Exercising?

Well, I do a prescribed series of exercises or maneuvers to help alleviate my back/hip/buttock pain.  I started this series late tonight, probably about 9:30  PM or so. Which is too late to do this, but it is what it is.

As I was doing the first exercise which is timed, I must have dozed off.  Because I awoke to the timer beeping, well after it was scheduled to go off.   I did the rest of the series in timely order.

I did not sleep well at all last night, so I think I am reaping the consequences of my sleeplessness tonight.  Hopefully, I will sleep well tonight.

I Should Have Done This Last Week

As the title says, I should have done this last week, but I did not.  I am remiss.  The regular reader will recall my post about the very good Wal-Mart Associate
http://lisenbylines.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2015-03-20 T22:53:00-05:00&max-results=7 .

I did send in the email about my experience, and how pleased I was.  It was some days later, March 25, 2015, when I had a voicemail message on my phone from Leslie at Wal-Mart. She said that it was not very often that they receive messages like the one I sent, and they would recognize Taileigh at their next meeting.

That is as it should be.

Boston Marathon Bomber

I would not have qualified for the jury at the trial of the Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. I do not know how objective I would have been about his innocence or guilt, although his defense team admitted he was involved in the bombing.  Of course, the defense is insisting that Dzhokhar's older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev is to blame for corrupting his younger brother, which they claim is a mitigating circumstance.

I have not heard all of the evidence, nor all of the testimony in the trial.  I will tell you, though, that I would not find in favor of the death penalty for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, if he were found guilty.  Well, of course not.  I am never in favor of the death penalty, no matter how heinous the crime.  I just do not believe that a panel of 12 jurors have that power any more than one person has the power to determine that someone else should die, due process or not. And, two wrongs do not make a right. And certainly, I do not believe that two brothers have the right to kill or maim many innocent people, but with all of that said, I cannot take it upon myself to say that those persons should die at the hand of other persons. I do believe that they should die when God deems they should die.

But there is a more serious consideration regarding the imposition of the death penalty on Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.  And, I am surprised that this has not been discussed in public, in the media.  If Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is condemned to death for his part in the Boston Marathon bombing, he has the potential for becoming a MARTYR, a HERO, for the fanatical Islamic fringe.

I do not believe that all people of the Islamic faith are fanatically violent against the Western World, or non-Islams.  Heck, even amongst themselves the people of the Islamic faith cannot unite:  The Shi'ite and Sunni Islams are in opposition to each other. So why would we think that either extreme faction could reconcile with Christians or Hebrews. Well, of course, we would not think so, ifwe  were reasonable people. Although we know that the moderate, calm, open-minded people of the Islamic faith are able to function in harmony with peoples of other faiths.

A colleague commented, shortly after 9/11/2001, that this part of the world (the Middle East) has been at war amongst itself for 2000 years or more. Why is it we think our (the United States) intervention will change that. It will not. 

The change will only occur when the various factions: the Sunni, the Shi'ite, the Palestinians, the Israelis, El-Qaida, the Taliban, ISIS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant and who knows who else, come to some understanding, amongst themselves, and then come to  an understanding with the other religions of the world. Although it would be nice to think that the confluence of these peoples would occur sooner than later, the likelihood is that it will not occur, or if it does, it will occur with some key participants missing. I doubt it will occur in my life time.

Cat Chronicles

Saturday was not a good day for my cats. 

To start with, Sake did not eat breakfast.  She ate Thursday morning, but not Thursday night or Friday.  We went to the vet on March 13, and although she did improve after that injection, it was not a great improvement. If she does not improve well, we usually have to return to the vet sooner than later.

I do not call the vet the first day she does not eat, because sometimes, she does start eating again. But, Saturday morning, she did not eat, and she cried and she cried and she cried.  I finally said "I will call the vet right now."  Sake stopped crying, and went to lay on the sofa.  The vet's office staff told me to come in about a half hour after I called, and when I put Sake in the crate, she did not object or complain. 

Sake cried on her way to the vet. When I got there, there were many patients waiting, including a bleeding dog, that they took as soon as they had an exam room open. That was the right thing to do.

When it was Sake's turn, we went to the exam room and took the top off the crate.  Natalie came in, and said the tech who talked to me on the phone did not understand who we were dealing with: he wanted to keep Sake overnight, and asked about extracting her teeth!  He knew the right things to do, but he did not know Sake's history.

When the vet and tech came into the exam room again, Sake obliged us with not one, but 3 hisses, so they could see her mouth.  She let Natalie grab her neck, and we covered her with a towel.  The vet petted her flank, and she did not scratch or scrub with her hind legs. She got her shot, and did not growl or hiss when we put the carrier cover on.

She came home, got out of the crate, and walked around the house, and let me pet her. She did not hide. 

She ate well Sunday, but did not eat so good today.  We shall have to see.

So, being so preoccupied with Sake on Saturday morning, I did not realize the Taki was absent. Until after I got home from the vet.

Well, Friday night, I slept on the sofa, with the recliner up.  So, when I went to bed in the wee hours of the morning, I did not think about Taki.  I know, that is bad. 

So, I fed cats Saturday morning, and mostly focused on Sake's distress.  And, when she laid on the sofa, and I sat next to her, I felt claws on my ankles, but when I glanced down, there was no kitty around.

So, when I got home from the vet, and reconciled Sake, I realized I had not seen Taki.  I hope that does not make me a bad cat mother, but it is what it is.

I opened the sofa recliners, and sure enough, Taki was under the sofa.  She came out, then sat there and looked and went back under the sofa.  She came out again, so I got the flashlight and yardstick out, to get out whatever was under there: It was a green rubber ball and a red ping pong ball.  Hmmmm.

I hate that this happens to Taki. She did not appear distressed. I have learned that if she is in distress, she will cry.  But she rarely does.  She just waits.  She is very patient.

