Arthur's Theme: The Best That You Can Do

Hello from a new location!!!

Link to a GREAT Yacht Rock Song

Bella and I have moved to our new location in TX with the aid of my parents and oh-so-helpful sister. My job begins tomorrow.
We left my things in Tyler TX and drove home for about a week and a half stay during which I mostly cleaned/organized and caught up with some friends (I'm sorry I couldn't see more!). I missed my little house in Bevo but not the poor water pressure that's for sure. Visited with the family and took as many naps as possible.

Peggy J riding in style at Grandma's

Leslie and Mom also riding in style on a bicycle built for two. 

St. Louis sunset over St. Matthews (?) Cemetery near my house. 

 Read on for location/job update.

Bella on the road. 

Undoubtedly enjoyed the drive the most. 

Bella and Leslie are officially frenemies. Bella growled at her and attempted to bite but thankfully Leslie did not bite back as she has more teeth than her. 

Look at this sainted face. Who could hate her?

So my devoted mother and loving sister drove down to TX from STL with myself and said sainted dog. We would meet with up with my Dad in Tyler who insisted on going ahead of us to pick up my stuff.

I think to say that Mom and Leslie enjoyed their trip down to TX would be an understatement. They'll probably try to tell you it wasn't fun but don't let them fool you. They had a blast driving in a cramped car with an anxious dog for over 10 hours. 

It all started when I was an hour late to pick them up- which I was constantly reminded of. Mind you I did text them AND I was the one packing up my life but whatever. And then because I chose to drive us a route that was slightly longer (by 30 minutes) BUT was more interstate driving. I'll leave out all the nagging and teasing they did over some of my habits. 

We stopped at a rest stop (in Arkansas? MO?) and this lady came over to us and asked if she could bless the dog. Well, of course you can! No holy water or anything but a nice saying and now my dog is officially blessed. Not that it makes my sister or mom like her more. 

I can;t recall at this moment more specific or exciting moments other than they were ALL GREAT because we were together... The fun just never ended. Well it may have a bit when Bella's sedative wore off. 

We spent the night in Tyler after cleaning out my apartment and I got to share a room with my sister like old times!! She was SO excited. The poor dear didn't sleep well though because my Holy Dog's Holy Snoring kept her awake. Not mine (hearsay, of course), but my dog's. She was such a crab- even tried to quiet her by 'gently' placing a pillow on top of her. 

The 5 of us (Holy Dog included) drove down south to my new abode in PORT ARTHUR TX! Not an ideal destination in this big-ass state but there is a job that can pay bills so here we are. No offense to anyone from this area or surrounding areas by any means. Coming from Tyler to here is a big change and I had a hard time finding a nice place with a short-term lease. I'll be working in Vidor and Beaumont (about 20-30 minutes away) at 2 skilled nursing facilities (SNF for those not in the know). Googling any of these three towns brings up Harvey damage mostly and crime. Therefore I wanted to find a safe place to live for myself and my sainted dog (I mean, a blessing can only take you so far). So here I am in a nice gated apartment complex on the second floor. Really nice apartment with a guest bedroom (I'm sure everyone will be scrambling for an invite!) and drumroll please.... washer/dryer! I couldn't be happier. 

I don't know where I'd be without Leslie's 'eye for design'- she was a great help in setting things up. She has hit her manual labor goal for the year though so don't ask her to do anything else. 

 a HUGE THANK YOU to my parents and sister for helping with the move and enjoying the journey on the way. It was hot as the dickens and I was worried about my folks but they persevered because my dad is stubborn. I mainly stayed inside with the dog and moved boxes and such because no one else wanted to be around my dog.

Parents and Leslie stayed in PA Thursday night with Leslie staying in the apartment with me- about 90% of the time she is hilarious. She can't wait to visit again- I just know it. She is really just concerned about me messing up her decor. We went to a steakhouse and it was yummy! I've been craving a steak since Tyler but thought it was kinda lame to go to a place like that alone.

Truly grateful to have family willing to move me- bonus that we're all funny! Dad not pictured. He's still off the grid.

