Tag: funny

Best compliments ever received (WP writing prompt), almost promoted, and funnies at work.

Best compliments ever received (WP writing prompt), almost promoted, and funnies at work.

Shel R.4 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What was the best compliment you’ve received?
View all responses

Answering today’s WP writing prompt, let me say that I giggled a bit when I read this question.

When I was much younger, blonde and a little thinner – I was in line one day at a Jewel – Osco in Chicago.

Damn, I miss those stores!

I was waiting in line for the girl to ring up all of my items and I was about to pay, when I turned to look behind me and some guy was looking at me. I felt weird, but I looked back again and he was still looking. I smiled politely, and I tried not to look at him a 3rd time.

One of the items I had – was on sale, so the cashier asked if I could give her just a second to run and see if she could find a sale code – to put it in the register for me. I thanked her and told her I’d wait. As I did, the guy behind me who kept looking at me – finally broke his silence.

He says, “Excuse me! Please forgive me for this, but has anyone ever told you that you look just like Shakira?”.

I smiled – because that’s one hell of an amazing compliment, and I told him No. Nobody has ever told me that, but I also thanked him for that.

It made me feel good.

He says, “So, stupid question. You’re not her, then? I was about to ask for a photo and an autograph”. He nervously laughed. I laughed with him and told him I could still be famous one day, but not that day. He told me how pretty I was, and I thanked him again and carried on with my day – smiling the whole way through it. 😁

For the record – I have never thought I looked like Shakira, but it was nice to hear.

She’s crazy beautiful, and I’m – cute, I guess. lol.

I will also say that was a long time ago, and – did I mention that I was much younger? I did. Okay.

Nobody would or could say that to me now. haha.

Shakira – in case you have no clue who she is.

And below – is me – way back in my younger, skinnier, blondie years.

I’ve also been told back then – that I looked like Amanda Bynes.

The way she looked back then – not now.

(Photo taken from Newsweek).

I never thought I looked like her, either, but again – it was nice to hear.

That poor Amanda these days, my heart breaks for her. She was gorgeous back then.

I think that hearing people thought I looked like both of them back in my younger days – was the biggest and best compliments I’ve ever received.

Another me (young, blonde and skinnier) photo – below:

And another….

(By the way, K.C.) – was an old nickname.

In Hawaii – my name is Kila. Pronounced – (Kee-La). C is for my middle name. So, some used to call me K.C.

Do I see any resemblance?

No – but it’s still the best compliments I’ve ever received. 💕

I miss my blonde hair. I miss being as skinny as I once was. I miss being young, dammit!

Anyway, I’m blessed to be here still for 43 – and this year – 44.

Every day the good Lord gives me – is a blessing.

That being said –

I worked my first overnight shift last night at the facility I work in.

It actually wasn’t bad.

During the night – different people would come out of their rooms for different things, or just to come down and chat, but I had no major issues and everyone behaved.

I came home so tired this morning, got my kids ready for school, took them, came back and showered – got ready for another day, and went right back to work.

One of our lead staff was demoted, so I asked my boss if I could take over her position and get promoted. My boss seemed so happy I asked and said she thinks I’d be a wonderful person to take over and that I’d be good for the job.

It comes with higher pay, benefits, more vacation days and other perks, but the only downside – is that my phone would be blowing up. I’d be a supervisor, so I’d be the one my co-workers would then call or send texts to if there’s trouble, if they need help or advice, if they can’t come in and I have to cover their shifts, if there’s any time off requests needed, time adjustments, and so on.

It’s a lot of responsibilities and while I don’t mind – the deal breaker – was me having to work 80 hours per paycheck mandatory – still do my weekends as I’m always on now, and then – BE ON CALL 24/7.

I would basically have no life. No time for myself or my kids. No time to do anything fun because I’d always be at work, dealing with things at work, covering shifts, or just handling calls and texts all day. If there’s an emergency where cops or medics have to come in, I’m dealing with that or going to the job site – no matter what time it is – to figure things out.

I’d be in charge of interviewing and hiring as well. I’d be in charge of deciding who needs to be fired.

I don’t want that hanging over my head.

I was so excited to go meet with my boss today and talk about taking the position – as we sat in the office that would be mine. That’s another thing that I loved. I’d get my own office and can decorate it however I want to.

Still – the thought of working SEVEN days a week and then being on call 24/7 on top of that – isn’t appealing to me. So, there are absolutely some downsides to the position as well.

I could give up my weekends if I wanted to and just do the 5 days a week, but then it also clashes with my kid’s school schedules – not to mention we’re probably moving soon if all goes well as I said before, so I’d feel bad taking the job, and leaving my boss high and dry to find someone totally new and train them in – once I leave.

So, as much as I was excited for a higher position, more pay and benefits, etc. I decided to pass on it.

My boss told me to take some paperwork home, read it over and think about it, but she was honest with me and told me if I didn’t jump on it and take it today, she’d have to keep interviewing for it, and I told her I totally understood. I let her know my concerns with the position, and that if I didn’t take it, I’d still be there for my shifts that I have now, I’d still do my job correctly, and I trust her to hire the best person for the job – who may be okay with all that extra stuff it comes with.

I may be stupid for passing it up because it’s a great opportunity but being a mother as well – I just don’t want to spend my life at work all the time. I enjoy spending time at home and with my kids as well. So, I feel like this position is something for those who have that time to be at work and be on call and go in whenever they are needed.

I am so grateful she thought of me, and that she thought so highly of me to want to give me this position.

She made me smile today when she told me that she watches me with everyone there and that even when I’ve had a bad day, or people are out of control and drunk there – acting stupid – she sees me smiling, joking with them, and handling every situation with love, compassion and grace and that’s what she’s looking for in a Supervisor. 💕

Hell, I’ve written about that lady “Daisy” that I’ve gotten so close to there.

The one who wreaks havoc and gives the place hell when she’s drunk – and how many problems we’ve all had with her. Well, this past week – one of our other lead staff walked up to me and tells me, “You’ve got a – way with Daisy”. She meant that I seem to be able to handle her little bad attitudes and her drunk rampages, and wild behavior, and that I can calm her down, or get her to listen to me.

I smiled and told this other lead staff that there are many times I can easily handle Daisy because I take no shit – and she’s not going to walk all over me when I’m there. I told her that there are many times when yes – Daisy will calm down and listen to me, but I’ve had my fair share of Daisy telling me to get the f*** out of her face, or her telling me to leave her the f*** alone, so it just depends.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again.

With the clients we work with that live in the facility – it’s all about gaining their trust, getting to know what works with each person individually and what doesn’t – especially if they’re on something or drunk, and knowing how to handle them. I’ve learned their personalities, and I match their personalities with my own – depending on the situations and that’s how I stay calm and handle things.

I would have loved that Supervisor position, and I also think I would have been great at it.

My co-workers would have known that they could message me or come to me for anything, and I’m always going to have their backs, but again – it’s just the schedule and the times – being on call all the time – and the fact that I would feel like I’m living at work – instead of putting time into my family – that made me decide the Supervisor position isn’t for me.

Decisions suck, and it’s hard when you really want something, but it doesn’t align with everything else you have going on in life, and family time.

I’ll still be at the same job, and if we move – it may only be for another month or so, but at least I know that my boss saw so many amazing things in me – that she tried to get me to take the Supervisor position, and I hope a future boss sees it as well.

If you want to laugh a bit with me – My little-itty-bitty – trouble-making Daisy – went to jail.

I’m not laughing that she’s in there. I miss her causing trouble around the place and it’s been boring since she’s been out of the building, but what did make me laugh – is that Monday when I worked – she was drunk and running her mouth to everyone, including my boss.

My boss gave her a lot of fair warnings to be quiet, be good and go back to her room, and she refused.

My boss threatened to call the cops for her disturbances, and Daisy still wouldn’t keep her mouth shut.

At one point, my boss walked away, and I begged Daisy to just go back to her room because my boss was really about to call the cops. My boss heard her yell, “I don’t give a f***! Call the cops. I don’t have any f***in’ warrants!”.

My boss sure the hell did call the cops, and I thought she was pretending at first when I sat next to her and she was talking to “the cops”, but when she got up and walked away – telling me to let her know when they were there, I realized she was so serious.

Daisy made me laugh when she saw the cops and all of a sudden – wanted to go back to her room.

They ended up coming in and trying to talk to her, but she got mouthy with them as well, and they weren’t having it. They already know her, so when the two of them stood on each side of her and grabbed her arms, they told her she’s under arrest and has warrants…..