Haiku did not have a bad Saturday.  Except she wants to be on my office chair, and I want to use it when I am at the computer.  Saturday was a busy day for me, and I did not even get on the computer until late in the day.  Haiku had the office chair for herself for most of the day!

Shutting Down

This has been a busy week for me.  I went to the Lifestyle Center http://www.covenanthealth.org/Our-Services/LifeStyle-Centre.aspx Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night after work.  While I find the activity and exercise relaxing and invigorating, it takes me a while to wind down after I get home, so my already late bed times are sometimes later.

On Tuesday I went to the South Plains Branch NASW awards banquet.  So, it took me a long time to wind down from that. You can read my post about that, if you want.

Here it is, early Saturday morning, and I am still having trouble winding down. I went shopping after my swim at the Lifestyle Center.  So, once again I was jazzed when I got home about 9 PM and I am still trying to wind down. That also means I had a late dinner, another reason that I am up late.

I watched some NCAA Women's Tournament basketball tonight, while I was doing other things. Because I do not have a favored team, it was background noise, except near the end of close games, when I really watched.

I finally turned off the TV, and am listening to my one and only bagpipe CD: "The Spirit of the Glen" http://www.allmusic.com/album/spirit-of-the-glen-mw0000586396.  Much of this music is basic and primal. It awakens my soul and my heart. It makes me long for simpler days and a rural, rustic lifestyle.  It just does something to me.  It makes me think of the times that I camped out in the Appalachian Mountains, and how isolated and relaxed that was.  It makes me think about how we really need only the basics of life to survive.

I am so blessed. I am not wealthy, but all of my physical needs are met.  I am safe. I am sheltered from the weather. I have food, clothing and health care. I have family and friends, coworkers and colleagues. My cats are great companions. I have a job that offers me a living wage and a fulfilling role as a social worker.

I know as the time winds down into early morning, I need to shut down my brain, and let it rest.

I know my brain will shut down. Soon.

March is Professonl Social Work Month

March is Professional Social Work Month.  Last night, the South Plains Branch of NASW had an awesome awards banquet, planned by our chairperson, Bonnie Anne Rudd, and her co-workers at Trustpoint Hospital. I have posted about it on my blog, Lisenby Lines: http://lisenbylines.blogspot.com/

Last week, our supervisor called a staff meeting and we had muffins and fruit in honor of March is Social Work Month. (Celebrations in a prison, given the security constraints, tend to be minimal.)

At work, our assistant director of nursing, who is married to a social worker, always remembers to acknowledge us. 
 
I got into social work because I wanted to help the underserved in our society.  While all of my social work jobs were meaningful, my employment as a correctional social worker puts me where I can serve some of  the most underserved in our society.

If you know a social worker, thank that person for their service to our country.  Because like the first responders, and the military, social workers' contributions to our country often go unseen and unnoticed

South Plains Branch NASW March is Social Work Month Awards Banquet

Dateline:  March 24, 2015

Location:  Trustpoint Hospital, Lubbock, Texas

The staff at Trustpoint Hospital transformed their cafeteria into a lovely banquet hall, beautifully decorated with flowers, candles,  cloth table clothes and a slide show, emphasizing the teal NASW uses as its symbolic color, for the annual South Plains Branch NASW March is Social Work Month Awards Banquet.  The genial setting and format of the annual banquet allowed for networking and visiting before the meal, with hors d’oeuvres and beverages.   As social workers we regularly rush to the South Plains Branch NASW CEU luncheon meetings once a month, eat lunch, listen to the speaker, and rush off to work.  At the function tonight, we had a chance to sit back and relax, visit and mingle, and just enjoy, and be served, instead of rushing off to the next crisis.

Thanks to Bonnie Anne Rudd, who asked Trustpoint to sponsor the banquet tonight, we had a wonderful venue and a great, relaxed time.  Thanks also to Scott Brown, Trustpoint Director of Marketing, and their coworkers for their hands on efforts to make this a wonderful event.  We had a fine meal that included some wonderful desserts!  Social workers do not usually get served, and the Trustpoint staff did so graciously tonight.

After the meal, there was time for door prizes before the awards, and during the awards. Everyone in attendance was afforded the opportunity to receive a door prize!

The awards ceremony began with Pat Hollingworth  awarding the Fields of Practice Certificates

 

State Agency – Valeria Joiner

Mental Health – Margaret Lair
Criminal Justice -  Joyce Badger
Children and Families – Will Weathersby
Medical – Jan D’Orsay
Social Work Education – Cara Speer
Private Practice – Beverly Greiner
Retired – Anne Howe
School Social Work – Adelaida Montemayor
Elderly – Joyce Atkinson
 
For those certificate winners not present, we will have your certificates at the upcoming NASW events:  the annual April workshop, and the CEU lunch meetings in the coming months.

Interspersed among the awards presentations throughout the evening, were more door prizes.  As always, Cara Speer does a wonderful job acquiring “social worky” door prizes that are fun and have practical value.  Some door prizes were donated by members, including 3 Joe Arrington Cancer Center cookbooks thanks to Jan D’Orsay. One of the recipients of this door prize was Lex Webster, the chef at Raider Ranch who feeds us so well at our monthly meetings. Joining in the spirit of the evening, Lex said that since our next CEU lunch meeting is in May, he will have time to peruse the cookbook, and find something to cook for us from it at the May meeting!

This year, Public Citizen of the Year is really Public Couple of the Year:  Greg Carley most ably introduced the Reverend Ted (posthumously) and Betty Dotts, with contributions from Joyce Badger and Dr. Scott Badgett.  Mrs. Dotts gave a gracious and warm speech in acceptance.

Bonnie Anne Rudd presented the award for Agency of the Year to Raider Ranch, acknowledging their long history of hosting CEU activities, their generosity in providing us a meeting room, and free lunch!  Ashley Robertson thanked the social workers for their contributions to the community and Raider Ranch.

