Normal People

I'm not all together sure why this week seemed so difficult to me. It may be because everyone in the office was feeling the same sort of stress. Yesterday, we actually all stood in the hallway at 11:30 in the morning eating Rocky Road Ice Cream because we needed something nice in our life just that minute. It had been that kind of week. While not all of our offender clients are messing up, a significant number are. In one week, we have had to put 4 in jail from our office.

Some probation officers might scoff at this, for I'm sure there are other offices where the rules are stricter and every week is like this one. Of the four that went to jail, two were mine. I also put four more into drug treatment. That means there were probably 20 who were directed into drug treatment this week by our office.

But I think the thing that has made me tired, were those 30 or so (from a caseload which is now thankfully down to 130 -- due to "graduation" or transfer -- even in jail they are still mine until convicted) who could not seem to show up when scheduled. They just popped in whenever they felt like it. This means I ended up changing my plans for work for the week. I didn't get done the reports that I wanted to get done and off my desk and returned to the court as planned. And I'm think I'm tired because I had to expend too much energy reprimanding people who did stupid things like move without reporting, change jobs without reporting, getting a traffic ticket and not telling me for a month (even though they are supposed to report tickets or arrests and job and home changes within 72 hours).

I must also now find time early next week to sit down and write and mail off the Major Violation Reports that I must file with the Commonwealth's Attorney and the Courts on the people on my caseload who were put into jail this week.

And as of 5 p.m. Friday, I have finally accepted that I have one man who is has chosen to completely ignore his supervision rules and will have to be arrested by the police/deputies in the field next week if they can find him.

Probation and Parole Supervision Rules is not designed to be hard. Normal, law-abiding people actually follow all the rules of probation/parole every day of their lives without another person supervising them.

• They obey laws.
• If they get a ticket, they pay it promptly (and report it to their boss or insurance company or spouse within a couple of days).
• If they move, they plan for it and make arrangements so people know where they went (like credit card companies, mail delivery people, their spouse, their parents, etc.).
• If they change jobs or get promotions, layoffs or demotions, they let people know and in most cases, plan for it if they have control or warning of it coming.
• If they are getting treatment for something serious, they show up for their appointments (appointments for probationers with their officers or substance abuse counselors are like doctor appointments for we aim to fix what is wrong (i.e. criminal thinking behaviors).)
• Normal people don't use illegal drugs or abuse prescription drugs
• Normal people don't drink to a point that it interferes with their ability to function at work or school or in their own homes and they don't drink or do drugs in public.
• Normal folks may own a gun to hunt with. But they don't have need of one otherwise. Felons just have to accept that they can't have one unless the Governor of Virginia decides they have been completely restored to sanity and provides for restoration of their rights.
• Finally, normal people don't disappear off the face of the planet even when they mess up in one of the areas above. They face up to their errors and accept the consequences. In my world, people who run from their responsibilities are known as "absconders."

While a person is under probation/parole supervision their probation/parole officer must be considered almost a member of the family (not a loved one, perhaps, but a close one) and they must be "kept in the loop" on everything that happens.

My successful clients involve me in their struggles and their successes and I worry about them and celebrate as well. Successful clients talk to me a lot on the phone. They show up five minutes early for appointments and appear for all of them. They pay their fines, fees and restitution every month... even if all they can afford is $5.00. They stay clean and sober. They find a job -- any job -- and get on the books and pay their taxes and look for better jobs but don't quit until they have a better one. They plan their lives. They are honest with the people in their life. They show up for work every day as expected and provide an honest day's work. Most importantly, they know they are fighting a war inside of themselves that is screaming for them to return to their old way of thinking and they just keep shutting it down because they know it is just insanity. They can see the light at the end of the tunnel. And they know in their heart that this time, it's not a train.

Part of the Team

I think.

I did it. I burned the popcorn.

We were just short of flames but considering the smoke, it would not have taken much longer to get there. The popcorn itself was tossed out the back door into the drainage pond where it apparently sizzled for a moment.

It took four minutes of un-attended popping in the office microwave to create this disaster.

I apparently burnt it worse than anyone in the history of the office.

And I was awarded (with certificate and full attendance from the entire staff at the presentation) with the Cheech and Chong Burnt Popcorn Award.

The funny thing is that they also gave me a replacement bag. I promised not to cook it without supervision.

Home again, home again

I returned home yesterday from the Academy after a really LONG four days to find my husband sick with a very bad cold and laryngitis.

My youngest son was in fairly good spirits but his general teenage angst came out tonight when he requested to get on the computer and was told that he could not get on again until his report card came out and if he had any grade less than a C, would not be allowed on the computer at all for the next term and would also not be allowed to use the phone.

