627 Opening day aides work no gas 4 6 14
What a long week.
Hearing aides
On Monday I had an appointment with a new audiologist. It was a little further away than the last but …
I went with my mom. When we got there the secretary was very friendly. Handed my mom a single page to fill out. The audiologist was a very outgoing-chatty woman. She took an imprint of my ear and then did a hearing test. She told me and then physically showed me about the newer version of my own hearing aids. She had a great personality and she knew her stuff and most importantly, she was organized. She told me that the aides should be in within 10-12 days and the molds will be back before then so I will have a new pair of aides within 2 weeks. That’s much better than the audiologist I left behind and Boston “mass Eyes and Ear” couldn’t even get me in till May 9th. I’ll have my new ears way before that. So… yay! I’ll have them for my trips in May.
WORK changing of supervisors.
On Tuesday about 1pm, I got a call from my supervisor. He asked me if I was coming in tomorrow, Wednesday. I said I wasn’t planning on it but I can. He said that he would like me to as it was going to be his last day plus they were going to have a cake.
I went to work on Tuesday and I wanted to make sure the menu for next week would be complete before the changing of the supervisors. We usually do the “house meeting” on Thursday but we did it on Tuesday. One of the clients assisted me in writing down what the residents wanted to make on their night to cook. We discussed for the last time of this new food plan my company will be implementing. I have been talking to the residents about it along with the health-wellness lady for the last 2 months. However, I wanted to show them the booklet. I went to my supervisor when I got to work and told him of my plan. He handed me the binder with all the menus-recipes. I explained and showed the residents, that the menu is set weekly. What is not set is who will do which meal. So where we usually have them cook on a designated day and they can cook whatever they want, I explained that since the meals are set, we will ask them what meal they want to make and that will be the night they will cook. One resident I had to explain a few times because as I did a hypothetical run-though, and I said “ok, so Bob, let’s say that stir-fry chicken is on the menu for the week and you want to cook a stir-fry. Then you will be cooking on Friday because that’s the day it is on the menu. Do you understand that?” “yup” Larry said “but he cooks on Thursday” me: this is a new program. We have to try to forget the old program. No one has a specific day to cook. If Bob wants to make stir-fry, and stir-fry is being made on Friday then Bob will be cooking on Friday. Does that make sense?” Larry “I guess so.” I went around to each resident with an example and they all understood except for this one resident but I think after the 3rd time of me explaining and another resident explaining, Larry finally understood.
Wednesday when I got to work, I went down stairs and said hello to my old supervisor and was introduced to my new supervisor…or maybe just as a temporary till they find a fulltime house manager as he manages another house.
I was also introduced to another staff member. I was unsure if this Asian lady was a full time staff member or just another relief staff but at the end of my shift I found out she was only relief. I hope she gets a fulltime position as she interacted with the residents very well and prepared a dinner for them.
We had a group, with me leading it. I had the new house manager introduce himself and the residents asked him a couple of questions. I then had the residents all go around and introduce themselves along with the other staff members president and I got to introduce myself a bit and told him that I am a huge sports fan, especially of the Red Sox. He then admitted to me that he was a Yankee fan. I could tell by his accent that he was from NY.
I Then had the residents say their formal “good bye” to the outgoing supervisor. They all did a good job. They all thanked him and told him what they appreciated about him in his short time as the house manager. I had the exiting house manager have the floor and he gave his formal “good bye” We then had cake and that was the end. Next week I will start with a new house manager-supervisor and hopefully his views are closer in line with my views, beliefs and philosophies when it comes to working with the mental health population.
No gas
On Tuesdays, we woke to no heat. My dad had called the gas company and it turned out they had to replace a pipe on the street right in front of my house. It was a minor inconvenience. Everything was good again…
Thursday I had jumped in the shower after my mom, we were going to take my nephew out shopping. I turned on the water and it was cold. I kept it running and let it run for a few minutes. Knowing we had gas issue only a few days ago, I took about a 3 mins shower, it prob was only about 60 seconds but it felt like while. I told my mom and she said that it can’t be the gas, it was just fixed. It must be the water heater. She called the people who service our water heater, they came, cleaned off the Pilate? Or whatever it’s call and he still couldn’t get it to go. My mom told him the story and he said that it’s not the water heater, it’s the gas. My mom called my dad and the guy spoke to my dad… My dad asked my mom to call the gas company again. They came they started digging up the street more and the entire line was all rotted away and had small cracks in the pipes. They also told my dad that the pipe was not “wrapped” (like it should be) plus the pipe is dated 1953. They literally had to dig up most of my dead end street. About 500 ft worth of pipe they replaced. They started about 3pm and finished just before midnight. Yay for hot water!