The Student of the Year from the Texas Tech University BSW program is Ashley Kuehl, presented by Helen Morrow. Helen told us that Ashley was the unanimous selection of herself, Dr. Elbow, Dr. Phelps and Dr. Lowe at Texas Tech! We were all given a pronunciation lesson: the name is pronounced “keel.”   Helen told us that both Mr. and Mrs. Kuehl have been United States Marines, and we thank them for their service to our country! as well as Ashley’s outstanding social work ability.  Ms. Kuehl was supported by the staff at VetStar, a part of Starcare Specialty Healthcare Systems of Lubbock County.  We thank them for their presence at the banquet!

Cara Speer, the 2014 Social Worker of the Year, presented the award to the 2015 Social Worker of the Year.  All of the previous Social Workers of the Year who were present were asked to come forward and support the 2015 winner, Greg Carley!  His efforts on behalf of the South Plains Branch include, but are not limited to, CEU activities for the luncheon series and the ethics workshop, Nominations and Leadership Recruitment, devoted steering committee member, and nominee for the upcoming election of Chair of the South Plains Branch.  Greg was out of town on business today, and we are grateful that he was able to get back to Lubbock to attend the banquet!

Poignantly, the last presentation of the evening was a memorial presentation.  Dr. Mike Rice lost his life in a plane crash earlier this year.  He, too, was a stalwart supporter of social services, and had a social worker’s heart.  He was a mentor to many, including Bonnie Anne, and gave of himself tirelessly to the needs of his patients. He was a strong advocate of the geriatric behavioral health program at Trustpoint.  One of his many passions was the American Diabetes Association, so the cost of the “ticket” for this evening’s event is being donated to the American Diabetes Association. We collected $240 + Trustpoint staff amount, and are grateful that his widow, Sandra Rice was present to acknowledge this memorial presentation.

As we departed, Scott Brown and staff, who had been taking photographs for us all evening, “framed us” for posterity. 

We asked all the social workers present to fill out a ticket with their name and phone number.  This will go into the drawing for the two NASW memberships that will be awarded at the annual ethics workshop on April 17, 2014.  You need not be present to win.  Your next opportunity to be entered into the drawing is at the workshop on April 17, 2015.  You are allowed one entry for the morning workshop, one entry for the afternoon workshop, and one bonus entry if you attend both workshops!

It was a wonderful night.  Once again, thanks to Bonnie Anne for her creativity, and the wonderful staff at Trustpoint for their efforts above and beyond!

I can’t tell you when I have had so much fun at an annual banquet.  As social workers, we need to learn to celebrate ourselves, and not always take ourselves so seriously! 

Thanks to all!

 

 

Taki Has Some Learning Deficits....

But I do not think language is one of them.  Almost every time I am in the small bathroom, Taki joins me, even if she was (presumably) sound asleep.  I think this stems back to her very first days with me.  I would feed her into the night, and check on her first thing in the morning.  If she seemed to be asleep, I would get on with my morning, which started in the small bathroom.  Barely able to see, she would drag herself to the small bathroom crying, letting my know she was hungry. I think she was attracted by the noise. So of course, I would feed her.

So, I think that might the source of her affinity to my being in the small bathroom. 

Taki has a hard time with the door. She can push it open from the outside and get into the bathroom. If I keep the door barely cracked, she rubs her cheeks on it. But sometimes, she is trying to open it.   I have several times how to open it with the right front foot, pulling it toward her.  I actually did it with her right front foot.  More than once.  But she tries to pull it open with her left front foot, and is actually trying to move the door jamb which is to the right of the door.

Most recently, she has seemed stymied by her attempts to open the door, and I actually took her right front foot and showed her how to open the door again.

Since that lesson, the last couple of mornings, I would tell her, as she kept rubbing her face on the door, to use her foot (if I say paw, I get no response).  She then uses her left foot on the door jamb. I tell her to use her other foot, and she does!  So, is it language?  Is it remembering what to do from before?  I do not know, but I do know, if I do not verbally prompt her, she does not get the door open.

Team of Rivals

I just finished reading Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln..  It was a slow read for me, especially the beginning about the backgrounds of all the characters.  But it was a good read. And everyone I know who read the book told me it was a  good book.

I have to say, that the author was very good.  And, even though I knew the ending, I cried.  To me, that is the sign of a well told story.

The books is what the movie Lincoln  http://www.thelincolnmovie.com/? was based on. Hmmm.  I saw the movie.  I believe that now that I have read the book, I need to see the movie again.

I am trying to read more non-fiction.  This one took me a while.

Day Off

I had the day off.  It is complicated, but Texas Tech Health Sciences Center does not recognize all of the state holidays like Confederate Hero's Day (which generally coincides with Martin Luther King Day, which the state observes as a national holiday), Texas Independence Day, San Jacinto Day, Juneteenth, or Emancipation Day, LBJ Day.  Because of this, we are granted an extra 24 hours a year of "holiday comp" to make up for the lost holiday time (this is a business decision: the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center clinics need to be open on these days, generally. But this is good, so we can take the time off at our discretion. Personally, I think that is a good idea. And although I work at the Montford Prison, we follow the TTUHSC clinic schedule.) We are supposed to use "holiday comp" before we use annual leave.  "Holiday comp" is good for up to 12 months, and is earned at the rate of 2 hours per month.  So, "holiday comp" I earn in March 2015 needs to be used before March 2016.  My "holiday comp" never lapses.

Even so, as state employees, we have to have the same holiday time off as other state employees.  So, if some of these weird state holidays fall on a weekend, we do not need to get the extra time off.  But if these holidays fall during the week, we do need to get the extra time off. Sometimes, depending upon how the Christmas and New Years holidays fall, we get extra time off during those holidays.

This fiscal year, we needed to get even more time off.  So we were granted a "spring break holiday."  (Some years we are granted 2 spring break holidays, most years, we are granted none.)

