This project has provided much entertainment and therapeutic relief to myself and my co-workers all weekend.  Hopefully it can give you an insider’s view of what our lives are like…credit should be given to Natalie, Keegan, Megan, Lauren, & Ashley for their contributions

YOU MIGHT BE AN RC IF…

…getting ready for work means not wearing anything dangly, tight, or even washed.
…you have to set your alarm for any wake up time prior to noon.
…you know how to grease a scalp and take out weave.
…you only know how to cook for a minimum of 8 people at a time.
…you go into NCI pose whenever someone yells your name – even in the grocery store.
…in your job description you’re required to be a nurse, a maid, and a cook, while keeping the kids from killing each other.
…you pull out keys to open every door – including the door to your own bathroom.
…you have an opinion about the best way to restrain people.
…you practice restraints on your friends at parties.
…you never socialize before midnight.
…you have the cell phone numbers of everyone you’ve ever worked with just in case of an emergency.
…your company has an inclement weather policy – and that policy basically says “Snow or sleet, get your ass to work.”
…you scream out “BOUNDARIES!” when people get uncomfortably close to you.
…you don’t mind oversharing.
…you are constantly looking for new coping skills.
…you rate your day on a 1-10 scale.
…you thank people for sharing.
…you know how to phrase any insult or frustration in therapeutic language.
…you count down the hours till midnight even when it’s not New Year’s Eve.
…you tend to over-use acronyms.
…you ask people before you hug them.
…you have ever been told to “suck out my a**hole with a straw.”
…you have a slight drinking problem.
…you laugh when people cuss you out.
…you usually make other people uncomfortable when you talk about your job.
…every time you talk to your family they tell you that you need a new job.
…you need some kind of medication to help you sleep.
…you have ever laid on the floor of your office and just said “therapeutic fail”; or said “this is mah job”.
…you cry at least once at month at your workplace.
…you know all the local police officers.
…you go to the hospital more than two times a week.
...after you tell people what you do for a living they say “It takes a special person to do what you do.  That must be so rewarding.”
…you have children from 5 different ethnic backgrounds.
…you strongly support birth control.
…you automatically insert “Miss” or “Mr” in front of your first name when introducing yourself.
…you have ever had anyone ask you if you can catch AIDS from sharing chapstick.
…you see kids misbehaving in public and wonder where their supervision is.
…you consistently delete your cookies from the work computer.
…you know what the phrase “mobile supervision” means.
…you live paycheck to paycheck.
…you need to work a minimum of 25 hours of overtime to make ends meet.
…holidays and weekends mean nothing to you.
…you think kids should be in bed by 9pm.
…it doesn’t faze you when objects are thrown at you.
…you have ever seen someone kick out the window of a police car.
…you have ever had to explicitly explain to someone else how to take a shower.
…anyone has ever invented a curse word or insulting name just for you.
…the majority of your clothes have bleach on them.
…you consider anything other than jeans your “nice” pants.
…you know the real meaning of “processing”.
…you get off work…and continue to talk about work.
…work has ever interfered with your ability to maintain personal relationships.
…no one understands exactly what it is you do.
…friends and family can never remember your work schedule.
…you don’t move when things are thrown at you so it can be considered assault.
…your first instinct is always survival.
…you have conversations about Satan daily.
…you can tell when someone’s really hallucinating or just faking.
…you can tell when someone’s really having a seizure or just faking.
…you can tell the difference between a Lithium pill and an Abilify pill.
…you have a favorite psychotropic medication.
…you argue about food daily.
…you can’t hold normal, rational conversation after 8pm.
…you compare bruises after a restraint.
…you always pick up stray paperclips, safety pins, and staples because you’re afraid someone will use them to hurt themselves.
…you think about how every object can be turned into a weapon.
…you ask your kids to at least go out the front door instead of the window if they’re going to run away…and to take a jacket.
…you get excited about which level drop to give out.
…you ask everyone to meet you in the Pit.
…you repeat yourself approximately 90 times a day.
…you develop passive aggressive tendencies.
…you have nightmares about possessed children.
…you also have to be Captain Planet.
…you have developed ADHD.
…you envy 9-5 jobs.
…a 14hr shift isn’t considered overtime.
…you keep asking “Where’s the rest of my paycheck?”
…you and your co-workers have two separate conversations while talking to each other.
…you have ever referred to your workplace as the People Pound.
…you have to attend the same training every 2-3 months.
…you can’t wait for the honeymoon to end.
…you can answer 5 questions at the same time.
…you have a verbally violent inner monologue.
…you start wondering what’s wrong with you.

