So in all the excitement of my non-exciting life, I got a job.
I now work at Pine Rest, a Christian mental health hospital, in their Cedar Program or house or something like that (?). I am a Residential Care Provider. So I'm staff for their Teen and Adolescent at-risk/high-risk kids. They're the kids that are the "worst of the worst" apparently. More later.
Monday, March 30, 2009
My Necklace
I have a necklace that was given to me by two dear Fijian friends of mine that receives more complements than anything else I have ever owned, large or small. I just received yet another one today. So in light of that, I'm going to tell the story of this necklace because it is more than just a necklace to me.
There was a camp that we were going to run during the school holidays. It was me, Tomu, and another leader or two who were running these day-camp school programs for elementary (primary) school kids two or three days each at two or three schools or something like that. Well, we were at this one school and Tomu didn't show up...at all. Leaving the bulk/all of the execution up to me. I was so mad. And being raised American I was ready to approach this conflict and bring it out in the open. A better part of me (being aware of the Fijian culture) had to hold back my American upbringing and bribe it to keep it quiet.
So I walked into that office that Monday after No-Show Friday exhausting myself (which at that point in my life was easy to do) in the means of keeping quiet about the No-Show issue. So I went to my desk and there it sat. All of my anger and frustration dwindled from me with the words Tomu spoke to me: "Tony and I made that for you. Sorry about Friday". No explaination about his whereabouts, nothing of that sort. Just a simple apology. The beaded necklace strung together with greenish/ocean waterish color fishing line held beads of earthy tones all shapes and sizes and strung together in no particular order. In the four years or so that have passed, a couple have cracked in have, giving it even more character. Every time I wear it, it gets complements and every time I wear it I think back on that Monday morning I was so piping mad, but one simple peace offering with forgiveness as gratitude and the world was set back on its course.
There was a camp that we were going to run during the school holidays. It was me, Tomu, and another leader or two who were running these day-camp school programs for elementary (primary) school kids two or three days each at two or three schools or something like that. Well, we were at this one school and Tomu didn't show up...at all. Leaving the bulk/all of the execution up to me. I was so mad. And being raised American I was ready to approach this conflict and bring it out in the open. A better part of me (being aware of the Fijian culture) had to hold back my American upbringing and bribe it to keep it quiet.
So I walked into that office that Monday after No-Show Friday exhausting myself (which at that point in my life was easy to do) in the means of keeping quiet about the No-Show issue. So I went to my desk and there it sat. All of my anger and frustration dwindled from me with the words Tomu spoke to me: "Tony and I made that for you. Sorry about Friday". No explaination about his whereabouts, nothing of that sort. Just a simple apology. The beaded necklace strung together with greenish/ocean waterish color fishing line held beads of earthy tones all shapes and sizes and strung together in no particular order. In the four years or so that have passed, a couple have cracked in have, giving it even more character. Every time I wear it, it gets complements and every time I wear it I think back on that Monday morning I was so piping mad, but one simple peace offering with forgiveness as gratitude and the world was set back on its course.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Fire the Bastards Damn it!
So this is a bit rediculous. Finally "justice" has been done in the financial upheavel. The White House...okay, lets call it what it is, the White House doesn't say anything, Obama...did what should have been done four months ago. The GM CEO was asked to step down.
This is why I think this is rediculous. If I owned a successful business, and lets just say that one day things turned and it went down the tubes and was bought out by another business. Strategic move and it gets done all the time. But really, the first thing everyone knows about business is that when one buys out another the CEO of the buyer fires the CEO of the one that was sold. Why? Because obviously he can't manage because he ran his business into the ground and it ended up being sold. HA!
Its about darn time! So you know who else needs to be gone? The Chrystler CEO, CitiGroup CEO (but I will say, they're turning profits now), the Bank of America CEO, as well as the CEO of AIG. AIG is the biggest joke...their excuse for allowing their employees keeping their bonuses is that they need to keep their people to turn the company around. Good grief that is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard. With the highest unemployment rate in decades there are probably hundreds of (more than) qualified people to run and turn around AIG. Congress has GOT to be blind not to see that.
