Life in 400 Words

Wow that last blog was a long one… blogs should really only be around 400 words (give or take), so I apologize and will keep it short in the future. This means, we will probably end up having a series of blogs on one subject; because not everything can be covered in 400ish words. Today, a very short update on my attempt to settle back into a (strait) life. You know what I mean, regular paid employment, a place to live, social connections etc.
The good news is I have found a nice 2 bedroom apartment; expect to have a room-mate. It comes complete with a lovely landlady; I think we are going to get along great. It isn’t cheap, but certainly reasonable for the market, here. It is close to my daughter and has easy bus access to downtown. All of which are good things. I am really enjoying the time with my kids and look forward to regular contact after I move out, which will likely be this weekend.
The bad news is I have not yet found a job, while I will take any work in the meantime; I really want to get back into frontline social work. I really expected to have a position starting November 1st. Perhaps given the warmer climate in southern Ontario they don’t start winter response until later in the season?
When I go home to Alberta, I am downtown visiting the D.I. and my client friends within 48 hours. Because I want to work in the industry here, I cannot just pop down to the soup kitchen or drop-in to visit with clients; to do so would label me as a client of the agency and disqualify me from employment. There are only a handful of agencies running most of the homeless related services.
I confess to missing the people and the community (homeless and street people). This is the longest I have been away, since I first walked into the Calgary Drop-In, almost 5 years ago. Even after my surgery, when I was force to take disability… I got my sister to take me to the soup kitchen and Sally Ann in Nelson where I was convalescing. I think I am having separation anxiety LOL. As a possible solution I have put in with local agencies for volunteer positions, to keep my head in the right place (focused on others)… instead sitting around feeling sorry for myself. Tomorrow I have an appointment, hopefully by next week I’ll be doing something useful again. Well that was 422 words …so for now have a joyous day.