Still having difficulties posting on this blog. Anyhow, last weekend, I met some of our nation's heroes. What an honor! The first people in space, on MIR, on the moon! I am still in awe about that experience. And, still counting the days until the big "R". Newest calculation is that my last day on the job will be Pearl Harbor Day. It is still HOT and humid here, and people are melting down right and left. I had 2 inmates on a mental health watch this week. One who really had mental health issues, the other being a jerk. After finding out that it was not cooler in detention, his mental health issues vanished. He then wanted to go back to the kitchen to work. I informed him that just as his drinking and driving had landed him in prison, which then caused him to lose his wife and family, his current behavior had not only cost him his current job, but also the chance of getting any other "good" job in prison. His mental health score had jumped, and we could no longer trust him. "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." People just can not seem to get this simple concept. Losing jobs, and material items is one thing. Losing family and people you value is another. An old drunk at the San Diego Salvation Army taught me this. He drank his family away, and then realized that no amt of drinking could deaden the pain of that loss. And....looking forward to celebrating my 60th B-Day next weekend with family.

Long week. I returned to work last week amid chaos. The psychiatrist has changed meds on our most severe children, and they are even more depressed and psychotic. The parents are very upset, and I hope they "Grieve" this inept doctor. My staff are a little more settled, but I have worked very hard to create this "stability" and assure them that they are in my chain of command. The kids are behaving very well...thank goodness. The electrical power was out for a couple of hours yesterday, and the hospital went into a "Disaster" mode. Staff were freaking, as we were locked down. No one could leave nor enter. I thought their fears were a little comical as I have been locked down so many times, I have stopped counting. On a different note, we celebrated my brother-in-laws B-day last Sunday. Of course, we bowled on wii. This weekend, we are attending a Spacefest with abt 20 astronauts available for autograph, etc.

I am off sick for a few days. Icky weather has my asthma/ chest hurting. So, I am organizing my Soldier's Angels file. I write to a new soldier every week and have kept a record of those I've written to, and their responses. Will go to the PO and stores today, and fill up a couple of boxes and mail them off. These young men are our Country's heroes. There are several in Iraq, 1 lady in Afghanistan I write to. And, I am in retirement mode. Haven't heard back from TX, but as I keep my cell turned off, that is understandable. And today is my doggie's B-Day. She died after I came back from Egypt, 5 years ago, at the age of 13. My lab died last year. He would be 15 now. Anyhow, I miss my bow-wows, and will get another lab when I return from my cruise.

First, the blog would only let me type in Hindu, then it automatically erased everything I wrote. Finally, it is allowing me to type in normal English. Anyhow, Texas called me on Tuesday and started trying to "make a deal". I do not want to leave AZ, and really want to retire, therefore I gave them a figure that they could not meet. They said they would get back to me(I'm still waiting). So hopefully, that issue is laid to rest. And after several conversations with the retirement system, I am convinced they will screw up just about everything, so will retire when I return from my trip. That way I can phone them several times a week to straighten out whatever mess they make of things. And, I did find a really neat place to stay in Venice, a B & B that had been a monastery. Met my sisters and mother for lunch today, played some cards, laughed, etc. It is very nice to have family close by. I am very lucky.