So Dad drove off Friday morning back up towards East TX and it was my job to send Leslie and Mom off to Houston Hobby Airport to fly home. It is about an hour and a half to Houston from here and traffic is a bitch getting into and out of there. We drove a coastal way into town and don't let them tell you they didn't enjoy it! Maybe I'm dumb but I really didn't think about refineries being down here which of course then affects air quality and beaches and so on. This whole area is still rebuilding in many ways since Hurricane Harvey last year. I think that probably only half of my apt complex is full because they had about 12" of water in the first floor apartments.

Surrounding refineries 

I can see the lights from one from my balcony (not this one). 

Fred Hartman Bridge into Houston from the bay route.. resembles the Sunshine Bridge in Tampa Bay. No talking while Mom is driving on this bridge. 

After my lovely and lively family members left I've been trying to get everything settled and organized for the apartment and for work. I want this dog to not freak out when I'm gone so we've been practicing short-term absences. Tomorrow she's going to get a happy pill so the maintenance men can come by (nice guys- already met them) and she be chill (fingers crossed). 

I haven't done too much exploring. Driving back out of Houston was stressful. Yesterday went to scope out both SNFs and took the scenic route home. We drove home over the Rainbow Bridge (not that bridge) over the Neches river back into Port Arthur. 

Rest of this weekend has been cleaning, laundry, napping, and walking. 

Moon was beautiful- this was the "blood moon' night (or whatever)- harder to see in best light due to pollution. 

Storm clouds- don't remember an actual storm though. 

Sunset tonight.

Work starts tomorrow. Once I get settled into work I'll start exploring. Stay tuned.

Peace, love, and Trazadone,

ME

Conclusions and Reflections: The Mirror Has Two Faces

I can't get over these Texas sunsets.

Hola mis amigos! Soy en Blytheville AR en un hotel con mi perra. Estamos cansada. I completed Lesson 2 of Module 1 on Spanish for Healthcare Providers- so if I ask you how long has it been since you've been to the doctor or how much you weigh in Spanish, you'll know why. I'm hoping this will not only continue to help me in Texas but also all across this nation and beyond.

Also, it is Bastille Day in France and my godson's birthday who turns 5 (?). 

She seriously took like a 2 hr nap this afternoon. 

So, the One-Eyed-Wonder and I have stopped for the night in AR as we are on the way home from this most recent job. Today's car music sponsored by iPod playlists 'Down Yonder', 'Hip Hop', 'British Fem Invasion', and 'Studio 54.'

My contract has ended and it's time to go home for a minute. 

Reflections & Musings from a Wandering Soul

I'm not going to dwell on the negative from my experience on this post. I've done enough of that and it's time for me to build a bridge and get over it (as I may or may not say to some of my kids). I will say this- you can choose to be a stick in the mud or you can be a lotus.  The mud supporting that stick is just as bad as the stick itself. I'm going to choose to be a lotus. I can keep focusing on irreconcilable differences with others or I can say "sucks for them" and peace out knowing I did my job. Being two-faced only sours your disposition and creates distrust. 

That being said- we all see different things or traits when we look in the mirror... but how do we 'reflect' ourselves to others ???? Whoa I'm getting deep here. Maybe your view of me is cracked- is it because you don't know me? you hate me? or you don't even want to try to know me because I'm already wrong? No one's reflection is perfectly clean- we all have toothpaste specks on our mirrors. 

So onto 'enlightening' conclusions from this experience: 

- First and foremost, I have met some GREAT and DEDICATED people here- therapists, co-workers, and parents. Good co-workers can make or break your experience. As Troy Bolton once sang, "we're all in this together..." It's great to meet people who are not just friendly and welcoming (though thank you) but trust, teamwork, and compassion for what we do. And being hilarious helps a lot too. People you know you'll keep in touch with. That's what's great about this is that I can meet new people that I might never meet and I'm so glad I did/do. 

- TEXAS SUNSETS- oh my God I have seen so many (as my pictures show) and they remind me to slow down and appreciate them.

- apartment living isn't for me permanently- Bella and I need our space. 

- Yoga people are always welcoming and friendly- even if you suck and look like you're melting in hot yoga. 

- Tyler TX is great and has a lot to offer. It's a nice town to live in and gosh darn it they are the rose capital of the world (or something like that).

- moving and trying to figure out your life is so HARD. 

