The End of an Era.

May 18th 2011.

I'M BACK.

Heyyyy party people.

I know it's been a long time. My life has been hectic and I am owned by NYC and my MSW program. However, I have gotten many emails/text/face-to-face interventions re:my lack of blog maintenance. So, Ok.... back on and poppin.


stay tuned, bitches.


image via trah$y $ells

Holiday 2010.

OMG. Un. Real. Finals are over and I can be a regular person (until Jan 3rd).

For those who care: I'll be in NC from the 22-2. And I have MANY people I MUST see. (GRACE. BECKY. this is a must). I'm looking forward to coming on home for a bit, and driving a car, and staying up late, and not walking. haha. The holidays are always great, and I'm really into the R&R.

Questions: What good TV shows have I most likely missed (prime time) and should catch up on?
Any good movies I should netflix?
Good book for the holiday reading list?
I need someone to help me re-engage in the real world!

I Can't Live Without: Exam Edition.

New little segment, while I'm still a lazy, partially committed blogger. I figured I need to do SOMETHING because right now I'm sort of pathetic. I give myself a pass because right now I am going through the hardest exam period of my entire life. It's just not reasonable to sleep as little as I do, and work as much as I do right now. I know a lot of you identify with me right now.... so, before I tell you what  I can't live without, I'd like to raise a toast to anybody who's out there grindin right now-- legally and illegally.

Moving Forward:

I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT: Google Docs.
Christ. what a little gem. Today 4 of us, E, Kbeau, .... hum..... she needs a blog-name. R^3 (that works.),and myself all decided to approach our Advance Clinical Practice class with nothing short of common-sense, savvy....pure genius, really. 

A little background: All 4 of us are in the same class, and for the final exam we were given 13 questions, all various styles of obscure mini-papers (meaning they need their individual citations, research, the works). I'm sorry. But that's a motherfucker. Like.... way too much work.

We beasted it today. To those of you who aren't familiar.... in Google Docs you can collaborate on one single assignment as a team. There's even a cute little "chat" feature within. I loved Loved LOVED literally watching all of us type away, in real time. And, I was proud of us for not falling in to a k-hole of misery by trying to attack the exam by ourselves. Even though I still need to WRITE my exam, the fact that I have all of the research, source gathering, AND citations already compiled made me feel... well. giddy. So giddy I drank tonight. So giddy that I'm blogging at 1:42am, so giddy that I'm not remembering how hard it is to get to work in the morning when I go to sleep after 1am.

Still not sure about Google Docs??

Then this should be enough to convert you to a believer.


Stay tuned: there are so many things I cannot live without these days! 

A cartoon interpretation of the MSW Program.

Someone who either goes to, or went to the same grad school as me made this video. I swear this is 100% exactly how I feel and exactly what this experience is like. Social Work humor, but still funny. Give it a watch.


video via: 

Still Breathing.

This is partially to blame for where I've been all semester. My new internship is incredible, but I have never worked harder. (Hard to believe after crawling in the woods last year.) The difference? I am wearing my new hat (and it's still so strange to say) of "Clinician." I have clients, and we do therapy, and I see a couple for counseling... and I work a shift at the psychiatric Emergency Room at NY Presbyterian Hospital (Cornell) every Friday afternoon. I absolutely love what I'm doing, but.... I'm tired. Because then, there is school... and like, the library.

Anyways, I just caught up on the blogs of SM, LMCW, Akili ,Mo'C, Bex & Grace..... and I tell you what, I miss you guys, and I miss my blog! So, we'll see if I can get back in the groove.

I'm back...

Back at Butler Library, shit's getting real... I graduate in 6 months!

Oh Heyyy....

I've been away for a LONG time. my bad....  School and my internship have really got me super busy. But, I think I'm back. More to come soon. I want to tell you all about my new internship, and about school.... plus, Wisconsin-Shannon just visited me last weekend, E's birthday is on Wednesday, and this coming weekend I am going on a road trip upstate. Super excited.

Endless Summer?

via timetoweep


Summer is over.... Today is my first day of classes... and last year of my MSW program. Lots of conflicting feelings. I miss my job in the Bronx already, and I am not ready to give up my happy hours in exchange for office hours. I guess it's just another transition.... Still need to recap the summer, and preview the fall.