My dad for one...knows how to run a business! The first thing he did when the business started to go down due to the economy years ago was him and his co-owner took a paycut and gave everyone else a raise. That is management. Even when they have no work, he still goes to work. And everytime an employee's wife has a baby, he comes home and says, "I have one more mouth to feed." That's the way he looks at running a business...the employees and their families have to eat and he's got the responsibility to give them work to do to keep them fed.
This world would be a different place, our economy would be a different place, if we started looking at running busniess with the thinking that we have to feed our employees and their families, send the children of employees to college, save up for retirement for employees as well as ourselves, and helping employees strive for the luxuries in life as owners does themselves.
Now, as a taxpayer and owner of AIG, GM, Chrystler, Bank of America, CitiGroup (which, by the way my student loans are through), and I'm sure a "few" others, fire the wealthy bastards that did this (they have plenty of money to retire on) and put some well qualified unemployed people to work, damn it! You don't need to be a genius to figure that out. Get to work Obama, your home is DC now, not Chicago!
This is why I think this is rediculous. If I owned a successful business, and lets just say that one day things turned and it went down the tubes and was bought out by another business. Strategic move and it gets done all the time. But really, the first thing everyone knows about business is that when one buys out another the CEO of the buyer fires the CEO of the one that was sold. Why? Because obviously he can't manage because he ran his business into the ground and it ended up being sold. HA!
Its about darn time! So you know who else needs to be gone? The Chrystler CEO, CitiGroup CEO (but I will say, they're turning profits now), the Bank of America CEO, as well as the CEO of AIG. AIG is the biggest joke...their excuse for allowing their employees keeping their bonuses is that they need to keep their people to turn the company around. Good grief that is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard. With the highest unemployment rate in decades there are probably hundreds of (more than) qualified people to run and turn around AIG. Congress has GOT to be blind not to see that.
My dad for one...knows how to run a business! The first thing he did when the business started to go down due to the economy years ago was him and his co-owner took a paycut and gave everyone else a raise. That is management. Even when they have no work, he still goes to work. And everytime an employee's wife has a baby, he comes home and says, "I have one more mouth to feed." That's the way he looks at running a business...the employees and their families have to eat and he's got the responsibility to give them work to do to keep them fed.
This world would be a different place, our economy would be a different place, if we started looking at running busniess with the thinking that we have to feed our employees and their families, send the children of employees to college, save up for retirement for employees as well as ourselves, and helping employees strive for the luxuries in life as owners does themselves.
Now, as a taxpayer and owner of AIG, GM, Chrystler, Bank of America, CitiGroup (which, by the way my student loans are through), and I'm sure a "few" others, fire the wealthy bastards that did this (they have plenty of money to retire on) and put some well qualified unemployed people to work, damn it! You don't need to be a genius to figure that out. Get to work Obama, your home is DC now, not Chicago!
Monday, March 23, 2009
OMG Kelly Actually Posted Again
Well, you're right, I am posting again! I'll give you a second to actually catch your breath again.
So I've worked out the kinks with Alltel...but I still can't wait until my service contract is up! Counting the days...well, I would be except it's like a year and nine months to go.
That isn't the reason I'm posting. I'm posting to let you know that I've got a job! Well, I'm an 'on-call' status but really excited. I work at a local christian mental health hospital in their work with high risk teen/adolesence residential program. So kinda what I did before but much more intense. I'm really excited because it keeps me really involved with my Masters program as this is what I'm working for. It's all working out for the good. I knew it would, its just getting there that is sometimes a challenge. My first day of training is in the middle of April.
Let's see, there isn't much other news. I'm offically not going to give birth to the first great grand baby for my Grandma T. My cousin Kathryn is pregnant and is due in October. We're all really excited for them.
I'm excited too because my last cognate course is in June. It's all about aftercare. It looks to be a lot of work but thats okay, I haven't recently shied away from that...heck, when have I shied away from a lot off work...or at least a good thrill??? For more information on that course you can check out Straight Ahead Ministries at http://www.straightahead.org/. They're a great organizaiton so if you're looking for a non-profit to support (hint, hint former donors) then they're the ones I'd go for!! They do great work showing unconditional love to kids that get locked up - unconditonal love that only Jesus could surpass. They also have affiliate ministries all over the country. The closest one I know of to west Michigan is called Barnabas or Barnabas Ministries in Holland. They run a girls home for those inbetween the legal definition of a child and adult (which is the 365 you call 17).
