Wednesday, October 6th 2010
I ran to the bank, then to get gas. Roll the passenger side window down, won't go back up. After getting gas I texted Bryan to let him know I was running late and my window won't go up. He texted back that we'll figure it out when I get there.
I headed up to Elizabeth. Bryan texted me to head to his house and someone would drive me to the school. They left so they wouldn't be late. When I got to Bryan's, his father was outside with the dog, Max. All three of us got in the car and Dayna's Grandfather drove me to Jefferson Arts Academy.
I walked in, up the main stairs, through the metal detector and met Dayna in the lobby outside the auditorium. She gave me a huge round-a-bout tackle of a hug while yelling, "Momma!" :-) I love my kid. It's good to feel wanted. We stood there talking to her friends. I met two by name, the other girl I was not sure who she was.
Bryan came over reading two sheets of paper. Dayna wandered a bit with her friends and said she was going to her locker. Bryan quickly said, "Oh no you're not, get over here, we have an issue." He softly told me she has too many absences listed for Chemistry. According to guidance's printout, she's been absent three times this week, but only for 5th period. :-/ He said it might not have been caught but she didn't know where her first period class was, a month into school. She apparently has not gotten there at all yet this year. Good way to start. Sigh! So Bryan got the class schedule, room numbers, and attendance record.
We missed first period, obviously. The teacher wouldn't have been able to tell us anything anyway, she hasn't been there! Second period History had nothing but rave reviews!
Third period Drama had wonderful things to say, but noted a "slight freak-out last week." Bryan and I both said, "She does that sometimes." Bryan continued to tell the teacher how Dayna has anxiety issues and missed several months of school because of it last year. Dayna quickly added, "I was in a mental rehabilitation facility." The teacher had a look, I said, "She likes to put it that way." He said for the most part Dayna is an active participant. She even had the initiative to drag a friend up in front of class on the first day and do a scene from "Proof."
I cannot remember the order of all her classes. The Guitar teacher said she has a great ear for music and is doing fantastic, he can tell she practices at home on her guitar.
English said she is doing beautifully, she should be in college. The teacher foresees Dayna as continuing in Honors English through high school and then going on to be a successful writer in college. She said Dayna is always taking note of books mentioned so she can read them outside of class. That's my bookworm!
The Chemistry teacher said, "Dayna! It's good to see you again, I've missed you the past few days." I mumbles "Yes, we just found that out." Then she asked, "How are you feeling?" Dayna said good. The teacher said she have to make up three assignments. Bryan asked the teacher how quickly she gets her attendance in the system. She said before she leaves for the day. He clarified that he can check online around dinnertime and it would be updated. He then explained to the teacher how Dayna was actually in school all week. The teacher made a face and said, "Uh oh!" I said, "No, you didn't tattle, guidance's printout did. Somehow Dayna miraculously disappeared for 5th period every day this week."
We met the Geometry teacher who said Dayna is a wonderful student, except she sometimes plays on her cell phone. :-( Remember when doodling and passing notes were all we had to distract us? Today's kids have paperless notes!
We met the French teacher. He's a very nice man, has a decently thick accent, speaks 7 different languages. Wow! Dayna warned me he might speak to me in French. I asked how he knew I spoke a little French. She said he asked her why she pronounced everything correctly and her response was, "My mom speaks French." Heh, I wish I could remember more of it!
After that we walked across the street to city hall and waited for Bryan's dad to pick us up, sans Max this time. Apparently the poochie was pooped! We walked in the house and the poor dog barely had the energy to get up and say hello. Dayna played Ode to Joy for me on her guitar (my favorite band song). Then she gave me a "bottle rocket." She yells at me that they're not bottle rockets. They are Poland Spring "AquaPods." They are little water bottles shaped like a rocket. Bottle Rockets.
Then I commenced my journey south towards home, with the heat cranked and the passenger window all the way down letting the wind blow my hair all sorts of all over!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Buggers
Over the weekend, we had a bug in the bathroom. It was on the wall above the sink. I've had quite a few since last month. I guess the season is changing nad they are moving to warmer climates, AKA my bathroom. I got the step stool, a roll of paper towels, and proceeded to pummel the unsuspecting creature. It was big, like 2 inches big, with large antennae, dark grey/light black. Ugh. Roach? I've never had a roach identified to me before, so I am not sure.
This week I also saw one in the toilet. UGH! I have to sit on that! Of all the places. I tolerated them in the shower - put on sneakers and pretend to stomp grapes. I tolerated them on the floor - drop newspaper and do the "La Cookaracha" dance on top. But my toilet?!?!? That's sacred space! I flushed. Beeh be been... Au revoir, bug!