More posts soon....!

My Work. My Life. Conflict of Interest?

Forgive me, Tory Burch, for I have sinned. When the weather changed I had to turn in my jeans and Nikes for (conservative) dresses and flats. Not that much cuter, but I'm not sweating like a beast any longer. The thing is... I really like my job. So much. I love it. It was my 1st year internship originally, then they hired me for the summer. I work with Homeless individuals and, even though I have an office, I spend most of the day in the field.
I have a client who I have had a lot of trouble finding lately, he has an apartment in Manhattan, but spends a lot of his time with his clique in the North East Bronx at the end of the 6 train.

My poor flats....

My co-workers leading the way before the "path" ends.

Today I came out with my 2 Favorite outreach workers, Jose and David to find him. I had a couple tips about where they were and wanted to check it out. Back in the day my client and his clique had a huge tent encampment deep in the woods, but they got cleaned out a while back. I told them that I had heard through the vine that the encampment was back, and that I'd seen a couple of them walking into the woods the day before.

I think my co-workers were a little skeptical because the Tents were a major deal back in the day. And here's the conflict of interest. Like could I be a bigger oxymoron. Here I am in a black cotton dress, Tory Burch flats, and accessories (including over sized sunglasses) walking into the woods with my two male co workers who are In jeans and boots. We pulled off of I-95 and at the light change people start honking their horn. Why? Because the cars are too busy rubber necking and have missed the light turning. Die.

We get into the woods...and I mean... There's a "path" but it's still pretty Outward Bound. The path stops but I like, I am high stepping in grass up to my waist, prob. flashing my underwear to anyone if they happened to look. I told Jose I'd seen my clients shopping cart (shopping carts are like cars to clients, and if you know your client, you know their cart) with a bag of charcoal in it. So, after I spot my clients cart and charcoal near by, I'm pretty much positive they are set back up in there again.

I mean.... its 9:30 am. Seriously.

The Tent!

More of the Encampment.

My clients cart.

And we did. The entire encampment was back! Hahaha I know nobody understands how exciting this was/probably are still confused as to how/why I do this job (especially if you know me personally...) But it was effing dope. I'm literally covered in big raised mosquito bites, and am cut from thorny vines but whatever....

Anyways, I wanted to share that because this is what I spend a lot of my time doing (working, not wandering in the woods in sundresses), and I don't write about it much, but I have had some requests to talk more about work (and by "some requests", I just mean K.Beau and Bex) So, I obliged.

thoughts?

Goodbye, Butler.

This is my boyfriend, Butler on our last night out, Tuesday, April 27th.

 

Look how happy and thrilled I am to be here.

 

Study snacks

 

Stack of articles recycled after I finished that last paper.

 

 The freakin creepy ass person who lives in the library after hours. Oh hey, it's 5am. Go home.

2010 SSW Gala.

Butler Library Chronicles: day 4... or 5. I don't Know.

  

Hey there friends. 

I'm still holding myself captive in the library, trying to get through finals. Thought I'd hit you with the quick update:

Picture 1) me and my boo, Butler... doesn't he looks so sexy and handsome in the twilight?

Picture 2) Cola, red bull, powerade, water. All that caffeine is going to put me into a 'roid rage if I'm not careful...

Picture 3) This is what I get for studying in the Undergrad Library.... some freshman-ass-behavior right there. 

The good news is, the end is near. I'll be back to the good stuff later. But right now, me, and my greasiness need to get back to this bitch of a finale paper (due tomorrow at 2pm) 

Butler Library Chronicles.

This is where I will be for the next 2 weeks. Home sweet home.... Makes me miss the days of undergrad and nights at DH Hill.
Last time I was in the library I saw an old man browsing nasty porn at 12:23am. So, I'm assuming more shit will go down over the next 2 weeks... And I plan to document the BLC (butler library chronicles, obv.) For your voyeuristic pleasure.

The Final Countdown.

This is my 'to do' list for the rest of the semester.
This stands between me and an amazing 4 months off school.
April 29th at 3:50 pm classes are over and I seriously am so ready.... I'm halfway finished with Graduate School!

Summer Plans.

