Theres no immediate wifi access here so even though I’m going to be writing posts they may get uploaded in a different order.

I’ve started meeting some of the other women on the floor. The women have a locked ward in that it takes a special key to get in. The men can’t get in and the women in the other programs who aren’t on this floor can’t get on.
It’s actually a good system and they’ve done their best to make a safe place complete with a TV lounge and a very nice bathroom. A good bathroom goes a lonnnnng way.

It still feels like a barracks though.

Dinner was better though the “protein” was still a mystery. But there was milk and canned pears. And canned chicken soup with the broth and little noodles.

Several of the women here are my age. I was hoping for this, hoping it might give me an easier peer group.

There’s supposed to be 8 women in the program and I think 5 of us are here so far. The rest of the women on the floor are in different programs.

I doubt I’ll sleep tonight, I usually don’t when there are bed checks, something about strangers coming into my “safe” space several times a night.
But at least I’ll have Keegan with me.

I am tired though.
My roommate isn’t supposed to show up until tomorrow so I may try and get some sleep this evening before all the bed checks start.

And discharge appts.
This morning I’m doing laundry (no charge to use the machines) and doing my out processing.
This afternoon is our graduation ceremony where all the supporters of the program get to speak. But it’s only supposed to be about 90 minutes long.

This evening is just waiting around. I can’t leave until Friday morning. And since I have to wait until then I’ll stay long enough to go to the main hospital and pick up my travel pay.

It feels a bit strange to leave, everything is familiar now. I’ve lived here longer than I’ve lived in my apartment.

All for now, have to put my laundry in the dryer. 🙂

Today is the last day of classes. Yesterday we only had one day of class and had the rest of the day off.
Tomorrow is graduation; which is more for the supporters of the program than it is for the participants. This is okay though since that’s what keeps the program alive for future participants.

Friday afternoon I’ll be home again and will be able to catch up on comments and emails.

Popsicles are a big hit here, especially with the shitzou.

This little dog will eat an entire Popsicle if given the chance, and so far, there isn’t a flavour she doesn’t like.

It’s hilarious!

As of today I have 5 days of classes left, and 1 weekend.

Today was a nice break.
I slept in late, played Lego Harry potter on my iPad, took a nap, played with Keegan, did a quick craft from the craft shop, and did nothing at all productive.

This evening I’ll take a bubble bath and go to bed early.

Tomorrow I’ll try and force myself to pay attention to the rest of the classes. But at least it’ll be a short rest of the week, so I hope my limited concentration will be enough!

Yesterday I started working on a service dog vest for my roommates little service dog.

We got the scraps of leather from the craft shop and some thread from the recreation therapy room.

Today I got it finished.
Custom fit.

Someone got bored…

Ps. It’s a fake mouse, a cat toy.

I still wake up every time the nurse comes in for bed check but I’m getting back to sleep faster afterwards.

Last night I slept pretty well and I woke up this morning awake, instead of feeling exhausted.

My roomie and I went to Austin on Saturday. She’d never been and I had to pay my bills. It was a nice break and good to see my place.

We only have a week of classes left, WOOHOO!

Unfortunately, the craft center is shutting down for its two week vacation on Tuesday, tomorrow, so I won’t be able to do any more projects there.
My last project, finished yesterday, was a art phone case. I love it!
It’s hand drawn but based off of a pattern in an old Tandy Leather instruction book.

We have 1 week of “serious” classes then a week of talks, discharge appts, and graduation.

I’m glad we only have a week left because I’m losing motivation; similar to what I feel like 2 weeks before finals.

I’m also glad because I’ve been feeling ill the past week. My stomach is all in cramps, my heart has been racing, and my legs are still cramping up every night.

In other news, my appleID password won’t work no matter how many times I change it. So I haven’t been able to update my iPhone or purchase anything new.
I may have to go to the apple store to get it cleared up.

Tomorrow I and my two roomies are taking a daytrip to Austin. I have to pay my rent and pay my utility bills. While we’re there we’re going to take the duck tour, visit Torchy’s Tacos, and any other small activity that strikes our fancy.
We’ll be back in Temple by evening.

What a fustercluck.

More when I can actually type on a keyboard.

I’m losing patience with the program.
Today one of my favorite classes was canceled so the long term patient that runs the laundry room could run a required meeting to give out awards to people who smiled enough or kept their room extra clean while a nurse went over how to wash your hands in mind-numbing depth.

The women here still have to go thru the men’s entrance and exit. A couple female outpatients got an unpleasant shock when they tried to come to class today.

Mostly though, it’s just a few people being rude, cruel, or just plain stupid, that cause problems for the entire population.

If we, as a population, could just move on it would help. Yes, it’s bad, it’s dangerous, the high mucky mucks don’t seem to be listening to us, but for Pete’s sake, let’s just be done with it.

3rd project, time for one more before I leave.

Counting this week we’ve got two more weeks of therapy, the last week is all discharge appts and graduation speeches, etc etc.

So, two more weeks of bullshlt and therapy (there is therapy but there’s an awful lot of bull mixed in).

But that’s also two weeks to do as much leather crafting as I can fit in. Its the one thing I look forward to.

I finished all the required homework yesterday, did laundry early early this morning, and took another nap.

The craft room opens at 10am so I can go work on my latest leather project.

Days in a residential program.

I’m ready to go home.