I stood there wondering……………

DAISY!!!!!!! WHAT THE HELL?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was going to go visit her today, but you have to be on her approved list, and I can’t even get ahold of her to tell her to add me, but maybe tomorrow – I’ll see if I can figure it out.

My overnight shift last night was quiet, especially without Daisy there drunk – and I was up all night with different people coming out of their rooms to keep me busy or keep me company.

As soon as I got there, one of the young ladies asked me for a pregnancy test.

I can say a lot, but that’s not my place, and I just prayed she wasn’t pregnant because while I don’t judge anyone since none of us are perfect – she is not on the right path to have a baby. So, I handed her the test and told her to let me know, because if she was pregnant – I was still going to support her, do whatever I could for her and the baby, and just be someone she could come to if she needed someone to be there.

When she came downstairs at 5 AM this morning with her boyfriend – who also lives there – she held up the test and told me it was negative.

I asked if she was happy with that, and she said yes. So, I let her know I was happy as well.

I told her boyfriend to walk over to the FREE CONDOMS box we have at one of the desks – and grab a couple. I told him to start making it a habit to grab free condoms anytime he’s down there.

When he walked over to the tissue box and grabbed tissues, his girlfriend laughed so hard and asked what he planned to do with those. I joked and told him, “Hey! That works, too! No sex is one way to prevent pregnancy. Do you instead!”. I had them both laughing so much, and he thought for some reason – I told him to grab tissue.

THE TWO DON’T EVEN SOUNDS THE SAME.

CONDOMS. TISSUE. What?!!!!!!!

He stood there looking confused, and his girlfriend and I – couldn’t stop laughing.

I asked her if she was sure this is who she would want as her son or daughters’ father, and she laughed even harder. I went as far as to ask her boyfriend what “2 + 2” is, and when he stood there thinking about it – I was done. I lost it and laughed.

I volunteered to allow him to take the entire box of condoms upstairs. 🤣

This is why I love my job though.

I know I can be tough and firm when fights break out, or someone is beyond drunk and acting goofy, but I also know that I can be myself, joke around and have some good laughs with the people who live there.

Coffee was also my best friend last night – because I haven’t worked any overnight shifts – since I worked in the assisted living down the block a few years ago.

I came home after meeting with my boss – and I knocked out for a few hours.

I laugh because last night at 2 AM, I looked at the clock and realized if I were back in my 20’s – backyard parties would still be going, and I’d be hanging with many friends dancing, laughing, having a great time and now by 10 PM – I’m in bed, reading a book, writing (this is proof) – lol – or listening to music to try to fall asleep.

Still – like I said – I’m grateful for every day and every new year God allows me to see! 🤗

11 PM right now, and I’m going to bed.

I told you!

I shall catch up with all of you tomorrow morning.

Sending so much love and big hugs your way!

💕Shel💕

My first overnight shift at the facility and my weirdest / craziest relationship story.

My first overnight shift at the facility and my weirdest / craziest relationship story.

Shel R.Leave a comment

     “Yes! I’ll come in for you tonight!”.

Those were my words to my Co-worker when she messaged me earlier. She wasn’t feeling well, and asked if I could work for her. She asked if I wanted to trade shifts or if I would just go in – depending on if I needed to stay under a certain amount of hours or not.

I need all the hours I can get right now. So, I told her I’d just take her shift and no trade was needed.

I planned to sleep for a bit.

However – it’s snowing! It seems like it never stops snowing here in Minnesota, and I’m so over it.

We live in the middle of nowhere pretty much and when it gets dark, there’s no street lights to light up your way if you’re driving. That means – when it snows – and the roads are bad – it’s a guessing game of “Am I on the right side of the road?”.

I left our house 3 hours early.

I wanted to sit down and eat dinner with my kids, but I looked outside and the roads were already covered, so I knew if I didn’t leave before it got dark, I’d play that game I hate so much during this weather.

It usually takes me 30 minutes or so – to get to work, but I drove slow, so 45 to the city I work in – was more like it.

I’m currently sitting in a parking lot of a mall writing this. Work is now only 15 minutes away, and if it keeps snowing – at least my drive won’t be so bad because I’m already in the area.

Since I have hours to go before work…let me tell you a story.

I had to laugh earlier because a friend of mine and I – were talking about the weirdest relationships we’ve ever had. 🫩😁 I don’t even know how it came up, but since I have the time and I’m just sitting here before I drive a few blocks down to work – I’ll share mine.

We started talking about her ex-boyfriend and laughed about the weird parts of the times they were together, and then I told her about one of my ex’s – that I’ll call “Aaron”.

She asked what my weirdest / craziest relationship was.

Aaron and I were childhood best friends.

We had known each other since the age of 13, and we were always so close. Back then, he considered himself a “thug”. He considered himself a “gangster”, but back then – I was young and dumb and thought that that was cool.

Ya live and learn, right! 🧐

So, Aaron and I hung out all of the time when he wasn’t with his friends, and when he was doing illegal stuff – he always told me not to come by, or to go home and he’d call me later.

It seemed like he cared about me enough to look out for me, and I loved him for that – as my male best friend. Anytime we were together, he made me laugh a lot and he was always making sure those around us whenever we hung out – respected me.

Aaron made it clear he’d never let anything happen to me.

Still, Aaron was who he was, and I knew it was probably not the best idea to hang out with him as much as I did – because of who he was hanging out with and what he was doing in his life. How do you stop hanging out with someone you have so much fun with though? Someone who supports you and your dreams in life? Who wants the best for you and makes you forget everything when you’re with them?

Again, this guy was my male best friend and we grew up together. However… when I was 18, I had my first child and got married.

Aaron had tried to be with me (in a relationship) all of our teenage years, and I just didn’t see him “in that way”. I wasn’t attracted to Aaron, but I still loved him as one of my close best friends.

He was a really good guy with a big heart for me, but after I had my oldest child and got married, we lost contact. Aaron was upset about me finding someone to spend my life with, and having a kid with someone else – when he wanted it to be (us) all those years.

He used to joke about us getting married and having kids some day, but I finally realized it wasn’t a joke. He was serious and I knew he liked me when we were teenagers, but I didn’t know how serious it was until I got married, had a kid and he stopped talking to me.

Years and years went by, and we didn’t speak.

In 2013, my now ex husband and I – divorced.

I don’t blame either of us. I think we were married young, had kids young, and now that we grew older – we just wanted different things in life and we parted ways as friends.

I posted something on Facebook about the divorce and wishing my ex husband well in life, praying that we both find our happiness, and suddenly – I received a message from Aaron. How long has he been watching my posts or did someone in our friend group tell him I was divorced now? …… Those were my questions. We had a few of the same friends, still.

I was happy to hear from him, and we talked a lot after that first message. We could spend hours on the phone – laughing and talking like no time had passed at all – when in reality – we had years of catching up to do.

He told me about the relationships he’s been in, about his job, the kids he has now, and what he’s been doing in life. I told him the same about me. My divorce. My job. My dreams and goals. My kids, and many other things that we talked about.

He admitted he was upset when I got married and had a kid, but said he never lost feelings for me. He said I didn’t know it – but he checked on me often through friends, or looking at my Social media. It made me smile, but my feelings hadn’t changed and I still didn’t feel the same way he did, so I felt bad.

Still, it was nice having my male best friend back in my life.

He asked if I wanted to meet up and go see a movie and he promised it would be as friends. So, I went.

We went to see a movie, went to get ice cream and just sat in a park and talked for hours. As the days and weeks went by, we hung out more and more and this time – we were adults.

We were both in our early 30’s.

Eventually, we hung out so much, that I decided to try to date Aaron. I thought that my feelings for him could grow – even if they weren’t there romantically at that time. We became a couple and I did my best to give him a fair chance.

We had a lot of good times for the 6 months we were together, and yes – that’s all it was.

One of the few times I still cherish – is when we were at his cousin’s house. We had just gotten there, it was the middle of winter and I had my leather jacket on. When I took it off – I had a tight fuzzy white sweater under it, and black tight pants. He looked me up and down and just said, “Damn! Wow! Damn. That’s all mine!”. ❤️

When his cousin said something about stealing me and not giving me back, Aaron made me laugh when he got back up and said we were leaving, and to put my jacket back on.  (Yes, he was joking!). We had a great time that night and it was one of my favorite memories as we hung out with his cousin and his cousin’s girlfriend – who showed up a few hours later.

Another time I still cherish – is when he lost a close friend of his that he’s known as long as he’s known me. That loss really broke him and he was at his sister’s house for a week – and wouldn’t leave because he was just so depressed and needed someone to be around him – so he wouldn’t think about this friend he lost that much.

