Started my new job last week. I had forgotten just how physically taxing grooming can be. Wiggly dogs, happy dogs, lazy dogs, ticklish dogs, and worst...biting dogs. I work in a "no-restraint" facility, so I am having to learn to groom a new way. It's a great job though. If a dog is too hard, we don't complete the groom for the safety of the dog and the groomer. There is a full time bathing staff, so I never have to bathe a dog, either. I just cut the hair, and trim the nails. The best part is the flexibility. I must be at work at 7, but I can leave whenever all my dogs are finished. Usually, that's between 12 and 2 and never past 3. My job is less than 5 minutes from the house - WEEEHOOO!!
School starts again today. Multivariate Stats using SPSS and Testing, Assessments, and Measurements - this term. Not so excited about the stats...really glad to be taking the testing session. Last semester was a 4.0 hoping for another one this semester.
Don't think I mentioned that Amy won her custody battle. For the next 45 days - the temporary order has been reversed, and Amy has Gage full time and Royce gets weekend visitation. After the 45 days expires, they go for the final hearing and Amy is awarded domiciliary custody, and child support, and Royce will have standard - non-domiciliary - custody visitation and privileges. Gage lives here full-time, now. He's a joy and a job. Very conversive...very repetitive. It's been a long row to hoe for her...I am glad she's getting what she wanted. Gage needs her and she definitely needs him.
Aside from the constant din of voices, crying, banging, animal chasing, and question after question...things are smooth sailing.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
1:00 a.m. texting
Well, I discussed - in my last blog - the friend of Eve's whose alcoholism has made any relationship with him less than tolerable. Finally, Eve is willing to let him go...
This person, who peed on my 1000 dollar mattress, and passed out naked in the guestroom floor left our home on Friday evening seemingly content and ready to get back to his own apartment...We know he's a person who stews over conversations, but WOW...Really?? When he left on Friday, he offered to come back on Sunday to allow Eve to use his truck one more time since my tire wouldn't be in until Monday afternoon and there was a lot of driving to be done on Monday...Amy had her final court appearance for custody...I started my new job...Eve had to go to work - get off early to pick me up so me and the kids could get to Galveston for court...all on a donut. So....We told Eve's friend we would call him on Sunday if we wanted or needed to borrow the truck again. We were just relieved to see him leaving our house!
He calls on Sunday morning and I told him that it just wouldn't work out to use his truck because it only seats two people and three had to get to court...he seemed taken aback by that and later he calls while we are all watching a movie so we don't answer the phone...then, Eve calls him back when the movie is over....OMG...He comes to our house to get his motorcycle, and any of his belongings that have been stored here because he's gotten a storage building for his stuff. GOOD! Come to find out, he is offended that WE don't understand that he is HAPPY just the way he is and instead of telling him that we cannot stand him for even one more night...we're willing to put our family in jeopardy by riding on a donut.
Eve goes with him to the storage building...instead of him loading his bike in his truck and making ONE trip...he's too afraid to use his ramp and tie downs so Eve must go with him and he must bring her back home. So...we thought they had opportunity to work out their friendship on the ride home. This person cannot and will not accept responsibility for his actions...there's always an excuse, which he calls 'reasons' for his inappropriate behaviors. The peeing in the bed is new and cannot be related to his drunkeness...his ADHD cannot be controlled by traditional means of medication...he must take his meds his way..not the doctor's way AND he must drink in order for it to work. He can drive 140 on his motorcyle, but he is careful so no one would be hurt by him...WOW...what a piece of work.
Anyway....he and Eve talked, but he spent the rest of the day stewing about the fact that we cannot allow his drinking in OUR house...what he does at his own home is his business and we have no problem getting together with him there (we can leave if we want). We want him to be happy, but not at our expense. So...apparently, he stewed about that until 1:00 am and started texting us. He went on an on about how he will never meet our standards and how we should want him to be happy and how we should be as happy as him....Eve called him and he had the nerve to be OFFENDED that we were angry about the texts...he didn't realize it would wake up the entire house...he didn't know the ringer was that loud...he was pouring out his heart to us and we had the nerve to be angry with him. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!
