first day on the job

I can't believe that I've been unemployed for almost two months now. That's nuts! I definitely took advantage though and appreciated that I could more-than-afford the time off. It was sad to realize, however, that my free days were over. Did they ever do me good though.

Monday was my first day of work clocked in at CRDI Monteregie Est. My maman has been working for this company for about 23 years now. My new job title is "assistante en readaption". As it entitles, this position consists of aiding and assisting in the re-adaptation of people with mental and physical deficiencies. The end result is very rewarding. Ps- check out the link and read a few paragraphs. just a few :)

When I was a little girl I used to travel with my mom to work all the time; I loved it. I like people and I like interacting, and  I felt very comfortable communicating with these people. I helped with meals and activities; it all came so naturally to me. I could look at them and see them as my equal, understanding that they were human beings just like me with thoughts, emotions, wants and needs. I am still just as passionate about people, all kinds, and especially the wonder and challenge of conversing with someone who cannot verbally express themselves. You have to go the extra mile to comprehend the needs of the person. It's amazing, and the bond is unique. 

I can't wait to get started! Before any real hands on can begin, a mandatory training is, well, required. Today was my third day of training. Today I learned self-deffense tactics. It was really fun learning, but I'm expecting a few bruises tomorrow :)

Monday and Tuesday was like one long lecture. Don't get me wrong, I am very excited to learn how to approach, understand, integrate, assess and aid our clients, it's just a lot of information to absorb in such a short period of time. I am extremely keen on learning the symptoms and causes for certain behavior's, outbursts, attitudes, mannerisms and conditions. I am even more eager to apply my knowledge so that I may assist the clients in overcoming their problems and issues. I want to help make my clients' lives better, I want to help them adapt to a better lifestyle.

I can't wait to be a pro! I can't wait to get my hands dirty! Oh boy, and I will. Literally..... If only you knew some of the horror stories I've heard! Don't you know some clients need help going to the washroom? And many also need to be bathed? Dear adventure, please try not to give me too many unpleasant surprises!

good work makes morals beam

I used to work here with a lot of amazing people. 

I had such a blast. I met Sebastien whose desk was in front of mine. He moved to Quebec from France because his best friend's girl was in love with him. He loved her too but couldn't betray his best friend and moved to Quebec to prevent ruining their wedding-to-be. Sounds like a movie right? He intrigued me immediately.

He's so cool, he's so slick, he's smooth

He introduced me to Jamie Lidell, whose music I now adore. He was "slacked" as well as I was that summer, and he returned to his beautiful country. He was a really funny character. While working with him, we developed the best game: "The Desktop Background Battle". Whoever could find the weirdest or funniest picture on google images won. I laughed receiving and planting these gags. I typed words like "gross, strange and weird" and combinations of these words with funny in the search engine. I would anxiously await the moment when my co-worker would leave his computer.

I also worked with @Helen_Downie who still works there. She's an inspiring soul and a very active person. She's leaving in less than a month to go to Uganda to work with people who come from destroyed homes, but I'll reserve a post for that subject later.

I used to get soy-mocha lattees here. 

They were delicious This cafe chain is tres cool. They live up to their title "Art Java". They make designer foam. I used to get heart or leaf shapes but they can create most anything you ask of them!

Last fall I volunteered for The Cancer Research Society's annual golf fundraiser. I served mimosa's to the ladies and gents as they arrived and later on in the day took over the "Betting Hole". I was assigned hole 18 I believe with two elderly women. Reva was hilarious! She complained about her free lunch provided by the CRS team, huddled under a blanket complaining about the cold and read her newspaper. Her and the other 'mature' woman have been volunteering for years. When I first met them I was scared to be left alone with them for the day: 2 old senile women. But we became friends and they encouraged me to do the raising-of-cash and explain the betting game to the players. Turned out to be the best day of the year, they were quite a pair!

I ended up raising 400$ at my hole alone. I found out later the players had the choice of betting, where as I explained to them as they arrived: "Hi! You've reached the betting hole! To play you must bet 5$....." We had a good laugh about it, but I was mortified!