His sister was the one who called me and told me I needed to come see her brother because he was in this deep depression and needed something to pick him up. I told her I’d be there, but she didn’t tell him.  As soon as I walked down the stairs to the basement where he was hanging out, his eyes lit up, he smiled so big and he gave me the biggest hug.

Aaron and I – were always there for each other when we needed it the most. As best friends and as a couple when we were together.

Although we had a lot of good times and funny laughs, I slowly noticed that Aaron was still the same guy he was – when we were teenagers, and that life didn’t appeal to me anymore. What I once thought was cool and fun – (his lifestyle and the way he considered himself a thug or gangster) – wasn’t cool or fun anymore.

Being adults now – I thought he changed. I thought his mentality changed, and that he had dreams and goals like I did, but he didn’t.

He was working a part-time job with very little education, and I tried so hard to get him to get a full-time job and do something with his future. To plan something better for himself – rather than still being 30-something and calling himself a thug / gangster.

We weren’t teens anymore and it was no longer cute or acceptable. When I started to realize he still had the same mentality – it was when he kept talking about having enemies and “being from the hood” or “being hood”. A few months into the relationship, I realized this probably wasn’t going to last, and that even though he had met my kids already because he was my childhood male best friend and I trusted him – I knew after I heard him talk about still enjoying that lifestyle – I couldn’t bring my kids around him anymore.

I knew I didn’t want to be involved in that lifestyle and I also knew that I had goals and dreams and he wasn’t even thinking about his future or making it better.

He was happy working his part-time job and being in the streets doing whatever he was doing when he wasn’t at work, or with me.

I wanted to go to college for Criminal justice and make something of my life, and we were totally different and had totally different mentalities when it came to things like that.

Other things started to bother me as well.

He was obsessed with the Illuminati, and who was in it. He used to talk about the Illuminati non-stop and that’s just something I never cared about, but I listened when he talked about it – because he was interested in it and I’m sure that half the things I was into or talked about – he listened because it was me and he just enjoyed hearing me out.

However, every single conversation we had – that had absolutely nothing to do about the Illuminati – ended up leading to a conversation about the Illuminati or the government somehow. Someway. He was also obsessed with the government and watching what they were doing or telling me what he thought they were trying to do.

I found that a little weird or wild.

I had once told him I just tried a new Deli that day for lunch and the sandwiches there were amazing. I told him we’d have to go one day, and he told me I had to be careful with new foods I try because the government puts things in certain foods to kill off half of the population – since earth is getting too crowded.

I looked at him that night like:

WHAT?????

“What the hell are you talking about?”

I remember asking him if we can ever just have a normal conversation that doesn’t lead to anything about the Illuminati or government and what he thinks they’re doing to food, or to our minds, etc.

That turned into an argument because he felt like I didn’t believe him about what was going on in the world. 👀🙄

Things got really weird with him, and then he started getting super jealous over every little thing.

Sometimes, I’d go to his place and wait for him to get off work. I had a key to his place, but there were times the weather was super nice and I’d sit outside with the owner of the building he lived in, and some of the other females who lived in the building – that I had gotten to know.

Aaron would come home, see me outside and accuse me of wanting their boyfriends or husbands to see me, or other guys passing by – to see me and talk to me, but whenever he came home – I’d only ever be talking to the women I knew there.

I remember one time when Aaron made a comment about me being outside and one of the older women told him, “Leave that baby alone! All she does is sit here, talk to us, and wait for you or she’s inside cooking for you – for when you get home! That baby ain’t over here talking to nobody’s boyfriend, husband or any other man. Stop accusing her of all that nonsense!”.

One day, he told me I shouldn’t be outside – unless it’s with him. I just laughed and told him if he wanted to control something – buy a puppy because he wasn’t controlling me.

That led to an argument.

I had never seen or experienced Aaron act that way – in all the many years I knew him, so it was all weird to me.

You know that song by Justin Bieber that goes, “My mama don’t like you, and she likes everyone?”.

I brought him home to meet my parents one time and my dad just looked at me and shook his head. My mom was disappointed and while she was very polite to him, I knew she didn’t like him, and she did like everyone. My mom was the sweetest woman, and you had to do something really bad – for her not to like you, so when I knew she didn’t like Aaron the first time she met him, I also couldn’t question why.

She could tell just by looking at him – what he was into and the lifestyle he led.

We had a fight that night as well because he wanted to wear a hoodie, a bandana hanging out of his back pocket, baggy pants and a hat to meet my parents and when I asked him to change – he accused me of not loving him for who he is.

Eventually, I knew I had to tell Aaron it wasn’t going to work out. The feelings I thought would grow for him – weren’t. I wasn’t interested in his lifestyle or that mentality he still had in his 30’s – that was the same as when we were teens. He had no motivation or plans for his life, and our conversations were more about his fears, thoughts and opinions on the Illuminati and government – even when I tried to bring up other subjects.

Again, I think the biggest deal breaker – was knowing I didn’t feel comfortable bringing my kids around him an

One day – after 6 months together – he asked me to change my relationship status on Facebook – from “In a relationship” – to “Engaged”. I told him I wasn’t going to do that because we weren’t engaged, and people were going to want to see a ring or want to know how he proposed.

That was yet – another argument.

He accused me of not wanting other guys to think we were serious.

We ended up going to see a movie that night after our argument and I told him we had to talk when we got back to his place later. He just wanted to go enjoy a movie and avoid talking for that moment, so we went.

We ended up walking around the mall because the movie theater was upstairs and we had an hour to kill after we got our tickets.

As we were headed back upstairs an hour later, he pulled me into a “Kay’s” jewelry store.

🎵 Every kiss begins with Kay 🎵

Yep. That one. lol

He said there were always previews before a movie starts, so he wanted to just have fun. He asked me, “If you had to pick out an engagement ring today, which one would you want?”. I was confused, but I also knew that I wanted to get married again someday – (just not to him). So, I decided to play his little game and just have fun and try on engagement rings.

He had a part-time job and he was paying his rent and bills, so I figured there was no way he could even afford an engagement ring, which made me feel confident that he just had the thought of proposing in his head and I’d talk to him later about just being friends.

I tried on a few different rings and finally held my hand out when I found the perfect one that shined so pretty when I held it up. I love the square kind, and I found the one I’d love – if – I was IN LOVE and wanted to get married, but I wasn’t in love. So, I told Aaron that would be the one I want – if I had to pick, and I handed the ring back to the jewelry guy – thanking him for letting me try on a few.

I then told Aaron we had to head upstairs to the movie before we missed the beginning, and I started to walk out of the jewelry store.

When I heard him say, “We’ll take it!”, my heart dropped. I asked what he was doing. I asked where he got the money. He didn’t answer me. I told him not to do this, and he did. He paid the thousands in cash, and I didn’t even want to know how he was able to drop that much all at one time.

He didn’t even get down on one knee or propose in any romantic way. He slid it on my finger and told me, “There! Now we’re engaged and you can change your Facebook status”.

No! That’s not how it works!

I didn’t make a big fuss about that moment at that time because I didn’t want to argue with him in a mall full of people, but as soon as we got back to his place…. we got into an argument because he called me ungrateful, disrespectful and mean.

I didn’t seem happy about the ring – he said.

I made him look stupid in front of the jewelry guy because I didn’t get all excited and at least give him a hug – he said. 

He felt like I didn’t even want the ring, and truth be told – I didn’t. I told him to keep the receipt in case something happens (when we were still at the store).

So, at his place – I already knew I was ending things, and I asked him to sit down, so we could talk. He had been drinking that night and I explained to him how much I love him and care about him as one of my best male friends all these years. How much I’ve appreciated all the times he made me laugh, was there for me or looked out for me and he knew I had done the same for him – for years.

But….I told him our lives are on two totally different paths, and that it wasn’t going to work out for us. I said I would love to continue to be friends and I don’t regret trying to be more, but that there were so many fights over stupid things, and my goals and his didn’t match up.

I tried my hardest to let him know I’d always be there for him as a friend and I didn’t want our friendship to be over, but that I totally understand if he didn’t want to be friends anymore.

He asked if it was because he believes in the extraterrestrial and the government – poisoning us.

See how weird things got???

Still, I cared very much about Aaron, and maybe he could find a woman more like him.

That night, he asked for the ring back because he said I clearly didn’t care about it. I handed it back to him, and before I could stop him – he threw it down the toilet and flushed it. He told me that’s what I think about his gift.