- I'm really trying to work on my Spanish game for TX and life in general. Hispanic families do appreciate your efforts. 

- I do feel like I've honed in on my pediatric evaluation skills using assessments I'm familiar and not familiar with

- Having family nearby is great- even if I haven't gotten to see them that much- thank you to my TX and LA family. 

- lastly, y'all (it really is easier to say than 'you all') Texans really do love your state. God bless Texas.

And on the 7th day, the Lord created Taco Bell. 

So that's it for now. Post coming soon about next assignment- all I will say for now is it is another one in TX.

Gracias y buenas noches,
Paz, amor, y Troy Bolton,

ME

Ketchup Part II: Hot NOga and Fern's Last Leg

CURRENT MOOD

Same, Lady Tremaine. Same. 

Hello there ya'll. Or as my cousin KJ says "Happs Bday 'Merica"  ⭐✩🔴💙
My week is all messed up now because I think it's the weekend. However, I do feel it would be Chicken Soul for the Working Stiff to have every Wednesday off- has anyone taken that title yet?

I'm down with a cold and a cough. I'll make it but tomorrow is going to be ruff.

I feel like this is how every horror movie starts out.

So now I'm writing this from a quiet little bistro... just kidding! Still in East Texas- just now listening to Cool Jazz on Pandora. Suits my mood better. My cold and breathing difficulties from said cold are dampening my spirit. Also did you know there is a jazz artist named Scott Hamilton? I'm like 99% sure it's NOT the figure skater.

So- about the title. So last week I signed up through a yoga class locally and to my surprise it was hot yoga! I was like shit! I didn't prepare myself for that. It wasn't like the hottest it could get but still pretty much. And I do like going to classes because I do more there than I would on my own. This place had a great vibe and everyone was super nice to me- even though I don't own any LuluLemonade clothing.. It was a great workout but since I wasn't prepared for the heat it threw me off- that and it's been a minute since I've taken yoga classes. I went back on Thursday and felt slightly more prepared. The problem is I just can't think of anything but how ungodly hot I was and how gross I looked. I can see where you wouldn't want to go back to regular yoga. I'm really gonna try to workout regularly at my next assignment because I should have more free time in the evenings. 

Also, my fern is dying. I've decided that I can't do anything more for it. It's on palliative care on the patio. I have previously posted about it so that's why I mention it. 

Building at UT Tyler

UT Tyler campus

I've decided I like walking on the UT Tyler campus. I saw how beautiful it was once I went to the library there to work on a Saturday.

The only other significant thing to tell at the moment is that I'm having a fly problem. I've determined they are drain flies and they are pushing me off the deep end. I'm pretty much bleaching the shit out of the drains and counters- I feel like my Grandma who cleaned a lot with bleach, even infamously cleaning the sidewalks. I'm also using ACV and dish soap to ensnare them and today I boiled some water and dumped it down the drains with the hopes of cleaning out the pipes. I'm on a warpath here. 

STAY TUNED... next post I'll talk about my next assignment plans. I want to wait until everything is confirmed before I say anything. Hint: this is another TX assignment. 

Peace, love, and Disney villains,

me

Ketchup- Part I- The Puppeteer

Ahoy mateys from Texas! Don't be confused, I'm not on a boat. I'm still in East Texas- I'm just floating on the waves of patriotism from my John Phillips Sousa Pandora station! Marching bands + patriotic music is a WIN-WIN. So brush off your Dinkles and march to the beat- we've got a lot to ketchup on. And if you don't know what Dinkles are, you clearly weren't in marching band.

I'm sorry it's been an eternity since I've blogged because I have figuratively drowning in paperwork here. No rest for the weary and teary. Now that it is 4th of July Eve, I am taking the time to write and bring everyone up to speed for Part I. 

You haven't missed too much- I work, I eat, I sleep, walk my dog, sometimes cry, and do laundry. It's hot here so that makes me not want to subject myself or Bella to the heat for long. 

So backtrack to mid-June. I took a half-day Wednesday before Father's Day and went home for a long weekend. It was refreshing to be home and away from my stress down here. I still did paperwork but that's my life. Comes with the territory of being the only OTR for a company who is trying to build up their caseloads for full-time therapists. Think of me as a puppet. More later. 