So, I had the day off on March 20, 2015.  I did not sleep in, because I had physical therapy at 8 AM at Spectra http://spectraphysicaltherapy.com/.  I always tell my therapist I have as much time as I need to be in therapy, but he worries about schedules for people, and tries to get them out in a timely way. This is amazing, he does not care how much time HE spends with people, he just does not want to impose on their schedules. (How many medical professionals do you know who have this philosophy?) So, sometimes my therapy session lasts an hour; sometimes, like today, it was over an hour.

I did some work for NASW today, getting out snail mail announcements about our annual ethics workshop to local members for whom we have no email addresses.  I sent the brochure out last night to the email addresses.

I reviewed the evaluations for the March South Plains NASW CEU luncheon meeting. I like to do this so we can give the speaker feed back.

I printed the certificates for the "Field of Service" acknowledgements for the South Plains NASW awards banquet on March 24, 2015.

I went out for lunch at Hong Kong http://hongkongsuperbuffettx.com/.  I like the selections on their buffet, (even though they do not always get good marks from the health department) and I usually bring a book, as I did today. I pay attention, and if they get really busy, I leave, but if they have open tables, I sit, eat what I want, and enjoy the hot tea while I read. Which is what I did today.  As I paid my tab, the cashier asked me about my book Team of Rivals http://www.doriskearnsgoodwin.com/books.html#team-of-rivals and I explained it to her, including it was the book that a small part of the movie Lincoln was based on. She remembered the movie, and wrote down the name of the book, and acknowledged she could get it at the library. The last time I ate at the Hong Kong, this same person told me she had seen me come in alone, and read and eat.  She said she did the same thing at a restaurant, and found it very relaxing. That was so nice of her to share.  She is Oriental, and her English is not good, but she is able to make her information known. How neat!

Later, I had the tires on the car rotated at Discount Tire http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/home.do?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=discount%20tires&utm_campaign={campaign}&s_kwcid=AL!3693!10!5370619247!26744860943&cid=1d5e418c-2789-4f35-a8fe-6db8f4d35951&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand%20-%20DT%20|%20Exact%20(W.%20Texas)&utm_term=discount%20tires.  I also brought my book, and read.  It was very relaxing to just read while the car was being tended to.

Then, I went to the Lifestyle Center http://www.covenanthealth.org/Our-Services/LifeStyle-Centre.aspx for a swim session .  Since I did physical therapy today, I know that doing another routine would aggravate my pain. So a swim session was calming, relaxing, and the water was very warm, which was an added benefit.

I did my weekly shopping after that, at Wal-Mart.  The clerk who checked me out was fabulous:  she told me to leave all of "the big stuff" in the cart, put the cold stuff in the insulated bag, and even recognized it had a zipper. She even asked me if I needed carry out assistance!  I sent a recognition to Wal-Mart about her, tonight.

I had expected to watch the Celtic and the Spurs  http://www.nba.com/ play tonight on TV, because earlier in the week, the game was advertised. However, tonight, the game was pre-empted by the Dallas Mavericks and the Memphis Grizzlies. Boo Hiss.

Oh well, I did some online puzzles, did some fundraising research for Catholic Charities, Diocese of Lubbock http://cclubbock.org and worked on this blog.

I hope now to settle in and do some reading before I retire.

Tomorrow, I will do some housework, some yard work, and go to the Lifestyle Center to again do some exercise.

A Very Good Wal Mart Associate

I did my weekly shopping today at the Wal Mart on South Loop and Quaker in Lubbock.  It was "big stuff stock up day."  When I got to the check out register, Taileigh, the clerk, immediately said to leave the big stuff in the cart. I usually do this, but she even meant some of the smaller stuff, like a gallon of milk!

I had my own bags, including an insulated bag, and she asked about the cold stuff, and even recognized the bag has a zipper.  (I usually have to tell the clerks to put the cold stuff in the insulated bag, duh!).

Taileigh also asked me if I needed  carry out assistance.  I thanked her but told her I was okay.

What Taileigh did not know is that I have back problems, and with therapy I can now lift up to 30 lbs. safely, but there was a time when that was a problem.  I am careful not to buy any "big stuff" over 30 lbs.

Anyway, I told Taileigh that I like how she did her job, and I wanted to let her supervisor know the same, and be sure to let Taileigh know that she did a really good job for me today!
Thank you.

I sent this message to Wal Mart tonight. I was very impressed with this young lady. Thank you, Taileigh

A Very Tired Day

I did not sleep well the night of March 17th.  I am not sure what that is about. It is what it is. And this has been going on since last Wednesday, March 11, 205.

I woke up very early the morning of March 18th, and could not go back to sleep, so I showered and dressed for work, then sat on the sofa. Haiku and Sake joined me, and I slept for quite a while, before I fed cats and finished getting ready for work.

I had a busy day at work, but for the most part, it was an easy day. I did two training presentations, and I felt like they were well received, which always makes me feel well.

But, by the end of my work day, I was pretty well wiped out.  Although I would have liked to call it a day, Wednesday night is a good night to get to the Lifestyle Center http://www.covenanthealth.org/Our-Services/LifeStyle-Centre.aspx , as open swim starts at 5:30 PM.  Well, as I worked late, and fed the cats before going to the Center, I did not get there until after  6:30.  The pool room was warm, but the water felt colder than I like. However, as I did my routine, I could feel the relief from the discomfort and pressure on my right hip/side/buttock/leg. I am not sure where the pain is. I just know it hurts.

I think it is true that if you do not feel like doing some self care activity, it is probably a most needed activity, and you should force yourself to do it. So, I usually try to force myself.  Tonight, that was good for me.

I am blessed to have insurance that covers health care modalities that can help me, even if they do not cure me.  I am so thankful that my physical therapist trusts me enough to acknowledge that I can do exercises on my own to help myself, at home, or at the Lifestyle Center.