All this delivered in the loudest voice that the currently voiceless stepfather could muster. You can imagine the temper tantrum that ensued. Pleasantly, it did not last long and youngest son actually sat down with us for a moment at the dinner table and inhaled his meal before he disappeared with the phone.

Then middle son (the soldier) called and wanted to know if we had found his cell phone. I went up and looked around the room where Eleanor now resides and where middle son slept the few nights he slept here and did not see it. I told him we would mail it to him should it turn up.

He did get the box of all the other stuff he forgot when he left.

The good news is that he says he is not one of the 20,000 being sent over to Iraq. He sounded very relieved when he said it. This does not prohibit him from being one sent over later yet, but at least I have hope now that he will not be going in March.

On the fun side while I was gone, I discovered a really cute little yarn/fiber shop in Powhatan, Virginia which is just around the corner from the Academy. It's called Holly Spring Yarn Shop.
I bought some cashmere.

This is some Oh My Goddess!! stuff. I took it to class with me to let one of my fellow newbie probation officers feel it. She had expressed an interest in knitting as she watched me get about 9 inches completed on my green sweater while sitting in class. I thought it would be nice of me to share some really nice fiber with her.

Well, the bag made it around the room and all 53 newbie probation officers and six instructors fondled my cashmere! I may have to wash it before I spin it up. But it appears to be none the worse for wear. In any case, I spent $16 for an ounce of this stuff. But I know in my heart it will be worth every penny. It's really nice and the goats from which it came are raised by the woman who runs Holly Spring Homespun.

She sends the fleece out for processing (somewhere out West). She had some yarn already spun up and it too was wonderful.

I'm trying to decide if I will blend it with another fiber (like a good quality merino) or just spin it as is. The fiber is relatively short (about 2 inches) but has a nice crimp. It is incredibly fine.

I also bought a really pretty hand dyed roving that is merino. She does very nice work with his hand painted stuff. I was most impressed. She also sells spinning wheels and really truly understands the addiction -- like any good pusher.

She also has some really wonderful yarn for sale. And patterns. And she told me that January is "sweater month" and if you buy enough yarn to make a sweater there is some kind of significant discount. And on Monday evenings she hosts a knitting group.

I will be back to visit her.

And the Christmas tree is still up. I took the decorations off last weekend before I left with the understanding that it would be down and all the Yule stuff put up by the time I returned home. I guess sickness prevents productivity.

The Final Week

I'm off to the Academy again tomorrow. This will be the third and final week for the Basic Training for Parole/Probation Officers.

I leave at 5:30 a.m. That means I have to get up at 4 a.m. Now, I normally wake up all on my own between 4 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. so 4 a.m. should not be so bad, right? How much do you want to bet, given this situation, if I did not set an alarm, that I would wake up on time. That's right. None. So, for the first time in a very long time, I'm going to set the alarm clock.

And tomorrow evening, when class gets out (and I pray they release us about 4 p.m. so I can hurry up and get checked into my room), I'm headed off to a newly discovered yarn and spinning shop with is around the corner and over the river and through the woods (or past farm fields) from where I will be. Just minutes away. They stay open until 8 p.m. on Mondays. I'll let you know more when I get back on Thursday night.

Something worked....

Well, I don't know what worked or why, but I now have a functional bar with all the layout and design tools. I will attempt to add some pictures here shortly.

I am on the final decreases for the pink hat for GD #2 and am starting on the red hat for niece #4. I ran out of the red yarn from Knit Picks so I'm using a ball of the Aurora 8 that I bought last year. I've been waiting for just the right project as I have two reds, two in turquoise, two in black in the Aurora 8. I love this stuff. It is wonderful and silky.

I have started spinning and sample plied some of the wool fleece with some of the light brown alpaca for a hat for my dad. I think I will try to blend it using the hand carders for the next skein and see if I like it better. In any case, it's the same materials the the colors work well together.

I've done a little work on making Navajo plied crazy yarn for the crazy scarf. I'm not real thrilled with it.

I've also spun up some of the Grey Shetland Fleece in lace weight. I really like this stuff. I will have to use it for something special.


The lace scarf for my mom continues. And I'm making some progress on the teapot cozy for my mil. I may not get all of them done, but I'm having fun and I will have stuff to work on while sitting in classes all next week.

I planning on sitting in the back and working quietly on my projects and doing a little spinning while on breaks. I do retain the information better when my hands are busy. I'm getting most of the projects (like the hats and tea cozy) to the point I don't have to do any counting. The lace will have to wait until I come home I think.

So here is a picture of everything currently in progress EXCEPT the lace shawl for me.

You can call me "Officer"

Today's the day.

As of 8 a.m. today I am once again an Officer.

But this time I'm a Probation Officer.

I get to wear real clothes and cute shoes.

