It's been close to a month since we got back. And just now, i got round to getting a coupla snaps up...




Isn't this what comes to mind when we think of Detroit?




This is what an empty urban neighborhood looks like. This one was once called Poletown.




View of downtown from Belle Island, with the landmark "Ren Cen" in all its glory...




Ceiling of the Belle Island Conservatory.




A cherry in the Belle Island Conservatory.




More plantlife in the Belle Island Conservatory.




Excellent mexican food in the Mexicantown neighborhood, not too far from downtown and the massive construction around the Ambassador Bridge. Old train station in the background...




Aren't cows cute? How can humans eat them? This one was a loud heifer in the working farm section of the Henry Ford Greenfield Village.




Wee baby lamby, just a few days old...




View from a bubble in a pane of glass in a historical house in the Henry Ford Greenfield Village.




Dark shot of an old plane in the Henry Ford Museum...




Bus that made Rosa Parks, well, a hero to many. I have to admit, i am a sap. Sitting there in that bus made me cry.




Young male elephant at the Toledo Zoo... mom is in the background.




A meerkat in the Toledo Zoo.

Looking at them all now, i realize i don't take what one could call traditional holiday snaps....

Look away, work again.

Refresher SCIP-R class tonight. Scheduled to be done with my boss and a long time staffer. While there, boss' iphone tells her that an individual is making accusations against me. I was expecting it because i used planned ignoring for Monday's attention seeking behaviors. Still stings a bit, though.

Friday, i "drop my t" and go from being a DAT (developmental aide trainee) to a DA (developmental aide). It's a big deal. And, apparently, the biggest single raise in pay i will probably ever get. I made it a whole year.

But has it been worth it all?

We got back late last night. Had a lovely time in Detroit. Yes, i said lovely. Hard to believe one could have a lovely time there, huh?

I will probably post a few pictures once i get all the upacking and laundry done, squeezed in before i go back to work... But, in the meantime, a few observations.

Detroit, bad reputation that it has, is surpisingly free of litter. Driving around, good neighborhoods and bad, there was hardly a scrap of litter.

Detroiters take pedestrians having the right of way seriously. Cars always stopped, no matter the neighborhood.

Detroit's child population has the same good manners their parents have. Please, excuse me and thank you were used.

Lots of streets that a driver is unable to make a left turn onto. Instead, there were these weird turnaround u-turn thingies. One would, for example, be driving down 9 mile and want to make a left onto Woodward. Instead, one would have to make a right, quickly zip over to the 3 lanes to the left one and wait inbetween the medians at a uturn thingie... that had a light. Very odd.

.. and all other (e:peeps) who like to take some pretty snaps now and then. And yeah, that totally includes you, (e:Libertad)!

Botanical Gardens has a photo contest. You both should enter some pics...!!

I smell a rat

When i left work on Saturday evening at 11pm, it was with the realization that i would not have to step foot into that unit for 10 whole days. Felt so liberating!

I think, however, i am going to call my union and my e.a.p. A co-worker was verbally abusive and nearly physically abusive to me in front of the individuals we serve. I feel slightly guilty because i may have been a bitch to him. My immediate supervisor and the on duty nurse both say i did nothing wrong, except not walk away from the situation sooner, since i was trying to reason with the guy.

Its difficult to rat someone out, though. Even if it is the right thing to do. And i hate to have to do it... but what if it goes further next time and he does hurt someone physically? How guilty would i feel then?

• sigh*

'oliday

(e:Uncutsaniflush) and i are going to go away for a few days. He has some time off too. Been too long since we have been anywhere. Waaaaaaaaaayyy too long. I miss travelling....

My first thought was to fly to San Francisco, since i have always wanted to go, but we want something low key and perhaps driveable. Then, we thought of going to my old stomping grounds, Halifax, Nova Scotia, but the ferry from Portland Maine to Yarmouth, NS doesn't start up until the end of May and without it, it's too long a drive for a 6 day holiday. Instead, we are going to head out to his old stomping grounds, Detroit. Probably drive thought Canada on the way there 'cause the long weekend (Victoria Day aka May Two-Four Weekend) won't have kicked in yet... then stay in the USA for the journey back 'cause it has.


Get Out of My House!

Every year, mice invade our house for the winter. I have been very nice, insisting we don't kill them, merely chase them away or trap them and let them go. But, we have a couple of sneaky bastards that do not realize it is spring and they need to vacate NOW. I am getting to the point when i am ok killing them!!! GO AWAY MICE!!