Keepin' it going!

Thanks to Shannon, who most recent post keeps the MFT blog alive and running, after almost one year! I will have to send it a birthday card soon ; ) I check this blog so frequently so its nice to see other's posts and happenings.

Work is going well...As well as it can be given our nice weather. I try to keep myself in check about getting paid to surf the web, organize my files, read in my office as I know others have much more stressful jobs and have good right to glare my way when I start blogging about my current state of clinical atrophy : )

In other more important news, I attended my 10 year high school reunion last weekend. I havent been back to Aberdeen in a couple years so that alone was trippy enough. I went with the one friend I still talk to from good ol' class of 97 and we made the three hour drive with nervous anticipation. I felt like I was going to prom again! Totally weird apprehension, I must admit. We had been soliciting tips from friends and co-workers before as to what to expect though this really didnt prepare us much. We kind of stuck out because we had wanted to look good (who doesnt 10 years later?) and were attired in what we would wear out to happy hour or a dinner in seattle. I knew it would be a culture shock and the fact that there was one bottle of red and one bottle of white wine as the wine selection (for the entire evening) available at the no-host bar made me realize the favorite drink was bottles of beer. My friend asked if she could buy the whole bottle of red in case it was snatched by someone else. The bartender, Im sure, wondered if she was in recovery. But hey, since the bartender wasnt familiar with how to make a Long Island, I scored big and am no longer curious what rubbing alcohol tastes like. It was also disappointing that a majority of classmates who actually LIVE in Aberdeen did not attend. Poo on them! I drove three hours to see you, the least you could do is spend $50 on dinner! Anywho...Long story not so short, it was nice to connect with old classmates who did attend. It appears the guys had done a much better job of staying close while the girls, not so much. One thing I did take away from the whole experience was just how happy I am with my life right now, even given its somewhat tentative state.

In other news, Mike has purchased his very first BBQ (or as I like to call it BabyQ because its smaller, though I dont say it to emasculate him). We had his friends over last night for the inaugural grilling. Very cool, though I think grills are a guy thing. You will all have to come over and have some various grilled meat after his test. We are planning on taking a mini-vaca for the later half of next week as celebration his 14 weeks of studying are over! Maybe we can BBQ those MCAT books : )!

Look forward to reading more posts! Dont make me but I will start naming names of those we havent heard from recently!!

Janett

Looks like it worked!

Yeah I think I can finally write on our blog! Thanks Susanne! Wow, I'm glad people have been writing on the blog because I have been reading them, just not responding and now I can :-)
I have been told to pass the word on about Cheryl's Retirement Party it has been set for Friday, Sept. 28th from 4-8pm in Tacoma, so pass the word along to other MFT alums.
I wish I had an exciting life to write to you all about but I don't. The excitement of my life is that I got a new fish and his name is Pig Pen. He is a blue Betta that I saw at Petco on Monday and then I went back on Wednesday and he was still there, so I had to take him home because he was going to die if he did not some home with me. He was in a bowl with algae all over it, you could hardly see him so now I am waiting to see if the icky brown on his head is fish rot or his coloring.
When my super roommates, The Joy and The Janett moved out, I feared I would become the crazy cat lady...but I was wrong I am now the crazy fish lady :-)
Well, now that I can post I will try to have a more exciting life or at least make up some good stories and pretend they are my life.
Thanks again Susanne for all your help.
Shannon

Relief and Disappointment

Hello you fellow colleagues. : )

Well, after much agonizing, I made the decision to take the position in Klamath Falls. The phone call to Forks was I think the hardest one I have ever made. I love Forks. I love Washington. I love rain. I love you people. I'm sad to leave.... The vacation time was the clincher for me. Six weeks is hard to beat. That gives me so much freedom to do the things I want to do. Self Care. The KF clinic is big on self care, and I like that. They work very hard and also take good care of each other. It will be a good opportunity and a great skill-building environment.

Sigh.... Maybe I can live in Forks in a few years.

Thanks Susanne!!

Well, I think I'm finally posting under my own name. For those of us who are technologically challenged, being able to post on a blog is a monumental task. Luckily for me (and the rest of us) Susanne is very technologically savy and willing to help. Thanks Susanne!

The life of Margie is a bit shaken up these days. As some of you know, I interviewed for a job out in Forks about a month ago. The drive out there was breathtakingly beautiful, and I felt so peaceful while I was there. The Washington climate fits me perfectly. My favorite day is 55 degress and raining, or at least cloudy. Forks is a very rural town, and I had a good time while I was there. I could definitely see myself living there.

Then, the interview....was HORRID!!