The next morning – I went to go get some of my things that I left at his place and told him I’d be back in a week for the rest. He asked me where the ring was and he didn’t believe me when I told him he flushed it the night before – because he was drinking and didn’t remember the night before.

A few weeks earlier – I had saved a good amount of money from work and went shopping for new clothes and shoes for myself. I had everything packed into a bag and was ready to pick it up the following week, but the following week – Aaron kept making excuses for why I couldn’t come by and get it.

Turns out – he threw all my new clothes and shoes away, and he didn’t want to admit it. He felt bad. He said he was angry about the ring, so he wanted to feel like my money was wasted as well.

We didn’t talk for an entire two years after that, but I was surprised one day when he contacted me on Facebook, apologized for everything, understood why I ended things with him, and offered to pay me for the shoes and clothes he threw out that I purchased myself.

I felt bad about the ring incident, so I told him I didn’t want anything from him – that I was sorry if he felt like I wasted his time in any way, and that I will forever remember him as one of my best friends.

And …..that was that.

I never spoke to him again.

I still laugh when I say he’s one of the weirdest relationships I ever had, but I smile when I think about the friendship we had at one point – as well.

Wherever Aaron is today – I just hope he’s doing well, he’s happy and life is kind to him. 💚

SO, when this friend of mine today – told me about her weirdest / craziest relationship and I told her about Aaron – we had a good giggle, but we also both said we hope our previous boyfriends are doing okay.

   I wish for nothing but the best for them.

Also, I just hope Aaron realized he’s worth so much more than what he was doing with himself in life. I have met some of the sweetest gangsters and thugs – but it’s a scary life and sometimes – you should want more for yourself.

As for his addiction to the aliens, the government and Illuminati – I pray he finds a woman who loves the same theories, stories, research, etc. 😁

I’m sorry (but also not sorry) that I couldn’t be that one for him.

    Anyway……

With another hour to go before I have to head towards work – I’m going to sit here and watch Tiktoks.

My loves – pray I stay awake all night because I’m going to be so tired, and I have to rush home in the morning to get the kids to school, go home and shower and then meet up with my boss at 11 AM for a meeting. 😴

      Xoxo.

      ❤️Shel❤️

Hachi – and some funnies from work.

Hachi – and some funnies from work.

Shel R.1 Comment

Occasionally, I’ll watch a movie that will make me cry.

Tonight, when I came home from work – my daughter said she had a movie to show me.

We sat down after I made pizza, and she showed me:

While some movies make me cry a bit – this one had me straight up bawling my eyes out!

I was in tears!

It’s a true story about a dog who refused to give up, and it shows loyalty, lessons in loss and grief.

My heart broke so much in this movie, and it was such a great one.

If you haven’t seen it yet, I totally recommend checking it out, but be prepared and have some tissues handy. Oy. I’m still thinking about the movie, and to think that it’s a true story – breaks my heart even more. 💔

Anyway –

Let me move on to funnier and happier things because I’m a mess right now after watching this. lol.

I worked this weekend, and you all know Daisy, right?

If you follow along with my posts, you’ll know she’s this little itty-bitty-elderly woman that lives in the facility I work in. She is funny as hell when she’s sober, but when she’s been drinking – she’s a little firecracker, and she’s after everybody!

If you’re in the path of her little “attitude tornado” as I call it now – she’s going to get you!

Yesterday, she was beyond drunk, and it wasn’t even 9 AM yet – I hadn’t even had a full cup of coffee yet – and she was screaming from her side of the building – at another resident on the other side. She was running her mouth, trying to start problems, and going off on this other tenant / resident.

Thankfully – this other resident walked away and didn’t say anything to her.

A while later, Daisy was outside with a few other tenants / residents, and as I was chatting with another tenant / resident, I heard yelling outside. I threw my head back; rolled my eyes and already know it was Daisy yelling at someone else now. The lady she was yelling at – came inside to avoid problems, and I went outside – as Daisy continued to yell, because she was mad that she was in the other lady’s face, and the lady walked inside.

I went out there because we all know I match energies.

These aren’t kids. These are grown adults who get drunk and goofy, and don’t know how to act when they’ve been drinking, so when I got outside – I joked with Daisy and told her if she wants to fight with someone – stand up and fight me.

I was trying to lighten the mood.

She got tough and told me, “I’ll kick your ass!”.

Daisy loves me. I’m not worried about her.

I told her to stand up and let me see it.

I put my fist up.

She stood up and put hers up and almost slipped on ice under the bench she had been sitting on. I told her to sit her ass down before she slips and blames me for it. She wants to fight and can’t even stand up to do it. She joked that she was going to kick me, and I stepped back and told her she would have to reach me – to kick me, and she’s too short for that.

She went on a full rant about the lady who had just walked inside, about the director of the facility I work in, about so many other things that I just let her vent about – because with Daisy – that’s what you have to let her do when she’s been drinking. You just have to let her get it all out, and you know what?

I have learned that Daisy is angry, hurt, emotionally and mentally drained, heartbroken for many different reasons and things she’s been through in her life. Daisy cries a lot when I talk to her. When I really sit down and talk to her whenever she’s on her little rants – she pours her heart out to me.

That’s one of the reasons she loves me. I let her vent. I let her pour her heart out. I joke with her to make her laugh and calm her down. I take the time to hug her, and let her know I’m there for her, and she feels like some of the other staff – could care less and just want to see her leave. They don’t want to take the time to find out what’s going on in her mind or in her heart. They just see a little old troublemaker.

I’ve gotten close to Daisy, and she makes me laugh – even when she’s being a pain in my ass.

So, yesterday (Saturday) when I was working and she went off on a tenant / resident on the other side, and then another one outside and I broke up both of those arguments with other women she had issues with, I asked her to please just behave the rest of the day. She was intoxicated, and I already knew what kind of day it was about to be.

My son was working with me yesterday and at one point, I had just come into the office from doing something I needed to do, and he told me that Daisy promised him she was going back to her room, but she just got on the elevator. We knew what that meant, because she was then angry at this tenant / resident on the 2nd floor – for bringing in guests that Daisy says “messed with my family” – as she told me.

She wanted to go upstairs, knock on this other tenant’s door, and start trouble.

Daisy’s room is on the 1st floor, so we knew what was about to happen.

I grabbed my walkie – ran out of the office door and down the hall and jumped into the elevator right before the doors closed.

Imagine Daisy’s surprise when she had her head down, and I jumped in there and yelled, “Surprise!”. 😂

She turned and looked at me, rolled her eyes and her words were, “Oh, what the hell?”.

I asked where she was going.

She named a guy upstairs – that I knew damn well she wasn’t going to see because she knew damn well – that he left a few hours earlier. We both knew where she was headed, so I told her I’d come upstairs with her and she could pretend she was going to see the guy we both know left earlier that day, but we both know who she was really going upstairs to bother.

She started screaming at me and accusing me of protecting “that white woman!”.

Daisy is Native. I told her I protect all women, and I’d protect her as well if someone was messing with her. She just kept yelling and I kept joking around with her to calm her down.

We walked down the hall – right by the guy’s room where she claimed she was going, and as soon as we got in front of the door I knew she was really looking for, I blocked it. She tried to go around me and knock, and I just stood there, so she couldn’t. She asked if I wanted her to throw me down the stairs, and I giggled and told her, “You know…. that’s the 2nd time in the last few weeks you’ve threatened that and I’m still not scared!”.

We stood there for a bit while she tried to get me out of her way, and I tried different ways to get her to come back downstairs with me. We’ve played this game before and she knows I’m not going back downstairs without her, especially when I know why she’s upstairs and looking for someone.

She eventually came back downstairs with me, and sat in the lobby, crying about different things she’s feeling and telling me how much she loves and appreciates my son and I – because she feels like we’re the only staff – (other than two others) – who really give a damn about her. She said the others – don’t give a shit, and she feels that.

I gave her a hug, and she cried in my arms – and then I sent her back to her room and she actually went.

That wasn’t the end of her.

She came out a few more times yesterday to see what she could get into and start, but I handled it every time.

Today – she was better. She didn’t cause as many issues as she did yesterday, but she was still a bit tipsy and still her little firecracker self.

I had to laugh when she called down to the office at the end of my shift – as I was about to leave and said she heard I called her a “ho”. I started laughing because I knew she was trying to start something, but I also knew she was joking around. I told her I could never think that and that she’s too old to be out there even thinking about being a “ho”, so we both laughed. I laughed even more when she asked if I wanted her to teach me how to be a “ho”. I told her I’m too old to be out like that.

Her: No, you’re not! I can teach you!

I laughed even more when my son laughed and said, “She’s trying to be your pimp”.

