I just finished off another slice of rich, crumbly, satisfying blueberry banana bread with a cup of strong coffee and I am feeling very pleased with myself.

Three weekends ago, (e:Drew) and I went blueberry picking. I got to down to business and was a blueberry picking machine filling my pail almost to the brim. (e:Drew) protested, demanding that I stop. But I ran up and down the aisles of blueberry bushes picking blueberries and throwing them into my bucket as fast as I could before (e:Drew) caught me. He forced me out of the blueberry fields while I grabbed handfuls of blueberries and shoved them into my mouth.

The results of my persistence.....11 pounds of blueberries for the price of $14.00 (and free blueberries in my tummy) from which I have made a tasty blueberry crisp and satisfying blueberry-banana bread. I still have blueberry pies and cobblers to look forward to as well as more blueberry banana bread. I think I'll make bueberry crisp for this weekend. None for (e:Drew)...he tried to stop me in my picking venture. He can watch from afar while I eat my blueberry crisp with my friends warm and bubbling straight out of the oven with thick, fresh whipped cream. You guys can come over and have some too!

I'm really excited for this weekend. We have four of my developmentally disabled friends and two of their staff visiting from Pittsburgh. They live/work at one of the many community homes that I used to run. The guys absolutely love wings, so I'm taking them to the Anchor Bar Friday night and then we'll chill out at the house afterwards with a movie I think.
Saturday we are going to the zoo for the day. We have free tickets for everyone thanks to a local foundation. If anyone works with/has relatives with disabilities and you want to go to the zoo, I'll get you the info! After the zoo we'll cook out sausages on the grill. Then off to the requisite visit to the Niagara falls to see them lit up at night. I'm a little leary of taking them into Canada, so we're sticking to the American side.
Sunday we'll go to church and have some lunch afterwards then they'll be off to Pittsburgh.

I'm hoping that I picked activities that they'll enjoy. I'm worried that I'll slip into my old role as the "Boss, Sir"** and run the show instead of just relaxing and having a good time. I'm a little scared that I'll screw up the logistics of hosting 6 people in the house and making sure they stay well fed and comfortable. And I'm really wary of 8 people in a house with one bathroom!

• On a funny side note, a lot of the staff in my homes were immigrants from Africa and many of them refused to call me Janelle and instead called me "Boss, sir". I had to just give up on telling them to call me Janelle and just enjoyed the ego trip that came with being called, Boss, Sir!

Less than six months ago, I had a job that was beating me into the ground. On call for staff and client emergences 24-7. Oh, yes, love the 2am run to the hospital when a client falls and breaks some bone. 60 hour weeks. Start my day with no clear ending point to the day. A hyperactive a supervisor who bounded into my office ten times a day with another 5 jobs all to be done ASAP. Took my frustration out on the husband when I got home.

I would have danced the happy dance (ask (e:drew) about the happy dance, I really do have one) if you had told me that in the future I would have a 9am to 5pm job with nothing substantial to do all day!

I AM SO BORED!!!! HELP ME!!!!

I need suggestions on how to pass the time, but still look like I"m doing something productive to those spying eyes that I know are watching me.....

Any suggestions?

I work for an agency that serves people with developmental disabilities (aka mental retardation for those unfamiliar with PC terms). I'm involved in starting a brand spanking new program that's going to have its own location. Elmwood ave in the Elmwood village area has been bantied around as a great location. I concur for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it cuts my commute down to a short walk to work =)
I made the mistake of discussing this topic with friend of a friend who is an absolutely zealous city planner type and worked for a local neighborhood assocation years ago.
He heatedly declares to me that there are 400 different social service organizatons operating in Elmwood, Allentown and Lafayette and that's ENOUGH (I doubt the veracity of the number). No more social services need apply to reside in the area. So I quiz him as to the negative impact of the social services on the neighborhood to which his thoughtful reply is that it deprives suburb communities of social services. Okay, but what is the negative impact on the communities named. He can't name any, so stutters out, I'm a liberal type, I know these services help people, I want to seek the root causes for these problems, but I don't want all those organizations in my community.
What I heard was, I'm a liberal, but I don't want to have to see or interact with homeless people, alcoholics or retards. I want all the priveleges of suburban living (i.e. exclusivity) in the city. Arrgghh...he's the liberal that exemplifies why I don't identify as a liberal anymore!
So...what do you think, will one more social service agency in Elmwood be the beginning of the end?

I'm emerging from the shadows of (e:drew) and have decided to post in my own right instead of living vicariously through his account and posting comments under his name. So hello, I'm Janelle. I'm married to the sexy, balding minister (e:drew).