Grump of the day award goes to....

ME! Yea, I've been a bit of a grump tonight and I just can't shake it. I did my best to not be short with the kids tonight at work and for the most part I wasn't. Towards the end of the night however, I got a little bit snippy when a youth kept repeating the same question over and over. I just had to remind myself he's just a kid and that's what they do. I did get good news that I'm not going to get wrote up over the whole incident with the "warden" at work. She's a group leader there, which is the position that is one step above mine in the administration command. She's not in charge of the staff team I'm on thankfully. Basically, I got accused of doing something I wasn't supposed to when she was the one who gave me permission in the first place. I can't stand that woman. My supervisor informed me the issue had been dismissed and no one in administration took her seriously and there is a large amount of regret about placing her in the position in the first place. I'm glad I'm not the only person who just can't tolerate her. Every time I walk in the door and see that she's the shift leader in charge for the night I want to pull my hair out. She's ineffective, absent-minded, and incredibly slow. I guess she's been scheduling herself as shift leader so she doesn't have to deal with the group she's in charge of. Go figure.... she got a promotion and now won't do her job. Ugh.... whatever. Just relieved to know my boss stood up for me and nothing is going in my employee file. Enough of that mess!

Work has been better the past couple nights. One of our "nightmare" kids went home Monday morning and it has been great! It's amazing how much things can change when certain kids leave the program. 6 kids opened up and shared their stories that night because they felt safe for the first time. Now we have a ton of hotlines to do, but that's just part of the job. Hopefully these youth can finally get the help and therapy they need. I feel like my group is making real progress for the first time in a very long time.

I am only working a half day tomorrow so I can leave while it's still daylight and to hopefully avoid the worst of the snowstorm we are supposed to get all day long. Working out in the middle of the country can be dangerous during the winter. The roads are not well tended to in the middle of nowhere and there certainly isn't adequate lighting to see what you're driving into. I also don't have to work Thursday so that helps. I do however plan to go see my grandparents during the day. My gramps has bronchitis and walking pneumonia. He's on oxygen constantly, has three breathing treatments a day, and is taking antibiotics. Hopefully he's getting plenty of rest and is starting to feel better. His health hasn't been the greatest for the past 10 years and his 80th birthday is next month. I really wish I was able to get up to see them more often, I really miss them. I know I will get to see them a little bit more next month with all the birthdays, including my own.

Speaking of my birthday, I have got to book the hotel and buy the train tickets for our trip to St. Louis. Ryan and I are taking Amtrak and staying in a suite for the weekend. We just wanted to get away together for a weekend instead of the traditional party with all of my friends on the plaza. I don't get many weekends off and we don't get to spend a lot of time together due to our work schedules. I am really looking forward to some time with just him and me. We are going to meet up with a friend of ours who just so happens to be our tattoo artist as well. Ryan is going to get a new side tattoo and I am going to get all of mine touched up. I am looking forward to that also!

Well, it's time for me to get some zzzzzz's! Have to get up in just 6 hours for work. So until tomorrow.... adieu!