NOW Group Facilitation Scares the Beejeebers Outta Me!

So, today in my Group Work class, there was six of us who did a role play. We had made a proposal for a psychoeducational group for teenaged girls to talk about self-esteem. All we had to do was the initial stage, which was fairly easy (or so we thought) because a lot of what you have to talk about is already frameworked for you.

So I made up eight profiles on fairly realistic teenaged girls- there were all different types of girls, but most women would be able to connect with several of them. Then another girl and I facilitated while classmates were the members.

Well, okeedina!!!!

I did not think my classmates would be so difficult! The horrible thing was that all of them stayed within their roles perfectly- but the conflict! There was conflict over showing emotion! There was conflict over how some had lots of friends and some didn't! There was even name calling!

And they moved so fast! You could not deal with one conflict, and try to relate it back to group process and the topic at hand, before there was another, and another, and another! It was like, which fire do I put out first? Or do I ignore the fires, and slog on with my agenda?

Then, to really botch it up, I chose dealing with the fires, and my cofacilitator chose slogging on with the agenda! It was a mess!! At the end of the group, none of the participants felt good about the group- and it was just a role play!!!!

Well, let me tell you, when it comes time for their role plays, I am going to be one of THE MOST challenging participants EVER!!!

So, what was supposed to be an excersise in feeling good about groups ended up scaring me to death.

By the way, I am sorry that only May-B really understood what I was talking about. :)

Book Meme

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post it on your blog, along with these instructions
5. Don't go running and finding something "cool" or "intellectual"! Really the closest book!

OK... well, nearest book does not have 123 pages... let's go with the next nearest book....

This is from "Social Welfare in Canada" by Steven Hick:

"This increase in divorce rate has, in turn, contributed to the changes in family stuctures."

I'm sorry! It was a textbook! I don't read it for fun!

Memeing- I really love it too much

Do you snore? Very, very rarely. Usually only when I am sick. I have a roommate, so she would tell me if I did. Anyway, the guy in the apartment below us snores enough for everyone in our building. Like, we hear him through the floor every night.

Are you a lover or a fighter? I am a lover until I blow my top. It happens very rarely, but when it does, watch out!

What is your worst fear? I am also going with phobia, and that would have to definately be mice. You know that high pitched, long, drawn-out girly scream on horror movies? The one that nearly cracks your eardrums? That is e when I see a mouse.

As a kid, were you a lego maniac? Hmm.... I had them, and I enjoyed them, but I was actually a dress-up maniac.

What do you think about reality tv? I am mixed about it- I really think it is horribly unethical, so I try to avoid watching it- but if I start- even if I only see one episode- I'm hooked.

Were you a cute baby? Yes. I had this adorable curly blonde hair. I wish I had it back... it was the best blonde hair ever.

Is the single life for you? Don't think about it!! I really hope it isn't. Really, really, really hope it isn't.

Do you sing in the shower? Very occasionally. Not often though.

Any secret talents? If I do, they are a secret from even me.

What is your ideal vacation? Right now, I would be happy anywhere (Calgary this weekend- yay!) but ideally, a summer off to go camp hopping and crazy roadtrips to wierd places in the middle.

Can you swim? No. In fact, I am one of the few pwople I know who failed the yellow swimming lesson three times.

Can you sing the alphabet backwards? No. I can, however, say it backwards, very slowly, with lots of pauses to think.

What are you addicted to? My computer, Friends, ice-cream, and cheese.

Crunchy or creamy peanut butter? Creamy, definately. What is the point of it if it doesn't spread?

What is the most annoying TV commercial? That one that advertises Calcium supplements, and had archetcture turning into bones. It is too wierd, and is on way too often.

What is the most clever tv commercial? Way back when Telus first started their animals on a white background themed commercials, there were some awesome ones. I've forgotten what they are though, it was several years ago.

Favorite song at the moment? I think it is by Kelly Clarkson- I don't know what it is called, but it is about how she trashed her boyfriend's car when he cheated on her.

Switch

Well, I made my decision. I am going to switch my field placement. I went back today to tell my supervisor of my decision, and to say goodbye to the few people that were nice to me there, and to take my learning contract back. No way was I leaving it with them.

