This is my second shift out of three consecutive shifts at the group home, so I figure I'd blog a bunch. Lots of things have happened this month of November. Went for a job interview with the San Francisco Unified School District and the Education Fund, went to my 10 year high school reunion, painted the master bedroom and got rid of our old bedroom furniture (getting a new platform bed), continuing to foster Jingo, the little monkey of a dog, my in-laws van burned down at New Park Mall, visited Colin and Brady on a couple of occassions, been going jogging and biking, and taking the dogs to the dog park at least twice a week, and cleaning up the house for the garage sale. Whew!! I have to start work in January, so I only have a month left to do the following:

-get my measles/rubella immunization from CSUH
-register for winter classes
-finish my TED 6300 papers and submit to professor
-write my grad school paper
-check out design walk at Jackson Square
-go ice skating at Embarcadero w/ Jo
-test more filipino recipes out
-finish the deck and plantings in the backyard
-put stepping stones in the front yard
-set-up the garage as another living space
-buy christmas gifts
-put some more miles on the Trek
-put some more miles on my trail shoes
-go to the snow with snowshoes and pups once, and snowshoes and board a second time
-visit Becky in friggin timbuk2 to do a homecheck for fostering
-continue appointments for Joanne
-organize paperwork
-heartguard anf lfea/tick protect dogs
-time for Gilbey and Belle's annual shots
-check out at least one Warriors game
-guys christmas party
-cousin's christmas party
-Jo's family's christmas party
-Lola's christmas party

Alright, then. I'm glad I'll have a month to do all of these things, and not have a job during the day to hinder me. But all that shall change in January.

I came in to work last night, and discovered that one of the kids had a smear-fest in the quiet room. He had been in there for half an hour, smearing his feces all over the wall, the one window, himself, etc. It stunk royally. So I had the unenviable job of helping him clean it after he de-escalated. This pretty much means I cleaned it myself. It ook nearly three hours to get all of the shit from the walls, floors, and window. It took him thirty minutes in the shower to get it off his body.

Apparently, the kid blew out because he was being consequenced too often. I guess he hadn't gone in the bathroom (number 2) in a while, so instead of peeing on himself, or threatening to harm himself, or even going off on a unintelligable rap (which he usually does), he decided to make play-dough figures with his shit. Ah, the life of a group home counselor. Needless to say, when I got home, I scrubbed myself down like an ER surgeon.

Of course, the kid was as cordial and sweet as ever in the morning. It's like Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Moments like this sometimes make me question why I do what I do. But, I am confident that I am in the right line of work because I can take a lot of abuse, and still deal out my fair share of love to these kids. I don't think too many people can perform my job, so I find solace in knowing that my kids have me to love them, and that I won't be going anywhere.

The rains have returned, which means the snowpack is back. I plan to take the dogs snowshoeing (I'll be the only one with shoeshows) sometime in the next two weeks. I love this weather. I'm pretty sure I would enjoy living in the Pacific Northwest. All I need is an espresso machine, bookstore, and some singletrack trails to ride or jog, and I'm in a state of Nirvana (an homage to grunge). The only downside is my dogs get all muddy and I have to keep them indoors longer, which means more accidents. The carpet cleaner is in full swing, and I've got my gallon of Nature's Miracle ready to go. I also worry for the safety of my family members in the rain, because people continue to drive like assholes when the roads are slick and wet. I pray to God everyday that he is watching over my loved ones and myself.