Anyway...I just thought I'd let you all in on what is going on in my life. Continue to pray...there are many who need it!
God bless
Oh yeah, I got a B on that test I was talking about in my Mar 3 post. I was SO relieved!!
So I've worked out the kinks with Alltel...but I still can't wait until my service contract is up! Counting the days...well, I would be except it's like a year and nine months to go.
That isn't the reason I'm posting. I'm posting to let you know that I've got a job! Well, I'm an 'on-call' status but really excited. I work at a local christian mental health hospital in their work with high risk teen/adolesence residential program. So kinda what I did before but much more intense. I'm really excited because it keeps me really involved with my Masters program as this is what I'm working for. It's all working out for the good. I knew it would, its just getting there that is sometimes a challenge. My first day of training is in the middle of April.
Let's see, there isn't much other news. I'm offically not going to give birth to the first great grand baby for my Grandma T. My cousin Kathryn is pregnant and is due in October. We're all really excited for them.
I'm excited too because my last cognate course is in June. It's all about aftercare. It looks to be a lot of work but thats okay, I haven't recently shied away from that...heck, when have I shied away from a lot off work...or at least a good thrill??? For more information on that course you can check out Straight Ahead Ministries at http://www.straightahead.org/. They're a great organizaiton so if you're looking for a non-profit to support (hint, hint former donors) then they're the ones I'd go for!! They do great work showing unconditional love to kids that get locked up - unconditonal love that only Jesus could surpass. They also have affiliate ministries all over the country. The closest one I know of to west Michigan is called Barnabas or Barnabas Ministries in Holland. They run a girls home for those inbetween the legal definition of a child and adult (which is the 365 you call 17).
Anyway...I just thought I'd let you all in on what is going on in my life. Continue to pray...there are many who need it!
God bless
Oh yeah, I got a B on that test I was talking about in my Mar 3 post. I was SO relieved!!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Terrible Service
Well, its been three months since I last worked and I haven't had a "first day on the job" experience in those last three months but I'll keep ya posted.
I however have a huge frustration to share with you - just so I can get it off my chest. Part of leaving YFC meant I left my cell phone plan and also a trusty sell phone service (Sprint Nextell if you're wondering) and I signed on with Alltel. Everyone knows Chad and all about his My Circle. He's the one in the blue shirt teasing alll the other companies for their not so par service (mostly their not so par price) but I'm here to tell you about my experience with Chad, the My Circle, the blue shirt, and all the rest.
I got my phone frome one of those places in the mall that is contracted to sell phones by the actual cell phone company and I signed the two year contract, yada, yada, yada...I got the plan with one my cicrcle number and $500 min for like $35 or $45 or somehting like that because all my friends are on fb and I don't talk forever -- I'm just never home. Anyway, I got the phone on Dec 30 (two and a half months ago) and took it home, went to make my first call, and it didn't work. So I went back to where I got it and they said it was an Alltell problem not theirs...so I went to the Alltel office and they said it wasn't an Alltell problem and sent me back to the other people. "But" the Alltel lady said, "I'll just try one more thing." Apparenlty it was an Alltell problem because she fixed it.
So la-dee-da a month and a half or so goes by and phone ceases to make out going calls as it did the lovely day I got it. Two days later, as I was about to call Alltell about it, it started working again.
So la-dee-da today I go and call my voicemail and BAM! It again ceased to have the ability to make calls. So I called them and they had the nerve to tell me that this wasn't normal. My exact words were, "I've had the phone less than three months and it's happened three times. This IS normal for me."
And then he insisted (lied) on sticking to his statement, "Well this isn't normal. Other customers don't have this problem."
That made me so mad! "You can't tell me that. I'll believe it when I see it. ... I wish I had never signed up with you guys. Nextell was a whole lot better. And their bills are right, mine is two dollars more than it should be."
"We'll get that fixed."
"** You will. I have a friend on Alltell that every month her bill is off."
So let that be a warning to you. Had I known these things before I signed up...Chad would not have my business.
...Humm...that cancelation fee is looking mighty good right now!
