Once I get my car I'm gonna hit it full force on the home visits. I have a family with 6 kids who've just moved to Tunbridge Wells at our insistence as their home in Ashford was unsafe. I found out Friday that the landlord is giving them the eviction notice they need to get housing assistance in T Wells, but I promised the family my help on Tuesday. I thought it was gonna be to get their stuff out of their house in Ashford, but since they have the eviction notice (I thought they weren't gonna get it without getting their stuff out) hopefully I'll be able to just see all the kids and maybe drop in to Children's Social Services in that town. I did a chronology of previous referrals on the family and I am not so sure we're not gonna end up in conference on them - - at the very least if CSS in T Wells takes them I want to make sure they have a good idea of the family history.
I have 23 open cases and am ready to close 3. Prepared the closure letter and safeguarding agreements for the families but then realized I can't MAIL the suckers, "oh yeah, sign it at your leisure and get back to us." I don't think so. Gonna hafta take the documentation to the families and get it signed. Then there are the other 20 kids to see, resee, whatever. I did a lot of paperwork last week but didn't manage to see many kids - - got a ride to see one family and walked to see another. Did do a lot of phone work, set up meetings, etc. - - but seeing kids is the heart of my job and I would have done 2-3 times as much of that as I did last week if I'd had my car.
Asked again about getting a home laptop - - I can't use this one. You have to use one of KCC's and get their software loaded, AND go to training on how to use it. It does not look promising for the near future. I would like to be able to do the paperwork faster; it didn't hurt me spending time working on ICS (our computer system) as I only got the training a week ago. I would like to get up to speed on my caseload though; I think our average last week was about 8 new referrals every day.
I asked if I could have gotten to Tunbridge Wells on the train and was told no. I think I could have gotten there on the bus, but it would have taken all day.
Good thing the English countryside is so pretty. I WILL take some pictures soon.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
At last, the kitka!!!
Toby came home Thursday!!!
Not without drama - - Continental wouldn't accept his crate b/c it was top and side loading, so Animal Land cajoled them to let him fly San Antonio to Houston in it and then get him a new crate in Houston. Which they did and it is HUGE. By my measurements it's 15" x 18" but it looks even bigger than that.
Can't get back the crate I left him at Traveling Tails in - - it was abandoned at the airport, and haven't called Traveling Tails to see if they can send the bag of toys and mommy-clothes I left but Animal Land says they don't do that - - and postage is indeed very expensive - - but I may end up contacting them anyway. When my shipment gets here I was careful to pack his and my very favorite toys, blankie and grooming comb in a bag - - but my shipment arrival date keeps changing, so I will go to Tesco tomorrow and spend 3 pounds on grooming supplies for him. He is a bit grubby. They put newspaper in the crate but you can't put a litter box. Other expats who have had cats shipped say they usually smell of wee when they get here, and he did, but I gave him a lil bath with dishwashing liquid and he smells better. But I need a comb to groom him. He will give up a LOT of hair to get back to baseline. Combing used to be our morning ritual so hopefully we can get back to that.
He has settled in better than I thought he would. He got here about 2:30 on Thursday afternoon and I showed him around a bit, then fell asleep on the duvet on the floor. When I woke up and went to go find him he was tucked into a corner in the upstairs bathroom, apparently a little freaked, but since then he's back to following me around like a puppydog as he always has. He sleeps in the front windowsill a lot to keep an eye on the neighborhood. When it's warmer I'll let him be in the solarium, where he can see the back garden life, but it is still pretty cold out there even though I did manage to turn on the radiator.
He must have been sound asleep yesterday b/c when I got home and called for him I heard nothing at first, and then it took him a while to get his voice back. Do cats get jet lag???
IT IS JUST BEYOND WONDERFUL TO HAVE HIM BACK WITH ME!!!!!
Not without drama - - Continental wouldn't accept his crate b/c it was top and side loading, so Animal Land cajoled them to let him fly San Antonio to Houston in it and then get him a new crate in Houston. Which they did and it is HUGE. By my measurements it's 15" x 18" but it looks even bigger than that.
Can't get back the crate I left him at Traveling Tails in - - it was abandoned at the airport, and haven't called Traveling Tails to see if they can send the bag of toys and mommy-clothes I left but Animal Land says they don't do that - - and postage is indeed very expensive - - but I may end up contacting them anyway. When my shipment gets here I was careful to pack his and my very favorite toys, blankie and grooming comb in a bag - - but my shipment arrival date keeps changing, so I will go to Tesco tomorrow and spend 3 pounds on grooming supplies for him. He is a bit grubby. They put newspaper in the crate but you can't put a litter box. Other expats who have had cats shipped say they usually smell of wee when they get here, and he did, but I gave him a lil bath with dishwashing liquid and he smells better. But I need a comb to groom him. He will give up a LOT of hair to get back to baseline. Combing used to be our morning ritual so hopefully we can get back to that.
He has settled in better than I thought he would. He got here about 2:30 on Thursday afternoon and I showed him around a bit, then fell asleep on the duvet on the floor. When I woke up and went to go find him he was tucked into a corner in the upstairs bathroom, apparently a little freaked, but since then he's back to following me around like a puppydog as he always has. He sleeps in the front windowsill a lot to keep an eye on the neighborhood. When it's warmer I'll let him be in the solarium, where he can see the back garden life, but it is still pretty cold out there even though I did manage to turn on the radiator.
