I can almost see it.... the weekend is within sight!  

January felt like it was an entire year.  This week felt like someone was holding my head under water and I was trying to breathe.  Good lord, it is taking forever!!!  The Universe also decided that it was 'shit all over admin services week'.  

• The requests that range from fixing something that has been wrong in the system since Elite (our offender management system) was put into play.  That's real fun.  NOT! 
• The "heyyyy, I can't figure out how to fix the margins on this document.  Oh, and I need it fixed in 10 minutes because we're doing a forced med hearing on a guy in SAU (Special Assistance Unit - houses criminal mentally ill inmates) and I need this doctor's recommendations to go on file so another doctor can review and sign off on it"    Ohhhh oK then...let me just get right on that for you.    
• Legal court cases that need to be scheduled for the inmates
• Family members calling in to check on lil Johnny who 'always calls me every day and I haven't heard from him for 3 days.  Is he ok?"   Hmmmm, nooooo Lil Johhny can't call you because was involved in a major fight and is on RTQ (Restriction to Quarters) and lost his phone privileges.
•   I can't tell family members anything other than the inmate is here, he's alive, what he is here for and when he'll get released.   Century Code prevents me from giving any other information to anyone unless it is another LE (Law Enforcement) agency.  
• Family members get pissed.  I usually get hung up at least a minimum of 3 times a week.

The open position closes today; tomorrow I go over applicants with HR to score them out and select those that qualify for an interview.  We're looking for qualifications and of course someone that will fit into the incredible team we have right now.   Fingers crossed!  I do not want to go in to summer vacation season short staffed.   We can manage if we need but I'd rather not.  

I went out for supper last night with a former co-worker who has become one of my 'besties'.  She's been retired for 13 years and has become quite the social butterfly; she's in two quilting guilds, two book clubs, participates in multiple 'happy hours, suppers, lunches' gatherings per week.   She's well read and informed, educated, opinionated and highly political.  The 'grand Cheeto and his chainsaw massacre sidekick' was a dominant subject of conversation.  I normally do not talk politics or religion unless I know my audience.  My thoughts and beliefs on the current administration align with hers so I felt safe and venting.  We both agreed that we're more than likely going to be alcoholics by the end of this 4-yr term.  

Blaine called me at work today.  He said "I miss you Auntie."   With his parents in town now, they've been taking over my driving duties.  I used to see him every single day; I'm now down to maybe 1 day.  

He is heavily involved with the sports teams of UJ (University of Jamestown) and told me he has basketball games on Saturday.  I had hoped that I could take him out for breakfast but maybe I'll grab him for supper tomorrow night.  

One more day of work to tackle, then the weekend is here, and I can relax a bit. Hopefully.  

Every week the management team tours a department or housing unit in the prison.  Today I selected the prison's commissary department.  It had been a hot minute since I had been there, and it was one of the only locations left that we haven't visited.  

I couldn't believe how much it had changed. The amount of product on hand is mind blowing not to mention the system in place to fill, pack and ship inmate's orders to the other facilities within the ND DOCR.  Quite impressive!  

I asked one of the inmates to explain the process to me; you should have seen him puff up with pride.  He did very well with giving details of each step and even commented that he had been instrumental in developing once of the processes for the "Family and Friends" program.  I commended him and thanked him for his time.  His smile made my day. (Hopefully I made his too).

The ND DOCR is extremely overcrowded; JRCC is the fullest I've ever seen it.  We're in a differed admission situation right now.  This means that the DOCR will not accept any inmate from any county jail until 1) we have an available bed and 2) those that we accept must meet the criteria for entrance (ie length of sentence must be 3-5 years, crime must be medium to maximum.   As one can expect, this does not make the county jails happy.  There isn't much anyone can do about it.  Crimes are becoming more and more violent with longer sentences.  Longer sentences mean more time in prison (duh!) which takes up the bed on the 'revolving bed' count (usually those serving 6 mos to 1 yr).  The Parole Board doesn't seem to want to give out cuts in sentence either (not that some of them deserve it, but it would help the bed situation). 

With the increased inmate count, comes increased pressure for treatment programs, increased staff, etc.  My department is sure feeling it.  We have three fantastic ladies who bust their behinds every day and generally with a smile and maybe a wisecrack here or there.  Hey, you have to have fun at work, right?

We're busy - no ifs, ands, or buts about it.  I could have stayed and worked a couple of extra hours tonight, but I didn't.  It was absolutely gorgeous here ...springlike with 43 degrees! 

 Yes, I have Spring Fever!!  

Yes, I am already thinking about getting my bike out!

Yes, I am already thinking about gardening, sitting on my patio AND wine! :)

It takes a North Dakota winter to appreciate a North Dakota Spring!  :)

 With all that has been going on in the world since January 20th, I find that I'm increasingly protective of my time, energy and peace.  