I however have a huge frustration to share with you - just so I can get it off my chest. Part of leaving YFC meant I left my cell phone plan and also a trusty sell phone service (Sprint Nextell if you're wondering) and I signed on with Alltel. Everyone knows Chad and all about his My Circle. He's the one in the blue shirt teasing alll the other companies for their not so par service (mostly their not so par price) but I'm here to tell you about my experience with Chad, the My Circle, the blue shirt, and all the rest.
I got my phone frome one of those places in the mall that is contracted to sell phones by the actual cell phone company and I signed the two year contract, yada, yada, yada...I got the plan with one my cicrcle number and $500 min for like $35 or $45 or somehting like that because all my friends are on fb and I don't talk forever -- I'm just never home. Anyway, I got the phone on Dec 30 (two and a half months ago) and took it home, went to make my first call, and it didn't work. So I went back to where I got it and they said it was an Alltell problem not theirs...so I went to the Alltel office and they said it wasn't an Alltell problem and sent me back to the other people. "But" the Alltel lady said, "I'll just try one more thing." Apparenlty it was an Alltell problem because she fixed it.
So la-dee-da a month and a half or so goes by and phone ceases to make out going calls as it did the lovely day I got it. Two days later, as I was about to call Alltell about it, it started working again.
So la-dee-da today I go and call my voicemail and BAM! It again ceased to have the ability to make calls. So I called them and they had the nerve to tell me that this wasn't normal. My exact words were, "I've had the phone less than three months and it's happened three times. This IS normal for me."
And then he insisted (lied) on sticking to his statement, "Well this isn't normal. Other customers don't have this problem."
That made me so mad! "You can't tell me that. I'll believe it when I see it. ... I wish I had never signed up with you guys. Nextell was a whole lot better. And their bills are right, mine is two dollars more than it should be."
"We'll get that fixed."
"** You will. I have a friend on Alltell that every month her bill is off."
So let that be a warning to you. Had I known these things before I signed up...Chad would not have my business.
...Humm...that cancelation fee is looking mighty good right now!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Hi All
Well, later today (tonight actually) I have an exam that I have spent the last four days (today is day #5) studying for. I have NEVER studied this much for a single test. It's over the three introductory chapters in my Theories book, Psycholanalysis, Adlerian, Existential, Person-Centered, and Gestalt Therapies. Good Lord that sounds like a lot! ...It is. Thankfully tho it is a publisher test and not a test written by the prof. I took another exam from this prof last week and had I not spend the four hours prior to the exam studying I would have sucked. It wasn't nearly as bad as they had made it out to be.
Okay, so I've been out of a job now for two and a half months, nearly three, and I've got a good lead on a job so I'm pretty excited. Don and I enrolled in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peach University program our church is doing. We've invested half our savings (now don't get too excited, it isn't terribly much) in a CD and next year we'll be able to go out to dinner:). Don is way too excited about his new class' this half of the semester and the Chef is really impressed with his knife carving collection. Don is also way too excited about his summer Co-Op. He's also way too excited for his last semester to start this fall. I'm way to excited to be in school full time this semester but am starting to have anxiety over my collateral reading. I'm way too excited about my organization for classes too! I'm also way too excited because I renovated my Praise and Worship library. I'm way too excited about our church possibily offering guitar lessons.
That's about what is going on in our lives. Spring break for Don is this week and for me it's next week. Other than that, not much is happening. Will talk to you later!!
Okay, so I've been out of a job now for two and a half months, nearly three, and I've got a good lead on a job so I'm pretty excited. Don and I enrolled in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peach University program our church is doing. We've invested half our savings (now don't get too excited, it isn't terribly much) in a CD and next year we'll be able to go out to dinner:). Don is way too excited about his new class' this half of the semester and the Chef is really impressed with his knife carving collection. Don is also way too excited about his summer Co-Op. He's also way too excited for his last semester to start this fall. I'm way to excited to be in school full time this semester but am starting to have anxiety over my collateral reading. I'm way too excited about my organization for classes too! I'm also way too excited because I renovated my Praise and Worship library. I'm way too excited about our church possibily offering guitar lessons.
That's about what is going on in our lives. Spring break for Don is this week and for me it's next week. Other than that, not much is happening. Will talk to you later!!
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