Some days, it is very difficult to be suffering from pain, disability, injury. I think, as a society, we do not acknowledge enough what people suffer and how it affects their life.  I know for me, on days I have extreme pain, it affects my energy level, my frustration tolerance, my decision making, and even my thinking.  It affects my decisions about physical movement. I hope I do not diminish myself as a person because of my pain. I am in hopes that if I do diminish myself because of my pain, if I do not recognize it, my colleagues will have the courage and humanity to inform me of this, so I can gracefully withdraw from my professional life as a social worker.

It is my hope that my pain and therapy experiences make me more aware and tolerant of the situations my clients experience.  Therapy of any kind is not easy.  As human beings, we do not make changes easily.  We are resistant mentally and physically.  We make excuses. We give up.  I get that. I also get that we need to keep going, one step at a time.  That is what I try.

Voters Rights and Civil Rights

I went to see the movie Selma http://www.selmamovie.com/ earlier this year.  I thought I had blogged about it, but maybe I did not.  It is a movie marking the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama, in an attempt to get voter's rights guaranteed for Afro-Americans.  It depicts the brutal treatment that not only the black people, but anyone who stood with them, received at the hand of the Alabama authorities. It is a bittersweet movie, at best. 

It is a story that needed to be told to the young people of our country who have no idea how racially divided we were until the Civil Rights Act http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/titlevii.cfm and the Voting Rights Act http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/intro/intro_b.php. were passed. Even passage of the acts did not guarantee equal treatment for people of minority status, as events of today indicate. These acts did not unite us by race or color, but helped with movement towards equality of civil rights, and responsibilities. But we are not there yet.

We have a President of Afro-American origin.  I was dismayed from the outset of his Presidency at the disrespect that the media showed him, often calling him Mr. Obama, instead of Mr. President. He deserves the title. He was elected.

Someone commented that with Mr. Obama as President, Dr. Martin Luther King's dream has been realized. I think not. Not as long as Mr. President Obama, and other black men have to have the talk with their sons, especially about being aware of where you are in public, how you present yourself in public, because police might perceive you as a threat just because of your race (racial profiling https://www.aclu.org/racial-justice/racial-profiling), Dr. King's dream has not been realized.

So, the commentary at this point in time of our nation is sad:  The public spokespersons for the minority communities talk about the fact that there is only about a 35% turnout of voters for elections. This is a travesty!  The people who fought in the Civil Rights campaigns, and the Voters Rights campaigns did not give their lives and their selves for 35% voter participation.

I am not sure what I can do to encourage voting, but I think this is another of my social work missions that I need to embrace.  I have been too complacent, too long.

Cat Spacing

I know Sake is feeling better, because her resting places include the middle of the living room floor, and one end of the sofa, rather than under the bed, in the closet, under the dining room chair.  She is not hiding  She is still fragile in some ways, and keeping her space is one of those ways.

For months, Haiku has wanted to sit in my chair in the computer room, rather than the spare chair.  The nylon folding chair we had, that she was sort of okay with broke, and I have a metal folding chair in it place. While Haiku will sit on the chair, she does not like it.  I understand. As with most metal chairs, it has a short back, and space between the back and the seat.  However, the seat is padded. 

Well, tonight, when I got home from work (I was late) Sake was sleeping on one end of the sofa, and Haiku on the other.  And, Haiku has spent a large part of the evening on her end of the sofa, although both she and Sake have moved around from place to place, depending on my activity, and I am not sure what else.

Once again, the last few weeks, there have been brief periods of time when all 3 cats were in the same room, usually the living room.  One morning, all three were in the small bathroom, while I was taking a shower. Sake used to love to get in the shower stall with me, stand outside the reach of the water, but be there. She did it that morning, briefly, but became upset because Taki was in the bathroom, although Taki has no interest in being in the shower when the water is running!

What do I know?

A Long Day

It was a long day.  It started out okay, but it was a busy weekend, with house work, yard work, recycling, a PT session at the pool, and a lot of reading. So, it was not the most restful weekend.

So, when I went to PT today, the therapist asked about activity over the weekend, and how it affected me.  I acknowledged that I did quite a bit, pacing myself, and it flared my lower back, but not unbearably.  It did not hurt "the spot" and shoot pain down my leg, so that was good.

The PT workout was tough today, but included several "twists" that stretch and eased my spine, so it felt good.

Work was not tough.  I spent a lot of time on my pod just watching the activity of recalcitrant patients.  Security was occupied with them, so I could not see patients, anyway.  It is helpful to know what is happening on the pod. 

The electronic medical record went down, late in the day.  So that was a bummer.

After work, I fed the cats, but left dirty dishes, cans, and the meat grinder in the sink to get to the Catholic Charities board meeting on time.  I was a little early.  It was a short meeting.

I went home and did a PT exercise that eased the back flare.

I also emptied the sink.  Then I got working on NASW banquet registration: I had an envelope with the returns I already had, and received another in the mail today.  I thought I knew where I put that envelop, but for the longest time, could not find it, so I looked elsewhere to no avail. I went back to spot one, and sure enough, there it was.  

Well, what goes around, comes around.  Our chair person had offered to accept the registrations, and I said I would, because she is not so organized.  Huh, and I thought I was? Pride goeth before a fall.

When I left the Catholic Charities board meeting tonight, I realized how very tired I was.  But as tired as I am, it takes a while to wind down. 

And, my sleep recently has been very restless. I am not sure what that is about.

We shall see what transpires, tonight. 

I am tired.

Pork Rib Tips

Sake had not totally stopped eating but she was eating so little, I knew it was time to take her to the vet. Especially, because Friday morning, after I put breakfast out, including gravy canned food, mashed liver, ground chicken and really finely cut up port, she sat at the table and slapped at me, wanting to eat but I did not know what else she wanted.

So, I took her to the vet and she got a shot. And ate a little better last night. But not well this morning.  I bought pork rib tips today:  she ate the pork roast I bought, and it was tender, but it was not falling off the bone tender like ribs are.  So, after the ribs had cooked for more than an hour, Sake started telling me that she wanted to eat.  I put out some ribs for her tonight, and she ate.  Not well, but better than she had been eating. Yeah!