Tuesday the shower drain was a little slow. I had pulled the curtain while it was still draining so I didn't realize the water had stopped. Wednesday morning there was a bug on the side of the tub. He jumped and attempted swimming. Another casualty of my bathroom. Despite his best attempts, Mr. Big Bug did not make it to shore.
Wednesday night after Dayna's Back to School night, I came home to activity behind the shower curtain. I braved a peek. There were two buggers bouncing around in there like crickets. Where are they coming from?!?! I attempted paper towel pummeling. Unsuccessful. These critters are live wires jumping all over. I wussed out on the stomping grapes tactic. I closed the bathroom door and went to bed.
Thursday morning I was up bright and early. Well, not really bright seeing as it's still dark at 4 AM. I remembered that I have bug spray! After my usual trip to the bathroom (and a strategic scope out of the toilet before use), I braved the curtain! Yup! Still there. Still two. Hot Shot here I come!
Several well calculated sprays later and hopefully they'll be done, off to visit their deceased relatives in the roach motel in the sky!
6AM Surveillance - no movement, but I am not looking forward to removing the carcasses. Ew!
This week I also saw one in the toilet. UGH! I have to sit on that! Of all the places. I tolerated them in the shower - put on sneakers and pretend to stomp grapes. I tolerated them on the floor - drop newspaper and do the "La Cookaracha" dance on top. But my toilet?!?!? That's sacred space! I flushed. Beeh be been... Au revoir, bug!
Tuesday the shower drain was a little slow. I had pulled the curtain while it was still draining so I didn't realize the water had stopped. Wednesday morning there was a bug on the side of the tub. He jumped and attempted swimming. Another casualty of my bathroom. Despite his best attempts, Mr. Big Bug did not make it to shore.
Wednesday night after Dayna's Back to School night, I came home to activity behind the shower curtain. I braved a peek. There were two buggers bouncing around in there like crickets. Where are they coming from?!?! I attempted paper towel pummeling. Unsuccessful. These critters are live wires jumping all over. I wussed out on the stomping grapes tactic. I closed the bathroom door and went to bed.
Thursday morning I was up bright and early. Well, not really bright seeing as it's still dark at 4 AM. I remembered that I have bug spray! After my usual trip to the bathroom (and a strategic scope out of the toilet before use), I braved the curtain! Yup! Still there. Still two. Hot Shot here I come!
Several well calculated sprays later and hopefully they'll be done, off to visit their deceased relatives in the roach motel in the sky!
6AM Surveillance - no movement, but I am not looking forward to removing the carcasses. Ew!
Social (No) Services
Monday, October 4th 2010
Social Services! I was up at 6am, dressed, coffee on board. Around 8am I started feeling the anxiety. I took half a Xanax and got myself out the door before I could procrastinate.
First Stop: Special Response to sort out the eviction paperwork, report my SSD income change for October, and drop off the electric bills. My caseworker is unavailable. :-( The receptionist told me to come back tomorrow. I said, "Tuesday is his paperwork day." No, summer's over, Mondays are his paper days, which is why he's unavailable today.
This was my fourth time trying to get in to see him. The one day the wait was so long he didn't have time for me. The next day he wasn't in, come back Tuesday. I went back Tuesday and they told me it was his paper day. Now I go in Monday and it's his paper day. Sigh!
Next Stop: Food Stamps! I waited in the reception line for 45 minutes. When I got to the receptionist, I told her my Food Stamps hadn't credited. She didn't look surprised. She said simply, "It's the 1st of the month." I guess this happens quite a bit. I told her I saw the nice caseworker two weeks ago for my recert. She said the cranky lady is still my caseworker. Joy! :-/ Have a seat...
About a half hour later, the second receptionist called my name. I returned to the desk to be told I had to do a recert. The first receptionist quickly said, "No, no, no, no. She just did her recert two weeks ago. She (the caseworker) needs to find out why it didn't credit and get this lady her food stamps." I sat back down.
Shortly after, I was called to the desk again. The receptionist informed me that the cranky lady has put my recert on the supervisors desk, give it two days, then call the 800 number on the back of the card to verify it's been credited. She said if there's a problem, I can just call, I don't have to come all the way back in.
Third Stop: Medicaid office! Much nicer office, only one other person in there. The receptionist took my information and called upstairs. Soon I was heading for the second floor to meet another case worker. I sat at her desk. She verified my source of income as SSD. Then she asked what my benefit amount was. When I told her, she said I was not eligible for Medicaid, I was $300 over the cap.
I said, "So I have no medical benefits until February when I am eligible for Medicare?" She said yes. I said I was going to have to cancel my appoinhtments and come off my meds. Then she asked me if I could get an HMO. I gave her the financial run down - Income $1200, rent $913, electric $100, food, transportation...what's left? My med's alone are a few hundred a month, one of them is almost $300 on it's own. She told me about Walmart's $4 prescriptions, I told her one of my meds doesn't have a generic and is not on the list there. She gave me the phone number for Rx4NJ to try to get prescription help, and the OHI clinic so I can see a doctor. That's the clinic that I was going to for 2 years who couldn't handle my issues. They referred me all over the place, and I wasn't able to be seen for many of those referrals because charity care clinics are nearly impossible to get into.