I love her sense of humor and despite how many headaches she gives me when she misbehaves, and I have to chase her around the damn building to prevent fights with her and others – she’s one hell of a good woman and not a lot of people see that, realize it or try to understand where her anger and attitudes come from.

I have so much on my mind right now, and a hell of a lot on my plate that I’m trying to figure out, but any time I go to work – these people that live in this facility – make my days brighter, happier, and bring me so much joy.

The tenants / residents love me and my son, and we love them right back.

They know we’re going to do whatever we can for them.

They know we’re going to use humor and joke around to make them laugh or calm them down.

They know we’re firm and tough when we need to be, but we have big hearts and we’re also going to be there for them, love on them, and listen – if that’s what they need.

❤️

This morning – as soon as I walked in to work – I saw a ball fly by my feet.

One of the guys who live there – kicked it towards me. I kicked it back towards him, he kicked back – and we had a little game of mini-soccer (?) or kickball – whatever you want to call it. ha. I actually enjoyed it and I wasn’t even clocked in yet. 😊I didn’t need to be.

I love going to work, and this is why I enjoy going there – because it’s fun. It’s stressful sometimes, but there’s always something to smile or laugh about.

He’s on Oxygen though, so he made me laugh when the ball rolled under a desk, and he told me that I had to get it because if he got it, he wasn’t getting back up. He laughed. I laughed and I went to grab it, as he walked away and tried to catch his breath.

He’s one of the ones I always jokingly yell at because he’ll want his alcohol portion, but he won’t eat and he knows the rule is – he has to eat something first. So, during lunch today, he looked at the clock and told me, “I guess it’s time to feed the garbage can!”. He knew darn well he was about to throw his food away and at least he was honest about it.

There’s another female tenant / resident there – who will come down early in the mornings when I’m there, and she’ll just sit and have coffee with me. We’ll just chat about anything and everything going on in the facility and laugh – as we share some stories from our younger years, and our high school days – (mine in Chicago and hers here in Minnesota) – or we’ll talk about our families, and so on.

I think a lot of dealing with the facility I work in and the stress and the need to be on high alert all the time – is just knowing their personalities, how to deal with each one in their own ways if something pops off, and having that trust between me and each of them, and that’s what I make sure I have.

I want them to know that they can trust me, and while sometimes I have to be tough, meet them on their levels and match their energies, for the most part – I’m understanding, kind, and do my best to just be there for them because a lot of them – have never had that love and trust in their lives. 💕 A lot of them don’t have people who care.

Still, I’m so grateful that no matter what I have on my mind on any given day – I forget it all when I go to work, and they make me laugh, or I’m trying to de-escalate a situation and make someone else laugh.

I’ve said it before – I do love my job!

I also giggled yesterday when Daisy was on a roll with her little rants, and she told me, “Go ahead and call the cops on me like everyone else does!”. I told her I would never call the cops on her – unless they were hot. She looked at me and yelled, “Those are the worst ones!!!!”. 🤔 🤣 Oh, my little Daisy!

In other news………………….

I have boxes all over my living room because I’ve been packing and trying to decide what I want to sell of give away.

I have literally April and a few weeks in May to find a place and I still haven’t, so my stress is high.

I thought about just telling the landlord we plan to stay for another year, but my older son and I had a talk the other day and we said a lot of our stress and our sadness comes from being so far from home. From family, friends and familiar places. From not having many opportunities out here in Minnesota and being in such a small town – where everything shuts down at dusk!

We laughed when we agreed it would be nice to be closer to or in IL. again – so we have a variety of stores and places to eat – all close together and didn’t have to travel miles for it. Where we have many different hospitals all close by and don’t have to drive hours for different ones. Where everything stays open late or all night long.

Where there’s streetlights and places to go, things to see and do.

So, while I’ve thought about maybe staying here for another year, we talked and we agreed we absolutely should not do that, and it would be bad for our mental health and each other.

I know he misses his friends and being able to go out with people he knows – to places he knows, and I know damn well I miss everyone back home and just feeling free to not have to drive 3 hours to go shopping or see a movie or do something fun.

I want to be somewhere where not everybody knows everybody else and where people know to mind their own business because here – that’s not the case. Everyone is in everyone’s business.

I hate it here.

As much as I thought about it for a bit, I also know that I’m not happy here. My kids aren’t happy here and it’s time to go. Still, the headache of finding a place is weighing on me, and it’s time to get going with the process.

Moving sucks.

The packing. The looking for movers or doing it all on our own. The finding a place and signing a new lease. The unpacking. It’s all a big migraine, but it has to be done and in the next few weeks, I’ll be starting the entire process.

I’d love to sit here and write so much more, but my little dude wants to go to bed, and he likes when I hang out in his room and talk to him until he falls asleep. He’s begging me to go chill with him, so I’m ending it here.

Love you.

💕Shel💕

A little bit of Nostalgia.

A little bit of Nostalgia.

Shel R.6 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What makes you feel nostalgic?
View all responses

Good morning!

As I sit here with my coffee, I had to answer today’s WP writing prompt because I just saw a video on TikTok that actually made me shed a few tears (literally) when I woke up.

I was still in bed, but I always check the news, the weather, my messages, missed calls, etc. and then – I’ll scroll the TOK for a bit if I have time or nothing to do. I don’t work today, so – as I was scrolling the TOK – the video I saw this morning had some sad music playing in the background and the video said:

“It’s almost 2026. That means that 1996 was 30 years ago! What was your life like back then?”.

Yes, I shed a few tears, because – what do you mean 1996 was 30 years ago?

The first thing I thought about when I saw that video – was “Damn, I graduated 8th grade in 1996 and started high school months later”.

I giggled as I thought back to 8th grade and especially – all the good times in high school.

One of my favorite memories has always been sitting in my English class when it started, and one of my good friends being late. She was trying to run into class before the teacher took attendance, and she ended up falling and sliding into the class – so her body was half in and half out of the door. We were both laughing and I yelled, “SAFE!!!! HOME RUN!!!!”. She got a detention for being late because the bell already rang, and when the teacher told me to come up and get my detention, I asked what for?!

“Screaming in my classroom for no good reason and disrupting the class”.

Me: THE CLASS IS LAUGHING, TOO!

I still got the detention. lol.

Memories like that – make me smile and make me feel NOSTALGIC.

In high school – there was a time where my best friends and I would cut classes once-in-a-while.

DO NOT RECOMMEND!

If you’re young, go to class and do well. I wish I could go back in time and do things over – the right way.

Anyway, there was a day when my best friend and I planned to cut the entire day of school and go to one of our favorite malls, but when we walked out the back door of the high school, her dad was parked right there. I guess he heard our phone conversation the night before and he was ready to take us right back into school – which he did. 🤣

I remember screaming on one side of the hall – to friends’ way on the other side of the hall – and everyone in between – laughing because we were loud. I remember driving our favorite teachers crazy, and everyone in my circle taking up three or four lunch tables because there were so many of us who got along and loved the hell out of each other. 💕

I miss high school if I’m being honest, and those were some of the best days of my life.

Those memories make me feel NOSTALGIC.

Seeing items from back then that I used or had – makes me feel Nostalgic.

Not just the memories of those happier times.

Do you remember the Tamagotchi era?

I had one of these and so did many of the kids in my high school.

I remember many of us trying to sneak and check on our pets during class. I remember getting in trouble over these in class when they made noises because our pets were thirsty, or hungry, or needed to use the bathroom. 😁 I had mine connected to my jeans or book bag and finally – classes started to ban them.

AND – THE DIAL UP CONNECTIONS BACK THEN – WERE WILD.

America Online was super popular back in 1996, and it took forever to get online.

It used the same line as our housephones, and if the phone rang – the connection to AOL was lost.

We’d have to start the long sign on process all over again.

If my parents needed to use the phone, I’d have to get offline, and tell friends I was chatting with, “BRB”.

(Be right back). ha.

Do you remember the awful sound it made while it was trying to connect? If not – or you’re too young to remember it – let me show you what I dealt with – what many kids dealt with – back in the 90s trying to get online. We didn’t have good WI-FI or any at all back then.

Try being a kid in the 90’s – knowing you’re supposed to be in bed – but wanting to chat with friends online and risking your parents hearing these sounds as you try to sneak chat late at night. 🤣

This makes me feel Nostalgic.

When the Chicago Bulls won the 1996 Championship – the world and Chicago of course – went absolutely wild!!!!

When people still talk about it today, it gives me a great sense of Nostalgia. 😁

I was at my best friend’s house spending the night when this took place.