This has been coming on for awhile…but I have officially realized I am old.  While I comment on this fairly regularly, last night was the real tipping point.  Know why?  Because apparently it was Pledge Night for Wake Forest.  Which means that everywhere downtown was CROWDED.  Everywhere.

Now, some co-workers and I happened to be out as well – we were planning to celebrate the fabulous Lovell’s birthday.  And while she wasn’t feeling very well by the time we went out, we still decided to go in her honor.

In retrospect, I think it would have perhaps been better to not go to my favorite downtown bar on pledge night.  I didn’t exactly fit into that scene during college, and by this point, I only felt even more worlds away.  For one thing, I had just worked 8hrs to top off my 42hr work week.  For another, despite attempting to look decent and wear make-up, I still looked like I had just worked 42 stressful hours.  And while I love going out and being with my friends, I was not nearly as…excitable…as half of these young’uns were.

But again, as I said before, this realization of my aging has been coming on for awhile.  It’s probably an increased sensation since I work with teenagers who have difficulty imagining me as a kid.  So, I’m going to compile a short list for you – similar to the hilarious list posted by Cat.  Some are related to aging, and some are just related to being in this precarious time of my 20s…

Signs You Are In Your 20s and Aging – It can’t all be downhill from here?

1.  Since I’m too poor to go shopping + too busy to do laundry, I have discovered that waiting almost a full month to wash my clothes creates a similar effect; all of a sudden I have all these new clothes that miraculously all fit.  It’s nice.
2.  After wearing heels, I find it necessary to soak my feet the next day because they are so sore.
3.  The only thing I could actively think of to ask for at Christmas was a cutting board.
4.  My friends and I discuss knitting difficulties.
5.  The people I most frequently want to talk to/visit are my family.
6.  I fully agree that a large portion of songs on the radio are, in fact, crap.
7.  The things I worry about now are my cholesterol, my bank balance, and when I’m going to be able to take a nap.
8.  Shopping is something only done when there is something specific to be bought…like milk, bread, & eggs.  And the occasional bottle of wine.
9.  It’s my dearest ambition to advance my “career” (this is of course the subject of an entirely different post).
10.  I have a houseplant.  And I love her.
11. Seriously, it is not a good idea for me to not have a cup of coffee before going into work.
12.  I actually know what people mean when they talk about the “real world”…instead of only thinking I do.
13.  Dental hygiene is serious business.
14.  Oh hey disillusionment.  Let’s find something you’re not involved in.
15.  Sometimes I freak out young people when I start laughing uncontrollably at some adorable thing they’ve said.
16.  Face cream is my best friend.
17.  My teenagers don’t know who Sean Connery is.
18.  My 4yr olds aren’t familiar with The Flintstones.
19.  I actually get mail – but it’s rarely anything enjoyable.
20.  There are 4 different grocery store discount membership cards on my keychain.

And there you have it.  It’s really not all that bad, but every once in awhile, it is jarring to note the differences between now & then (which is, incidentally, an incredible movie – and one I bet over half my kids aren’t familiar with).  Just some food for thought…hope you have a wonderful start to your week!

Surprisingly, I have actually completed some of the items on my 101 in 1001 List!  Most of the things I marked off as completed were tasks that were “in progress” but that I maintained for 2 months or more, and so now can check off.  Here’s the update:

#7 – I’ve been attending a weekly Discipleship Bible study at Green Street, which I’m really enjoying.  Unfortunately, with my schedule change, it has been harder to make it to the meetings…but it has been a very good experience.
#12 – I think I am improving at contacting my family members on a regular basis and staying up-to-speed on their lives.
#14 – The same…altho I guess with the caveat  that I have become a bit more selective and am attempting only to stay in touch with those people who reciprocate the effort.  And I gotta tell ya, it feels very nice.  Once again, can I just say how blessed I am with the people in my life?
#15 – Somewhere along the way I made some excellent Winston-Salem friends.  Some are co-workers, some are friends I’ve met through co-workers, some are friends from college, some from church…all and in all, I feel very at home here and love the people around me.
#18 – I pretty much stick to chicken and turkey nowadays.
#79 – I have been limiting the eating out and cooking more at home, which is very exciting.  That’s also helped wiht #18.  Now if only I had the resources to really practice becoming a good cook…

So, that’s that.  I feel pretty productive!  As for a more detailed post on how life is going, look for that sometime in the next few days.  Also look for some page edits on Books to Read & Movies to Watch; I need to update those lists as well…have a great week!