Wendy's trip log: Goodbyes, Birthdays and Easter!!!!

Easter weekend
Central NY
March 30th-April 1st 2018

Despite feeling hopeful about my new position at work, there has been talk /rumor about people looking for new jobs, people leaving and a general sense of negativity for the work experience. Truth be told, "the powers that be" which would include governing agents such as Federal and State. Make the already difficult position of working with challenging people even more challenging with the continued increase in paperwork demands. Must I remind myself why I had left the clinical world in the first place. (Paperwork).
Now I am not at all insinuating that there should not be some degree of work accountability, as this is what paperwork offers to prove, but I have to ask myself...just where did the HUMAN part of HUMAN service go?
Humans do NOT work like a computer program, agenda changes, people do not always corporate, other things are more important, life does not STOP for real life individuals simply because you need to have them sign some review of goals that change so often it would be a 24 hour monitor to update. Real people do not care that the deadline was weeks ago, or that there is a new program needed to be reviewed, an update on a wellness/crisis plan, or a phone call to the insurance company must be made. I know I do not live like that....
Thank Goodness no one is monitoring my goals on a 6 month rotation. I have had the same "Loose Weight" goal going on 30 years now.
Anyways...the pressure has presented some prompts for movement within the agency and several people are changing positions and leaving. Our friend Dan has taken leave and we had a goodbye celebration at Stella's Diner on Friday afternoon.

Earlier in the week at the staff meeting, saying Goodbye to Dan. Then later on Friday at Stella's for lunch.

Paperwork What???? When you work with such GREAT people, the hard stuff doesn't seem so hard.

Saturday blessed us with a Family Birthday meal at Texas Roadhouse.

It was Nick's 25th on April 1st and as it was also Easter on the first, we celebrated on Saturday.

We had a few missing guests. Mark and his mother were out at Turning Stone, Gavin my youngest was still asleep (teenagers) and Nick's girlfriend was at home prepping for their family Holiday.
We had enough in our party to take up an extended table however.

Happy Birthday to my first born.

He was even (after several prompts) to sit on the Birthday saddle and let the restaurant sing to him.

I gave Alexis' boys their Easter basket as we would not be seeing them tomorrow. They seemed to really enjoy the bunny ears and the birthday blowers.

After our meal. Nick asked if we could get a cocktail at a local pub. The Gathering Place. He and I had one drink to celebrate his 25th year. It was nice to spend some time mom and son. Cheers and Happy Birthday Nick.

Here is my baby 24+ years ago....

There were five Baskets made for this Easter this year.(I will have to send Ben some gift cards.). No more egg hiding happening in my house. Still some children to welcome the Easter celebration.

My elder children received Amazon gift cards.

Originally, I had no plans for Easter, but we made a late decision to have brunch at the buffet. Turning Stone casino, here we come. Our party got smaller and Nick was the only child that made it. We still had a nice meal.