It's been a minute and a half since my last entry, mostly because I haven't had any free time to blog. Even when I'm on my graveyard shift at the group home, I find I'm too tired to put two sentences together. Well, here's a rundown of what I've been up to the past couple of weeks (like your ass cares, but since you're reading this, squeeze your cheeks, baby):
Valley of the Moon Camp
So here I was, worked two consecutive nights at the group home, totalling nearly 24 hours of no sleep whatsoever, both my cars were on the fritz, and to even make it to friggin' Sonoma County (which is a good 100 miles away), I had to work on the busted headlight to my truck. Isuzu's are a pain in the ass. Don't get me wrong, my '99 Rodeo has served me well (almost 80k and bought used at 20k), but the parts are wrongly thought out. It took me 2 hours, a couple of broken headlight bulbs, 3 stripped screws, a busted plastic part, and a lot of patience to not put my steel toes in the center of my headlights...whew, to finally fix those fuckers. Oh well, and they still ended up as cross-eyed as Shaq.
Our Residential Group Home has camp every year in August. The reward/consequence policy is drastically changed during camp. Instead of incurring heavy penalties for being violent, assaultive, dis-obedient, etc., we wait them out while they go ballistic, and transition them back to the activity once they are calm and ready. The reasoning behind this is because the kids only have a week to go swimming, fishing, horsebackriding, etc....and many of them will be in a jengky-ass group home next year, so they can never experience the aforementioned activities if we are laying down the law. So guess what happens? The kids take advantage of the situation. They go motherfuckin' nuts. No consequences, huh? You see kids doing one of two things at camp...having the time of their life and positively participating, or running away or getting their ass restrained in the dirt. Luckily, I worked the overnight shifts, so at that time, they're sleeping like little angels.
Delirious from not sleeping for 36 hours, I went on my first overnight shift at camp. Piece of cake. Daytime rolls around, I pitch my tent overlooking the wine country, I coordinate with Jo and my mechanic on how to fix my other ride, the Camry, over my cell phone, and then I finally sleep. (Incidentally, the Camry overheated on us while we were in the middle of the highway. We had to stop on the center divide, while cars, trucks, and dumbasses sped past us. Luckily, much of it was stop and go traffic, but there were pockets of the same dumbasses who follow cars too closely, and brake too late. People are dumb as rocks, I swear. After two hours of seeing our lives past before our eyes, a tow truck finally picks us up. Only 3 miles to our house, so we didn't have to pay any tow truck charges. Thanks, AAA). Whew, big tangent.
Back to sleeping, I slept for a good three hours, and I woke up energized. Three hours for the past 48 hours (which eventually turned into 60 hours, because I worked that night, too). I felt so good, that I decided to drive an hour to this Japanese spa and bath called
Osmosis. I got a 90 minute full body massage, a 20 minute full body cedar mulch bath, and a beautiful self-guided tour of the most beautiful Japanese gardens I've seen. Let me explain the last sentence, backwards. The owner of the joint is the president of the British Society of Japanese Gardeners. He's very renowned. The "mulch" bath is such a bad term. You are completely buried in this fine cedar that is very aromatic, and supposedly, good for the skin (detoxyfing and shit like that). Who gives a shit if it worked, it was fun. And no, I did not get a "happy ending" from my massage. This wasn't an "oriental massage" place in the Sunset, and I didn't get a handjob from some 14-year old chinese girl. I got a massage from some dude named Harry, who gave a really good full-body massage. I'm glad I didn't pop a bone, though. That would have really worried me....HA!
Buried in cedar.
Entrance to the Japanese Garden at Osmosis
Started a New Job
Just started my dream job....teaching kids and training teachers on environmental education. I started interviewing for this job in June. My new boss told me that there was a lot of competition for the job, too. I guess I did well on my initial interview and my teaching sample.
The job doesn't pay much, but between this job and my other non-profit job at the group home, we'll do ok. No Lexuses or trips to Kauai in our immediate future, but I'd rather love what I do everyday, than bust that 9-5 office grind that most of us are used to.
It's the perfect job, really. I'm teaching the subject matter that I love, I have a flexible schedule, I'm managing the office and administration well, I'm digging my new co-workers and boss, and I'm back at Berkeley! I went to school at UC Berkeley from 93-98, so it's been a while since I've been back. I've already visited a couple of my old haunts, including Cafe Strada and the cheap vietnamese place on Durant. I do feel like an old piece of shit, though, seeing all of these young, hot, virile 18-22 year old chicks trying their hardest to get random guys to check them out, but trust me....I'm NOT complaining.
Last week, on my birthday actually, we went to a training at the Davis Street Transfer Station for a 4-R's workshop and tour of the joint. Here's a pic of my new co-workers:
Finally Went Out!
This entire summer, I worked 60+ hours a week at the group home, so I rarely had any time to go out. If I wasn't sleeping, hanging out with the dogs, or chillin' with Jo, I was watching the EPL (English Premier League) on Fox Sports World (that's soccer for you folks who don't know). Also, Jo and I have been very busy and involved, emotionally and temporally, in our medical issues. Although we're in a shithole of debt, I can honestly say this experience has truly made me stronger, not to mention strengthening our relationship. I've also reconnected with my spiritual side. I've been bashing the Catholic Church so much for the past 5-7 years, that I've forgotten about my individual relationship with God. I'm glad it's back.
Anyhoo, Tom, Jo's cousin's husband, just got a job with the UC Police. This is the guy that blamed me for dislocating his shoulder a couple of years back when the numbnut tried to tackle me in a game of touch football. I'm a little scared for the little sleepy town of UC, but I'm mostly joking. Mostly is the operative word. Tom's a genuinely good guy. He just can get a bit agro. I hope I don't see him in a home video on the news wailing away on some black dude.
