I rec'd a response from TX. They are willing to wait for me. We hope to talk on the phone this week, as I need a lot more information. I am ready for a change, but hate to leave my family. We'll see what happens.

Just in from a week in CA. The weather was wonderful, very cold actually. I ended up buying 2 sweatshirts. We did just about everything we had planned on doing, plus some other things. Mostly, I enjoyed spoiling my nephew. It doesn't matter what I spend on him, he will get it all anyhow when I am gone. Might as well spend it now with someone I love to pieces! He is the joy of my life and always has been. He enjoyed Legoland, I think just to have gone there. He really enjoyed Seaworld and was proud to have gotten splashed by Shamu, and then again by the dolphins. He picked out an oyster, and to his great delight found a rather large pearl in it. He chose a white gold whale tail to mount it on. This was for his Mommy who has a birthday today. He looked at that pearl several times a day, and couldn't wait to give it to her. We actually had 2 car loads of people, the first with myself and little nephew + others. The second with his Mommy + others who arrived 5 days after us. He enjoyed the Queen Mary. I bought him a T shirt with a "ghost ship" that glows in the dark. He was SO proud of that, and kept showing our family how it glowed. However, his most prized possession was a Russian submarine T shirt, that we could hardly get off of him. Finally, he consented to having it washed, and then wore it again. His other prized possession was a coffee mug that I bought in a Scottish goods shop. This one had his father's clan coat of arms. He drank out of that just about every meal. He had to phone his father and mother to report each exciting event. Anyhow, it was a wonderful trip for me, just being with this precious child. He and I are best "buds" anyhow, and do alot together. On another note, upon opening my email this PM, there was the exciting (dreaded) offer to be interviewed for the CMO position in TX. The problem is that they want me there the first of September or last part of August, and my cruise/travel is the first of November, through Thanksgiving. I would have to become licensed in 3 other states, but that is no worry. It is a very exciting possibility. However, I don't think they would be willing to pay me what I would need to move from AZ. We'll see. At least it would be fun to travel to TX and meet "Corporate" and be interviewed.

Getting ready for CA. My darling nephew will be going with us, the second AZ people will arrive on Thursday. I will take him to: the LaBrea tar pits, LegoLand, SeaWorld, the Midway, the Mission, the Queen Mary, the Star Wars Convention, etc. We are on the beach, and looking forward to quiet, calm days. At work, I had to testify again...this time in Cochise County, about a kid we have with Aspergers. The Judge was very professional, and the attorney for the kid was a jerk. He upset our Social Worker, but I could have cared less. The kid whom we had arrested again, does not have another hearing until June...I hope. The sex offender kid went back to his county and was deported. The kid from the Juvie prison will return on Tuesday. Another BIG and old kid comes in on Tuesday. I will phone the unit to see how bad he is. We have a psychiatrist I have been smoozing for awhile, who has stepped in, and is actually medicating the kids properly, and getting rid of these horrible Conduct D/O kids. Apparently, this is a problem throughout the nation, an increase in Conduct D/Oed kids who say they have mental disorders, so have to receive treatment. Often, it is a dump, as the kids are too difficult to manage in the jails and prisons, so are dumped on us. Once again, our society has failed. My personal belief.... parents who screw up, should have their parental rights severed, so that the child has a chance in life. Allowing "family reunification" is often a scam, and permanently destroys the child.

Wonderful weekend! It was beautiful and COOL in Flagstaff (Note to self...buy property up there). The wedding was a hoot. Good food, belly dancer, fun company. I sat with several medical staff from my unit. Met the bride's brother who does consulting for the Navy, MIT, NASA. We talked Navy stuff. Mother's Day was awesome. I am always amazed at the kindness of others. The inmates talked about how much they missed their mothers, how awful they had been to them, and how much they regretted their behaviors. The nurse I work with calls me Mom, and has adopted me. Her mother is gone, and she still grieves 20+ years later. My male manager at the hospital has also adopted me, calls me Mom, misses his mother who is also deceased. This is the truth of what I learned long ago.....clean up your side of the road, make your amends, don't take anything for granted, and be the best person you can be. Death is final. Too late to undo damage. When my father was dying, I visited him twice a week, brought him food to the nursing home, listened when his talk made no sense at all, took him for rides in my car (top down, which he loved). When he died, I had very few regrets. I had showed him how much I loved him, which I think was comforting to him. On a lighter note, I leave for California in 3 days. We will be staying on the beach, and I can't wait to get out of Dodge. The last horrible kid was arrested by the police from our facility, and the judge sent him back. He did $2000 worth of damage...a felony, and was re-arrested 8 hours after arrival. We are getting another kid, who seems very similar to this one. The courts are now ordering the kids who are so conduct disordered that they can not be maintained in jail or juvenile prison. We have become a severe Conduct Disordered facility. Adult prison is safer than this place. I am ready to move on and/or retire. It will either be this summer, or end of October.

It has been a strenuous last few weeks. We have been admitting kids faster than we can hire staff to work with them, and are now filled to capacity. My trip to Ireland was cancelled and in all honesty, this was a good thing. We are so short staffed, that I have been working the floor with the rest of my staff. Our census has grown by 250% while our staff is only 50% of what it was with only 4-5 kids. We have severe Conduct Disordered kids coming out our ears, and I can already predict which kids will end up in an adult maximum security prison. We did receive one new kid who is facing serious adult charges, who is low key and acting like a role model...for now. I am exhausted every day and night from dealing with these kids. On a brighter note, one schizoaffective kid who has not responded to meds for the last 9 months is now doing a lot better, and we are looking at discharge. Also on a brighter note, it became evident that I needed a new car. I looked for something that would just get me back and forth to work for the next few months or years (whenever I decide to retire), and found a bright red Miata. It is cute, very small, and in some ways not the quality of the Spyder.....but kind of fun. The best part was that I got a good enough deal to pay cash...so no car payments. At least it will get me to some of the trips I have planned this year. Next week, we drive to Flagstaff to attend my nephew's graduation. The next day, I attend a Biker-Greek wedding. It will be at a Greek orthodox church, reception with Greek food and a belly dancer. The bride had tried to ride her Harley in her bridal gown, but found it "just did not work". I am really looking forward to this event, and it should be a hoot.