Father's Day was great to see the fam and gather round the table for a meal of fellowship with a side of chips and salsa. I hung out with my sister and did some shopping. Did laundry. Took naps. It feels like it was soooo long ago. Time is passing in a blur yet not passing at all. 

Raquet and Jog shirts are all the rage down here. 

No joke. 

My second-mate travel buddy on the way back down to Texas was my jovial and jubilant mother (First-Mate is Bella, no offense Mom, but it's the truth). Always a joy to have uninterrupted time trapped in a car with a parent.. But seriously. It was nice to have company. We went to the Tyler Rose Garden, drove around the Azalea District, and went to some fabulous BBQ. 

Ok sitting with Grandma but still staring at me.

TRG

You'll  have to ask my mom what the advice from a sand dune is...

Baked potato with brisket- heaven in a paper boat. 

So Mom spent the night at Casa Lindsey and flew out of Tyler the next day (I bet her arms were tired by the time she got home!). 

I have two more things to talk about here on this Part I.

1- No Strings Attached

2- brush with death in the woods

1. No Strings Attached.  I've felt like a lot of my job down here has been to be a puppet- do exactly what they expect you to and don't break from that mold. I think since I haven't followed that mold (but that's not to say I'm doing bad things- I am making decisions that I think are best for my kids and using my clinical decision making skills) I've been seen as a pariah. Not to be confused with a piranha, but that word might work too. I haven't bitten anyone yet. I asked my Off-brand Photo-shop queen sister Leslie to help me out and make me one of the *NSYNC's from the No Strings Attached album. Best she could do. I don't think I'm a good curly blond though- but I got to sit closest to Leno. 

2. I nearly met my Maker on a nature trail. This was my second and last time walking at Faulkner Park. Birds were chirping and dusk was falling. I'm walking my dog and all of a sudden these bugs start swarming around my legs- like 5 of them. Like an ant-wasp combo. They were stinging my legs but left no mark. Every time Bella stopped to pee they stung my legs so I eventually just picked her up (she's old and it was hot anyway) and started hustling to the car. I'm sure I looked real cool swatting at these winged creatures with Bella's leash and exclaiming. 

This is the end of the road, so to speak on this post.
Part II to follow soon hopefully.
Stay tuned for more details and job updates!

Peace, love, and the Washington Post March-

me

Stick to the Status Quo

I get the BEST sunset photos coming out of aerial yoga in Flint TX. Texas is teaching me to stop and appreciate the beauty of a sunset. 

What's poppin from Tyler ya'll! (I don't know if I used that correctly but whatever). It is Monday Eve and I'm here slummin' it at my apartment (which currently smells like beef stew). I apologize again for not posting as regularly as I did in Virginia but unfortunately, I have more shit to do here in the evenings. I'm going to post pictures from last weekend as well.

Bella and I have definitely gotten into our groove here, for better or worse. I work, come home and let her out, maybe take her to the park to walk. I do laundry, Bella comes with me (she has FOMO). I do paperwork in the evenings and try to get to aerial yoga sometimes. On the weekends I've been doing yep you guessed it paperwork, pool, and shopping as needed.

Last weekend, I went to the Recycling place again and took Bella with me. We went to a park nearby and there was a beautiful house/museum we looked at called Goodman-LeGrand House. Here is a link to learn more since I didn't while I was there: Goodman LeGrand House. It became a Texas Historic Landmark in 1962 and the DAR made it a historic site in 2010.

That might be a water tower? Or a big tower of sweet tea. Texans love their tea.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day. I didn't end up coming home like I originally planned so I hung around here and hung out at the pool when I wasn't doing paperwork. I felt like I really needed that day off.  And I can take good naps on the weekend since this job has deprived me of late afternoon naps. 

view from my pool lounger

Speaking of work. I have gotten very frustrated here as I think I have reiterated in my last post. I will keep it brief but I will say that I am doing the best that I can to stay caught up with all the demands AND providing good therapy and thorough evaluations. I'm stressing because of, I'll just say irreconcilable differences. I don't know if myself and my superior are a good match. If I just did 'stick to the status quo' and just said 'yes' all the time and keep my head down it probably wouldn't be the same. But since I do have opinions and am truly trying to do what is best for the patients. I am not trying to rock the boat by any means- I am just trying to make solid decisions. It just makes me question myself and if I am really the problem.
Stick to the Status Quo

I have about 6 week left here and am planning on seeing where the road takes me from there. I don't think I can stay here for the reasons mentioned above besides liking my  co-workers (though they will never be as fun as my VA and SLPS friends).

