Author: Jennifer Kuntz

You would think that a social worker would be trained in what to say to soothe people and put them at their ease.  Especially a Doctor of Social Work.  This is not the case at my work though.  

My most persistent ILL’er is one of the afforementioned social work types.  She orders 5 books a week (she would order WAY more, but we keep her to 5 a week).  These books are sometimes about work related things, but are usually travel and gardening titles.  I don’t fuss about the non-work related ILL’s because it seems mean spirited.  She knows how many ILL’s we let her have in a given week.  If she wants to get gardening books, it’s none of my business.  

However, when she comes to pick them up she INVARIABLY makes a comment that could be easily misconstrued as a criticism.  Usually, it’s some remark about how slow the books are in coming or that she stopped down earlier and the library was locked, whatever.  My point is, this happens pretty much every time and I so dislike it that I try to minimize my contact with her as much as possible.  I couldn’t imagine telling my problems to this woman and expecting any sympathy, and yet, that is her job.  She is employed to provide support and help to people in desparate circumstances.  Don’t people in the helping professions get any training in treating others well?  It’s a mystery.   

Just a quick missive from the swamps.  Things here are progressing all right.  I am working at work on getting my computer system fixed so I can catalog books again.  We have a conference call with the vendor today.

We’re busy with our hobbies, lots of SCA fun has been had in the past two weeks and the next week looks to be much the same with two evening events (sewing workshop and fighter practice) and a full weekend of practice/potluck/picnic and baronial meeting.

Tiernen is still job hunting.  We’re still holding out hope for something to come through.  

Life goes on. 

I’m on my own at work today.  I like being here alone ’cause I get more interaction with the patrons.  Going to a meeting with the graduate medicine folks in a few minutes.

This past weekend was great for our local SCA group.  We had a big fighter practice/picnic thing at the home of one of our members.  We had about 35-40 people show up from all over the area.  Our group mainly, but also some folks from the Air Force base to the north of us.  There was something for everyone to do and I hope everyone felt welcomed and included.  It really reinforced that “family” feeling that attracts and keeps people in the SCA.  We can (and do) talk at length about the purpose of the SCA and whether we should be focusing on activites or scholarship.  And these are valuable discussions, but I hope we never lose that core of acceptance that is the heart of the Society.  Well deserved kudoes to all involved.    

While I was visiting my little sis (she has cable y’know), my mom had us watching a bunch of design shows on HGTV.  So now I want to spiff up my house (or more honestly, I want to get a house that’s mine to spiff up).  However, we are still beset by the “too much stuff” quandary.  I think I need to take another day and just go nuts on a room.  It worked fairly well for the hall and we’re trying to keep it clean and uncluttered.  Maybe we’ll try the kitchen.  I think if I had a neater kitchen, I’d cook more.  Right now it’s such a hassle to get at anything that I don’t want to bother.  I’m going to have to re-think the space and try for something that will work better with how we use the room.  And a big clean wouldn’t hurt.  Now to find the time.

So here’s the ethical challenge of the day (Sunday).  I’m standing in the grocery line behind a somewhat frazzled mom with three little boys (probably 6, 3 and 1).  The kids are a little rumbustious (climbing up and down out of the cart, chatting, sorting through the groceries, trying to sneak candy into the cart), but not out of control.  Mom is paying attention to the kids (she takes the time to answer the 3 year old’s quizzing about each item in the cart, redirects the oldest away from the candy, and tickles and plays with the baby).  

She is noticibly in a hurry however, and in emptying her cart for the cashier she neglects a package of margarine in the corner under the baby seat.  I can clearly see this package, but the clerk obviously cannot.  I don’t know if the mother notices it or not.  She conducts her transaction, pays, puts her bags in the cart and leaves.  All without alerting the clerk to the presence of this $1.15 package of margarine or offering to pay for it.  Now, I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt and believe that she honestly didn’t see this item while checking out.  

Where my dilemma comes in is this.  Should I have pointed this item out to her?  She seemed like a nice enough woman, but you never know who will take offense.  No one likes getting yelled at when they are trying to be helpful.  Is it incumbent on me to point out her error?  I didn’t at the time.  But I have been thinking about it.  Is it my responsibility to make sure that someone else follows the rules?  

I’m interested to hear what other people think.

It’s National Library Week!  So, get out there and visit your library.  We’re having an Open House on Thursday to celebrate.  I’m going to see the sister and the ‘rents over the weekend (we’re arriving Friday night, by the way, sister).   Then I’m off to DC next week for a conference.  Tiernen will be batchin’ it all week.  The conference hotel has wireless internet, so I’m taking my laptop.  I’ll be able to talk to Tiernen more often and play some WoW at night.  Should keep me from getting too homesick.
 