Baseball opening day
Technically the first game was March 22, when the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks played a two game series in Australia. Then the Dodgers opened the ESPN Sunday night game of the week on the 30 but the first full day of baseball was on Monday, March 31. I listened to 4 straight baseball games. It started at 1pm and the last out was recorded at 1:34AM. Life was good again.
103rd home opener at Fenway Park
Friday, April 4th was the Red Sox home opener and of course…I was there. It was a cold 43 degree day with the steady strong wind, sometimes gushing up to 40MPH but that didn’t stop the fans from coming out. We had seats way way up in the bleachers, 43rd row to be exact. Once we got to our seats, we weren’t going down till we left and I didn’t want to make my cousin go down-up again.
I’m doing a bad job of telling this story lol… so I went with my cousin Heidi. Before we went up to our seats we got food and ate on the benches just outside of the park. It was my first Fenway sausage of 2014. It was very good.
The opening ceremonies had a lot of emotions tied into it. The Red Sox players would be receiving their world champion rings from winning last year. So first, they had a video on the video board from bits of last year, both the good and the bad. Then one, by, one, the players who were on the team last year, who are on the team this year, came out of the dugout and lined up. When they all were out on the field, the door from the Green Monster, our left field wall, opened and some of the victims’ family and survivors of last year’s Boston Marathon bombing, came out from the wall with the world series rings and delivered them to the players. They stayed on the field until the end of the ceremony when they were lead to seats set up I guess on the field next to the dugout. David Ortiz, our longest tenured player and World Series MVP from last year, received an “MVP ring” by the honor. It had a lot of “bling bling”
Next, they had players representing-carrying all the Boston trophies from this century. 3 New England Patriots, 1 Celtics, 1 Bruins and 3 Red Sox. The Red Sox players from the 2004 and 2007 teams raised a banner on the Green Monster from those years before the players from last year went over and raised the 2013 banner.
*side note, two weeks ago, there was a 9 alarm fire in Boston which claimed the lives of two Boston firemen. They invited the Firemen from Latter 33 and 15? Onto the field and the players all got a moment to talk to them, to thank them. The Red Sox players then raised a giant flag on the wall. Then the Firemen went over and lowered the flag to half mas, where we then observed a moment of silent’s. Those firemen also got to sit on the field next to the dugout for the game.
*side note, last year Boston elected a new mayor. The previous Mayor was the longest running mayor in Boston history as he held the office for 20 years and if not for failing health, he would still be mayor.
The ceremonial first pitch was the New mayor throwing to the old Mayor. It was beautiful
The National Anthem was sung by Boston’s punk band “Drop Kick Murphy’s” with the music provided by a 20 piece orchestra from the Boston Pops lead by long time conductor, Keith Lockhart.
It was amazing.
Finally, there are 4 organizations of carious causes, which the Red Sox are directly connected to. Children who receive assist from these organizations were on the field with two former Red Sox to say the words we all love to hear…”PLAY BALL!”
The game was close for most of the game, the score was 2-2 going to the 8th when the Milwaukee Brewers scored 4 runs to go on to win 6-2.
Ready for some football!
As most of you who have been reading me for a while, know that my sister plays semi professional women’s football. My sister is the center and a captain. Saturday night was the first game of the season. The Boston Militia matched up against their rival, the DC Divas. Two years ago, these two teams got into a brawl after one of their players got caught the wrong way and as she was falling, and one of our players was landing on her, their player’s leg snapped in half. … They had to call the police in and an ambulant. I believe it was 3 years ago when we were playing them in the conference final and we were winning when on the last play of the game, they had returned a punt for a touchdown to win the game. We were undefeated up until then.
This game was going to be a battle.
It was a nice clean battle with few flags. Unfortunately for the fans, it was in the low 40’s with strong winds. Twice almost took my hat right off my head. We actually left at half time when we were up 28-18. My mom was following it on twitter. They got a TD with a 2p conversion to cut the lead to 28-26 They had got another TD to take the lead but was unable to convert the 2p to make the score 28-32. Under a minute to go we got a TD and a 2p conversion to make the score 36-32. They were able to bring the ball into the Red zone, I think within the 10 yard line but could not score and the Boston Militia won.
My twin and his family were at the game and he said as we met up with them, “you remember Jared Napp?” This guy who I have not seen in 22 years. They reconnected through linkedin late last year. Jared lives 5 minutes from the field and Justin invited him to walk over. Jared and I caught up. It was interesting and of course a pleasant surprise.
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