I did get a confirmation that I was making the right decision, though. My supervisor could not even keep it confidential that I was considering leaving! Like, how awkward would it have been if I had decided to stay! I mean, for those of you who don't know, confidentiality is/ought to be one of the pillars of social work. So I was disappointed in my supervisor again before I left though.

Anyway, no more looking back. That is in the past, an unfortunate experience, but I got closure today, so it isn't going to bother me anymore. I'll have a few days off, and then I will be set up with a new, hopefully exciting, field placement, where I'll have a supervisor I see once in a while, and where I am not merely a go-for.

Meme

1. Comfort beverage: Hmmm... It depends on my mood.... but orange juice with pulp is fantastic, as it is becoming more and more rare to find these days. There is nothing wrong with pulp, people!!

2. Comfort chair: My parents bought this huge, overstuffed Lazeboy recliner, and I love it. I could stay in it all day.

3. Comfort book: Harry Potter- it is funny in parts, fairly simple to read, and I know it so well, it is like coming back to an old friend. Pus, Ron and the twins are just SO funny.

4. Comfort television/DVD/music- Comfort television is definately Friends. I own all 10 seasons on DVD, and I always plug it in whenever I get into a funk. Comfort DVD (which I will take to mean movie) is likely A Walk To Remember, or even any other romantic comedy. I am a gonner for sap. Ooh! Or any Pirates move- I mean, mmm, Captain Jack Sparrow. Oh, but then there is also The Mask of Zorro- I mean, that dancing!!!! It is incredible. Plus, some good boy-watching in there too. Comfort music... I made up 2 CDs of all country songs, or romantic ballads that I love. I used those today.

5. Comfort companions- Quite honestly, almost anyone will do. As long as I am not alone, I feel better. Today, my neighbor Andrea, her 4 year old son (cutest child ever), Rebekah, and Grant were mine.

Later...

Well, I am still unhugged, but at least I am coherant, which is an improvement. I talked it all out with one of my teachers, and feel much better.

I could use some prayer though. I have a decison to make this weekend about whether or not I want to keep my field placement, or switch.

(I had to add a title, cuz it looked stupid)

I really need a hug right now.

I met him!

Remeber that awesome crazy guy on the bus? The one in the crazy out fit with the beads on his boots? Well, I met him today!

So I was on the bus, like I always am, and it suddenly dawns on me that the old man next to me is that guy! So, I immediately started memorizing his outfit:

• Blue long sleeved button up shirt, with the same Hawiian shirt as last time over top, and for added warmth, a woolen vest over top of that.
• Track pants- they were Adidas- and your know that white stripe? Well, he had added red dots all the way down the stripe.
• Cowboy boots, with the beads missing :(
• A cowboy hat like Greg's (with a picture of George Canyon on the inside- he showed me) and sunglasses
• And then the best part- a grey western looking belt over top of his multiple shirts, with chains haning off of it!

Then he started distributing newspaper articles to everyone in reach, because there was an article in their about him! It made my day! Apparently, every summer he decorates a bike- and I mean crazy decorate- there was a picture of him with his bike, and you could barely see the bike. I'm gonna quote a bit of the article:

"When you look at Peter S's decorated 1954 CCM Glider five-speed bicycle, you can visualize it as a flat in a parade. The bike, which the 76 year old has owned since he was 17, is a colorful, entertaining work of art. Peter himself adds to the picture. A born entertainer, he loves to get all dressed up in his self designed, tailored western outfit, in which he looks like a modern day Roy Rogers."

It was an excellent bus ride.

Last Night

So, I had a paper due this morning (a proposal for group work), that I had not started yesterday. I planned to start it when I got home from school.

So I came home from school and rewatched the best parts of The Lake House which I had rented. Then I had supper, and headed to prayer meeting. It was then 9 PM, so I headed home and started it.

It was going along great, and then my friend from Manitoba that used to live in Edmonton dropped by. So we (Rebekah and I- she had a lot of schoolwork too) visited with him for a while. Then we did, like, another 10 minutes of work, until we decided to be impulsive and crazy and just go cruising.

