Fourth Day of a Busy Week

All day class. Started with self-defeating behavior. Moved to communication. Then did a teamwork exercise: putting together the Pooh character floor puzzles. On to resumes, cover letters, interviewing and then mock interview questions.

The day had an odd sort of humerous start. I got a late start out of town, but I shouldn't have been too late--except traffic decided that they couldn't drive on a smidgen of snow. So I was frustrated about that (the roads were most just wet at worst). Then my windshield kept getting sloppy and salty and even though we filled the reserve nothing (NOTHING!!!) was coming out. I had to stop at a couple gas stations along the way to clean the windshields. To say the least I was stressing--that's what my first lesson was: how excess stress (distress) leads us to behavior to reduce the stress and those behaviors we resort to are typically immature and reactive rather than thought out and positive (self-defeating).

I used my experience of the morning and trip in an extremely animated way all the while stretching between my hands a giant rubber band for effect. The front row was bobbing and weaving hoping to avoid getting snapped by an over-stressed rubber band breaking. It was a very, effect illustration for the lesson.

This class was exhausting. It was large. Today I had 21 people in class. I think that’s the most I’ve ever had. Parts of it were great. I didn’t lack for conversation and input. In fact, at times, I had too much. My throat is sore, and not from talking, but for having to talk (aka yell) over them. No group has been harder to direct and control. I think most of them were “getting it”, but only time will really tell. Several need a lot of work to be ready to work, but there are four prospects that are going to be ready quite quickly and have a lot to offer employers.

(Nelson and Asher are sitting in the rocker across the room from me.
Asher has his bottle and they are watching “Happy Feet.” For those of you who asked—or missed it—Asher turned 2 yesterday. )

Tomorrow I start at the jail in Wooster and then Dan and Bob are going to pick me up there and we taking a road trip to Canton. When we get there, I hope we start with lunch, but then we’ve been asked to interview a guy that one of the businessmen we work with knows who has a felony. He’s been looking for work, but when interviewed he comes across as bitter and angry—but he seems totally oblivious to it. So I’m going to ask the questions, Dan is going to tape, and Bob is going to observe. It should be interesting.

I was just doing a PBS page with Asher. It was the ABC’s. The program runs through the individual letters and then the voice sings the ABC song. It reminded me of something that happened earlier. I was showing Asher some video clips that one of my fav’s has on her site of her adorable grandchildren. While Asher was doing that I mentioned to Nelson that last night Beth bought Asher a E-L-M-O L-A-P-T-O-P C-O-M-P-U-T-E-R. Right in the middle of spelling it, Asher started singing the ABC song. I just cracked up…he’s just so smart.

Well, I better get this posted. I’ve been doing some reading about writing. A friend turned me on to a new blog about writing. She’s encouraging me to send my stuff in…guess I better be brushing up!