Bella and I went to the park tonight to watch and caught another pretty sunset.

Rose Rudman Trail

Lives for car rides.

That's all for now folks, thanks for continuing to read-

peace, love, and cosmic brownies (they're... out of this world!),

LMJ

You is kind, You is smart, You is important

Sunset at the park

Hello there campers! Once again, I apologize for the lag between posts but I have been busier here than in VA. Also, I may or may not be eating cookie dough while writing this.
Let's set adrift to memory lane to last weekend because that is probably more entertaining than anything else right now. Then we can catch up to the present.
Last week, I took a trip to the Tyler Rose Garden. Tyler TX is pretty famous for their roses, Rose Festival, Rose Parade, and Rose Queen- all happening in early fall. There is a FREE beautiful massive rose gardens featuring all kinds and names of roses- things those who are rose aficionados will know more about- types of roses, harvesting, etc. There is also a camelia garden and a local landscape garden. I was walking near a gentleman with his mother who must have 80 or so and I didn't want to hover but I was ready to pick her up from the ground if she took a tumble. She didn't, thankfully.

Those are more rose gardens in the distance. 

I bet a lot of prom photos get taken here. 

So, I'm almost done with TRG pictures. There is a Tyler Rose Museum and it looks like it is pretty much all gowns from past Rose Queens. I will have to accept the fact that, for many reasons, I could never be a Rose Queen. But, I will always be the Queen of De Nile (it's NOT a river in Egypt).

This is the Mon Cheri rose

This is the Coretta Scott King rose

And THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is the NEIL DIAMOND rose. how does he get a rose?
I wonder where this rose comes from.... (cue music) 

Rose Museum

That was pretty much the even of that weekend as I think I just hung out at the pool and did paperwork (not at the pool, that's a killjoy).  I went to an antique store that was lovely. 

Since last weekend to now, I have been dealing with a lot of stress from work. That's the short version and I don't care to share my frustration and personal issues on here and God knows I have them. I don't want anyone to be concerned about me- I am fine. I just get VERY frustrated on certain things and then dwell on them. 

1. I DO NOT like being told what to do, really in any setting. I am sure some of you readers can attest to this... I like to run my own ship and make my calls for my OT career. I know that I am a good OT and that I know how to do what is right for a patient/kid/client whatever. I work my ass off to make sure I do what is best for my kids- even if they're freaking bonkers. I miss my friends at SLPS but I also miss doing my own thing and not worrying about direct interference in my service provision.

2. R-E-S-P-E-C-T- - This has really been getting to me. I have been out of college nearly 10 years now and I do not like when I feel like I'm not given due respect for my professional knowledge. Please don't treat like I'm an incompetent idiot when it comes to OT- relationships, math, health/fitness is all fair game. So put that in your pipe and smoke it. 

And after all, I'm from MISSOURI. Look at all our great state gave you, Texas (and USA)! So shove it and drink some Coors Light then. And we'll (I'll) take Jon Hamm back too...... kidding. except for Jon Hamm. 

So in conclusion- leave me alone and we'll probably be juuuuuussst fine.

This is pretty much all accurate information but I am doing my best to be light-hearted and entertaining. 

In conclusion part II- I am trying to keep my fern Lorena alive and I feel like i have bugs crawling all over me (No Mom, I am NOT doing meth).

Peace, Love, and Aretha Franklin,
LMJ

** Aretha's Hat

Week Recap, I Need a Nap

Sunset after rain in Flint, TX

Howdy from East Texas! Here we are again on Friday and gurl I am so happy it's the weekend! I can't say I have major plans but I'm happy to be not working (for the most part anyway), pool time, and taking naps. I'll try to update sooner after this weekend so I don't fall so behind.

So this last week has been very busy and I've spent a lot of time trying to play catch-up. Paperwork is a bitch. In any job. That is one big difference between here and VA is that I take work home. I also have more on my load right now because I'm the only OTR. I have done 3 clinic evals this week and finished up my last Friday evals on Monday. Speaking of...

