Ok.. ... well.. first off last week I did call my supervisor asking to be placed with a different client. I was just being so stressed out by this family.. mainly the daughter in law and her Nazi anal retentivness and little notes and phone calls on off hours. She didn't get that my job was JUST suppervision and companionship.. she seemed to think I was her personal enforcer and if my client didn't do as she said she would hang over her head threats of sending her off to a nursing home. And you know the too caring person I am got way attached to the client. And then a cookie situation came up... some one ate Girls Scout cookies on the couch.. leaving crumbs and the empty package.. oh the humanity.. the horror.. how dare they who ever did.. because it was NOT me, but since that is where I sit mostly and no one in the home was admitting to it, guess where the finger was pointed. My company has a strict policy of not eating the clients food and I would bring my own breakfast and lunch and drinks. I was often offered food or there was treats left out where my client could be tempted to go off her diabetic diet... but I always politely said no thanks and took a swig of my slim-fast. I have been making progress on some weight loss too. I think maybe over the almost 5 months I have been in there I did accept a piece of birthday cake and did dip into a bowl that was left out of Easter candy. ANY HOW.. that was my limit there.. first cookies and then what would that lead too? No way was I going to stick around too long to find out. But when I called my supervisor last week she was out on medical leave and I vented to her assistant and was told there was nothing I could do till she got back and to just sit tight.
I hadn't heard back and I was about ready to let it go, thinking maybe I was just being premenstral last week and I could handle my job.. after all not everyone is happy with where they work and still deal with it and go in everyday. I was thinking to myself that I was a bit spoiled and to suck it up and pray on how to be a better servant. Then again this week there were home baked cookies left out... and some one ate on them.. I was asked if I had eaten any.. nope sure didn't.. and if it was my client she must of done it while I was in the bathroom or something but she was denying it. I know you are thinking.. so what.. they are just cookies.. ya I know!! But some people have to have control over EVERY aspect of EVERYONE's life and if something is out of place it stresses them to no end and they have to find something or some one to release that on.. guess who.
Ok.. so that is the back story to yesterday..with alot of detail left out for privacy sake. So yesterday just as I pull into the driveway at work my son calls me on my cell telling me they have missed the bus and need me to get them to school. gurrrr. I was looking forward to a short uncomplicated day with work because my client had an appointment, all I had to do was stick it out till she had to leave. The son was home because he was going to take the client to her appointment and I tell him about the call I just got and that I would go and get her out of bed and up and going and then leave and come right back. Sure no problem. Well let's just say it took over an hour to get her up and going, it was not turning out to be the easy day I had anticipated. So just as I am leaving my supervisor calls the house and is talking with the son, if it was a normal day I would of waited or told my kids to play hookie but school was having special events threw out the day and they needed to keep up with attendance, only 2 days of school left anyway.
I get back an hour later (I live 15 min away and also had to sign the kids in to three different schools) and my client is sitting in her chair and the son is back in bed napping. My suppervisor calls again to talk with me wondering why I wasn't told to call her back as requested. She tells me she told the son that last week I had requested to be pulled out (omg) that she was just getting back and getting caught up, had not talked to me about why and before she put someone else in she needed to talk to me. I am cringing because I foresee all sorts of tension in the house. I get her all caught up, she knows how I am stressed by this family, I have forward to her every ridiculous note that was left for me and in the past have asked for her to talk to them about my job title and what my respoblities are and where the line is (and as far as I know she never did but is with me on that I have put up with alot and have gone above and beyond with them). She said it was possible to put some one else in but it was a male and didn't think they would be too happy about that. She wanted to know what I wanted to do. I told her I would prefer to call her later when I was off.. I didn't want to talk in front of the client who already had the "deer in headlights, what is going on here" look on her face.
So the rest of the time at work was weird... the son and daughter were home but stayed away not really talking to me, and I can see why, knowing I had asked to be placed somewhere else.. and if they were not going to bring it up, neither was I. Eventually I was told to pack a bag with my client and then they would leave for the appointment. So I did, had her sign me out and left for the day. I had some time to think and pray about the situation.. still a bit hemming and hawing on what to do or say, talked it out with friends who all could see clearly that I had already made the decision to be pulled out and that it would work out well for my family for me to have less stress and if that meant shorter hours over the somer that is not nessarly a bad thing. So I called my supervisor and told her only if they could find some one else to take her, to pull me out. I did not want to leave her with out some one as back up. Well the person she had in mind got assigned some where else already, too far for me to just switch with him and if I could stick with them until some one else can take over the client that would be great. Kinda anticlimactic but do-able... it was settled.. so I thought.
Later in the day I got called by my Supervisor telling me not to bother going in to work tomorrow, the family requested I not come back because... I LEFT EARLY AND I DID STEAL THEIR COOKIES AND THEY ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH ME. I left early???? What are they talking about. I apologized for leaving and coming back because of my kids but that is not what they were talking about.. apparently I left with out saying good bye to them, they were not ready to for me to leave... bla what ever. It is pretty laughable if I was not so mad about it. I'm a nice easy going person and yea I do let my self get taken advange of or as some would see it, walked over.. so when some one talks crap or tries to make me look bad with out just cause it does piss me off. My boss told me not to worry about it, she completely understands they are whack-o and deals with things like this all the time. It is not unusual to pull out some one and replace them. I asked how will this reflect on me as an employee? And to my relief she said not at all, I am in good standing. It's just that she doesn't have anywhere else for me to go at the momeant and to keep in touch each week until she does, that she likes me alot and will do what she can.
That is a relief and a bit of a bummer. On one had I get more time at home.. Josh is coming home for a week this Saturday (whoo hoo!) and the kids get out of school. On the other had the extra money I have been getting from work has really helped and was going to go towards us maybe going to visit Josh in Philly in July. My only real concern now is I do live in a smaller community and our kids know each other and I don't want a thing to develop or it may be weird seeing them around town occasionally. God only knows what they are going to say to people.. but we mostly don't run the same circles but you never know. And I am a bit sad I didn't get to say goodbye to my lady and hope that what ever happens to her that God will watch over her.
So that has been my week!! I did make a comment to Zane the other day that all these little things that have been going amiss in our life have been adding up and if I didn't know any better I would say there is some demonic stuff going on. And out of the mouth of babes he says well if we do have Satan's attention then that is good.. it means we are doing something right. Ohh I don't know about all that but he may have a point there.
I feel better now that is all out and behind me. Today's a new day, a new start and I do have much to be thankful for. Mainly my friends who have been there alot for me lately and listen to my problems and frustration. I have been blessed with several good ones.. THANK YOU AMY, RACHEL, JENNY, AND AUDRA AND EVEN BRANDY