So we drove around, listening to music, eating, chatting, and we found this spot with an awesome view downtown- at the Shaw Conference Center, looking over the ledge of the hill/roof.

So then we got home after midnight, and finished our homework. I got up at 6 to go to school.

It was so worth it.

This must only happen to me...

So I am waking home today, talking to my sister on my cell phone. I am carrying a wicker shoulder bag over my shoulder (kinda like a beach bag, y'know? I got it from Jysk.) Anyway, the pants I was wearing have a zipper to shut the back pocket.

Can you guess what happened? That is right. The zipper somehow got stuck into the bag. So my bag was stuck to my butt.

I still haven't figured out how to fix it. To get the bag off my butt, I had to take my pants off.

Why me?

Why can't I do what I am supposed to do?

So on the very first day of school I was told about this assignment that I am supposed to be working on. It is a simple four page book review. I was finished the book within tow days of finding out about the project. The name of the book is Case Critical: Social Services and Social Justice in Canada by Ben Carniol. It was a really good book, good to get debate going; Ralph Klein would hate it.

So why can't I write about it? I have tried for the last four days, and can barely do anything. While trying to still be useful, I have developed an idea and done research for a reesearch paper for the same class (not due for a long time- but I love my idea- I'll be writing on special interest groups and lobbyists, and how they work, and how to best manipulate them). I also wrote an outline for a purposal I am supposed to write for group work- on a theoretical group that we want to run (mine is for teen girls with low self confidence).

But why can't I work on what I am actually supposed to do???

A Day Off

Well, today I had an exceptionally rare day off of school. My field placement supervisor was not going to be there, and as I am still unoriented to everything, I got a day off. So, this is what I accomplished off of my to do list:

• Check out the new thrift store just down the street
• Go to the bank
• Go to the library
• Go grocery shopping
• Clean out my fridge. (It really needed doing. I started will a full fridge and ended with a mostly empty fridge.)
• Take out trash.
• Do dishes.
• Do some computer stuff.
• Thaw some hamburger. (Well, I am still doing it. I am hoping to make a nice supper.)
• Catch up on WebCT

Things I did not accomplish:

• Reading, Reading, Reading!!!!!! (For school. I am perfectly capable on keeping up on pleasure reading.)
• Get my thoughts together for my social policy paper
• Research stuff for placement (that may still get done)

It was a rather nice, abiet chilly, day, spent chiefly in my own company.

Oh, but I did meet the nicest old man in the Safeway today. I had the hiccups, so I fished out some juice, bent over, and drank it upside down. (Only thing that works. May-B suggested it when I was staying at her house for QoWP's wedding. What can I say? It was loud, and silencing the thirty or so of us at BPs. And giving us (me at least) a headache. I have been thankful for the idea ever since. Even if it makes me look stupid in public.)

Anyway, so this nice old man stopped me for a discourse on hiccups. This poor man had had hiccups since 1984!!! That is longer than I have been alive! Anyway, just last month, he had finally found a cure, and is now enjoying life again. He had been to doctors, who said that hiccups is a sign of acid reflex (odd, but OK), had spent a bunch of money, and changed his diet a bunch, and had been on a bunch of different medications, but he finally found a herbal remedy- some sort of aloe vera drink. He was so happy about it- I would be too. Imagine having loud, embarressing hiccups for twenty-two years.

I would have turned into a hermit.

Memeing

3 things that scare me are:

• mice, very definately mice
• being pulled over by the cops
• riding with someone who makes poor passing decisions

3 people that make you laugh:

• Ky
• Kelly
• Bronwyn

3 things that you hate the most?

