March 2009 - Awake and Dreaming

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Sophie Cat is sick?

I'm very worried about the Sophie Cat. She is not herself today at all. She's lethargic, far more so than usual, for starters. And she's not meowing or purring like herself. She didn't come out from under the couch when I got home and...

Published 31 Mar 2009 7:12 PM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: life, sophie
Sophie Cat and the Blizard

Somehow, the pictures uploaded backwards, but if you look from the bottom up, you can see the snow drift against my window get higher and higher and higher until Sophie Cat could no longer see over it! She wasn't pleased. Read More...

Published 31 Mar 2009 3:15 AM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: sophie
nightmares...

I said earlier this week that I was feeling this need to purge myself of bad stories as my job was coming to an end. Well, Saturday night was the last night of my fulltime job, and I spun in circles on the pavement outside. I was exhausted, and had one...

Published 31 Mar 2009 3:09 AM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: me, sleep, work
it shouldn't have to happen...but what to do?

One of the things that has puzzled me in my job is knowing that there are many homeless who don't sleep in shelters, and yet not knowing where they are sleeping. As I've gotten to know more and more people I've been able to gain insight into...

Published 27 Mar 2009 10:28 AM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: alcohol, intoxication, IPDA, sleep, substance use, van patrol, winter, work
laughable

When I interviewed for my job at the work placement team (yay for new job) I really did NOT think I had done well. I knew I had gotten some of the questions bang on, some of them half on, and only completely made up one answer (oh how I wished I'd...

Published 26 Mar 2009 10:42 AM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: death, intentions, intoxication, IPDA, learning, life, me, suicide, work
another sad story

In a way, I feel like I'm trying to purge myself of some of the stories, some of the events, some of the experiences I've had at the shelter before I move on. I feel like there's so much that's still unsaid, so many people, so many lives...

Published 25 Mar 2009 2:58 PM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: harm reduction, prostitution, thoughts, van patrol, work
the night of 18 turnaways

As a write this, the Sophie cat is high on cat nip... I'm such a drug pusher, lol. It's a lot easier to laugh at her antics though, and encourage her to "use" then it is to deal with the human consequences of drug and alochol abuse and...

Published 24 Mar 2009 1:23 PM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: alcohol, harm reduction, homelessness, intoxication, shelter, substance use, thoughts, winter, work
random

hey quick note directed at one reader whose blog has locked me out... Torina, if you see this, I went to comment on your blog and it informed me I wasn't invited :( I'd love to be invited, but if not, i understand why you would want to keep things...

Published 23 Mar 2009 1:27 PM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker
dumped on the door step

The other night a taxi stopped in front of the shelter. This isn't all that unusual as people are always calling to get picked up from the drunk tank. In this case though, the taxi was dropping someone off... I guessed almost immediatly what had happened...

Published 23 Mar 2009 1:05 PM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: health care, homelessness, necessary evils, nights, thoughts, winter, work
thank you

Thank you guys all for your support. It really does mean a lot to me. I think I'm a bit calmed down now, I'm trying to see the big picture, to look at this from the outside instead of from my heart. Watching Sophie cat drink water with her paw...

Published 22 Mar 2009 7:18 PM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: church, crying, friends, me, mental health, work
not what I expected

I arrived at work tonight to find one of our managers waiting for a coworker and I. Into the office we were dragged. I am now under "formal investigation" for an incident which occured two nights ago, a third coworker is as well. This is being...

Published 22 Mar 2009 1:10 PM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: crying, me, work
just an all around sad story

This is a story about death. This is a story about everyday life. This is a story about the poor and the middle class. This is a story about people struggling to get by. This is the story of inequality, unfairness and injustice. This is truth. Everyday...

Published 22 Mar 2009 11:38 AM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: attitudes, death, first aid, homelessness, intoxication, mental health, thoughts, work
getting out and doing things...update on my "care plan"

This past two weeks I've been focusing on getting out and doing things. It's been hard, but worth it. I've managed to spend time with most of my good friends (although best friend and I have played quite a bit of telephone tag...maybe I'll...

Published 21 Mar 2009 11:28 AM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: life, me, mental health, sleep
the end of it all

I didn't post about looking/applying for a new job because I didn't want to have to write about failure. I just find it easier not to tell people about my job prospects so I don't have to answer awkward questions later. Of couse, these means...

Published 20 Mar 2009 10:45 AM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: happy, life, me, social work, staff relations, the enforcer, thoughts, work
happy happy happy happy

Still Dreaming 123 Anywhere Lane Cold Weather, CAN A1A 1A1 Boss The Homeless Shelter 321 Nowhere Grove Cold Weather, CAN B2B 2B2 Dear Boss, Please accept this letter as my official communication regarding the termination of my full time employment at...

Published 19 Mar 2009 9:48 AM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: happy, social work, work
standing up for yourself

Something I've been trying to encourage my clients to do lately is to speak out. It seems like every day I'm hearing another story of injustice, and the abuse of my clients. It bugs me, and while I can, and do, speak out about it, I think they...

Published 14 Mar 2009 9:23 AM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: attitudes, homelessness, pet peeves, social work, thoughts
why phillip can't talk

Phillip, and his friends, reminded me of a very important lesson, one that we social workers learn right from the beginning. Client's are the experts in their own lives, and don't make assumptions. Phillip has never been "right". The...

Published 10 Mar 2009 7:02 AM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: learning, thoughts, work
James goes to the hospital

It's funny, some of the homeless WAY overuse the medical system, constantly presenting to emergency services and emergency rooms. There are others though, like James who don't get medical care until it's almost too late. Because James'...

Published 9 Mar 2009 5:39 AM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: health care, homelessness, intoxication, work
darkness and light

There's something powerful about darkness. Darkness can provide a cover for dangerous or forbidden things. Darkness can provide a blanket. Darkness can be scary. People do things in the darkness they won't do in the light. Darkness can be overwhelming...

Published 8 Mar 2009 7:26 PM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: learning, life, me
it's almost spring

I can't believe I haven't posted in a week. Things are not going well in dreamerville, and writing just seems like too much, that and I just haven't seemed to find anything I really want to write about, I know I'll feel better if I write...

Published 8 Mar 2009 7:45 AM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: IPDA, life, me, mental health, sick, sleep, social work, the enforcer, thoughts, whining, winter, work
Strep Throat...again (sigh)

Sorry for the lack of posts since vacation. As I'm sure you can tell by the title of this, I've been sick. I went to the doctor after church yesterday, because for the second time in three months, I've got strep throat. Ick. That chemical...

Published 3 Mar 2009 7:03 AM by Awake and Dreaming - The Ramblings of a (not quite) Brand New Social Worker

Filed under: life, me, sick

March 2009 - Awake and Dreaming

Syndication

Recent Posts

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Sophie Cat is sick?

Sophie Cat and the Blizard

nightmares...

it shouldn't have to happen...but what to do?

laughable

another sad story

the night of 18 turnaways

random

dumped on the door step

thank you

not what I expected

just an all around sad story

getting out and doing things...update on my "care plan"

the end of it all

happy happy happy happy

standing up for yourself

why phillip can't talk

James goes to the hospital

darkness and light

it's almost spring

Strep Throat...again (sigh)