Her, I, her brother and sister and the teens from next door to her house – were all outside and when they won. Cars were honking like crazy; people were yelling out of car windows, fireworks were going off all over, and people were celebrating that win.

A car past by her house, beeped and people were cheering, so her brother started screaming and cheering.

It was late at night, and her mother looked out of their 3rd floor window and called us inside. When we went upstairs and asked why, she told my best friend’s brother, “You’re making too much noise!”. He replied, “So is the rest of Chicago!”. My best friend and I couldn’t help but laugh, so her mother turned around, put her hands on her hips and told us, “Girls! Don’t encourage him!”.

This magazine back then was EVERYTHING and anytime a photo of it pops up somewhere online – or I hear someone talking about it now – it makes me giggle but makes me sad a little. Totally makes me feel Nostalgic. I used to get this magazine in the mail every month when I was a teenager and into my early 20s, and I’d always have to order something from it.

The fashion was definitely unique, and some of the ways those modeling the clothes took the photos – were hilarious. Who was subscribed to get this? DON’T LIE. haha.

It’s not around anymore. They created some knock-off version but it’s nothing like this one.

These magazines were favorites of mine – as well as many other teens back in the 90s:

Remember when Jonathan Taylor Thomas was all teen girls’ dream boy?

Then ………………..

Semi-Now……

(Photo taken from US Weekly. This was him back in 2023, so he has changed a bit once again).

Back to the magazines though –

I used to buy so many copies of different magazines back then, and they came with posters inside.

I miss those days, and again – they make me feel Nostalgic when I hear someone talking about them or see old copies of these magazines. I don’t think they’re around anymore, but I could be wrong. I don’t know what this new generation has now.

I remember one of mine and my best friend’s favorite teen rap groups back then – was KRIS KROSS.

I also remember when she got the very last magazine that had them in it. I was a little jealous, but she was nice enough to let me borrow it. lol.

I was so excited when I got the last copy of their cassette at Kmart when “Totally Krossed out” came out.

That’s what it looked like.

They started the trend back then of people wearing some of their clothes backwards.

Hell, a few months ago – I purchased a small stereo off Amazon with a CD and cassette player, pulled out a bag of Cassettes I still have – and that alone – made me feel Nostalgic.

I had some good times and I think – if I’m being honest – us 90s kids had it great.

My older son says the 90s looks like they were a lot of fun, and he wishes he was able to live through those years, but he was born in 2003. 😊 The 90s were the best, and when I think back to those times, those memories, everything great we had before WI-FI and social media, before smartphones, and all this other technology – life was good.

When we got to ride around and be kids all day.

When we knew it was time to go home – when the streetlights came on.

When we knew where all our friends were – by where all the bikes on the lawn were.

When a piece of gum costs .5-.25 cents for Bazooka – and they came with the comics inside.

When all our family members were still alive and well, and summer days were spent catching fireflies and playing RED ROVER, RED LIGHT – GREEN LIGHT, or WATERCOLORS on the steps of the elementary school by the house.

When we all ran to our houses to get money when we heard the ice cream truck coming and lived just a block or two away from each other.

All of this – makes me feel Nostalgic.

I miss it all and there’s so many other memories, items of Nostalgia – and places I could write about, but I just wanted to jot down a few that came to my mind this morning, as I answered the WP writing prompt, and after I saw that video on TIKTOK about how 1996 was 30 years ago, and it made me tear-up a bit.

It seems like just yesterday, but it’s so far gone, it’s sad.

We did have it good, and the 90s were amazing.

From me graduating 8th grade and starting high school – to all my memories back then, good times, and things I remember or had – it was the best.

One other memory that comes to mind and makes me laugh – is when my best friend slept over one day, and I had my bedroom on the 2nd floor – front of the house, so if I opened the three big windows I had in my bedroom – I could easily climb out onto the this little awning / almost like a roof on the house.

I would go out there and sit on summer nights and just look up at the sky while everyone else slept.

The night my best friend slept over back in high school – we were playing TRUTH OR DARE, and she dared me to go out into the roof and yell, “I LOVE YOU, JAKE!”. (Not his real name, but I’m totally not putting his real name here) – although – he’s deceased now sadly.

He was a teenage boy – a little older than us – who lived a few houses down from where I grew up, and I had the biggest crush on him. My best friend knew that.

Little did I know – that he and his friends were outside at 2 AM – when this dare took place, and I took it!

I climbed out on this little roof, and yelled “I LOVE YOU, JAKE!” – thinking there’s no way he’d hear it.

IMAGINE MY SHOCK – and embarrassment – when Jake yelled back, “I LOVE YOU, TOO!”.

🤣🤣🤣🤣❤️😶😶😶😶😶❤️🤣🤣🤣🤣

I have never climbed back in that window so fast….. !!!!

My best friend couldn’t stop laughing.

I think I avoided Jake after that night.

The reason I couldn’t see that he and his friends were outside – was because there was a huge pine tree right next to our house that blocked the view to his.

I think we were only 15 at that time.

NOSTALGIC memories are totally the best!!!!!

They make me feel like I’m young again, and they’re bitter-sweet.

Another thing that makes me feel Nostalgic – is the sound of a lawn mower running on a hot summer day.

My dad used to always cut the grass in front of our house and in back, and I love the smell of fresh cut grass.

So, when I hear a lawn mower and smell the grass – I think of my younger years.

Road trips – I remember road trips to Michigan to visit family, and Pennsylvania for Family reunions, so now – when my kids and I take road trips anywhere – I think of the crazy days when my mom had to make sure that we packed everything we needed, made sandwiches for the road, and spent hours trying to stop my brother and I from fighting in the car – as I do now sometimes – with my kids. 🤣 Only – I don’t make sandwiches to put in the cooler with pop, and snacks like my parents did.

We just stop and eat somewhere.

Still – road trips make me feel Nostalgic.

I miss that time in life.

When all was good and the weight of the world wasn’t on my shoulders.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to reading other people’s Nostalgic answers.

Have a beautiful day my loves.

AND – HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I know I said it already, but that’s okay.

❤️Shel❤️

When work comes home with you – you have to unleash and release.

When work comes home with you – you have to unleash and release.

Shel R.3 Comments

Today has been one hell of a day.

Usually, Sundays are relaxing at work. Sundays are quiet. Sundays are chill.

Sundays are my favorite day at work because nothing ever happens on a Sundays.

My son works with me on the weekends, so we were a little surprised at all the stuff that went on today, especially with one of the tenants in our facility – that we’ll call “Nick”.

I’m not going to sit here and get into the whole thing because we dealt with Nick for HOURS – at different times today – and once we thought all was quiet again – Nick would start things up again. My son and I were the only staff working today, and with over 60 tenants in the building – it can become a lot. It can get stressful, overwhelming and crazy, especially if there’s so much going on at one time – like today.

I will say that Nick was having issues with his girlfriend and another guy that his girlfriend may – or may not – be seeing behind his back, so Nick decided to down a huge bottle of Vodka and start acting out – right in the facility we work in. Right in the lobby.

Thankfully – nobody else was in the lobby, because when Nick came to us and said he needed to talk and we knew he was very much angry and drunk – we were able to deal with him in private and with nobody else watching what was going on, or being nosy.

When Nick said he needed to talk, I asked if he wanted to talk to my son (man to man), or me. He said he didn’t care. My son went to the lobby and talked with Nick for a bit, and a few moments later – I heard something hit the window and saw a guy who looked like my son – standing on the other side of the building in the lobby – and his arm was up like he just threw something.

I thought he threw a punch.

I thought Nick attacked my son and my son was fighting back.

I jumped up and ran to the lobby – only to thankfully find out Nick had just thrown a can of pop that busted all over, and my son was standing behind him trying to calm him down.

I told my son to take over in the office, and I watched as Nick turned and punched the wall.

I stood right in front of him, made him look me in the eyes, and I grabbed his hands.

“You CANNOT lose your housing or your freedom and both of those will happen if you don’t cut it out! Nick, no woman is worth this and she’s not the only one out there. If she’s trying to make you jealous, or you’re acting like this because she’s throwing another man in your face, she’s not the one for you! You’re going to end up in jail – or out on the streets again if you get kicked out of here, and she’s still going to be warm, eating good – with a place to live still. Is that what you want?”.

I gave him a little speech and tried talking common sense into him – while still holding on to his hands.

He said no.

He also said a lot of other things that worried me, and after all the different situations that happened with him today, we had a long and serious talk after the 3rd issue he caused.

At one point, the police had to be called. Actually, I called for the paramedics, and dispatch sent the police instead.