The State of North Carolina cracks me up.  We got a letter yesterday with the official determination that Tiernen is “not disqualified” for UI benefits.  The gist of it, which we had to read twice, is that his ex-employer did not make a convincing enough case that Tiernen was fired for cause, so the State has determined that he IS eligible for benefits.  In their exact words he is “not disqualified”.  While this is doubleplusgood for us, it could have been stated substantially more clearly.  And now we have to wait for the state’s official debit card to come in the mail (three more weeks) before we can access the money that has been awarded to Tiernen and is sitting in his little account.  On the plus side when we actually get the money, it will be a fairly substantial amount, on the minus side, we still have to wait and put things off.  *sigh*

The job hunt continues.  There is a Gander Mountain (hunt, fish, camp) opening here next month, so Tiernen applied there.  Maybe they will have him selling guns.  He’s looking around elsewhere as well, but for some reason the glut of jobs we saw in March are drying up.  Maybe it’s the new quarter.

SCA things and gaming this weekend.  We’ll be helping out at the Ren Faire in Raleigh, too.  Keeping busy.

Here in its cut-and-paste glory is the info for this Saturday’s Game Day at our local gaming shop.

Tabletop Roleplaying at Games Day

I know I’ve been a posting slacker lately, so I’m making a determined effort to put something down today.  Maybe it’s the weather or the full moon, but I’ve been having a bitchy few days.

Tiernen is getting static from the NC gov’t regarding his UI status.  When we first moved down here he looked into filing a claim and they said he would only be eligible for funds from PA.  They put this in their stupid computer system, essentially, “Don’t give Tiernen any $$, he is drawing from PA.”  Now, not only did we never file or get any funds from PA, but Tiernen has been working and paying into NC for THREE YEARS now.  Their automated system shows that he has NC wages and is eligible.  However, because some stupid mofo at the unemployment office didn’t remove the PA note from his record when he asked them THREE weeks ago, his case is still on hold.  I told him to call Raleigh and make a stink until someone removes that note from his file, but he is being reluctant.  He’s worried that it was his decision to stand up for himself at this last job that got him fired.  I’m pretty much convinced that they were planning to eliminate his job and were just looking for an excuse to fire him for “cause”, but as no one is going to own up to that particular bit of asshattery, we’ll never really know.  

So, I’m eating my anger.  I’m trying to be kind and tolerant when what I really want to do is kick some people in the head.  I refuse to take it out on Tiernen (although, to be completely honest, I am frustrated with his recent trailing off into inactivity) as he takes each setback so hard and what he really needs is someone to be supportive.  I try to keep perspective, but it’s HARD.  I feel like Sisyphus, the guy with the big rock.  And the most difficult part of it is that I don’t really see any point to it all.  It seems like just stuff and time and in the end, you have nothing to show for it.  

I’m going to leave off here as I am bringing myself down.  I’m not going to erase what I wrote as that would be dishonest, but I am going to FL this.   

I have been noodged to post.  Really I was waiting until I had something substantial or positive to report, so now you will be subjected to Teh Random Brain Dump.

Lessee,
No movement on the Tiernen job front.  The position at the nuclear plant fell through.  He has his marching orders for this week and we hope to see some kind of UI payment pretty soon.  I’m remaining hopeful.  He had some tough days this past week, so we’re being nice to him.

We did clean up the front hallway and go through a bunch of stuff for potential Yard Sale-age.  I did the same with part of the bedroom on Sunday.  I’m hoping to Feng Shui myself out of a rut.

I have decided I don’t particularly care for the Internet manifestation of April Fool’s Day.  People post crazy things and then you have to look at the date stamp and try to decide if something REALLY happened to them, or if they’re playing an elaborate prank.  The online journal is not the best medium for practical jokes.  Sorry.

There is a woman here at the hospital.  I don’t know her name.  But her clothing fascinates me.  She always wears coordinated, accessorized, beautifully tailored and well fitting clothing in the most eye-bendingly awful combination of colors and styles I have EVER seen.  It’s quite amazing.  Today’s ensemble consists of an aqua pants and shirt, highlighted (and I mean that) by yellow belt, shoes, cuffs and collar.  All of the colors are consistent.  The clothing is well made.  But she looks like she got her color sense from Barbie.  I expect she spends about and hour and a half dressing each day.  Well, whatever makes you happy, right?  I personally, am having some gappage issues with my chosen shirt for the day, so I’m probably not one to talk.

Oh, I reached level 52 with my main WoW character last night.  That’s exciting for me.  Tiernen and I have decided we need more friends at our level so we can do instance dungeons.  We’re getting creamed by stuff that would be easy if we had two more people.  I think we need to concentrate on helping Anne and Darrell level up so we can all play together.

That’s all I can think of for now.  Luv to all my peeps!