To celebrate, he threw a party for the family. Jo and I hadn't been to a family party in more than 5 months, primarily because it would have been too hard to see all of those kids and preggies bouncing around. We had a great time! Jo hung out with the chicks, while I chatted it up with a bunch of folk. The kids were all just starting to go back to school, so I teased them about that for a minute. I also talked to a couple (who were friends with Tom) about their kids. One of them is autistic, and apparently the other is the reincarnation of Evel Knievel. Also was surprised to see Joey, my sis-in-law's cousin. Apparently, he worked with Tom back at 3Com. Now he's getting he's BS in Bio so he can get into Biotech, to which both my wife and I replied to: "Why?" Unless you really LOVE lab work and research, Biotech is crapalicious. Coincidentally, he has the same b-day as I do. Here's a pic of me and the chicks. Don't ah look ah-dorable?
On my side of the family, we went to the Richmond District of SF to visit my Tita Weng and her son, Gabi. Isabel, the daughter, was off to college at GW. My aunt is the Consul General, or Ambassador, for the Philippine Embassy in America. She's been stationed in the England, Washington DC, and now SF. It was like visiting the PI all over again. Big ass house, lots of katulong (or maids), and lots of drivers. Ahhh, the life of a diplomat. If nothing else, she could always quote the bad guy from Lethal Weapon 2: "Diplomatic Immunity." Mel Gibson (as he shoots him in the head, or throws him off a building...I can't remember which): "It's been revoked." Fuckin' funny.
Alvin, Jimmy, Ron, Jo, and I went to Emery Bay to eat at PF Changs and watch "Hero". I usually don't like that place, but their food was palatable this time around. They spent most of the dinner listening to me and Alvin argue about Bush vs. Kerry. I swear Alvin is on crack if he thinks that Bush is a good leader. Hero was a beautiful movie...beautiful imagery and cinematography, but what the heck is up with Hong Kong-borne plots and screenplays. They are friggin' weird. It'd be nice if Crouching Tiger had a better ending, and if Hero had a plot in the middle of the movie. Even little things about Honk Kong movies get to me. There was this movie, "So Close", that we watched about a year ago. In it, there's this scene where the hero and his girl are getting drenched in the rain and they look very cold. So what does the hero do? He makes her wait in the friggin' rain while he goes into the equivalent of a 7-11 and heats up a bottle of water in the microwave. Then he goes back to her (yes, it's still raining) and hands her the bottle as if his chivalry has saved the day. Moron, you just left her in the freezing rain to microwave some water. Who the fuck microwaves a bottle of water!?! Here's me in my trucker wear at PF Changs:
Changes at the Group Home
MB's been off the chizzain lately. Ever since very strong and competent staff members have left the house, he's been very sexual and silly. Hasn't been assaultive, yet, but he likes to ride the line so that he gets attention from everyone. I swear, he's got the dirtiest little mouth. I could only imagine the stuff he heard from his mother and father, if you could call them that.
Got a new kid, EB. He's as cute as a button. His history is checkered, though. Smearing feces, encopretic, assaultive, 5150's, animal cruelty, but he's only 9. He's a voluntary case, so his parents just basically gave up on him. Oh well, he's doing very well so far.
GK left earlier in the summer. He went to a very good group home in Victorville. I sorta miss the tub of lard, but I don't miss his neediness. This kid needed 24 hour attention. He had a smile that could really knock your socks off, though.
JO is almost on his way out, and JP and MB should be following them. Last week, three kids were on heavy restriction and punishment, and they actually planned out a mini-riot. This is the first time I've ever seen these kids plan anything out. So now, I'm hyper-vigilant about any of them talking outside staff's earshot. Even though it's a violation of Community Care Licensing to restrict them from doing so.
Darth Vader & the Cholesterol Strikes Back!
I finally received my C-Pap machine to help with my sleep apnea. It's pretty quiet and the mask is surprisingly comfortable. It forces air down my passageway so I can breathe at night. Joanne makes fun of me because I sound like Darth Vader. I was surprised to hear that during my sleep study, I had one episode where I didn't breathe for 73 seconds. Holy Shit! I've been on the machine now for four nights, and I feel very rested. I don't feel like napping, and I have enough energy to exercise and play with the dogs. It's working.....muhahahahah! I hope I get rid of my chronic fatigue syndrome, because I'd really like to be healthier and skinnier. I'm not saying that I'll be in the next Olympics, but don't be surprised to see me in NY in 2012 riding my bike down a singletrack trail.
Got my cholesterol follow-up, and it's confirmed. I need to be on drugs forever. Even with moderate exercise and a healthy, well-balanced diet, my cholesterol is off the charts. Back on Gemfibrozil, which brought me down to 180 last year.
One Friggin' Year Older
The denouement of this long-ass post is my birthday. 9/9 is a weird day cuz my mom and I was born on the same day (not the same year, though, that would be some Twilight Zone episode). It's also the birthdays of Cheryl (Jo's cousin), Joey, my auntie from PI, and my new co-workers' fiancee's cousin (I know, I'm reaching). Both sets of parents and my bro, Mikey, went to Applebee's in UC to celebrate on the day of.
Two days later, Cheryl, Jo's cousins and brother, and I had dinner at Tomodachi, a Japanese joint. Really good food and company. Eliza and Brady, two little toddlers, were there to entertain us. We went to our place afterwards and watched 50 First Dates.
One day later, my Dad's family, my bro's in-laws, and my bros celebrated my Mom's and mine's b-day at Kioku, another Japanese restaurant. Also, very good food.
Alrighty, can't write in complete sentences, must be getting tired. Grammar all wrong. I'll leave you with a pic of my dear little niece, Reese, eating tofu from her Miso soup. She can use chopsticks and she's only 2 years old!
