Last weekend I got out the flour and the cookie cutters and spent some time in the kitchen. My plan had two parts: to make cookies for my Halloween Iraq boxes and to make cookies for my colleagues at work (hopefully) to celebrate the fact that last week would be a better week. Black frosting proved nearly impossible to find, and attempts at improvisation failed. Bats and cat cookies were thus not standard in hue.
This week really was quiet and my friend Shawn and I commented on how not into work we've been the last five days. The weather here is that fabulous, brisk fall weather that makes me think of football games. I have SO many other things I'd rather do than go to work right now. Even working on my dissertation is more appealing. But just because I would rather not be running around the bowels of a two level concrete block with limited windows 10 hours a day doesn't mean there aren't children in there who need my assistance. Some of my top interventions of this week included
1. dramatically throwing myself on the ground into a swoon when Shawn's patient didn't try to launch herself from a high perch on the courtyard (the concerned peanut gallery of adolescent onlookers responded "But you're wearing a DRESS!")
2. providing a perspective on acne medication to a fifteen year old who lost her mother two years ago and hasn't gotten good skin care tips from her father.
3. saying to one of my patients (upon getting a snotty attitude from her) "um, that tone isn't going to work for me. That's not happening here."
So maybe none of these interventions wound up in my charting. I did go over to the ER Tuesday to help Shawn with the slew of simultaneous kiddo consults and we ended up admitting 2 out of the 3. The child I saw was most likely being insidiously physically and emotionally abused by his father, with no proof. His mother brought him to the ER and I have never seen a family (child included) so relieved to hear that the kid was going to be admitted to a psych hospital. This 8 year old made an interesting case for his own admission:
Him: I really think that the hospital would help me. Me: Hmm. Kids usually need to be at home with their families. What do you think a hospital could help? Him: Everything. This kid was setting off one big ass flare saying help me help me so I took the hint, also paying heed to his ongoing desires to stab and cut himself with sharp items.
I have been spending some time intervening on behalf of the women of William and Mary's Chi Omega chapter as well. When I left the ER on Tuesday I hopped in the car and picked up another advisor and sped down to Williamsburg. We had attended a rush roundtable with the active Chi Os to hear about rush infractions, and Chi O's shitty reputation within the Greek community and W&M. The other advisor and I sat down with the Greek Affairs staff person, who was middle aged and wearing a really startling and distracting cardigan with three dimensional knitted monkeys all over it. When we later asked the girls for explanation they rolled their eyes and said she's really into "kooky accessories." I thought she looked insane.
Anyway. We accepted the feedback and made our comments on behalf of the girls...blah blah blah..drove back to Richmond. It seems that Chi Omega has become The Plastics of the Greek community and have been the source of complaints by other houses for dirty rushing, etc. They feel that the targeting is unfounded and due to jealousy. Sigh. The advisory board had a conference call last night to discuss the fact that the chapter had just been put on social probation by National Chi O (tipped off by the Greek Affairs monkey woman) because they had boys and beer at their Bid Day, a huge no no. The chapter is going to find out Monday, the day I am scheduled to attend their weekly meeting. Sigh. I'm expecting crying and grand gestures with limited amounts of perspective due to the fact that formal and all other social events will be prohibited.
I talked to Miss Emily this week! We skyped it Thursday night and I cannot wait to see her in December! I am going up to Dulles to pick her up on the 19th and bringing her back to Richmond for the weekend!! The cats are going to be SO happy to see her too, as opposed to shadow boxing with her webcam image on my computer screen. And speaking of cats, I dragged them to the vet yesterday after a protracted mission to pull them out from under the couch. I swear they can read my mind. I got the usual lecture about Pronto's weight, and the vet marveled at the snaggle teeth that will not fit in Pronto's mouth. The vet tech and vet commented "how strong" and "wiggly" he was (as they both were trying to hold him down), which is apparently code for "obnoxious" and "freaked out." Of course Pronto acted like he was being tortured during his check up. The bad parent in me was like I'll GIVE you something to wiggle about! All shots boosted, so with any luck I won't have to make a return trip for a year. Although the vet suggested I "drop in" at "any time" to have Pronto weighed after I get his "diet under control."
If you haven't noticed, Northwestern is 6-1 and playing Indiana today!! After Pilates, today is going to be a football day with beer and napping in between. Go U!