I'm not even kidding or downplaying it. I was awful. I said really stupid things and didn't sell myself at all and asked the most ridiculous questions you've ever heard, like how many days off would I get and why do you people live in Forks. I think some of them liked me as a person, but didn't think I was qualified for the job.

Here's just a glimpse.

They said I would have to be on call one 24-hour period a week and one weekend a month or every five weeks depending on staff. I would be part of the crisis team. I said, "So, would I go to the calls as a team or just by myself?" The director (there were five people interviewing me) looked at me like I had asked him to take all his clothes off and dance naked on the table. Then he said, "You would go alone." When he said team, I wondered if two people went together because who wants to answer a domestic violence call to the home of drunk Native Americans at 3 a.m.? Then he said I wouldn't be expected to go someplace dangerous, and there would be police accompanying me if it were a call like that.

Sheesh!

Then I said, "I have no crisis experience at all. None."

Yeah, hire that girl.

So, that year I volunteered at the domestic violence shelter and took crisis calls and went to the police department and picked up bleeding women who had just been beaten up by their husbands or boyfriends and took them to the shelter and did intakes and talked to them and stayed with them the entire weekend.... I didn't think that counted. Or I forgot all about it. Or something. Who knows? And the eight years I worked at the child abuse prevention agency and dealt with crisis calls and newly removed children (when kids got taken from their homes, they were brought straight to me) didn't count in my feeble mind either. I have no crisis experience at all. None. They also asked me if I had any experience working with Native Americans. I said no. None. Then I told them about how Charlie had experience, and he told me about it.

Brilliant.

Then the director said, "What about all that time you spent in Paraguay?" Oh, yeah. Those natives.

I left there and was a bit embarrassed. On the way home I thought about it and got even more embarrassed. Then I moved on.

I applied for a job in Klamath Falls, Oregon. It is a private nonprofit clinic working with children and adolescents. It is a great facility with a lot of programs and resources. It uses the wraparound model, which interests me a lot. Plus, the benefit package is phenomenal, six weeks paid vacation per year beginning on your date of hire for example. I liked the staff and felt I would fit in. The supervisor is an LMFT, so supervision would be included.

The interview went well. I was terrified they would offer me the job and I would have to move to Klamath Falls. The desert. Snow. Can't pump my own gas. No shopping. I'm not a shopper, but I'd like the option. : )

They called last night at 5 p.m. and offered me the job. I accepted. I start Aug. 13. I'm moving to Klamath Falls.

This morning the Forks people called and offered me that job.

I am in decision hell. At times like this I wish I were a good decision maker.

I'll let you know what happens.....

Margie

Going into Business

Not therapy though!

I'm starting a small at home business making baby gifts. Blankets for now, but I'm hoping to expand into other things like bibs, letter/picture boards and possibly crib sets, but we'll see.

I'm still working on my actual web page (www.babyjgifts.com) but I'm having loads of problems with javascript since I don't know it from my ear (grrr!!!!!). People should be able to make purchases online in a few weeks.

But for now, I have a temporary page to show off my work. Spread the word!!

http://www.uniquegiftsforbaby.blogspot.com/

Hello! I hope it's ok that I made some layout changes...Feel free to change it! I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! Mike and I spent the day at the arboretum, basking in the sun, swimming, enjoying the sun...He is still in super-studying mode, which is stressful for both of us but August should be right around corner. Capone is doing well. She is in foster care at Mike's condo, enjoying the lack of traction she produces on hardwood floors. She also enjoys the deck, where she can stalk squirrels or unsuspecting neighbors. It took her awhile to get adjusted, everytime she heard a noise outside she would run and (I'm dead serious) hide under the covers! Super cute!

Now that it's summer, my hours have decreased at work down to 30. Anyone remember starting practica in the summer? The sky high no-show rates? Yep, that's why I'm posting at work! Mike and I have been watching reruns of The Office and I'm learning lots of new ideas to keep busy : ).

Hope everyone is doing well! Please post, post, post! : )

Janett

I have started to count down the days until Shan's BBQ and can't wait : )! It will be nice to see everyone and catch up!

Not much is happening...

with me and Michael. I go to work and school...work and school. I do have time for poker though. It was nice to see you (Megan) and Matt. You and Michael can email more work stories. As exciting as they are ;) I'm not sure I can listen to anymore!! I am starting to possibly look for a new job. I really love AYR, but I am very tired of case management. I'm not sure if they will be looking to move me into full-time therapy any time soon. Possibly this fall, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I would like to teach at a community college, however I haven't found any open positions I qualify for.

I miss you very much!

Kellee

Happy 4th of July!!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very happy 4th of July!! I also wanted to put up a link to Mitch's blog. What a beautiful baby!!!

www.mitchdeannatrey.blogspot.com