Anyway...he started calling the house phone, next. I talked - rather tried to talk - but he was too drunk to understand anything. The final words were that if we couldn't handle getting a heartfelt text message at one in the morning then we shouldn't be friends...my response, "okay"...click...
Wish it hadn't ended like that, but then again, can't imagine it ending any other way. Eve was so angry with him she didn't sleep the rest of the night. I know it really hurt her.
Oh well....work is good, money is great. Things are getting back on track. School is progressing nicely and I am getting excited about actually working in my field soon. Love to all...til next time
This person, who peed on my 1000 dollar mattress, and passed out naked in the guestroom floor left our home on Friday evening seemingly content and ready to get back to his own apartment...We know he's a person who stews over conversations, but WOW...Really?? When he left on Friday, he offered to come back on Sunday to allow Eve to use his truck one more time since my tire wouldn't be in until Monday afternoon and there was a lot of driving to be done on Monday...Amy had her final court appearance for custody...I started my new job...Eve had to go to work - get off early to pick me up so me and the kids could get to Galveston for court...all on a donut. So....We told Eve's friend we would call him on Sunday if we wanted or needed to borrow the truck again. We were just relieved to see him leaving our house!
He calls on Sunday morning and I told him that it just wouldn't work out to use his truck because it only seats two people and three had to get to court...he seemed taken aback by that and later he calls while we are all watching a movie so we don't answer the phone...then, Eve calls him back when the movie is over....OMG...He comes to our house to get his motorcycle, and any of his belongings that have been stored here because he's gotten a storage building for his stuff. GOOD! Come to find out, he is offended that WE don't understand that he is HAPPY just the way he is and instead of telling him that we cannot stand him for even one more night...we're willing to put our family in jeopardy by riding on a donut.
Eve goes with him to the storage building...instead of him loading his bike in his truck and making ONE trip...he's too afraid to use his ramp and tie downs so Eve must go with him and he must bring her back home. So...we thought they had opportunity to work out their friendship on the ride home. This person cannot and will not accept responsibility for his actions...there's always an excuse, which he calls 'reasons' for his inappropriate behaviors. The peeing in the bed is new and cannot be related to his drunkeness...his ADHD cannot be controlled by traditional means of medication...he must take his meds his way..not the doctor's way AND he must drink in order for it to work. He can drive 140 on his motorcyle, but he is careful so no one would be hurt by him...WOW...what a piece of work.
Anyway....he and Eve talked, but he spent the rest of the day stewing about the fact that we cannot allow his drinking in OUR house...what he does at his own home is his business and we have no problem getting together with him there (we can leave if we want). We want him to be happy, but not at our expense. So...apparently, he stewed about that until 1:00 am and started texting us. He went on an on about how he will never meet our standards and how we should want him to be happy and how we should be as happy as him....Eve called him and he had the nerve to be OFFENDED that we were angry about the texts...he didn't realize it would wake up the entire house...he didn't know the ringer was that loud...he was pouring out his heart to us and we had the nerve to be angry with him. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!
Anyway...he started calling the house phone, next. I talked - rather tried to talk - but he was too drunk to understand anything. The final words were that if we couldn't handle getting a heartfelt text message at one in the morning then we shouldn't be friends...my response, "okay"...click...
Wish it hadn't ended like that, but then again, can't imagine it ending any other way. Eve was so angry with him she didn't sleep the rest of the night. I know it really hurt her.