Throwing Bills Away

I am compulsively conscientious about paying bills. I really like the option of bill pay on line from my bank, because the day I receive a bill, I can schedule a payment. And, I can check back every month to make sure the payments have been scheduled or made as required. 

So, this week, I received a bill.  And after I looked through the other mail, I threw out the bill with the "junk mail."  I did not mean to do that. It was the bill for my membership to the Lifestyle Center.  So, when I drove up to the Lifestyle Center parking lot Wednesday night, it occurred to me that I had seen the bill, and did not act on it (I usually just bring the payment with me when I go in to the center.) So, after I went home, I went looking for the bill. And it was nowhere. I could not believe that I had thrown it out with the junk mail, but went to the bag in the garage that holds the junk mail until I take it to the dumpster, and there was the bill.

I have become a little careless about other minor things recently.  I am not sure if it is due to being preoccupied, or maybe because I am struggling with ongoing pain that I am always trying to mitigate, or it is due to aging. Or what.  But this is a trend I have noticed.  It is not too serious yet, but I need to monitor myself better.

Why Are We Talking About Killing?

If you think of it, the death penalty is nothing but killing.  I understand that it is legally sanctioned in many states, including Texas where I live.  But we do not call it killing. We call it "the death penalty" as a euphemism.  People who are in favor of the death penalty seem to  think it is okay, because to get to the point where someone has been convicted of a crime, they go through due process, and are convicted in court, or plead guilty of a crime. I think, no matter how heinous the crime, I do not have the right to be the cause of someone else's death. 

So, I was appalled this week when I heard the NPR story http://www.npr.org/2015/03/11/392375383/states-scramble-to-deal-with-shortages-of-execution-drugs about states that are running out of the drug they use for administering the death penalty. This story reflects that the states are authorizing alternative methods for the death penalty, if drugs are not available. I am flabbergasted by this:  there is talk of using electric chairs or a firing squad. This is brutal. This is inhumane. This is killing.

Why are we talking about extending the death penalty?  Why are we not talking about eliminating it, as many other countries have, and are putting pressure on this country to do so.

For a nation that prides itself for due process and respect for human rights, we really stink:  Think about slavery. Think about the War Between the States that resulted in so many deaths. Think about the treatment of the Native Americans. Think about child labor. Think about apartheid and segregation in this country under the Jim Crow laws. Think about the struggles to overcome discrimination. Think about women's suffrage. Think about farm labor struggles. Think about voting rights. Think about the prisoners at Guantanamo. Think about the current unrest in many cities because of racial profiling and the over targeting of minorities.

As a nation, we do not do so good in the arena of human rights.  And this discussion about alternative methods of administering the death penalty is just one example.

Adjusting to Daylight Savings Time

Someone asked me the other day if I was adjusted to daylight savings time yet.  I said, quite truthfully, was pretty well adjusted.  I was tired a little Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday, I was okay.  I do not have a regular meals schedule, so that is not an issue. And, honestly, I get up at different times in the morning, because of what I have to do that day.  I go to sleep late, often midnight or later, so going to sleep late is not a problem, it actually is not so bad.

I am not sure why we do daylight savings time http://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/history.html, except that is said to save energy.  I am not sure about that.  It changes energy use, for sure. 

There is talk of some states, Michigan http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2015/03/bill_would_opt_michigan_out_of.html and Texas http://www.click2houston.com/news/texas-house-considers-bill-to-end-daylight-saving-time/31737298 included, joining Arizona and Hawaii, and some island territories in not observing daylight savings time.  It would be just fine with me.

My Computer is Not So Smart, and Sometimes, is Very Dumb

So, from time to time, my computer will tell me that I need to activate Norton Security.  I have activated it, and it scans weekly on Sunday, as it is supposed to.  But, when this notification pops up, it interferes with my Internet. Sometimes, I can just reset the Internet by unplugging the modem and router, letting them reset, and restarting everything. Sometimes, additionally,I have to unplug the laptop, and let it reset, and restart everything.

Well, tonight, none of that worked. So, I pulled out the old laptop, and checked the Internet capability: the old computer could access the Internet. So, this told me it was something in my new computer that was interfering with connecting to the Internet, although the scans my computer ran said it was something in my Internet connection.  So, I ran a Norton Security Scan, reset everything, and finally,I could access the Internet on my laptop.

My computer is not so smart:  I have Norton Security and do not need to activate it again.  I should be able to reconnect to the Internet without all the hassle I go through. With the security scan, and multiple attempts to reconnect to the computer, I spent more than 2 hours. I was able to read for a part of that time, while programs were running, but my cats were very concerned about my stress, and kept sitting on my book (I wonder if they thought the book was the source of my stress.) 

So, all seems to be working now.

Shutting Off The World

I try to stay connected and available to the many facets of my life that interact with other people.  I try to read and respond to emails in a timely way.  I try to respond to phone messages in a timely way.  I try to be available to work on South Plains Branch NASW projects as needed.  I try to be available as a board member of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Lubbock.

But sometimes, I am not interested in being interactive: I just want to shut off the world, and not have to be responsive or responsible: I want to read, listen to music, watch a DVD, blog, journal, or just "veg out."  Exercising at Covenant Hospital Lifestyle Center http://www.covenanthealth.org/Our-Services/LifeStyle-Centre.aspx helps.

Sometimes, shutting off the world is very important to me. It is restorative.  It is relaxing. It just helps me to get in touch with me and helps me to get back in balance.  So, if I "drop out" that may be what is happening.

