order. The Watch Commander replies, go ahead. So patrol comes and puts the handcuffs on, and on the way out the resident states, "I am a gangster now, I am a gangster now." He is hopping around now with his cuffs on. He then states, "Next time someone asks me to step into the quiet room, I am gonna knock their head off, you hear that Miss _______? Next time someone talks to me, I am gonna knock their head off." So after the kid left, I turned to my co-worker and stating with a smile. "Wow, he is really making improvements. Last time he said he was gonna kill us and named off our names, and calling me a bitch. This time he just said he was gonna knock someone's head off!" My co-worker responded with a smile, "Yeah thats right, he is making improvements!"

Going out on dates without either person having to ask... Date # ummmm....Eight I think?

So the other day, I went out horseback riding with my Mom and Lori. On the way home, Lori comments to my Mom, "So.... do you think we can go to the sheep ranch tomorrow." My Mom comments, "It is to bad ____ can't come, he must be really bummed out about that." My Mom then states, "Well, we could always go out later when ____ gets off work." Lori comments back, "Yeah, lets do that." Then we get back to the house, and I ask if I need to put the tack away. My Mom comments, "No, we will be going out tomorrow any ways." Lori then comments, "Should I put ____'s saddle in the trailer then." I finally commented on this stating, "Lor.... don't you think you should ask him first?" Lori then kids around stating "No, he doesn't have a choice." So later that night I let a message on ____'s cell phone. "I just wanted to let you know that I was up north again, and I would ask you if you wanted to hang out on Wednesday, but we already are, you just don't know it yet." This is all great, no pressure to ask one another out, life is grand!

(the ____ is because I don't want to give away my parking space by letting other people know who the he is that is available).

The day and the life of a corrections officer!

So, I returned to work on Friday with all my lovely youth and found out that in my wonderful expertise, I was working all by myself in the lovely mental health/transition cottage for the whole 16 hour shift (I was working a double so I could get the previous day off). Now, with 6 mental health residents and 7 transition residents this proved to be quite the undertaking, not to mention against policy to have me working by myself (1 officer for every 4 mental health... we were over, and 1 officer for every 12 regular guys, sorry we had 13). So I had one guy in the building under protective custody (his group members from another cottage wanted to hurt him I guess, no one had the insight to leave me an explanation of what was going on with this kid), one who argues like no tomorrow, one paranoid schizophrenic (who hates females, has assualted female staff before, and is angry at the drop of a hat), one sex offender attracted to anything with two legs, two suicidal kids (one how always seems to say the strangest most disrespectful thing and acts two), and several transition kids who usually help out but happened to be on an off-grounds that day. So I sent the little darlings off to school, and sat at my computer, with one kid sleeping in his room down the hall (the one in protective custody was not sent to school). The we had a graduation ceremony so I gathered up my one resident and headd over. Now half the kids who recieved honors were rewarded pizza in another building, so I commented to the kid in protective custody, "So I guess you won't get to go up there for your pizza." To which he replies, "No, I get to go, they told me the other officer in the building was going to escort me up there." Hmmm.. interesting, I have an imaginary officer working with me? Now here is a delema to solve in all of five minutes, not to mention the fact that they just informed me that the paranoid schizophrenic was being released to me.... *sighs* So I left the kid in protective custody in the bleachers (he was surrounded by teachers, no problem, I hope!!!). I then gathered up my brood of mental health residents with the paranoid schizophrenic gaining in agitation and impatience as I looked about for the psychologist with four mental health residents trailing and me trying to keep count of them in the crowd and get back to the one under protective custody now that the crowd was moving. Eventually I explained my delema to the pyschologist who offered to take the kid to pizza, and I managed to some how keep the agitation down and my little clan together and usher them back to the cottage and open it so all could return. Hmmmm... and that was just the start of my day! Luckily it was a good day and I got by unscathed.

An uneventful week!

Hmmm.... you know I have no clue what to do with myself since I have absolutely nothing to report this week. Yikes, after all the excitement how does one come down off that without becoming depressed as life goes back to normal? I suppose a person could create a crazy abnormal normal daily life? Hmmm... any how, by the time I dug up worms and found some chocolate to dip them in, I lost energy and went to sleep instead.

Also, I had no dates with Lori's son this week, though I ran into him at 9:30 at night at Festival Foods and he called me. It was quite embarrassing since I am not a kids or babies person and I was helping my friend grocery shop with her three or four month old. :) I guess it turns out that I only like SOME kids..... so I guess I can handle this for now.

What, no comments on my Blogs?

No buddy loves me, everybody hates me, I'll just go eat worms.

Taking care of my Father....?!?!?

So, my Dad was released from the hospital yesterday with his thumb in tact and lots of pain. Being the good daughter, I decided to keep my poor lonely Father company. So, as soon as we got home I left to see my Brother's new house, visit with my sister-in-law, stop at a friends, run to Target to pick up some muscle shirts and a thermometer for my Dad (he can only get on muscle shirts with such a huge cast), and I went grocery shopping for my Mom. After several hours, I went back home and sat down with my Dad . My Dad promptly started dozing off while I was talking to him. Hmmmm.... so I went bareback riding out in the field with my horse, came back in and my Dad was awake. So, I chatted with my Dad and left to go shoot stuff. I then noticed it was only seven o'clock when we finished shooting stuff and stated I can't go home now! So I visited with Lori after shooting stuff. Next, I visited with Lori's son some more and figured I burned enough time, so I left and went to Holiday gas station to visit my friends who work there. Finally at 8:30 (which is much better then my usual midnight time) I arrived home and spoke with my Father who promptly fell asleep. So I tried to eat and woke my Dad up and apologized. My Dad then states it is okay, I should probably stay up later any how. So I started talking to my Dad again who falls asleep...... Hmmm... oh well. The next morning I get up and go down stairs and my Dad is awake so I start talking to him and....... he falls asleep.


