So let's see . . . was a largely uneventful week until Wednesday. My internship placement is at Signs of Sobriety (www.SignsofSobriety.org), which is the ONLY organization that is by, for, and of the Deaf, dedicated to counseling, educating, and advocating for substance abuse treatment and awareness for the Deaf/HoH here in New Jersey. When I first joined them last semester, my supervisor, Steve (who is a Deaf man with an MSW from Gallaudet . . . I got him to write one of my recommendations to GU. Sweet.)told me that SOS was entering into a competitive bidding process for renewals of their grants. I signed on and did a lot of work with the grant writing process and the grassroots support organization.
Hang on, the washer and dryer are here . . .
Wow, am I glad Uncle Dave was working at Tom's next door, because the guy was kinda rude. I also had to hunt down Hoot and lock her in Heather's room. But they're bringing it in now, which is good.
Anyway, SOS got word early this month that their grants were not renewed and that SOS would have to downsize drastically since they've lost most of their funding. On Wednesday was a public meeting of NJ's Division of Addiction Services for the Deaf and HoH. I went, as did many others in support of SOS. Heck, I even spoke, and was quite nervous (though Sharon said I appeared very confident). I just pointed out that it was quite unfair that all of the funding went to one source and that Deaf/HoH people don't have a choice like hearing people. And also, that if you had a problem, you'd want to go to someone who specializes in your problem. For example, if you have cancer, you're not going to see a general practiconer. You're gonna go see an oncologist. The organization that received the funding that was SOS's is not an organization run by Deaf people, and it does not specialize in helping Deaf people. It's unfair that Deaf people aren't given options and that they have to settle for care that will probably be subpar.
After I spoke, the 'designee' for the Chairwoman of Health and Human Services (the chairperson incidentally also graduated from Drew . . . weird) started slinging mud about SOS and how it was a business matter. For those of you who know me, when I tell you she reminded me of my ex-stepmother, this association speaks volumes. Ugh, she was so nasty!! I left the meeting quite downfallen, and disillusioned. I thought the reason they had the meeting was so people's voices could be heard. And we weren't. That sucks.
So instead of working with some clients on independent living skills and developing interpersonal relationships, I'm now doing some loss counseling and getting them linked up with other supportive services. I know that I will be doing things that are needed, but it's just so sad, because SOS is such a dynamic agency.
Still haven't heard from GU . . . I'm starting to get nervous and a little sad. I am also starting to doubt if I'll get accepted for an interview. Jake, my friends, and family have all been really supportive and encouraging, but it's hard not to feel a little blue. The suspense is killing me. I'm starting to wonder if I should e-mail them and ask when I should expect to hear . . .
Weight's still dancing around 152. I hate being stuck in a rut! Made a tasty dinner last night though . . . of my own creation . . .
"Tangy Creamed Spinach with Beef"
3/4 to 1 pound of baby spinach
a few pinches of ground nutmeg (fresh is best)
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp. butter
4 oz. cream cheese
1/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 to 1 cup chicken stock
1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet, cook the spinach down with a little oil over medium heat. Stir in the nutmeg. (It really adds a little depth to the dish . . . I always use nutmeg when dealing with spinach or kale. Yum!)
When spinach is wilted, transfer to another bowl and brown the beef. While the beef is browning, cut the cream cheese up and heat over low heat with the cream, whisking until smooth. When it's smooth, turn off the heat.
Remove the beef to the same bowl as the spinach and saute onion in butter and a little oil until translucent. When the onions are golden, add the spinach and beef back into the skillet. Pour in the chicken stock and let it simmer down until slightly reduced.
Turn off the heat and stir in the cream cheese mixture. Add Parmesan cheese and stir well to combine. Salt and pepper if needed.
Jake loved this dish . . . I was just looking for a way to eat the baby spinach I'd bought before it went bad. It was quite tasty though.
I finished reading "An Unquiet Mind" last night, a memoir about manic-depressive illness (or Bipolar Disorder, whichever term you prefer). It was sooooooo good. I just love books like that . . . "When Rabbit Howls" is also really good; it's written by the multiple personalities of a woman who suffers from multiple personality disorder (or Dissasociative Identity Disorder . . . though I don't think it's as good a term as multiple personalities, but that's just me). Kind of like "Sybil," but from a first-person perspective. I've also got a first person narrative of schizophrenia waiting in the wings, but unfortunately grad school reading is more pressing at the moment. Bah.
I'm getting marginally better at Wii . . . I'm connecting more when I bat and the scores of our games are getting less insane. Little by little.
The Boss and Rosalita are still alive, as are Snaily and More Snaily. I have to say that the snails are mad cute. I love it when they are 'cleaning' the sides of the aquarium because you can see their little mouths and their tiny tongues. Awwwww!
Lily's rejoined the general population and is seeming much happier. Simba's relatively unaffected (I think he's one of those out of sight out of mind kind of animals; he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer) but Jake told me that Nina hissed at Lily the day after she was set free from the bedroom. LOL! Lily probably deserved it though . . . she's a troublemaking little imp.
That's about it for now. Gonna go watch some sleazy daytime tv.
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