TV Listings

I use Suddenlink http://home.suddenlink.net/ for cable and Internet service.  Although I think the price is very high, for the most part, I get good service, including good technical service when I have an Internet problem. When they schedule home service, they can give you a two hour block to expect the technician, and there is one that is after hours (4-6 PM).  I have seen the Suddenlink trucks out in the worst weather. When I call for service after hours, they have an announcement about any current issues or problems, and a status statement. And, the technical staff are local, and speak in accents that I understand.  The last two or three times that I had technical problems, the technician acted as if I was the only person who had called in that night, and they had all the time in the world. They both called back to be sure the fix worked!  I thought that was wonderful customer service. Recently, I thought I was going to need in home service. The tech told me to order the $5 a month in home protection before we scheduled the service, but it could be cancelled at any time.

Recently, on the home page, I clicked on TV listings, and received a message that that service was no longer available, to use the on TV listings. I was not too pleased. I have two different "boxes" for my TVs.  One allows for advancing the time and checking programming, but one shows me limited programming information.

Well, I am not easily deterred, and most recently have clicked on TV listings again.  I mean, why have that heading if you are not going to offer something?  Well, lo and behold!  There is a new TV listing program.  And it is so much better that the previous one!  Wow!  I even sent an email to Suddenlink to tell them how much I appreciate the new listing service!  Some times, good things happen.

Pork, Who Knew?

I recently wrote about Saki asking for pork ribs while they were cooking. I continued to share pork with her as I was eating on the ribs.  I got down to the final few, and left it all for her.  I have been offering chicken to her, also, but not at every meal. And she has not been eating it, although someone else does, sometimes.

We finished the ribs this past weekend.  So, I decided to buy a small pork roast and cook it slowly to be able to offer pork to her again, if she wants it. That was the right thing to do. She ate pork last night and this morning.  Tonight, I put out a good serving of pork, which she ate. She then asked for more, and cleaned her plate for the second time tonight. Wow. Who knew?

I should have. I knew she ate ham from time to time.  But she obviously likes the pork more!

Carpenter's 101

So, Saturday, I went to Carpenter's 101 http://www.carpenterslubbock.org/index.html, which is an educational and outreach activity sponsored by Carpenter's Church, which runs a ministry for the homeless in Lubbock, Texas.  Carpenter's Church started as a ministry of Broadway Church of Christ and is still closely aligned with that church. Another church, South Plains Church of Christ sponsors a minister. They have a social worker managing their social programs. 

And they have started a wonderful program, call Housing First.  This makes so much sense, and as the presenters said today, is so simple.  The immediate resolution to homelessness is to provide housing. But homeless people do not always possess the skills and know the resources to be able to sustain permanent housing.  The option Carpenter's Church is working on is permanent supported housing, and currently they have Carpenter's House, where two formerly homeless men live in permanent supported housing. 

What is permanent supported housing?  There is no defined length of time that the residents can stay in this housing. The person in this housing stays until he/she leaves of their own, and is not driven out.  The supported part involves providing a case manager who helps with local resources, and life management skills training, and whatever. 

By providing permanent housing to people, and the resources to live in it, people no longer have to worry about their next meal, utilities, taxes.  Their lives can change because they can establish permanent relationships with medical care, support systems, educational opportunities and even employers.  There are rules but there is flexibility. And there is a built in support system.

The plan is to raise the funds to build and sustain 10 more housing units for supported housing. The long term plan includes working with section 8 housing (government subsidized housing) and to work with apartment owners and developers to integrate a small percentage of units in their apartment complexes that are supported housing.  This makes so much sense to me.

Over the last several years, the people working with the South Plains Homeless Consortium http://spconsortium.org/ have made great strides in working with the homeless.  Although spread out throughout the city, mostly in the downtown area, there are meals available every day, three times a day at least, for homeless or needy people.

There is a program that was known as Tent City http://www.myfoxlubbock.com/news/local/story/tent-city-homeless-high-cotton-link-ministries/avv2Ud3buEedm1O2ZuidDA.cspx that now has expanded plans and help. They have shelters for when the temperatures are below freezing. Starting with commercial dome tents and gear that may not have been suitable for severe weather, they now have military standard tents and are able to access severe weather rated sleeping bags, and additional clothing and blanket layers for warmth in severe weather.  

Carpenter's Church has worked with the Salvation Army to relax their rules for the shelters when the weather is below freezing. They have coordinated programs that transport people from day shelters to Tent City or the Salvation Army.

This was really an interesting experience.

Buzzed!

It has been an interesting day.  I had a doctor appointment with good results, so that was good, but put me to work 1.5 hours late, for the third time this week (2 other medical appointments.) That was okay, I had a good handle on what I needed to do at work. But the primary ward where I am assigned was "popping" so seeing patients was difficult.  The officers were awesome, and I eventually did see the patients I needed to see.

I could not leave early, because even working until 5 PM, I will use some sick leave this week.  That is okay.  But I like to leave early on Friday and get to the Lifestyle Center pool before going home, for my workout. Well, that did not happen, today.

I did go home and feed the cats.  Then I went to the Lifestyle Center.  I wanted to go to a co-worker's art show, but was afraid if I did, I would not get to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription.  Since I am finally getting the results the provider and I want with my medication, I did not want to miss a dose, and I was out.  Because I am going to a class in the morning, I did my regular Saturday morning shopping on Friday night.  That got me home almost to 9 PM.  I found the Lady Raider basketball game on the radio on the way home. It started late, so I did not miss much. 

Finally, tonight, 2 days late, I had the information I needed to send out the announcement for the NASW meeting next week. Because some people get their emails on their smart phones, and that wakes them up if I send emails out late, I try not to do emails after 9 PM.  But, it is Friday night, so I made an exception, since we are running so late. I also printed up all the snail mail announcements. The envelopes were already printed, so I got those announcements folded, stuffed, sealed and stamped. I can drop these in the mail box at the post office before I head downtown to the class in the morning.

The Lady Raiders lost.  I just shut off the TV. I did not need the noise.  Because I got home so late, and still had so many chores to do, I am a little buzzed, which means it will be difficult for me to go to sleep tonight.

I like being out and about and active.  I just dislike not being able to wind down enough to get to sleep.  Especially when I have a plan for the next morning.  Oh well, it is what it is.