• Bullies
• Large crowds
• cramps

3 things I don't understand:

• How individuals can have great ideas, but collectively, their ideas suck
• How computers work
• Boys (lol)

3 things I am doing right now:

• blogging
• watching Harry Potter 4
• eating Chunks Ahoy cookies

3 things I want to do before I die:

• Learn to ballroom dance
• Fall in love
• Take the trip of a lifetime to somewhere amazing

3 things I can do:

• Ride a horse (after a sort)
• Write exams
• Spend money

3 things to describe my personality:

• Reserved until you get to know her
• then crazy and quirky
• and caring and compassionate

3 things I can't do:

• Swim (failed the first swimming lesson 3 times)
• Do hair
• Run not like a girl

3 things I think you should listen to:

• Your parents
• any Martina McBride song
• any Paul Brandt

3 things you should never listen to:

• Anyone who says you'll fail
• Anyone who says you are no good
• Anyone who says you are ugly

3 things I'd like to learn:

• Ballroom dancing
• Assessment and Intervention Stategies
• More self reflection

3 favorite foods:

• Lasanga (meat, cheese, pasta- what else does anything need?)
• chocolate
• beef stroganof

3 beverages I drink regularly:

• water
• milk
• juice

3 shows I watched as a kid:

• Prince of BelAir
• Mr Dressup
• The Nanny

3 things I have on my desk:

• Empty Chunks Ahoy container
• fauculty list
• mini globe and pencil sharpener

3 things I am grateful for:

• Jesus
• Being in the social work program
• My apartment and roommate

Camp Stories

Well, I just got back from a weekend retreat with my church, and I had so much fun! I:

• Participated in a pillowfight! It was wild and crazy fun! It was on my list of things to do before I die, so I can cross it off now
• Rode in the back of a truck with many other people- it hurt SO much to brush my hair afterwards!
• Had a short dancing lesson, which reaffirmed what I already knew- I want to learn how to ballroom dance!
• Watched people jump off a bridge into a river- I can't swim, so didn't do it myself, but watching was so very much fun.
• Twirled around a broom in circles, and then promptly fell over when I tried to walk.
• Shrieked at a lot of wasps.
• Stayed up to the wee hours of the morning talking with a lot of really awesome girls.
• Played the telephone game at banquet.
• Got the giggles innumerable times.
• Freaked out a bunch of jr. high girls with a game we play every year.
• And almost accidentally slept in the boys dorm.

Oh, that last one got your interest?

Well, we didn't get there until after 1AM, by which time everyone was already in bed. So, we went to the cabin to see if there was any spots left where the older girls usually stay. We were very disappointed to see that there wasn't, so we left, and slept in the garage with the younger girls.

In the morning, at breakfast, I overhear one of the guys mention that THEY were in the cabin.

I promptly got a fit of the giggles, as did all of us girls who checked out the cabin.

Imagine this scenerio:

Say there was room in there for us. All those boys were OUT (fyi, the girls were up and talking for hours after that). We would have just crawled in, changed into pj's, shoved some people in sleeping bags over, crawled in between a few people, and gone to sleep. The next morning, we would have woken up, and realized that we were surrounded by boys... they would have realized that they were surrounded by girls... It would be painfully awkward for the next 10 minutes, while we grabbed our stuff and hopped out of there in our sleeping bags... Then we would have laughed about it for the rest of camp. It would have been a story told for generations... about how the boys and girls accidentally slept together.

Another odd incident, and my thoughts on this pattern

Check out this conversation:

I am at work. I see a man wave me over, so I go over:

Jen: Hi, is there anything I can help you with?

CrazyGuy (we'll call him CG): I am sorry to bother you at work, but I was walking by, and couldn't help but notice and tell you that you are absolutely beautiful.

Jen (a little taken back, but not shocked, too many crazy people have hit on her this summer): Thank you for the compliment.

CG: I would really love to visit and get to know you better.

Jen: I can't do that, but I thank you for the compliment and the bravery it must have taken to come talk to me. (I was trying out that thing from Hitch.)

CG: Well, even if I gave you my number, and you could call me and we could get together?

Jen: Fine. (thinking taking it and pitching it was easier than refusing)

CG: This is the number I am staying at right now, and the this number here is just voice mail, I have no fixed address right now.

Jen: OK.

CG: I look forward to seeing you.

Jen: Thank you for the compliment. Bye.

So then I promptly went to the back room and pitched his number, and hid out for a while.

I have learned something this summer. Apparently I am an attractive girl. Too bad the only people who think this are strangers, and thus, only ask me out because they like my body. I don't appreciate that attention, because I know that they don't like my mind or my spirit, but just my body. And I won't let myself be used like that.