My anxiety spirals when I listen to news.  I cannot not listen to the news as I need to be informed on what is happening in the world.  However, I can't let it trigger anxiety either.  I'm doing more reading and listening to music, writing on this blog, doing yoga/meditation and of course, going to the gym.   

I went to the doctor last week for my annual wellness visit.   Good news.... I'm relatively healthy.  Bad news, I'm still short. LOL Darn!  I came out of there resembling a human pincushion though, a Covid, Tetanus and Pneumonia boosters, cortisone shots bilaterally for knees, and a blood draw for a host of things I like to keep an eye one - blood sugars, cholesterol, iron, etc.   Those tests all came back pretty good with no worries, which is a relief.  

I asked for a referral to an orthopedic surgeon for a consult of my knees, specifically me left knee. I was told 12 yrs ago that I'd need a knee replacement, but I was too young at that time.  Through strength training, biking and yoga I've managed to lead an active lifestyle.  Recently, my knees have started to hinder my activity.  Stairs are an issue as are lunges at the gym.  Walking long distances is downright painful.  The cortisone shots are working magic now, but they'll wear off in time. 

 I have an overabundance of sick leave on the books which is not paid out at the time of retirement (or at best, payout is 10 % and taxable).  I might as well have the surgeries and get paid while I'm rehabilitating.  My hope is that I can have it either in September around my birthday (and before winter). 

 Look at me....a typical Virgo, trying to plan everything out to the nth degree so there aren't any surprises LOL   

Finally, Friday!  Although it was a short week due to President's Day holiday on Monday, it felt like the week drug on forever.

• This was my long, short week (9 hr. days, 4 hr. Friday)
•  suffered through working a double Monday 
•  5 work meetings
• one medical appointment that included 5 shots and 1 blood draw
•  taught a yoga class to the prisons Special Operations Response Team (SORT) in which I kicked their asses.    

Things I learned this week:

• Cortisone shots in knees are not for the faint of heart
• I may not need the referral to the orthopedic surgeon now; my knees feel pretty good.
• I'll probably still go for the consult
• May not schedule anything till next Fall; I have a busy spring and summer ahead
• I now have friends affected by Doge or waiting for the axe to drop
• Of those affected, half of them admitted to voting for Trump 
• Of those, half are still defending him
• My weekend isn't going to consist of anything other than going to the gym, laundry and reading
• Upcoming monumental events:
• Time change, Sunday March 9th
• Spring Equinox, March 20th
• These are huge in my world !
• I'm fortunate to have a strong circle of friends, whom I value so very much.  There isn't a day that goes by without touching base with them at some point or another.   They're lifers!  (Meaning they're stuck with me!) :)

I was stalking Steve Perry on YouTube and found these beauties.   The first one is from his newest album Traces.   The second song is from his album For the Love of Strange Medicine.  They're two of his lesser-known songs but beautifully show case his incredible voice.   Those who know me, know I have proclaimed myself as his biggest fan.  

Most of All (Steve Perry)

Missing You

And just like that, the year of January has ended. Thank goodness! It was long, cold, dark and depressing! February shows promise of what is to come, which is hopefully Spring.  However, I've lived in the frozen tundra long enough to know that Winter can have a death grip on us until June; she's a fickle bitch for sure! 

I noticed daylight on the horizon the other day as I pulled up to the ole salt mine at 730am; it almost made me giddy with excitement... had I not been going to work. That said, we are a lot closer to Spring; the daylight hours are getting longer which is always a good thing in my book! The ND Legislature has proposed House Bill 1259  which would end Daylight Saving Time and keep Standard Time. I'd rather have ND permanently adopt the Daylight Saving Time (more daylight time at the end of the day). I'm okay with staying with Standard Time too; it would eliminate the need to change the clocks twice yearly (Spring ahead, Fall back). This Bill has been introduced before and never made it through the Senate, so we'll see if it gets passed this time around. 

If I thought the first week under the orange clown was tumultuous, the second week proved to be even worse. Even more concerning is the fact that Elon Musk seems to have muscled his way in to the White House and gained the ear of the orange buffoon. Last time I checked, he wasn't voted in to any office (ie Vice President), nor was he named for any top-level cabinet position.  This CNN article pretty much summed it up:  We do not know what exactly Elon Musk is doing to the federal government

 Yet, he's making headlines for wanting access to the nation's checkbook. Top Treasury Official Exits as Musk makes grabs for federal payment system What????!!!  I wouldn't trust that man with my own checkbook let alone the nations!

 I barely listen to the news, and I've unfriended people on Facebook. Mostly the idiots that get their news from Facebook and do not research a damn thing on their own because they're either too stupid to see what is happening in our country or ......well, I think I'll just leave it at "too stupid".   

My anxiety cannot handle this despite all my yogic meditation, breathing techniques. I'm going to buy wine, a LOT of wine, and be in a drunken stupor for the next four years; I just need to make sure its domestic wine and not imported. Dammit!!