Howdy. Sorry it's been so long. Work hell which I'll get to later.

I had a really nice time in Phoenix. No, nothing of that sort, but still a good visit inspiring a bit of soul searching. Ken's the type of friend who asks 'random questions' that really make you take an honest look at yourself. He's better at that than any therapist I've ever had. I should be paying him the $125 a week instead of Roz.

As for that whole thing, no nothing happened, and it is probably for the better. I can appreciate a good friendship for what it is. Besides, I need to be the neurotic one in any relationship. I already have a short list of pet peeves that I'd have about him. Yeah, let's let sleeping pit bulls lie.

I'd still go for it if he was interested tho. I'm such a bad liar.

What was really nice was getting away from Pete for the weekend. How much I missed him last fall when we barely spoke. Now if I can actually go a day without talking to him, it's a bit of a relief. I told him he's not allowed to talk to me about his problems with Hoochie. That seems to be the whole focus of his life, so now he doesn't have a whole lot to say to me. I have to spend the better part of a week with him in April. That could suck. Or be fine, depending on how many of us go. Right now it's looking like the two of us and Wendy going to visit Olivia. If one more person (Ken) comes, it will be cool. I don't feel like I can ask Pete not to go, because then later he could do that to me. But I need a filter. Well, it is still about five weeks away.

Ok, my work drama. I have seriously had it with the middle school. Not the kids this time. The faculty. The head of the counseling program is out on leave and has been for two months. The woman who is filling in is incompetent. I can't even ask her a question without her going into a panic attack. She is also filling in doing crisis counseling, and seriously cannot handle it. She is shocked to hear about what these kids do with regards to sex and drugs and such. She doesn't keep the emotional boundaries and gets very upset when a kid is upset. I'm sorry, but working with 13 year old girls, you need to be able to be empathetic without letting it get to you. Their lives are about emotional drama. It's normal and natural. And yes, a certain number of them are having sex. While I certainly don't think it's something they should be doing, it is reality. We can frown on it all we want to, but that won't make them decide to hold onto their virginity. They want to be treated as adults. While they certainly are not mature, they will respond better if I talk to them like the intelligent human beings that they are instead of preaching at them. And this isn't that new. When I was there age I wasn't sexually active, but I did have friends who were. I feel I will be much more effective by talking about safety and respect issues than I will by telling them they are too young.

Ok, I'm done.

-CRbE