He must have been sound asleep yesterday b/c when I got home and called for him I heard nothing at first, and then it took him a while to get his voice back. Do cats get jet lag???
IT IS JUST BEYOND WONDERFUL TO HAVE HIM BACK WITH ME!!!!!
Monday, March 15, 2010
I passed my driving assessment!!!
And now I get a CAR!!!!!
It's coming a week from tomorrow, the 23rd, in the morning. I'll have an orientation in it as my assessment today was not in the model car I will have, which is a Toyota Aygo. This was a Chevy, model I couldn't say. One of those "only in Europe" models.
The assessment was from 1100-1300 and it was just GORGEOUS out. We drove through the countryside and down to the village of Lenham, through which I've been many times on the train. It's on the way to Maidstone, the county town of Kent, which is on the way to London.
I have some bad US habits to unlearn and will start driving lessons as soon as I can. The good news is I understand roundabouts. I may not always drive them perfectly, as I don't think I've seen any drivers here who do, but I'm not terrified of them any more.
Soon I will have the ability to make home visits on my own when needed, and a good measure of my freedom back!!! AND my kitka!!!!!
Yup, things are heading in the right direction. :)
It's coming a week from tomorrow, the 23rd, in the morning. I'll have an orientation in it as my assessment today was not in the model car I will have, which is a Toyota Aygo. This was a Chevy, model I couldn't say. One of those "only in Europe" models.
The assessment was from 1100-1300 and it was just GORGEOUS out. We drove through the countryside and down to the village of Lenham, through which I've been many times on the train. It's on the way to Maidstone, the county town of Kent, which is on the way to London.
I have some bad US habits to unlearn and will start driving lessons as soon as I can. The good news is I understand roundabouts. I may not always drive them perfectly, as I don't think I've seen any drivers here who do, but I'm not terrified of them any more.
Soon I will have the ability to make home visits on my own when needed, and a good measure of my freedom back!!! AND my kitka!!!!!
Yup, things are heading in the right direction. :)
Friday, March 5, 2010
Life in Ashford
Things have been so busy at work. Lots of phone calls, visits, writing reports and then yesterday a training turned out to be someplace we had to walk to, so I was glad I had my walking shoes with me. My duvet and pillows finally got delivered (they were sitting in the depot for 2 weeks and the day I called they said it was too late and they were going back to the mfr, but the next day they showed up at my office) and my line manager Andy was kind enough to give them and me a lift home. We made a home visit to one of my families on the way. I'm off to ASDA (England's Wal-Mart) in about an hour to get a phone and maybe a foot pump for my Aerobed - - the wall plug crumbled in my hand when I pulled it out last night. After my shipment comes I won't need it right away and can get it fixed, but I'd like to firm it up for however many more days I hafta sleep on it. It's comfy but gets very cold in the middle of the night b/c it's an air mattress and convection causes it to get cold, so I wake up every night.
I did start my spiffy gas fireplace last night. I had tried it once before but this time stood in front of it with directions in hand. It's not complicated but of course the steps hafta be done in order. Once it's going you can set it to either a "coal fire" or "coke fire" effect. I have it on "coal fire" as that seems similar to wood fireplaces I've used - - flickering flames, etc. It felt soooo good last night to sit here with my back to it. And when you're done using it, push a button and off it goes!!!
Haven't heard anything about my cat since Monday, when the cat mover lady was gonna try to reach her London connection to see about getting him delivered in Ashford. Hopefully I will hear from her early next week. The latest email on my shipment was that it was due March 10 and then had to go through customs. I'd like it to be delivered on Saturday but don't know if that's possible. I'm going to a concert next Saturday anyway.
Sending this through while the internet is at its most able - - the connection is very slow at night, which is why I haven't been writing here. My phone and broadband were turned on last week, but I haven't received the broadband installation kit in the mail yet.
I do think spring is coming - - my walk to work takes me past a little brook and I saw a man fishing there yesterday. The grass is green too, probably from so much rain. It didn't rain at all last week though, which was a nice change, and a couple times I got home while there was still light outside. I haven't seen a crocus or a robin, but I'm told they're out there. And I saw a new duckling family on the lake at the Priory in Aylesford!!! :)
I did start my spiffy gas fireplace last night. I had tried it once before but this time stood in front of it with directions in hand. It's not complicated but of course the steps hafta be done in order. Once it's going you can set it to either a "coal fire" or "coke fire" effect. I have it on "coal fire" as that seems similar to wood fireplaces I've used - - flickering flames, etc. It felt soooo good last night to sit here with my back to it. And when you're done using it, push a button and off it goes!!!
Haven't heard anything about my cat since Monday, when the cat mover lady was gonna try to reach her London connection to see about getting him delivered in Ashford. Hopefully I will hear from her early next week. The latest email on my shipment was that it was due March 10 and then had to go through customs. I'd like it to be delivered on Saturday but don't know if that's possible. I'm going to a concert next Saturday anyway.
Sending this through while the internet is at its most able - - the connection is very slow at night, which is why I haven't been writing here. My phone and broadband were turned on last week, but I haven't received the broadband installation kit in the mail yet.
I do think spring is coming - - my walk to work takes me past a little brook and I saw a man fishing there yesterday. The grass is green too, probably from so much rain. It didn't rain at all last week though, which was a nice change, and a couple times I got home while there was still light outside. I haven't seen a crocus or a robin, but I'm told they're out there. And I saw a new duckling family on the lake at the Priory in Aylesford!!! :)
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