The learning lesson in this story? If anyone has difficulties falling asleep, call me and we can talk on the phone until you promptly fall asleep. Either that or my Dad was faking it?????!??!

High powered toys yeah!!!!!!

And so I went shooting stuff.......... and now.......... well.......... who needs an arm and a leg any way? :) I am pretty good at typing with my left hand, and two missing fingers hey? :)















































I hopes people realize I am kidding...............

Date #.... ummmmm 6 I think.

God is extrodinary and wonderful, beyond imagination. Even amongst tragedy, God takes care of us and directs our steps. I was recently reading in Mark about the man on the Sabbath day that Jesus asked to stretch forth his hand. I have no doubt that I read that story to help grow a mustard seed of faith that was needed in my life at that point in time. Don't get me wrong, I definitely have faith and trust the living God, but some how his word always helps that faith grow and mature.
God's grace and direction this last week that I was AWARE of started on Thursday of last week, when I decided I would love to go up north the following week, but with gas prices I decided to desist in that plan. Apparently God had other plans. Upon returning home I grabbed my mail and headed upstairs. I looked at the mail and saw one from the clinic and thought, finally my old bill is here, I was wondering about that. I then proceeded to grumble some about bills and expenses lately, and I opened the envelope. Now this was not your typical enclosure from Fairview. Behold, sitting in the envelope was a 133 dollar check from the clinic with no explanation except a stamp reading clinic refund and no number to call, so I cashed it. Thank you..... how nice! Of course, it was probably from a time when I was over charged, but I am still happy for the unexpected income. Next, I looked at the weather and decided I wasn't going to go up north anyways because the weather was forcasted to be bad. Then my Dad got in an accident and was placed in the Intensive care Unit, and it was stated that he would possibly lose his thumb. Apparently my Dad and my Brother were digging a sewage line and filling in the trench. My Dad walked out of the trench and my Brother left for another load of fill. My Dad then noticed a rock sitting on some pipes and decided to move it, slipping back in the trench, as my Brother swung the Bobcat around and a huge boulder came off the bucket smashing my Dad's hand against the other rock. Now I hadn't heard the whole story and had no idea how bad it was, only that my Dad might lose his thumb and one doctor wanted to amputate it, while the other wanted to give it a shot but did not have high hopes. So they took my Dad into surgery for six hours, and after the surgery they stated that they had connected one nerve, one blood vessel, and put in a metal pin as the bones were crushed. They also stated that he still had a 50% chance of losing the thumb. Well I didn't know how severe the wound was so I told work off (he was also to possibly have another surgery), took a sick day and cruised to Duluth. By the time I got there my Dad was in a regular hospital room looking as lovely as ever with a cast around one hand, thumb intact. The thumb had a needle or metal rod in it, but my Dad grumbled of pain in the thumb so the nerve and blood vessel they reconnected took. I felt bad about taking work of because I didn't realize he had only hurt his hand (I thought the rock had hit more then his hand). It was a 50/50 chance, but with prayers to one how cares mightily for his children..... there was no 50/50, only a 100 percent that the thumb would take. I must say I prayed hard and I had believed God's healing power. God still performs miracles today. The first prognosis for my Dad had been much worse then 50%.
So now I am up north, and Lori's son called and I asked him if he wanted to hang out. So it is the movies on Tuesday and shooting stuff on Wednesday! Toys yeah!!! Heeeheeeeheeeeeeeeeeeeeee.......................

Date #5, I think.....

After a week home on the Range, I drove back to Red Wing, cleaned my house, played with my cats, paid my bills, went grocery store, went to the library to turn in some books, and then I went to work. Work was over whelming with all my juveniles out of lock up and in my cottage, and left over tasks that no one completing while I was gone. So I buzzed around with little ingrates shouting Ms. ______.......... Ms. ________....... I finally stated "No parking, I am busy." Luckily, I stayed busy all night, and when they did ask me questions I actually was able to multi-task in my frenzy to get everything done. Oh, I also tried my hardest to get some of the residents locked up again, thus not having to deal with them on my return, but this was to no avail.
After my day of work, I went to check on Bandit (my older horse) and help the dentist with him, and then I returned to the Range. Once on the Range, I proceeded to go out to eat with my family, then horse back riding with Lori and my Mom.
On the horse back ride I found out I am a pretty good bronc rider. Someone once told me you are either good at rodeoing or riding. I guess I am bad at riding because boy did I rodeo!!!! While walking next to the road, my horse stepped squarely on a black jug. Next, the horse exploded for well over eight seconds while my legs came out of the stirrups flailing, I jostled all over the saddle, and finally after a magnificent performance by my horse, things calmed down. Now Lori wasn't much help on this matter, as she commented, "lets chalk this up, two for you, zero for Baron." The next day, I went on a long horse back ride with my Mom and Lori, and then on a date with Lori's son to the movies. Now it is Thursday and back to Red Wing I go. I must say though, I believe these blogs will not be so entertaining soon with all the gas price hikes and less driving for me.