John Denver, Country Boy

I was not planning to, but I lucked into watching John Denver, Country Boy http://video.pbs.org/video/2365431808/ on PBS tonight.  I love John Denver's music, and did long before I moved to West Texas.  When I moved to Lubbock, I was surprised to learn that John Denver was born in Roswell, New Mexico, and attended college at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, although he did not graduate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Denver. 

I never saw John Denver in concert.  I am not much of a concert goer.  I recall he was in Lubbock for a concert at least once.  I knew someone who worked at the car rental counter at the Lubbock International Airport.  She waited on his group when they flew in, and they gave her complimentary tickets.  She was a physically and spiritually beautiful person, and she deserved the gift.

They told me he said the concert in Lubbock was like coming home.  It made sense.

One of the things the documentary pointed out was the John Denver used his fame and fortune to develop foundations and advocate for causes before it became really popular for stars and entertainers to do so.  There were others who did this early on, so he was not the only one, but it was not the norm even in the 70s like it is now.

I have a couple of CDs of his music, vinyl and cassettes.  I love his music, and the special played a lot of it, as well as telling his story.  They acknowledged his flaws as well as his star quality and assets.  I thought it was a fair presentation of John Denver, the man.

This was good luck.

Winter Came Again

As predicted, inclement weather struck again.  It started raining overnight, early this morning. By early afternoon, the rain changed to sleet, and eventually, snow. Non-essential personnel were allowed to leave from work at 4 PM. I am ambivalent regarding my status as non-essential. But, I was glad to be able to leave work early.  I did not leave at 4 PM. I stayed until I completed the tasks I wanted to complete today, so I left about 4:15 but that still allowed me to get home earlier than usual. The car was not too iced over.  It was easy to scrape and clear.  I parked so the windshield face south, which helped a little, but the ice/snow on the car was minimal. I was impressed.  It seemed that somehow, the ice on the side mirrors melted while the car engine was running.  So that was nice.

I drove very slowly going home.  I did not get on the loop, but took the access road, where I could drive slower, without other drivers crowding me.

It is too cold and too icy to drive the Covenant Lifestyle Center. I have not been there for several days. I am doing other exercises at home, but they do not seem to be as effective.

I am tired of winter weather, but I can adapt and adjust as need be.

Background Noise

Normally, when I am working on the computer, I like to have something on TV, or the radio, or music to listen to.  Tonight, I do not want any background noise. I am not feeling well.  I cannot say exactly what is wrong with me except that I hurt in my joints, and I am very tired.  The joint pain makes sense, we are going through yet another weather change, and I am convinced it is not the change in temperature that causes my joint pain, but the change in barometric pressure.

I am not sure why I am so tired.  I have been sleeping well, even to the extent that I slept in over the weekend.  Granted, a couple of nights last week, I did not sleep well, but by Thursday I was doing better, and should be "caught up" if one can catch up with sleep.

I am experiencing some pain on my right side/hip/back/what have you.  It is stressful to me, because it does not totally go away. Some days, I wake with pain. Many days, I have increasing pain with increased activity. There are certain physical therapy exercises that diminish my pain, but it returns soon, the same or the next day.  I am struggling with this. I am not sure where to turn.  I am going to physical therapy, but the standard exercises increase my pain or give me no relief.  At least the physical therapist recognizes that.

I have an emotional component to my pain that has not been there before.  Just thinking about my pain makes me miserable, emotionally.  I feel unsafe on my feet in certain circumstances: wet tiles, icy walk ways to name a few.

I am emotionally fragile:  Patriotic music or activities bring tears to my eyes.  Experiences of solidarity, communion and faith bring tears to my eyes. Sweet stories bring tears to my eyes.  I am not sad. I am just overwhelmed by my feelings. 

This is a more personal blog than I normally put on the computer.  I am going to take the risk and publish it.  

Cell Phone Coverage

I have just about convinced myself it is time to get a smart phone.  Interestingly enough, the last time I decided that, I had coverage problems with Sprint.  That was the second time I had coverage problems with Sprint.  The first time was the Thanksgiving week from hell, when I did not have cell phone service at home, and the battery in my car was going away, and I could not count on the car to start when I used it.   That was November 2013.   Additionally, my back was hurting, so I could not walk to where I could use my phone.  I could not convince Sprint that there was a problem, and it took a week of complaining before they responded.  And, when they did, they found the problem.

The next time I had that problem, I got a customer service representative who was very good, told me how to reset my phone, clean off the battery connections, and he called me back when he said he would to see if that worked.  It did.  He reported there was a suspected problem in my neighborhood, and Sprint acknowledged to me that there was.  They took care of me the second time. Much better service.

Tonight, as I drove home, and I turned into my neighborhood, I could hear my phone searching for a signal. I could not remember how to reset my phone, but I cleaned off the battery, so that took care of the problem.

I think I will wait until April to get a smart phone:  Sprint has a contest where I could win one.  I doubt that I will, but I see no reason to buy a smart phone if I could win one. The contest lasts about 6 weeks.  I can wait.  Who knows.

Wintry Weather, Three Days in a Row

Well, it turned cold over night again, and we woke up to freezing fog and heavy grey skies.  Although the skies have lightened this afternoon, we did not really have any sun today. However, the temperature has risen to above freezing, and when that happens, thawing occurs fairly quickly and extensively.  The down side is, that without the sun, the moisture will not dry well off the streets and sidewalks, except maybe on some of the more well used thoroughfares.  So, driving overnight and in the early morning will be treacherous.

The weather service says that it will warm up early in the week, cool off, then warm up again. There is a slight chance of precipitation.  So, maybe a reprieve will occur.

I did not have to go anywhere today, so I opted to stay in, again. I get cabin fever, and years ago, I would have bundled up and gone out for a walk.  I am in hopes that someday, my physical aches and pains will be resolved to the point that I will once again be able to look forward to such a walk.