Wednesday, September 17

You Don't Say...

I love working with kids. SO much I love working with kids. Quote of the day from a darling 8-yr old girl:

Kiddo: My mom yells at us sometimes. Usually when we bug her when she's watching her Soap Poppers. She watches three: Guiding Light, As the World Turns, and the Young and the Wrestling.

I am very proud I did not laugh out loud...but soap poppers?!? the young and the WRESTLING....how very appropriate! So darling...cute, cute little wonder. Watch out moms...kids are sharing all your little secrets!

Monday, September 15

Jury Duty

Whelp Friends. Not what I thought. I was grateful to be given the number 5 and taken from the big, hot, stinky room to the little, cold, dark courtroom where 55 potential jurors would be whittled down to 12 to decide the verdict in a 4-day trial involving a young man from a local gang involved in a drive-by shooting. I was not chosen. (I've been told that mental health professionals rarely are). Neither was the guy who said "The way I feel right now, anyone who does these crimes should be FRIED!" (Big surprise he wasn't picked, huh?). It was an interesting day...full of a LOT of waiting, but less waiting for me than the bored jurors-to-be who sat a full 8 hours in the juror assembly room doing nothing. I am, however...grateful for the legal system. And the following paragraph on the superior court website aimed at providing help for distress post-jury service...you will find my favorite sentence in large red font. I'm pretty sure this online counseling was not approved by anyone licensed. However, I may write it down on index cards and start giving it to clients. I recommend printing it out, & taping it to your mirrors. Sounds like a cure-all to me?

"... it may be helpful to be aware of the symptoms if they arise. Some temporary signs of distress following jury duty include: anxiety, sleep or appetite changes, moodiness, physical problems (e.g. headaches, stomach aches, no energy, and the like), second guessing your verdict, feeling guilty, fear, trouble dealing with issues or topics related to the case, a desire to be by yourself, or decreased concentration or memory problems. Symptoms may come and go, but will eventually go away. Remember you are having normal responses to an unusual experience.

To help yourself, it is important to admit any symptoms you may have and deal with any unpleasant reactions."

Monday, September 8

summer time...

So...although Rigo is an amazing animal, I am not okay with him being the first thing you see when you hop on my blog. I found this picture on my cousin's blog and it made me smile...back in the day. If you look closely, you will notice that my dear little brother has the hose pointed almost directly into my eardrum. It looks intentional. But I'm still smiling...I think we were having a heck of a time...and my white tiger swimsuit...hot.

Thursday, September 4

Rigoberto: Illustrious Warrior

Tonight as I walked out my front door and made my way towards my car I was jolted with an unexpected bump on my leg that was most surprising. Similar to the way it feels when a cat rubs up against your leg, except the motion was considerably more...vertical. I saw a dark shadow slink off to the front of the house and was thinking the culprit was either a cat or a very injured bird. Wrong. It was this very large creature. Frog, toad...I do not know.

I was late to meet my friend, but had to take time to go get my camera to capture him on film...because, are you KIDDING me?!?!? We're talking this guy is nearly the size of a dinner plate. I cannot even fathom how his tiny (in comparison) legs are capable of projecting his roundy body through the air. And I do not know why his bum is painted white. Seems maybe he stole some the paint off our house in the shuffle.

My roommate has seen him before so maybe he lives here. I will call him Rigoberto. Rigo for short. The name means illustrious warrior...and if nothing else, a frog can dream. And after all...he may just be...my prince? I'll probably not be kissing him anytime soon to find out...

Wednesday, September 3