Sigh. I am glad I started weaning off my med's on Friday. You cannot abruptly stop a few of them.
Social Services! I was up at 6am, dressed, coffee on board. Around 8am I started feeling the anxiety. I took half a Xanax and got myself out the door before I could procrastinate.
First Stop: Special Response to sort out the eviction paperwork, report my SSD income change for October, and drop off the electric bills. My caseworker is unavailable. :-( The receptionist told me to come back tomorrow. I said, "Tuesday is his paperwork day." No, summer's over, Mondays are his paper days, which is why he's unavailable today.
This was my fourth time trying to get in to see him. The one day the wait was so long he didn't have time for me. The next day he wasn't in, come back Tuesday. I went back Tuesday and they told me it was his paper day. Now I go in Monday and it's his paper day. Sigh!
Next Stop: Food Stamps! I waited in the reception line for 45 minutes. When I got to the receptionist, I told her my Food Stamps hadn't credited. She didn't look surprised. She said simply, "It's the 1st of the month." I guess this happens quite a bit. I told her I saw the nice caseworker two weeks ago for my recert. She said the cranky lady is still my caseworker. Joy! :-/ Have a seat...
About a half hour later, the second receptionist called my name. I returned to the desk to be told I had to do a recert. The first receptionist quickly said, "No, no, no, no. She just did her recert two weeks ago. She (the caseworker) needs to find out why it didn't credit and get this lady her food stamps." I sat back down.
Shortly after, I was called to the desk again. The receptionist informed me that the cranky lady has put my recert on the supervisors desk, give it two days, then call the 800 number on the back of the card to verify it's been credited. She said if there's a problem, I can just call, I don't have to come all the way back in.
Third Stop: Medicaid office! Much nicer office, only one other person in there. The receptionist took my information and called upstairs. Soon I was heading for the second floor to meet another case worker. I sat at her desk. She verified my source of income as SSD. Then she asked what my benefit amount was. When I told her, she said I was not eligible for Medicaid, I was $300 over the cap.
I said, "So I have no medical benefits until February when I am eligible for Medicare?" She said yes. I said I was going to have to cancel my appoinhtments and come off my meds. Then she asked me if I could get an HMO. I gave her the financial run down - Income $1200, rent $913, electric $100, food, transportation...what's left? My med's alone are a few hundred a month, one of them is almost $300 on it's own. She told me about Walmart's $4 prescriptions, I told her one of my meds doesn't have a generic and is not on the list there. She gave me the phone number for Rx4NJ to try to get prescription help, and the OHI clinic so I can see a doctor. That's the clinic that I was going to for 2 years who couldn't handle my issues. They referred me all over the place, and I wasn't able to be seen for many of those referrals because charity care clinics are nearly impossible to get into.
Sigh. I am glad I started weaning off my med's on Friday. You cannot abruptly stop a few of them.
Pumpkins!
Saturday, October 2nd 2010
Dayna and I set to work on our pumpkins. She covered the table with newspaper while I put on my pajamas. I got out knives, spoons, and a plate for the "guts." She said this was the first time she'd done a jack-o-loantern all on her own. She said at her dad's, they do a lot of it for her. I figured she's 15, she'll be ok. She was. She did a fantastic job! She chose an anime-inspired face. It looks great!
I tried using a template. Unfortunately, I didn't quite have the luck Dayna did. The "Happy Halloween" letters were too close for my inadequate steak knife and my pumpkin began breaking off. Oncve it was unreadable and I decided there was no hope for saving it, I improvised and made it a face :-) Then I carved "Trick or Treat" onto another side of the pumpkin. That one came out pretty good. The pumpkins look great on the patio with the mums.
Dayna and I set to work on our pumpkins. She covered the table with newspaper while I put on my pajamas. I got out knives, spoons, and a plate for the "guts." She said this was the first time she'd done a jack-o-loantern all on her own. She said at her dad's, they do a lot of it for her. I figured she's 15, she'll be ok. She was. She did a fantastic job! She chose an anime-inspired face. It looks great!
I tried using a template. Unfortunately, I didn't quite have the luck Dayna did. The "Happy Halloween" letters were too close for my inadequate steak knife and my pumpkin began breaking off. Oncve it was unreadable and I decided there was no hope for saving it, I improvised and made it a face :-) Then I carved "Trick or Treat" onto another side of the pumpkin. That one came out pretty good. The pumpkins look great on the patio with the mums.