Oh well....work is good, money is great. Things are getting back on track. School is progressing nicely and I am getting excited about actually working in my field soon. Love to all...til next time
Friday, July 16, 2010
Finally, a Breather
Hello to all my friends...I haven't written in a while as classes and personal obligations kept me from my musings. Well, kept me from my written musings, at least. Finally,
I have an 8 day break from classes. Wow, I really thought it was more like two weeks - I go back for the second summer session on July 23. It's been a really difficult semester with a total of 73 papers completed in 10 weeks. That's a lot of research and constant writing! Next semester is more technical, so I think there'll be less writing.
My world has been full of housekeeping duties in addition to classes. Not the bucket of pinesol and a capful of bleach cleaning...the kind that mandates a shrug of the shoulders and a deep, heavy, sigh. How do you say goodbye to people who have been a part of your life for a very long time? How do you reconcile the distance between you and them that time and the pursuit of dreams have created? There's no good way. You either stay mired in the muck of the stress the relationship causes or you move forward thankful for opportunity to have had them in your life at all. I move forward - hoping only good things and happiness for them. I have always believed people can only do to you what you allow them to do...I do not allow them to wreak havoc or undue stress in my life anymore.
Eve and I have a friend whose alcoholism has become more than I can bear. He is Eve's dear friend, although I don't really understand why. He and I have nothing in common and every time we see him, he wants a psychotherapist - not a friend. He has been kind to us...helped us when we really needed it, and loaned us his vehicle until my new tires come in (we're on a donut right now). He has been staying here because he's afraid to park his motorcycle at his apartment and that's what he's been using for transportation while Eve uses the truck. Each night when he gets in from work; before a hello, how was your day, or any other pleasantry...it's a beer and a shot of crown. He gets completely inebriated by 9pm. The night before last he got up in the middle of the night after wetting the bed and then passed out naked in the middle of the bedroom floor. Enough is enough. It angers me because of Eve's unwillingness to sever the friendship - or at least lay down the groundrules, I am forced to be an enabler. He's leaving this evening, and I have asked Eve to not allow him to return for overnight visits anymore. She is willing to do that, at least.
So...finally a breather. A new job on Monday, no school for a week, a clean house, and a clean mind. Whew...
I have an 8 day break from classes. Wow, I really thought it was more like two weeks - I go back for the second summer session on July 23. It's been a really difficult semester with a total of 73 papers completed in 10 weeks. That's a lot of research and constant writing! Next semester is more technical, so I think there'll be less writing.
My world has been full of housekeeping duties in addition to classes. Not the bucket of pinesol and a capful of bleach cleaning...the kind that mandates a shrug of the shoulders and a deep, heavy, sigh. How do you say goodbye to people who have been a part of your life for a very long time? How do you reconcile the distance between you and them that time and the pursuit of dreams have created? There's no good way. You either stay mired in the muck of the stress the relationship causes or you move forward thankful for opportunity to have had them in your life at all. I move forward - hoping only good things and happiness for them. I have always believed people can only do to you what you allow them to do...I do not allow them to wreak havoc or undue stress in my life anymore.
Eve and I have a friend whose alcoholism has become more than I can bear. He is Eve's dear friend, although I don't really understand why. He and I have nothing in common and every time we see him, he wants a psychotherapist - not a friend. He has been kind to us...helped us when we really needed it, and loaned us his vehicle until my new tires come in (we're on a donut right now). He has been staying here because he's afraid to park his motorcycle at his apartment and that's what he's been using for transportation while Eve uses the truck. Each night when he gets in from work; before a hello, how was your day, or any other pleasantry...it's a beer and a shot of crown. He gets completely inebriated by 9pm. The night before last he got up in the middle of the night after wetting the bed and then passed out naked in the middle of the bedroom floor. Enough is enough. It angers me because of Eve's unwillingness to sever the friendship - or at least lay down the groundrules, I am forced to be an enabler. He's leaving this evening, and I have asked Eve to not allow him to return for overnight visits anymore. She is willing to do that, at least.
So...finally a breather. A new job on Monday, no school for a week, a clean house, and a clean mind. Whew...
