Thursday

The lady at the Ford dealer has found a Candy Apple Red convertible Mustang in the price range I want, so I'm going to go test drive a different color one on Saturday and if I want it, she will go get the red one for me. I've already researched their inventory and had found the car myself in Waveland, Mississippi, but if there is no charge for them to bring it here, they can go get it instead of us having to drive there. But, the interior of the car is beige/tan and I don't think i'm going to like it, so I may look into the white one. Kim mentioned that she's started to like the white cars, and I do like some of them too, so I am going to consider it. I just hope they'll give me what I want for my trade-in! We shall see!!

Work went by fast today! I had to meet with the Office of Mental Health (OMH) people along with my supervisor and some co-workers at one of my new schools on the "west side" today. For privacy reasons, I don't want to give out the city or the name of my schools, so i'll refer to this school as "Elementary School 1" or ES1. I actually will have 2 elementary schools and 1 middle school this year, so this is 1. The meeting was to find the OMH social worker a private office at the school (something I don't even have), so that wasn't too exciting for me, but yes, of course they found one!!!! My co-worker who was at this school last year showed me where she meets with kids and it will work out fine, but i'd sure like to have my own office!!! Anyway, the school was WONDERFUL!! I don't know if i've ever been so impressed by staff at a school before. The principal hugged me several times and welcomed me "to her family." It is apparent how much the staff cares about the kids here. I am looking forward to working there and getting to know the staff and kids. Afterwards, we went to the high school in the area, which another co-worker is going to be working at, and got to see the OMH worker's office there! It's amazing how there really IS office space available, if you just make that a requirement!! So, then we went to lunch and then I picked up one of our new counselors to meet with OMH at her high school that I had last year, and yes, saw the OMH's beautiful office there!! Do I sound bitter? Just a little! I was working in a hot, stuffy closet there. Well, anyway, just a lot of meeting and touring and all that sort of stuff. I went over some forms & things with our new counselors and all in all it was a good day and it went by fast. And I love working with Courtney! My supervisor made me Courtney's "buddy," so I get to bring her everywhere I go for awhile. One thing though...those trainings I went to last week? Remember? One thing we did there was discussed the case of a boy who nobody can figure out what to do with. The experts asked us for 2 difficult cases for him to work on with us, and the boy was one of them. He is only allowed at school for 1/2 days and is still out of control during the time he is there. Well, now that i'm on the "west side," he's mine! And he's starting out the year only coming for lunch!! I am supposed to meet him (during lunch with the behavior team) tomorrow, so i'm really looking forward to that - seriously. I've heard about him for a year now, and to suddenly have him on my caseload is fascinating. It should be interesting, not to mention challenging!!!

Walter & I are taking Cameron & Bryce to their orienation at school tonight. They have already got their schedules and I'm pretty sure they are all 3 (them + Bradley) in all of the same classes. Last year they were in none of the same classes. I am wondering how long until the phone calls from the school start. Yikes. And because Cameron's grades were just average last year and he didn't do anything to improve them, there are some big changes coming. He wont be allowed on the computer until 8pm Monday - Thursday (here OR at his dad's - we agreed), and will have a set homework time daily (already did that here but his dad agreed to do it too), and hopefully he will get more done for school AND get outside and have some fun off of the computer. He knows this is coming, but I haven't reminded him about it in awhile. He wont be amused.

Dinner at Hilltop was SOOO good last night!!! It wasn't steak night, but I just made it my own special steak night and ordered it anyway! They have an all you can eat catfish special on Wednesdays and that is pretty good too, but I couldn't resist my steak!

Saturday night is my dinner with some friends from high school. I haven't seen some of them in 25 years, so i'm really looking forward to that!!