When they walked in – I met them in the hallway.

Officer A smiled this adorable, beautiful smile and asked, “How’s it going?”.

Me: It’s been a day already, and I just got here a few hours ago. You single?

No, I didn’t ask if he was single, but he was such a beautiful man, I was tempted. lol.

Officer B. wasn’t bad looking, either.

Both officers had me take them to Nick’s room, and they dealt with him.

After they left, I had my son laughing so much when I said that even though it’s been a wild day so far – dealing with everything going on with others, and then all the stuff with Nick – I totally didn’t mind some eye candy that early in the morning. He said for my birthday, he’s just going to rent me a room next year and hire two male strippers dressed like cops. He laughed even more when I told him I want the real thing. I don’t want a fake cop. 😁

Seriously though, I don’t know what will happen with Nick after today’s madness, but I pray for him and just hope he can work out his issues.

Part of working in any field that has to do with those who were once homeless, are criminals, violent, or have drug / alcohol issues – is that you support them, show love and compassion, respect them, and do what you can to calm them down, keep them calm, etc.

So, today – while Nick was looking for something else to punch after I let go of his hands, I told him, “NO!”, and asked if he needed a hug. He looked at me for a few moments – sadness in his eyes, and I opened my arms to him – giving him the biggest teddy bear hug!

Mental health is a real thing that needs love, and compassion – and I know this man has mental health issues. Mix alcohol in there, and it becomes a scary and dangerous combination. Once he got that hug, and I had this serious talk about his housing, how he should want to act to keep it, and not wanting to go to jail over this girl – we were able to sit down in the lobby and have an hour-long conversation, and he was able to remain calm the rest of the day.

I have seen both – the good and the bad sides of Nick.

He can really be such a cool guy sometimes.

Just yesterday – I was in the office, and he came up to the office window – pointing two nerf guns at me.

He started shooting the window and laughed. He said he got them for $10, and he was having fun.

I joked and told him, “I WANT TO PLAY!”.

He handed one to me.

We had fun.

Today, he also fell on his ass. Slid on ice outside, and when I went out there and asked if he really just fell, he laughed about it and said he broke his butt. So, he has a good side to him. He has a funny side.

Today, when he was finally calm after many hours of anger – we were sitting on the armchairs in the lobby talking, and he apologized to me for the cops being there. I joked that he did me a favor because I was able to see some “eye candy” so early in the morning. He looked at me, smiled and told me, “SSSSSHHHUUUTTT UPPPPP!”. lol. I did tell him I was expecting the medics after the issue he caused in his room – but the cops showed up instead, so they weren’t there because I wanted them to be. I wanted the medics for him.

He really is a good guy, but again – when you mix anger, mental health issues and liquor – it can go bad – fast! That’s what happened today. All day.

Still, I love my job.

I love that when these beautiful people need someone who cares – I can be there.

*****

Have you seen the movie “DANGEROUS MINDS?” – with Michelle Pfeiffer???

She works with bad ass teenagers and she’s trying to make them WANT to learn. WANT to change their lives.

At one point in the movie – one of them ask her why she even cares and says something about her just being in it for the money. She makes a comment back like, “I make a choice to care, and honey – the money isn’t that great!”. Something like that.

Today – one of my other tenants I see every day – was upset because I wouldn’t give him his alcohol portion since he hasn’t been eating much. I refused, and he’s just not used to that – coming from me. As soon as I walked in this morning, he smiled big – greeted me at the door – and yelled, “There she is!”. Why? He thought he was getting alcohol as soon as I walked in.

Nope. I told him he had to eat breakfast first.

He was upset.

I told him I heard he hasn’t been eating much, and I can’t have him living off alcohol portions.

I’ll tell you what he didn’t do.

He didn’t yell at me like he yells at anyone else.

He was respectful, but he did ask me why I even care. He said nobody gives a shit about him and then he says, “All of you just want the money”. I did that Michelle Pfeiffer comment and told him, “I make a choice to care, and honey – the money isn’t that great!”. I meant it, too! The money is nothing to brag about. It sucks – honestly, but I love my job, and I care so much about each one of the people who live in this facility.

I love seeing all of them daily – and joking around – making them smile – getting a laugh out of them because they know I try to be funny and make their day better. I use humor with all of them, and many of them enjoy that and joke right back.

Recently, I received a (Certificate of Appreciation) award from work. I was thrilled.

This made me smile and made me feel good.

I do make the choice to care – even if it’s just a paycheck for others.

I do give a shit, and I’ll continue – until I move and no longer work there.

Today – a few of the tenants planned to walk to the liquor store right when lunch started.

I knew they hadn’t eaten and I asked three of them if they grabbed lunch.

They said no.

I told them to march their butts to the kitchen before they go out in the ice and snow and take that long walk.

Guess what they did?

Agreed they’d better get lunch, and they all walked to the kitchen – where my son was handing out lunches.

One of them laughed when I joked that I feel like they’re all my “adult children!”. 😁

It has totally been a wild day. I’m exhausted. I work early again tomorrow, and while being single is great – sometimes, I do wish I had someone to come home to – to hand me a glass of wine, listen to me talk about all of this instead of writing it all to get it off my chest, and someone to massage my feet or shoulders – while he listens to me vent.

Thank all of you for listening to me vent though! Or – reading. 😶

I just had dinner. I’m going to cuddle up in bed and possibly listen to some music before I fall asleep.

💕Shel💕

A new little life, and this new little job I love.

A new little life, and this new little job I love.

Shel R.Leave a comment

    Hello my loves!

   First of all, let me share some fun news!

I’m going to be an Auntie again!!!! 🥰

Do I know if I’ll ever see the baby? No.

Do I know if I’ll get to be a part of the child’s life? Also no.

Still, the thought of becoming an auntie to a little girl this time – is a little bit exciting. I have two nephews and I adore them. I always get so happy when they see me, run to me and yell, “AUNTIE!”. I miss them tons, as they are back home in Chicago.

My brother has my nephews by his ex-wife.

This new baby that is on the way – she’s by his now ex-fiance. The now ex-fiance wants nothing to do with my brother and a few months ago, she made it clear she isn’t giving the baby my brother’s last name, and she isn’t planning to have my brother there when she delivers the baby.

I think both are really mean if I’m being honest.

Yes, my brother is an idiot, and he’s burned bridges with a lot of people (including his ex-fiancé), but he deserves to see his new baby make her way into this world (especially because he’s always wanted a little girl). I think it’s a little mean not to give the baby his last name, but she’s the mother and it’s her choice.

She cut my brother out of her life, and anyone that’s involved with him – (including me). I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want the baby to know any of us, or her older brothers (my nephews), but I haven’t talked to her, so I don’t know what she’s thinking or where her mind is. 

She refuses to talk to my brother.

I just found out that she has a baby registry set up online, and whether she wants my brother or his family in this baby’s life or not, I plan to grab some things she requested on this baby registry, and send them to her for the baby – because this new baby – is still and forever will be my niece.

I’m still going to love her just as much as I love my nephews and I hope that my brother’s ex-fiancé – allows my brother and I – to know this child. I hope she allows the child to know who we are.🩷

It takes a village to raise a baby, right?

As a single mother myself – I hope my brother’s ex-fiancé allows me to be in her village and help her raise little Ella. (That’s the name she and my brother picked before she decided she wanted nothing to do with him).

So, I have a niece on the way, and I have no idea if I’ll get to meet her or be involved in her life or not, but we shall see. My nephews still have no idea they’re having a little sister.

It’s a bad situation with a beautiful baby attached to it. 

I will admit I wasn’t happy when I heard my brother got this girl pregnant. He had just gotten a divorce, he had just gotten back from deployment, and he wasn’t in the right frame of mind.

Hell, he hadn’t even been with this new girl for very long before she ended up pregnant.

Not to mention he wasn’t financially stable, and he and his now ex-fiancé were already having a lot of problems, but – as the time gets closer – the thought has grown on me, and I just wish the best for my new niece and the parents who created her.

I shall keep you all updated as Ella (Or, whatever he mother names her) – is due next month.

💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

That being said ….

Let’s talk about work!

I’ve been working a LOT – as Christmas is fast approaching and I’ve been trying to finish up Christmas shopping.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again…..

I worked in the medical field for 9 years with Alzheimer’s / Dementia / behavioral patients, and I was highly stressed, and overworked. Isn’t that how it usually goes in the medical field, though?

