Short Attn Span

Putting the ME in Holiday Meme

Gakked from Jen @ ScrappinJenny.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping gifts was part of the gig when I worked in the office for a local retailer. I got fairly good at it, and I really love it. It’s probably the second best thing I took away from the job, second to my husband.

2. Real tree or artificial?

While I do love the smell of a real tree, artificial is so much more convenient. We can put it up at 3 in the morning, if we’re so inclined - and I do not have to string lights, because I was always the light stringer. So, hi. I love you inventer of the artificial tree. I kiss you on the lips.

3. When do you put up the tree?

Typically the first weekend of December - although this year? We succumbed to our Christmas cheer a little early. We put it up the weekend after Thanksgiving. IN NOVEMBER. It felt a little insane, but pretty good, too!

4. When do you take the tree down?

Immediately after the new year. Get it down, get it out. Get on with it.

5. Do you like eggnog?

Yes, but preferably Ronnybrook Farms, with a shot of bourbon.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?

My Apple IIe.

7. Hardest person to buy for?

My sister, Beth.

8. Easiest person to buy for?

Me. (OH HOW SHALLOW!!)

9. Do you have a nativity scene?

No, but I really want the Fisher Price Little People set. Silly, but true.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?

This is the first year we’re doing either. And we’re mailing them. Late. Classy.

11. Worst Christmas gift you’ve ever received?

Gym membership.

12. Favorite Christmas movie?

I really don’t have one. I’m a sucker for any movie with a Christmas theme. Except Scrooged. I hate that movie with the fire of a thousand suns.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?

It varies. This year, I waited until today. Today we’re starting. So, you know - when the spirit moves me. I’m moved. Thanks, spirit.

14. Have you ever recycled a gift?

Uh, not for Christmas?

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

Cookies. Specifically my sister-in-law’s gingerbread cookies. OH. And her citrus cheesecake. To. Die. For.

16. Lights on the tree?

Is that a serious question? Who’s asking this? Bears?!

17. Favorite Christmas song?

No doubt about it - O Holy Night. By either Josh Groban or John Berry. Or anyone. I just love that song. Which is like, totally a weird thing, I realize. You wouldn’t suspect that if you knew me - but there you have it.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?

By travel, do you me like, ten feet outside our house? Because typically we go to my husband’s Aunt and Uncle’s house about 70 miles away for Christmas Eve dinner. Then on the evening on Christmas we’re going to his brother’s for dinner, and he lives about 35 miles away. But we’re having my folks over for Christmas brunch the morning of Christmas, so… the answer is definitively YES.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?

I am over four years old, so yes.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?

Sterling silver star.

21. Open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

We wait until midnight to start opening. Because that’s we’re that flavor of impatient.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?

Nothing. I love everything about it.

23. Favorite ornament or theme color?

That’s like asking me to pick a favorite child. They’re all special to me. Except glass bulbs. They’re like the red-headed stepchildren of the ornament world.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?

I only eat the pasta because it’s the only thing that’s not seafood. Sometimes, if they have shrimp cocktail and it’s not all wacky I’ll have that.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?

For Leigh Anne’s adoption to be drama free and speedy this year. That would be nice.

Making life more difficult

Over the last many many months, Greg and I have discussed my Future Plans because what we’ve got going on here, well… it’s not a long term situation. I’ve been out of work for 13 months - and during that period of time I’ve been looking for work, yes - but spending 99.9% of my time raising my babies. Well, I shouldn’t say quite THAT much time, since my life gets sucked up by social worker visits, monitored visitation with birthmom, and court.

Deciding I want to finish my B.A. in Psych, but also get a minor in Spanish was a no-brainer for me. Made sense. Then I can move on to my Masters in Social Work.

Today I engaged in an exercise in banging my head against the wall. It involved several phone calls.

Phone call #1 - inbound to me, my CSW’s co-worker

My case worker’s co-worker called at 3p to find out if he could pop in for a contact (where social worker visits child in caregiver’s home) around noon the next day. I explain to him that I have plans to go out of town, but I would rearrange them - so yes, that’s fine. Noon tomorrow. I inquired whether my case worker was in the office this week as I hadn’t heard from her and had left her three voicemails. His response? “She’s been in, but I know she’s really busy. What do you need?” I went on with my wish-list of questions and a request for a minute order from Friday’s hearing. He said he’d try to get that for me (hahaha) — end call.

After getting off the phone with my CSW’s co-worker, I start stewing… I don’t get a call-back after leaving three voicemails following a MAJOR HEARING, and yet they expect me to drop everything for a contact w/less than 24 hrs notice?

Oh no. I don’t think so.

Call #2 - outbound to my CSW

Hey CSW! I got a call from your co-worker. I sure hope you get THIS message because I need to reschedule tomorrow. I have XYZ (things I actually DO have to do) so, would you have him call me back? Thanks!

Call #3, 4, and 5 - outbound to main office line

I get the after-hours voicemail

Call #6 - outbound to main office line

Ask to be connected to my CSW’s supervisor. Speak with her and explain that I have not received callbacks, and that I need to reschedule with co-worker. And also, as an aside - really bad juju to schedule w/less than 24 hr notice especially when CSW has a history of disregarding my time and phone calls. Her response? Today’s my last day. Let me transfer you to co-worker. Tell him yourself. GREAT.

Cancelled visit for tomorrow. He wanted me to give him some wiggle room, but, after two years of being so yielding and flexible - I wasn’t. Not that time. Had I been treated like anything more than a speck, perhaps.

Call #7 - inbound to me, my CSW.

SIDENOTE: This woman is exactly WHY I want to become a social worker. You would think I would be inspired by the great people I’ve encountered at my agency like Brooke or Melissa, but no. It’s Catherine. Catherine doesn’t return phone calls. She’s short on the phone. And she is chock full of misinformation. /SIDENOTE

She starts the call by apologizing for not calling because she’s been so busy. [sidenote: I understand about busy. I understand that people get busy. But two pet peeves that register high on the want-to-make-me-kneecap-you scale are: a) saying how busy you are, repeatedly - it’s douchey; and b) using it as an excuse to not perform your job. And calling me is part of her job. Which she woefully underperforms.] I let her know that I’ve already contacted her co-worker, so don’t worry about tmw’s contact. She goes on to tell me that the TPR was granted on Friday, to which I replied that yes, I did mention on the voicemail I left that we were there. I outlined several questions I had for her, none of which she had the answer. She did voluntarily chime in a piece of misinformation by telling me that birthmom had no recourse at this point and there was no opportunity for her to appeal Friday’s decision - a statement that I knew was so blatantly false, i asked her to repeat it back to me just to make sure that she really was that clueless.

Indeed.

So, long story made endless, I contact yet another of my social workers (we have four - two at the county, two at the agency) who answered my questions quickly and succintly (and I believe correctly), verified what I knew to be true about the appeal process, and also let me know that the court paperwork was sent to Sacramento today. So.

Happy ending.

Well, happy ALMOST ending… still, we must sign placement docs and finalize (and then much further down the road I will graduate and become a social worker in the foster system so amazingly kickass that I make up for the schmucks like Catherine that families in the system have to suffer through).