Already behind in class?

Thus far, my class has made me want to cry like 4x...and today is Day 2. I feel like I am on this treadmill, where everyone else knows what is going on and I am trying to figure out what is going on. My caseload is increasing at work, and I am just now going to bed. I have 11 appointments tomorrow and a quiz to finish before midnight Arizona time.

I am a Phoenix

So...I realize that it has almost been a year since I have posted anything. Wow...a lot has happened. Today, I only have a few, short minutes before work, so I will make this one a quickie. I recently discovered (almost exactly a month ago) that I have to take a class for my License of Clinical Social Work (LCSW). I did not go to a clinical school for my Master of Social Work (MSW), so therefore, I have to fill in the gaps in my educational knowledge. While taking a class is kind of exciting to learn new things, I am just overwhelmed thinking about balancing an over full-time job with an online Master's degree course. Thankfully, I can enjoy my summer outdoors on my laptop. Although my battery is worthless, so that is on my list of things to get. So, here it goes. If people who work full time and have kids can do it, I can too. The afternoon will be spent organizing and preparing myself for this.

The Learning Curve of Life

Sometimes, life throws you a few lessons. Here are some I have learned this week:

• If you begin the washer, make sure that there are actually clothes in it.
  
• If you carry around a large purse with several odd items (pretzels, a bike lock, a fork), eventually people will notice.
• Scheduling a full day's worth of appointments on the last day of the fiscal year is not a smart idea.
• The world did not end on June 30, 2010, as previously though by several of my co-workers. A new computer system+Medicaid changes does not = Apocalypse.
• I likely will not remember this individual day years from now. Whether it was horrible or great really will have little bearing on what I think of myself at this age.
• 26 is my currently lucky number. It's the number of years I am, the number of months ahead in my student loans I am, and the number of miles I will likely run in October at an upcoming marathon.
• Apparently, I remind people of being depressed because I am a therapist.
• Aromatherapy and a night out of complaining and talking about life really do do wonders for stress levels.
• Too many days of training will lead to dead legs...boy, is that fun.
• The only day I borrow a vehicle outside of my family, there will a car accident with it.
• Taking my car to the shop does not necessarily guarantee that it will be totally fixed.
  

Snapshots of a weekend

This weekend, I went to a local coffee shop with friends on Friday morning to catch up, worked, and then went to Shrek 4 with one of the teens from youth group.

Sat. morning consisted of a long bike ride, my inability to read a clock, and therefore, a late (but long) study session with my coworker for our Licenses of Clinical Social Work (LCSWs), plus a swim at the Y. Our family's dinner conversation went something like this:
Kristen (my sister): You know, I have been eating a lot of cheese lately.
Me: Yeah, I have had a lot of dairy today. What does that do to you?
Kristen: Give you kidney stones.
Me: No...not for one day. I think you must have GI problems because you talk a lot about how food affects you on the other end.
Kristen: You know, I had a dream about my bones.
Me: I had a dream I was incarcerated for contempt of court. But I still don't know what I did. I was able to wear my regular clothes and the lobby looked like an airport. Kristen, you visited, but Mom and Dad, I don't know if you did.
Mom: She probably brought you your bail money.
Me: No, I had to stay there for 60 days.
Me: What does Kristen's dream mean? (Turning to my Dad, who has been a clinical social worker for 28+ years.)
Dad: I don't know.
Kristen: Google it! I was watching the TV show "Arrested Development" and the guy wanted to stay in jail because his family was driving him nuts. They had watercolor paint classes.
Me: There were none of those in my jail.

Sunday consisted of a steamy 8-mile run, church, raspberry rhubarb pie, and biking to my friend's community garden. Here are some pics from there.

Wonderful Wednesday

Yesterday, I ran 7 miles (with a little speed work, obstacles, little water and looming black clouds nonetheless). I cleared my head and made some important decisions about races, my career, and extracurricular activities. Some days, those long(er) runs alone are needed. Now, if only my bike rides were going as smoothly. My last ended up with me in a mud puddle near a busy street and scratches on my legs and mud all down the left side of my body.

We also had a stir yesterday. Our neighbor's dog escaped. I offered to keep her in our backyard. However, our cat, Rajah, was less than enthused about this and our dog, Snickers, continued to bark and would not go outside for much of the time she was in our backyard. The cats stood at the door and watched her run up to it and back from it. Like good neighbors, we ended up releasing her when it was late, because the neighbors would not answer their door and we wanted to go to bed. However, the dog caused some anxious animals at our home to stay up for quite a while before hitting the hay.

Birthday

So my birthday was two days ago. Even though I turned 26, I am still excited about it. My birthday is used as a reference point for everything. We went camping a few weeks after my birthday last year...I think that it was a few days before my birthday...Grace is getting married the day before my birthday next year. Yeah, I love June 12. It is my favorite day. I would not pick another day to have my birthday ever.

So...this year, we had a cookout at our house for a few friends. One from Chicago spent the night. It was really good to see some friends and catch up with some other ones for a while. We made lots of food, which we are still eating on. In the midst of feeling as if I didn't have any friends (because I barely see them anymore), my birthday was a great reminder that I am loved. I also was able to run with my dad and sis (or go for a swim really with the humidity), which was followed by coffee with some peeps, and shopping for presents for others. I got some sweet presents, including a GPS (since my last one broke in the middle of me driving to a client's house), a metal water bottle, and a necklace set. Plus, I might have a few breakfasts coming this week.:) This may be my birthday week. Hey, I can handle that.

Giving myself a break

So...finally taking the advice of one of my friends, I have decided to give myself a break. I have decided to allow myself to relax a little bit more and to not convince myself I "have to" do certain things, especially things I enjoy. I ran a trail run yesterday with a friend and didn't push myself; enjoying the scenery and the process was more important (besides, I have the memory of my shoe coming completely off in the mud). I decided I needed to relax today instead of going to an open house out of town and decided that I wouldn't push myself getting ready for a Brad Paisley concert yesterday, even allowing myself to leave early if I wanted to do so. Although I don't want to become lazy, I realize I need to enjoy what I am doing more than just checking it off a "to-do" list. I am exhausted and need to probably go to bed early tonight.