I get to wear jewelry.

I get to wear a bullet proof vest.

And I'll be carrying a gun.

Scary, huh?

Hoover says finish it

One of my loyal (or semi-loyal), certainly highly critical readers -- Hoover -- says I forgot to finish my story. I haven't forgotten. It's call suspense.

The new job starts Monday.

I have a new wardrobe for it.

I even have new shoes.

Until then, you can wait to find out what I decided.

I've never felt so loved

Friday was an interesting day. I was stressing out over having to cram 26 inmates into one classroom so a guest speaker for their class could come to talk to them (it's a cognitive therapy group addressing the effects of crime on victims). Normally, this group is divided into two and the speaker comes twice in the week to talk to each small group. This time she could only come once, so we scheduled it for Friday at 2 p.m.

I went to lunch then swung by my office and checked my voice mail. I had three messages. One from an inmate's mother who was looking for her son. One was an invitation to come to a second interview for the first job for which I interviewed on the phone. The third call was from the District Chief who was offering me a job as a probation officer.

The first job involves lots of traveling (although they provide the car, a cell phone, a lap top and a pager). It has HUGE networking potential. It has the potential to be either a ton of fun or a total stress out. I don't know enough about it to figure that out. It also pays more. And did I mention it would involve a lot of travel?

They are also just talking about a second interview at this time... not a job offer... yet.

The second job, the probation officer job, is the next logical step in my career with DOC. It pays more than I'm making now, but not as much as the first job. It's high stress. It's doing something I deeply believe in (law enforcement). It's tons of paperwork. It's a good office to work for. People don't normally leave positions in this office unless they die. Openings in this office come rarely. And the chief really, really wants me to come work for him.

I told him about the first job and the second interview. He told me to hold on and he would call me back. He did and invited me to come out to the office after work. I went by and he introduced me to everyone there. He sat me down and told me that he was going to ask for more money from the department. He filled out some paperwork and sent it off to headquarters. We chatted for a bit more and I went home (making note, mind you, that everyone in that office was still at work at 5:30 on a Friday night... they are very serious about what they do).

The phone at home rang at 7 p.m. It was the chief. He said he had made some phone calls. I suspect he called some people at home on a Friday evening to get the information he wanted. He told me that while they wouldn't give him enough money to match what the first job offered, he could get within $100 to start. And, if I was still there in 2 years, he would guarantee in writing that I would be making an additional $3,000.

Now, for those of you who don't work for the state, this is pretty normal stuff. For a state employee, to have folks fighting to get you a higher starting salary... it's unheard of!

I'm freaking out! I'm utterly amazed. Even more amazing, he told me to go for the second interview. He said he believes I have paid my dues and deserve the best job and top pay. He said he knows the job he offers is going to be very hard work. He wants me to have no doubts.

But he still wants me to come work for him and hopes I will in the end. Still, he needs an answer by Monday so he can get the transfer paperwork started.

Job interview update

I've now had two job interviews. One was over the phone and while I felt pretty good about it, I still have not heard back from them regarding a second interview. I hope I hear from them soon, because I really want this particular job.

As for the other job, I had the first interview today. Unlike the first, it was in person with a two person panel. I feel very good about this interview. I was very comfortable talking with them. They even talked a little bit about money and ways to make the job better. Unfortunately, due to the actual circumstances of the job, I'm not sure I really want it. Don't get me wrong; I'm not afraid of hard work but there is hard work and then there is impossible case load. I suffer enough from stress. I'm not sure how long I can handle an unending stream of chaos. On the other hand, I may be letting comments from the last person who held the job color my perceptions. Fact is, she used to work with me and I know for a fact she is LAZY. They were very frank that the job is hard. But I also know that the majority of the people who work there love their jobs and normally there isn't an opening until someone dies.

I hope to know by the end of the week if I have second interviews for either job. My only real worry is that I might have to choose between them.

Job Interviews

Today I had my first interview for one of the jobs for which I applied. The commuting may really take a bit to get used to... but the job itself, as I understand it, would really be great fun and would still challenge me in all the right ways. And I would still be working for the Department of Corrections.
The strange part is that this first interview was by phone and I had all the interview questions in advance. I will know sometime next week if I get a second interview. That one, I'm told, would be in person with the Regional Director.
I also got a call from one of the other jobs I applied for. This one closer to being local but it pays less and from what I'm told is probably a lot more work with much smaller rewards.
I kind of hope I will get calls on some of the other jobs for which I applied.
It would be nice to get several offers so I have some options (and maybe some negotiating power). In any case, it's exciting to be back in the market again. I suddenly feel much less trapped. Maybe I won't have to work until I'm dead ... or if I do, I will much more enjoy what I'm doing when I die.