In any case I stopped by the office for some papers the other day and decided to fill you in. It was nice to see old faces, new ones and simply smile at the memories :)

dark morning

So Saturday night we all lost an hour, I guess. It seems weird that we all think it was erased. It wasn't. The world just re-established what time it was in human. In reality, time does not move back and it does not skip; it stays the same. Time is only measured because we invented measurements. Nonetheless, it was dark outside this morning as I left for work which now seems like foreshadowing. It's usually always daylight when I leave, but I awoke earlier due to the 'change in time'. (I still think that's so funny!)

I was barely at work a half hour before being called into my boss' office. The news they gave me didn't shock me. I just didn't expect today. I mean, I didn't wake up this morning thinking: today I'm going to get laid off.

It's not a big deal because I really didn't like my job at all. I loved the people I worked with, and they've been so kind to me. Actually, I couldn't figure out how to quit. My emotions were muddled and I had my morals all mixed up. Anyway, economic times are tough and the company couldn't afford me anymore.

Damn. I was wearing a really cute outfit today too. I bought a shirt at Simon's over the weekend with one sleeve for five bucks. I matched it with a pair of pretend peacock feather earrings. I look so darn ready for Cuba. All dressed up and nowhere to go. Sigh.

They told me I could leave right away and they would pay me for the two weeks. It's required to give that much notice, and they couldn't very well leave me with nothing. So here I am. At home on my Mac. Just contemplating. I think this is a very good thing though. I feel very liberated.

I am not really stressed at the moment and I know something will come along. There's an unlocked door somewhere that I need to open. I'm excited and happy, and I'm not gloomy at all. As I drove home a few flurries of snow fell from the sky. Mother nature can be so darn symbolic sometimes.

eve of new, eve of better

I promised to tell you all about the lovely little snippets of great that flowed through me Wednesday evening. I had the surgery that morning and was feeling wonky and super funny. I called maman and talked to her for a while. I told her all about it: how I felt, how I was scared, how I cried, how I walked, everything. I confided every detail in her and it was so relieving. We laughed together. I love her so much. 

While I was on the phone with maman, Mike was on the phone with Elise. I had spoken to Alexa, but 

hadn't any news of the operation yet, so Mike filled her in for me. Mike came inside and I had my maman on speaker phone so he stuck his cell phone next to mine and maman and Elise said hi to each other! It was so funny! Then maman told me Elise finally found a roommate. This was great news to hear and I was so happy for her! It's stressful looking for a coloc, and that stress was now gone. 

Mike works nights so due to the fact that I was still half-disabled, we asked  Alexa and her boyfriend Jon to watch me for the night. How sweet of them when they said yes! Mike picked them up and brought them back. When they arrived I was still on the phone with maman, and she was still on speaker so Jon and Alexa said hi. I immediately noticed how Jon's cheeks were fuller! He was dangerously thin when Alexa met him, and she's been helping him gain weight. Yay! What progress! How up-lifting to see the efforts beginning to show success! He's very tall and previously, he was looking terribly unhealthy. He'd never been officially diagnosed, but everyone was thinking the same thing. He was smiling from ear to ear. His happiness and self-pride was shining like a beacon of light on his handsome face. He looked beautiful!

As Jon and Alexa had just arrived, I decided to wrap things up, so I asked to speak to daddy. He came onto the speaker phone and we all said hi : Mike, Jon, Alexa and me. Alexa and Dad hadn't spoken in a while so he told her he loved her very much and that she should call him soon because he misses her. Then Alexa informed him, as well as Mike and I, that she had a job interview on Saturday! What great

 news! I am telling you positive energy was flowing through my entire family like a hot-flow circuit. I could feel it. 

 

And right then, it seemed as though we were all moving ahead in a great movement of change. It felt like we were all standing on the same ground, and that ground was pumping with happiness. I imagined us disco dancing to "We Are Family" and laughed out loud. I love my family, and we're not perfect, but that's the best part. We each celebrated a victory of sorts that night, but shared the great news as one. And although we are all adults now, living independently, we were all together in that moment.

I am so grateful to be a part of such an amazing team: Team Holmes!