This was my last Friday route with all of my stops.

Last Friday was interesting because I went to three different houses for evaluations. It's interesting being on the other side of the fence because I never saw my kids' homes and sometimes, ignorance is bliss. The last house I went to smelled like a freaking herpetarium, no joke. This poor kid's parents don't seem to work with at home very much and THE HOUSE SMELLS LIKE SHAVINGS AND RODENTS. The family sells rats, an interesting way of life but not bad. However, when their house smells like a pet shop then it becomes a problem for outside guests at least. 

So I have some really great kids I work with (I do mainly clinic kids) and some that need some discipline, to say the least. I have several kids on the spectrum and one who is a BEAR 2 times a week. What joy. So I get to make him cry 2x every week because I'm not going to let him run the show for 45 minutes. Boo-freaking-hoo. Kindergarten is sure going to be rough for you son. He has some skills but they are hard to see through the tantrums. And telling him 'no crying' in Spanish doesn't help. I feel like I may get to a point where I want to yell THERE'S NO CRYING IN OT!

I really do like my job and would love an extension (TBD). I just need to get into a groove with evals and COTA supervision. I got super excited tonight because I went to TRU and found an Atari joystick to practice with one of my girls who we need to working on R UE coordination for operating a power wheelchair. I have two kids under 2 and they are fun. I've never worked with babies before so it's new but not hard.

Moving on... I started looking up yoga studios near me and I FOUND AN AERIAL YOGA STUDIO. I got excited about it and got a sample membership to see how I feel about it. For those who don't know me (I would assume you do if you read this but whatever) I have done yoga, aerial slings, and aerial yoga twice in STL. I would never ever consider myself an aerialist but I feel like I do have an advantage from having mostly done slings when I did practice aerial. I love it so far. It's a small studio in Flint and everyone is nice. I'm getting all that muscular awareness back that I forgot about that comes with aerial. Anyway, this does combine two things I like to do so I am hoping that doing these things together will help me strengthen and tone. I am dying to try some slings tricks I know but I know a) this is not an aerial arts studio (thanks Bumbershoot for the safety awareness), b) the slings are low to the ground, c) I'm here for yoga, and d) they'd be blown away by my mad skillz... 😛

Also they have rescue cats there. We all know I am not a cat person and shall never change my allegiance but they were pretty cute. Despite my sneezes afterwards. The sneak in and out of the studio space.

Beautiful lil' studio!

This is Phineas or Ferb, not sure which. He and his bro got adopted.

Also this past weekend I met up with My Aunt Cindy and cousin Katie Jo and we went to the Canton Flea Market in Canton TX, kind of a big deal around here. It's called First Monday and they are open Thursday-Sunday (yeah, not Monday) with outdoor pavilions and booths. There is a separate area for animals including peacocks (yes really), chickens, sheep, goats, kittens, and of course puppies! I have decided though I am not interested in going back to the puppies because it makes me sad because I want all of them. 

Anyway, it was great to see them and hang out for the day. For those who don't know, I have family in the East TX area so we'll get together for a rodeo or something Texas-related at some point. I'm hoping for a rattlesnake hunt or a BBQ, but definitely not those two things together. and also definitely not a rattlesnake hunt.

Sun-safe Lindsey was ready for action that day with a sun hat, sunscreen, and comfy shoes. There was a lot of going in and out and thankfully we got started before it got too hot. There are booths for everything under God's Green Earth and lot of cool homemade stuff. Food stands as well, this event goes on all year every first weekend of the month. I can't imagine it in July or August. One thing we noticed is that the scooter rental business is on FLEEK, making a killing to renting those suckers out. I'm pretty sure how you all know how i feel about those so I'll spare you.  I got some cool stuff and we had fun! Cindy is so sweet and KJ is just as hilarious as I remember. 

Canton Flea Market

KJ LOVES this place. She was hoping to run into the WalMart yodeling boy....

Dip n' Dots- the ice cream of 25 years ago.

I feel like I meant to say something else but this is all she wrote for now. I'm going to spend the weekend thinking of my Mother and how much I cherish her.

This is not my mother.

Peace, love, and mother's compassion,

LMJ