But the opening line on this crazy guy (he really was crazy, not all his marbles were there) would have absolutely melted me if it had been a guy I knew and trusted saying it. Absolutely melted.

The Theme Song

I have a theme song!

Inspired by May-B's question, I gave it lots of thought, and rejected many songs, until I finally hit it:

"Happy Girl" by Martina McBride. Do you guys know it?

I used to live in a darkened room
Had a face of stone
And a heart of gloom
Lost my hope, I was so far gone
Cryin' all my tears
With the curtains drawn
I didn't know until my soul broke free
I've got these angels watching over me

Oh watch me go
I'm a happy girl
Everybody knows
That the sweetest thing you'll ever see
In the whole wide world
Is a happy girl

I used to hide in a party crowd
Bottled up inside
Feeling so left out
Standing in a corner wearing concrete shoes
With my frozen smile
And my lighted fuse
Now every time I start to feel like that
I roll my heart out like a welcome mat

Oh watch me go
I'm a happy girl
Everybody knows
That the sweetest thing you'll ever see
In the whole wide worldIs a happy girl

Laugh when I feel like it
Cry when I feel like it
That's just how my life is
That's how it goes
Oh watch me go
I'm a happy girl

And I've come to know
That the world won't change
Just 'cause I complain
Let the axis twirl
I'm a happy girl

Oh watch me go
I'm a happy girl
Everybody knows
That the sweetest thing you'll ever see
In the whole wide world
Is a happy girl
Oh, yeah
Oh, yeah
I'm a happy girl

Sitemeter again

Someone found my blog by looking up "Hanes you can't over love your underwear lyrics"

How great is that?

Creepy Story of the Day

So, two months ago I bought a really good steak sandwich in the food court at the mall.

Today, this simpleminded man about my mom's age comes into my store in a different mall. He remembered me from when I bought that stupid sandwich from him!! Two months ago! Isn't that wierd? And if that isn't enough, he promptly hits on me and asked me out!

So what was my response? I said, "No" and then hid in the back room until he left- which, by the way, took an inordinate amount of time, especially considering he wasn't buying anything.

So, this is my qustion to the world: WHY ME???

Why is it that all the creepy and wierd people are attracted to me? Am I a wierdo magnet?? And the normal, intellegent, great guys (so few of them, I know, but they are out there)- well, do I repell them or something? None of them ever flirt with me. Just the wackos.

I mean, let's take an inventory of the people who have asked me out:

1. Convict. Doing community service.

2. OK, this one isn't bad. Actually, I was kinda sad to say no, but he wasn't a Christan and had no interest in becoming one. Anyway, he was a student going into the army.

3. Wierd person on the bus.

4. Creepy guy who remembered me from 2 months previously.

That is it. Where are all the normal people??

And now I'll be looking over my shoulder for the rest of the week. And every time I go to the mall where I bought that sandwhich.

Things about blogs

I have mentioned my love for sitemeter a few times in the past, but I am going to bring it up again.

One of the many neat features is that it tells you how people get to your site- many of whom have come through google. Someone once found me by looking up "browning hamburger in a microwave." Many, many, many people have found me by googling "Jen's needs."

Way back in October, in my Psch class, we did a silly little assignment on weetags. I completely made up my entire experiment, filled it with a bunch of balogna and got a good grade on it. Recently, someone googled "Weetags," found me, and asked me for help with their weetags assignment! Someone is using me as a reference! And it is all on a bunch of bull I made up in a twenty minute time period. Literally, I am spending more time on this post then I did on that assignment.

Life can be ironic.

Garlic Breath

I stayed healthy for a week while I was at camp. The moment I got home, I got another sore throat and cough (likely what Rebekah had while we were there), so for supper I have made myself hamburger cassarole with lots of onion and garlic in it. My breath is terrible, I am sure, but I can feel the tingle in my sinuses that tell me that it is working.

Camp was great- I tented with Jamie and Kelsey, plus went camping beforehand, so I slept on the ground for nine nights in a row. My bed last night was pure bliss.

Even though I was a little sore in the mornings, I highly recommend camping. Very few people use those showers, it is close and convienient, and you can stay up as late as you want, or go to bed early.