The weather is FINALLY nice up here! the sunshine is so refreshing and I absolutely love being in the city as spring rolls in.

I've got about a month of school left. The last day of class is April 29th and my internship ends on the 7th of May. It's insane to think that I have completed almost 1/2 of my graduate program! It's been a freakin hard year. The internship was so much work, demanding on me mentally and emotionally--- but I truly loved the work I did this year. Next year my internship selections are all direct clinical practice with adults of young adults. I am looking at community clinics and university settings where I will be the primary therapist. Really exciting and I can't wait to find out where I'll be next year. 

Something else very exciting is that my internship offered me a job working for them for the summer. I'm so happy because summer jobs are hard to come by, and I definitely need to like, pay my rent, eat and breathe all summer. So, starting June 1 I will work 4 days a week as a case manager (and getting paid-- holla) I'm gonna be off on Fridays, so I can still have something that resembles a summer as well.

All of my friends will be in the city for the summer (minus Kimmy, who will be in Nicaragua). So I am so thrilled for all of the summer activites and adventures. We've got concerts and trips lined up... and at the very mininum, drinking at restaurants in their outside seating will make me plenty happy. hahaha


So, question. Summer clothing at my job is going to be tricky. For me I am a dress wearer all summer because I hate being all sweaty and gross. I obviously cannot wear that stuff with my clients, though. (on office days I can wear a little more dressy stuff).

I was thinking about getting a pair of Tom's Shoes. We have to wear closed toes, for the obvious safety reasons, but I don't want to wear super hot sneakers all summer. Do any of you have a pair? How do you like them??

This is How I'm Living.

Y'all. I didn't have SHEETS on my bed for the past couple of nights. School has been kicking me in the face since the month started and after turning in 3 major papers today I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have a written exam tomorrow from 9am-12pm and then a case presentation at my internship, Friday Morning and then I am FREE. The piles of school work have been replaced with the things I'm trying to pack for VEGAS and CHAPEL HILL. I so freakin over school right now, this break could not have come soon enough.

Down for the Cause.

As I have mentioned before, my internship is with BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team. I work with street homeless adults, to get permanent housing. I currently have 12 clients. One of which I just moved into his apartment (nice!) another with a submitted housing package, and 2 others on their way as well. It's a lot of work, but I have honestly never cared about, or believed in a social service agency as much as I do BronxWorks. The commitment to the homeless by DHS (dept. of Homeless Services) and my agency is amazing. It funny because I know me.... and sometimes I surprise myself by how much I care about my clients.

So, Tomorrow night is the annual Hope Count in New York City, and I'm going to be participating, at the Lehman College site. I'll be working with my supervisor (who I'm still trying to make out with) as a Team Leader.

What it is: from 10pm on Monday, to 4am on Tuesday morning, the volunteers are all split up into different zones throughout the prospective boroughs. They have to comb through the area, surveying for homeless people. If you find someone, of course you'd get all their information and then refer the for service. The catch is that DHS has decoy homeless people placed through the zones--- so like, if you miss a decoy, you suck at outreach and your borough starts to rack up points. You want a low number, You want to find everyone.

Afterwards, The number found is calculated and ran through some crazy math algorithm to decide exactly how many street homeless individuals are in the area. Duh, you want a low score, and you want to show a decrease in people in the street.

This is so important on so many levels.... but primarily, people should not be living in the street.
We have had a ton of placements this month alone, and really, the streets seem pretty clear. The fact that it's going to rain tomorrow night will help keep people off the street, but it's a little warm, at 37 degrees...so, we'll see. I'm pretty excited.

So, Tomorrow night I'll be doing tunnels, bridges, abandon cars, and any where else that would make decent shelter on a rainy January Night. I hope to get some pictures, which I'll totally post.


More about Hope Count here. oh, and here.
To read about how HOT did last year, check it out here.





Image via NYC.gov

A Week In Review.

Hours spent at the School of Social Work: 15
Credit Hours for the Spring:16
Hard Classes: 2
Clients I can't find: 3 Amount of Toilet paper in our apartment: 0
Nights out: 3
Hangovers: 1
Inches of Subway eaten: 0 (shocking...)
Workouts: 3
Episodes of United States of Tara watched: 12
Outfit Changes: from the pile up on my chair...too many to count.