The Best Day of My Life (so far)

Last night I went to an event called Arts through the Ages. It focused mostly on the elderly and intergenerational programming, and featured a panel of four young women who have different endeavors in art, writing and drama. I was particularly looking forward to hearing more about the writing program, being a writer myself, and also because I had JUST been talking with my mom and Rachael the day before about at some point doing a research study of the use of writing as a modality with individuals with dementia (and because I just did my whole case study on a huge writing project).

The Best Day of My Life (So Far) is a project created by a woman named Benita Cooper, an architect who was inspired to create this writing project after conversing with her grandmother and hearing all of her wonderful stories. In fact, she's working currently on writing a book filled with her grandmother's stories - something that I've always contemplated since my first grandma day in 2001 (*"grandma day" was created by me in 2001 after reading Tuesdays with Morrie, and becomming obsessed with the concept of spending one day a week with someone you love. I began going to grandma's after school every Tuesday. This lasted all through high school and college, although the days and times have changed through the years. Now they're on Saturdays, when I go over after work, eat dinner with her and then spend the night, and go to work from there on Sunday.) Anywho... Benita was so inspired by her conversations with her grandmother, that she decided to begin volunteering with seniors in the community. Now she has her weekly writing program at Philadelphia Senior Center every Thursday. The participants come together, and given a theme, put their memories to paper. The memories are shared through conversation, and through a blog www.thebestdayofmylifesofar.blogspot.com .

I found the entire thing extremely interesting. After working in recreation my whole life, and then completing my bachelor's in Therapeutic Recreation, I think it's amazing that someone so far removed from the health professions took the time and effort to actually begin a project like this one. I know she's looking for volunteers, so anyone interested can look her up on the blog, or on facebook (search "the best day of my life so far"). I'm hoping to be of assistance with some more clinical aspects of things, but really I'd love to help wherever I can. Hopefully I'll actually have time coming up to do so.

Birthday

So my twenty-third birthday has come and gone. It was an excellent one. Harry Potter came out, as it seems, just for my birthday (haha), but really I've always had good luck with that. I remember on my 14th birthday the 4th HP book came out and Harry and I turned 14 at the same time. However, I didn't end up seeing Harry at midnight like I had originally planned. Instead I headed into the city and met up with Rachel and Rob. We had a drink at Rob's, and then ventured out into South Philly, where we went to dinner at a place called the Tap Room, which had an excellent beer selection (I had a phenomenal Pear Cider), and a delicious menu. We then headed to Lucky 13, and later to a little bar called Grumpy's Tavern, where we enlightened the wonderful crowd of fellow drinkers by singing a delightful rendition of "My Girl" on Karaoke.

It was a fantastic night (sans the 8 or so times I vomited - I lost count after a while), with fantastic friends (who were sweethearts and held my hair). Honestly, it was one of my favorite birthdays to date.

And then yesterday was Harry Potter with Danielle, Kayt, Momma Jess, and G-Unit (aka Grandma). And let me just say that it was well worth the wait, and definitely my favorite Harry Potter movie so far. It was funny, and scary, and just fantastic. Even though they didn't add my favorite scene (when Griffindor wins the Quidditch match and Harry runs up to Ginny and kisses her in front of the whole common room for the first time <3 <3 so cute) , and even though they added some random Christmas scene that was a little awkward, the movie was phenomenal and made me so happy. I can't wait to see it again.

I think I'm going to go blog-happy from now on and post all the time because I have false delusions that anyone else even gives a crap.

Work should be fun today because not only do I have internet this weekend (YAY!!!!!), but Jody is the Administrator on Duty, and Jody is one of my best work friends, so we're going to have a grand time. You see, in a nursing home the weekends are much different then during the week. During the week, upper management is here (CEO, COO, and CFO) and department heads are here, that's like Director of Dietary, Director of Nursing, Director of Physical Therapy, Building Services Manager, Director of Therapeutic Recreation, etc. During the weekend there is the Nursing Supervisor, the Administrator on Duty (which rotates every weekend through the different department heads), and me: the receptionist. I don't think anyone ever meant for me to be partially in charge of the building, but they don't realize that for the following reasons, I often have more responsibility then the AOD, because I am the first and last person people see upon entering/exiting the facility, and many of the people know me well, so they feel comfortable coming to me with their complaints, criticisms, and problems. Which of course means that I have the responsibility of solving their problems or relaying their complaints.

But ANYWAY, Jody is AOD which means that it's more relaxed, and it makes work seem more akin to hanging out with a friend, and my other friend Christine is covering Therapeutic Recreation, and is supplying me with her people magazine to read in my spare time.

Tonight I'm house sitting for my grandma, which is such a sweet deal because she tells me to turn the heat up as much as I want, as opposed to my house, where the heat is strictly set to 65 degrees. She also tells me to eat anything in her freezer or fridge which is awesome because she has some great food to choose from. AND she has cable, which may not seem like a big deal, but I don't have cable, so it's a big deal for me. I love house sitting for her. The funny thing is that she always tried to pay me for it too, and not like a little stipend, but obscene amounts, like $100 for one or two nights. She leaves the money hidden somewhere in her house and tells me it's "emergency money", and then yells at me if I don't take it. I never take it, or I'll take like $10 of it because it makes her happy, but really I feel like theres already so many perks to staying there. In fact, having the house to myself is reason enough. At home, I share a room with my sister, but at my grandma's house, I have my own room with my own dresser and desk, and some extra clothes and toiletries. It's like going on vacation, which probably sounds lame, but I don't really care.