2ndchance

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Here is another Mental Health PSA.  Went into the studio last week to record three more.  Just found out that our little venture won second place in a national award.  Way to go for all the readers and producers!

 

 

Connection Trauma

I made a connection with a young client yesterday.  He came to our agency because he was in crisis. . .making threats to hurt both himself and others. He was handcuffed as I entered the room, and he was very guarded in his talking at first.  As we found common ground, and talked as I have talked with hundreds of youth, he began to share about his life.  Won't get into details, but suffice it to say. . .he was carrying a lot of depression and anger.  As it became apparent that he needed to go to hospital for his safety, members of my team began the preparations in finding an adolescent bed, consulting with his family. etc.  However, he did not want to go, and had to be "TDO'd".  A TDO is necessary sometimes for the safety of the individual and community, and is always followed by a legal hearing within 72 hours to determine if the TDO is to continue.  It can be traumatic for everyone involved.  In this case, the client's mother agreed that her son needed to go to the hospital.  She had been afraid for him for some time.

I have never been TDO'd. . .always going willingly to hospital when it was necessary.  But if I was in danger of hurting myself or others and couldn't think straight, I would want to have someone step in and protect me from myself.  This is very conteraversal in the recovery community, and I fall someplace in the middle of the continum of opinions.

When it was time for him to be transported to the hospital, he had to be further restrained by shackles.(according to code and procedure in my state and locality)  I have seen kids in shackles lots of times during my tenure as a juvenilie probation officer.  And I know of cases where unrestrained people have escaped from cars and have gone running across the interstate. . .further endangering themselves and others. It really is a safety issue.

I understand all of that.  But this felt different for some reason.  My counselor said that my therapeutic boundaries were probably blurred.  He is probably right.  After saying goodbye to the kid, and encouraging him to give the hospital staff a chance (a very good hospital, by the way), I still went to the men's room, closed myself in a stall, and cried for a few minutes.

Off to Reno

The assistant Market manager and his son headed off Saturday night after work for a drive out to Nevada and a family reunion. We are tracking their progress across country.

Grrrrr

Tell me the logic of this: I am finishing my tasks at work at the end of the day. . .mopping the floor and on my way to dump the dirty water. Four other employee's are standing around talking with a manager in the middle of the floor. The manager asks me to dump my dirty water, draw clean water, and bring it to help another worker who is never able to finish her work on time. The others continue to talk with the manager. The manager lets the rest of the workers go home while I stay and help the last lady finish her work.

This happens all the time. Am I just a nice guy? So people feel they can just dump more stuff on me while friends/favorites of the managers get paid for doing nothing?

the Tale of the Annoying Customer and the Cart of Doom

Associates who work for my market have a reputation for bending over backwards to accomodate customers. Always polite. . .always helpful. . .won't point out where things are, but must take the customer there. This includes not being able to say what we're really thinking when rude people crap on us. We just run to the walk-in cooler after and scream.

Well. Until now. Here in this blog is recounted the tale of the annoying customer with the cart of Doom. Complete with the neverbefore heard thoughts of the harried associate (in italics of course).

More Moblog from work

Smiling co-workers at the Market.

Greg Gets Socked

Moblogging is fun.

Kick Ass Team

Tonight we had a kick ass team at work. It's great when everyone working goes the extra mile to do their best and support each other. The customers get better service. . .we have more fun. . .even the food looks and tastes better.

We were having fun with one of the new chefs Rick.. He is newly divorced, and was playing the "wolf" with all of the cute female customers tonight. He is also Army National Guard, and can be a bit of a drill sergeant at times. So I got all the store staff to go out of their way to walk by him and call him "Big Rick". Simple enough. But it drove him crazy. Heh heh.

Going to see "The Day After Tomorrow" tomorrow. (wow. . .tomorrow tomorrow). I'll write a review and let everyone know if it is any good.

Mistakes

The past four days have been stupid-mistake-laden jigs. I got the receipe/prep wrong on two different dishes. . .and when you are cooking for lots of people, that can be a problem. My basic powers of observation have been off. . .missing little things that I shouldn't miss and feeling like an ass when I've been called on them. (Like taking the trash out at work, seeing the paddlock locked, and going to my store manager for the key. "It's not really locked. . .the hasp is missing" says the manager. D'OH! Like training a new guy to pick all the rotis chicken at the end of the day for chicken salad, etc. the next day. And not telling him that half of the birds were turkeys. Anyone for chicken/turkey salad? D'OH!)

It's true that I worry too much about the little things, but when a bunch of little things pile up it can be a drag. Oh well, it is now a new week.

It's Gone

Had to delete my Joe's Market photo album here. It seems that that my company is very particular about having control over images of their products. Oh well, I guess you got the idea though. From now on you will just have to take my word that we have yummy food everywhere.