I loved my patients and I’ve met so many great ones along the way during those years – that I’ll never forget, but the hours were long, the drama in the medical field between staff can get very catty and crazy, and the pay wasn’t always the greatest. It was rewarding when it came to the sweet people I took care of, but there were a lot of cons to it when it came to the actual work environment and things that the staff dealt with.

Now (?) – now I can actually say I love my job and I love going to work when I’m scheduled.

Staff drama and cattiness at the new job? Of course! It’s at this job as well, but I try to go, mind my business, bite my tongue when I need to, and just make sure the residents in the facility I work in – laugh, and have a great day.

I mentioned before that I finally got away from the medical field and stepped into working in a facility that houses the homeless community, and those with criminal pasts, drug and alcohol addictions, and mental health issues.

I will just say – that while some of our city looks down on them and doesn’t want to deal with them when they hear where they are from because our city sees them as “trouble” or “problems” – if you get to know them on a personal / deeper level … they are some of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet.

Have they made bad choices in life? Yes.

Have they done some stupid sh**? Also, yes.

They will all tell you themselves – their life stories and the traumas and dramas they’ve been through, and the mistakes they’ve made and regret, but many of them are decent people. Many of them are good people who end up in bad situations due to their choices, and they do regret many of the things they’ve done in life.

As I’ve gotten to know all of them more, they make me laugh so much, and I always try to bring giggles to their day as well – as I joke around with them, and make sure they know I care. Some are there for a paycheck, but me? I feel like Michelle Pfeiffer when on the great movie “DANGEROUS MINDS” when someone asks her, “Why do you care anyway? You’re just here for the money”, and she replies with, “Because I make the choice to care, and honey – the money ain’t that good!”.

Believe me when I say the money isn’t that great at all, but I do care about those who live there.

The homeless. The drug addicts. The alcoholics. The criminals.

They’re human. They have feelings and needs – and wants like everyone else, and most of them just want to feel like they matter. 🥺 I try to be there and listen and do that for them.

So, if I can go to work and we can all laugh together and just make my job and them living there a little more fun, why not?!

💕

I’ve gotten to know an elderly man I’ll call Tony. He runs around like crazy looking for things around the building that need to be fixed, and he’ll do it if he can. He looks for projects, or watches things going on – to keep himself busy all day, so he thinks about other things instead of his previous lifestyle. He’s such a sweetheart and he loves to talk.

Sometimes, he’ll just come by the office, hang out and chat with me. Sometimes, he’ll stand there and laugh at his own jokes, and it makes me laugh. Other times, as I watch the cameras, I’ll see him on one – and a few seconds later – he’s down the hall on another and I’m wondering how he got there so fast. Tony is all over the place – all day long, and he’s such a silly, humorous, amazing guy.

He reminds me of Uncle Si from the show (Duck Dynasty). I swear – he looks just like him almost and I always want to ask him if I can start calling him “Uncle Si”, but I don’t want to make it weird. lol. He’s just as goofy as Uncle Si – as well.

For his birthday in a few weeks, he plans to shave his beard and see how it looks. He also told me he would love to have a cape, so he could run around as a “Super Tony” – of course he said his real name, but I can’t here. I was laughing so much and told him if I buy him a cape for his birthday – to tie it around his neck, he has to wear it all day and fly around the building as SUPER TONY. He told me he’s absolutely going to do that!!!!

I do plan to buy him a cape. 😁He said he just wants to feel like a superhero for a day.

A few days ago, he came in from the garden area outside, and I was writing a report.

When I looked up, he had one of the garden statues in his hand. It was a man that looked like he was fishing. I asked why he brought it inside, and he laughed and tells me, “Look! He LITERALLY froze his ass off!”. He held the statue up. It had a big ice / snow bump on it’s bottom.

While I’d love to show the entire photo, I can’t – for privacy reasons of course, but here’s the statue:

He said he was going to let the statue “thaw out”, and then he was going to paint him because he’s a little rusty.

See? He’s always looking for something to do. ha.

I adore this old guy.

💕

We have a woman I’ll call “Mary”. (Obviously – all names are changed for privacy).

Mary and I have gotten close, and she comes down once in a while to chat or get whatever she needs from the office.

I know the guy she’s dating there – works her last nerve, so when she came down and asked me, “Do you have any (body ba)…………….I mean garbage bags?”. We both laughed so hard. My jaw dropped and I joked that she better be careful because there’s this word in the Criminal justice system called, “Premeditated”. She laughed so much, and it’s just good to see them enjoy laughter.

I told her if I didn’t see him with her later, I was going to be asking questions, and she just laughed and laughed.

A lot of them have been through so much and have done so much, that laughter helps them get through their day. The other day – Mary and her boyfriend were having their usual argument, and I went upstairs to go get him out of her apt. and he raised his voice.

I’ve gotten to know her boyfriend “Kevin” pretty well also, and he’s usually respectful, but when he raised his voice at me, I raised mine right back, and told him, “Let’s go! She wants you out! You can either come downstairs and talk to me, and I’ll argue with you if that’s what you’re on today, or you can go to your own apartment, but you have to get out of hers!”. He kind of smiled, and told me that he never gives me trouble, and he did end up leaving her room.

💕

When I first started this job, I was told that if something escalates or kicks off – I will eventually learn how to handle it – once I get to know all of their personalities, what works with them and what doesn’t, and I think I’ve mastered learning how to handle most of them when things get crazy, or escalate.

We have one guy I’ll call “Danny”. He makes me laugh a lot, and he’s usually joking around or in a good mood.

I came in at 7 AM a few days ago, and he was far from a “good mood”. He was screaming, yelling, calling the overnight staff names, and telling them to do their job. He wanted alcohol. Normally, we’d give a little bit, so they don’t get sick from withdrawals, and it’s all controlled – but he didn’t have any available.

When he saw me, he was still angry, and he looked straight at me.

I quickly killed that negativity because I’ve gotten to know Danny and how to deal with him.

I told him, “I just got here! Don’t start nothing with me. You won’t get anything from me all day!”. He grinned – until he broke into a full smile, and he was fine after a while. He did end up getting his little portion.

Withdrawals for some of these people are a real thing. It’s sad, and it’s another reason we have to treat them like humans and give them what they ask for if we can.

My heart hurts for some of the people who live there, so if I can make their lives easier or better in any way – I’m always going to try my best while I’m at work.

I could talk about many of them all day because they’re some great people, and they have feelings, too!

They share stories with me. They admit their faults and mistakes to me.

I play security, bartender, advocate, therapist, problem-solver, etc. – all in one when I’m at work, and I don’t mind it.

It truly is a great job, and it may not pay big bucks – but it’s not the medical field and for that, I’m grateful.

Don’t get me wrong! I truly love and appreciate those in the medical field because it takes a special and very patient person to be in it for years and years and years – and keep going. For me though? I just wanted out, and I wanted to get into something along the lines of Criminal justice – as my degrees are in, and helping people, and I think God brought me right where he wanted me. ❤️

We have a guy named “Cory”.

They’ve had some issues with Cory, but I won’t go into details.

Some of the things I’ve read about him are scary, but he’s always been so calm, super chill, and nice to me.

He’ll come down and ask if I have coffee all the time, because he loves MY coffee. He says the kitchen coffee is so watered down, he could see the bottom of his cup, and he doesn’t like that. You shouldn’t be able to see the bottom of your coffee cup. I giggled and agreed with him. I do make coffee in the office all day long, so some of them know that and come to me for their coffee.

I make mine strong.

Today actually – he got kitchen coffee, and for his 2nd cup – he came to me for office coffee.

I joked and told him, “No! You cheated on my coffee!”. He laughed and told me, “Trust me! It wasn’t worth it. Won’t happen again!”. lol.

Those are the things I enjoy when I go to work and get to joke with my residents, or just be there when they need to vent, talk, cry, smile. When I can listen to them and help them work through whatever they’re dealing with or feeling, that means a lot to them and to me as well. I love that!

So, while I’m not doing the job I wanted to do right now (probation) – again, God brought me where he has me now – for a reason, and I’m so grateful for this job, and the fact that I can make a difference whenever I’m at work. I’m grateful that many of them are happy to see me – and on weekends – me and my son because he works there as well, and they know they’re going to be treated right and taken care of.

Today, one of the ladies told my son that we’re the best two staff members they’ve had in such a long time.

Someone else said the same thing last week, and it makes us feel good 😊

That’s what I’ve been doing.

Preparing for a new niece, getting ready for Christmas and working.

I’m exhausted though, it’s almost Midnight, and I’m off tomorrow, so I’ll absolutely write more – as my brain feels like it’s ready to shut down.

Sleep well my darlings!

❤️Shel❤️