Not Authorized
Saturday, October 2nd 2010
Dayna and I went to Michael's. She bought embroidery floss for friendship bracelets and a wooden piggy bank box to paint.
Then we went to Shop Rite for a few things. We eded up with a cart full of groceries and a few pumpkins. Dayna helped so much. She put everything on the conveyor belt, bagged it all, and put the bags in the cart. She did a great job! She's so helpful.
I swiped my food stamps card. Not Authorized. :-( Hmm. I tried again. Not Authorized. The manager came over and tried manually. Still not authorized. It's showing a $0 balance. She asked if I'd like to try another form of payment. I don't have another form of payment. I was so embarrassed while I stood there watching the manager unload all of the groceries out of my cart leaving us with only a few cases of water and the pumpkins that I had enough cash to cover. :-( I felt so bad. I kept apologizing, to the cashier, to the manager, to the people in line behind me, to Dayna... I felt horrible.
Dayna and I went to Michael's. She bought embroidery floss for friendship bracelets and a wooden piggy bank box to paint.
Then we went to Shop Rite for a few things. We eded up with a cart full of groceries and a few pumpkins. Dayna helped so much. She put everything on the conveyor belt, bagged it all, and put the bags in the cart. She did a great job! She's so helpful.
I swiped my food stamps card. Not Authorized. :-( Hmm. I tried again. Not Authorized. The manager came over and tried manually. Still not authorized. It's showing a $0 balance. She asked if I'd like to try another form of payment. I don't have another form of payment. I was so embarrassed while I stood there watching the manager unload all of the groceries out of my cart leaving us with only a few cases of water and the pumpkins that I had enough cash to cover. :-( I felt so bad. I kept apologizing, to the cashier, to the manager, to the people in line behind me, to Dayna... I felt horrible.
Twice in One Year
Thursday, September 30th 2010
I got the mail out of the mail box on my way into the apartment for the evening. There was an envelope from Ocean County Courthouse - eviction paperwork! Twice in one year. Yay! *insert sarcasm here* :-/
Apparently, Social Services has not been paying part of my rent like they said they would when I was approved for temporary rent assistance.
I got the mail out of the mail box on my way into the apartment for the evening. There was an envelope from Ocean County Courthouse - eviction paperwork! Twice in one year. Yay! *insert sarcasm here* :-/
Apparently, Social Services has not been paying part of my rent like they said they would when I was approved for temporary rent assistance.
The Alero's Second Tow
Monday September 27th 2010
Around 5pm Dad called. The Alero was giving Marty problems. He asked if I needed the Pontiac tomorrow. I said no, I can rearrange my schedule so Marty can have it for work. I threw on clothes, brushed my hair, and headed to Dad's.
When I got there, Dad was sitting on the steps. He asked me to park down the corner because he called a tow truck for Marty. We chatted while we waited. Dad spoke to the tow truck guy. Then he called Marty and told him to call the tow truck. They couldn't find him.
When the tow truck got there, the Alero was unloaded in front of Dad's house. It wouldn't start. We pushed it closer to the curb. Dad couldn't see much in the dark so he said he'd work on it tomorrow. I drove Marty to put gas in the car, then we headed to my house with a pit stop at Pathmark for milk, CoffeeMate and a few other items to hold me over until I get the car back.
Thursday, September 30th 2010
Marty texted me, Dad's done with the Alero. I did a quick workout, showered and dressed. Marty picked me up, we went to Dad's so Marty could pick up the car, then we met up with an old friend at TGI Fridays. It was good catching up. It's been a good decade since we saw our friend. Facebook is wonderful for finding people you've lost track of.
Around 5pm Dad called. The Alero was giving Marty problems. He asked if I needed the Pontiac tomorrow. I said no, I can rearrange my schedule so Marty can have it for work. I threw on clothes, brushed my hair, and headed to Dad's.
When I got there, Dad was sitting on the steps. He asked me to park down the corner because he called a tow truck for Marty. We chatted while we waited. Dad spoke to the tow truck guy. Then he called Marty and told him to call the tow truck. They couldn't find him.
When the tow truck got there, the Alero was unloaded in front of Dad's house. It wouldn't start. We pushed it closer to the curb. Dad couldn't see much in the dark so he said he'd work on it tomorrow. I drove Marty to put gas in the car, then we headed to my house with a pit stop at Pathmark for milk, CoffeeMate and a few other items to hold me over until I get the car back.
Thursday, September 30th 2010
Marty texted me, Dad's done with the Alero. I did a quick workout, showered and dressed. Marty picked me up, we went to Dad's so Marty could pick up the car, then we met up with an old friend at TGI Fridays. It was good catching up. It's been a good decade since we saw our friend. Facebook is wonderful for finding people you've lost track of.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)