Richmond Fun

So, thru work, I must take part in some VISSTA trainings. This week I had a training in Richmond from December 1-3. So, I went with my buddy, Laura K. from Adult Protective Services (APS), and I from Adult Services (AS). So, as always, it is an adventure no matter the location.

December 1

So Laura and I were going to drive down together, and because our jobs are asking us to be out and about in "the field" we never really concluded where, how, or when we would meet. So, I get home 11/30/10 and felt like an investigator trying to find my friend's contact information. The smart cookie she is, I found her on the white pages but her phone number did not come up, and dialing the operator provided the information that her number was requested to be unsolicited. I called APS on call that said all I could do is leave her a voicemail at work. Well i sent her an FB message, a chat message, and an email. So I remembered she had sent me an event invitation and I found the number for her friends via white pages and they gave me her house number. See Laura's cell phone had died. Anyways, I was happy, and proceed with packing. However, I helped my friend with her thesis and then napped and then I packed till 2:30. I was too excited to sleep but manged a few hours. And, then I awoke and took another lap, b/c poor Laura got stuck in the rain traffic. I ended up meeting her at walmart and got to see my friend in the process at Great Harvest Bakery. She gave me apple scrapple and I saved it for Laura. We got to our training at 10 AM but everyone was late so we were actually on-time :D. Laura and I are both wile energetic ladies, but we started to get tired b/c the room was so warm and stuffy. However, we managed! That evening we went to "Short Pump," an outdoor restaurant. It was far to cold and Laura and I went on a shopping spree at the dollar store and then we got lost finding whole foods but found it. We met her friend at a Bakery store which had a salad with GOAT CHEESE and a gay guy who decided to convert to heterosexual just to flirt! There were no desserts and he got me fruit to which he said the chef thought it was for a child. And, he kept coming in and chatting with us. Then, of we went into the cold weather freezing it was far too cold. Then we went to Vicki's home; we chatted the nite away and watched a movie :D till 1 AM. And, I slept on the couch with tons of warm blankets all snuggle and warm. She had two cats too!! One whose name was Dude!

December 2

We woke up, and got to training! We got flashlights :D Then we had a wonderful digression b/c people followed their personal values and disagreed with the policies. To make this short, it would have been easy to just say hey, there are policies for a reason, follow them...the goal is not to put your feelings or thoughts on the clients but to help them achieve their goals and have autonomy in their decisions whether right or wrong. It is only when the decision making cannot be made that a more upfront approach should be taken. Anyways the good stuff...

We wanted to get Vicki a thank you gift from a Christian Book Store, which was really far out of the way. However, we found it, and we had to much fun in it!!! And, again, the person we asked for helping us was flirting with me and wanted to add me on facebook. Laura thinks I have something pasted on my forehead saying "all guys here." Afterwards she wanted to show me one of her friend's house on monument drive b/c it's beautiful and in a nice location, however, the GPS took us in a roundabout way and we ended up in impoverished areas and in areas where it looked deserted and then we finally decided lets ask the GPS to take us back to Vicki's. As we understood where we were we decided on dinner: the hummus and bread we got yesterday, soup, and candy, so we found a chinese restaurant on GPS which told us go left, go right, go left in a matter of 2 seconds and so we couldn't do each one and the last left was on Monument Drive. We couldn't find the Chinese restaurant and when we did we waited for a while, 45 min, to get our soup. Then we went to Food Lion to see if there was a red box to get Charlie St. Cloud but there was no Red Box, and we looked up Walmart which was not close, so Target it was. We went the long way to electronics and got the movie. Then we went to Vicky's home. We made the couch bed and got our dinner. Then we put on a movie Hudwick b/c my energy is that of the squirrel. And, it's true and there is a scene where the wolf gave the squirrel a cup of coffee and said I can't believe I'm doing this and the squirrel went bonkers, and that is me!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We had our soup

Then we watched Charlie St. Cloud but Laura and I pretty much talked during this movie about a lot of stuff. But, we ate our candy and the hummus and bread.

Dude was loving us and begging for food and then just slept on our laps as we petted him and he closed his eyes and this was even when Vicki was home! Vicki got home at 10 and we chatted with her till like 11:30 about the events of our day and then we watched one of her christmas movies till 1 AM. Laura thought I was asleep, but nope I was up!

Then to bed a nice warm comfortable bed.

December 3

We woke up but not early enough to do what we wanted. Vicki only opened up one gift and loved it! Hopefully she will see the other one tonite! She was teasing Laura. Then Laura grabbed my suitcase and I'm here thinking, where is hers and then she realized it and I went and knocked on the door to get it and there was Vicki with the bag nodding her head like "really." Then we went to Krsipy Cream to get our trainer a doughnut and the class Krispy Creams. Laura and I went to Starbucks, and my soy hot chocolate and her mint latte!!!!!! MMMM and then class, then we shopped and got cheap movies and talked about how much fun it was hanging out and getting to know each other better. Now off we go back onto the infamous I-95 to the hectic lives of NOVA which we love oh so dearly!

Where am I?

Yes, I have been MIA. I have been working for INOVA Elderlink, making sure my clients remain happy and independent. In the evening, I am working with the Teen Centers (3x a week). While I am busy, I am soo happy, not that I'm not not happy all the time, but keeping busy is even better!

Building rapport

So, I taught these guys in jail only 4/5 times. And, when I told them I was leaving, they were upset, and one was like, I came cause I "digged you" and "your green eyes." I was like so you only came here for me, not anything else, and he was like you know it! and then he was about to leave, but he came back in and said what other class are you teaching and I indicated, that I am completely, leaving, and he was "oh, okay."

I don't know friends, it's like i have something posted on my forehead that says, weirdness or in need of a social worker! But, it always proves to be an amusing story!

Another day...

So another day... my friend and I were talking about expressing emotions, feelings, concerns, etc... and how differently women and men see this! Okay we were walking around the mini strip mall, and about to go into Giant, and this guy comes by in his black pick-up truck and says i didn't mean to overhear your conversation but you all are right, "guys can't do that, we just can't." My friend called him an angel, and I said, it officially goes on the "wall of weird." And, then we just walked to random places....

The next day, we decided to go to Ruby Tuesdays and got two sides of fries to share. Then we decided to just walk around the movie theatre area at midnight, and low and behold there was a security/cop car and my friend gets all anxious and I was like, we aren't doing anything wrong, lets just walk tall and strong, and then we jay walked! hahahaha.

Then another day we again walked late at night in Arlington, in the cold rain, but it was immensely relaxing :) And, yet again, there are stalkers but it is all good, no one bugged us!

Another crazy night

So while for me it's an adventure, for my friends it is normal, if not an amusing story. So, here I am bored doing nothing and my friend calls. We decide to go to Busboy and poets ...mmmm vegan food: I can eat pizza and have desserts!!!! But, before we go to the food, I had to parallel park. Look, I have improved my driving skills and i have mastered the art of parallel park, yeah it took me forever, but better now than never. Back to the food! So, my friend and I stuffed ourselves- i had no left-overs, and for those of you who know me, i'm a small eater, but man oh man, i was ecstatic. It helped that i had a great work out earlier! So while we were eating we watched a movie on El Salvador, and then asked the director questions.

After our food, we decided to take a walk instead of going into a food coma. We walked for almost like 2 hours.

Okay the adventure. Neither of us were ready for the nite to end...so, we decided to find mr. green man again, and to our dismay he was not around, but it was obviously way to start a conversation or cause another adventure. My friend wanted me to see her niece's neighborhood because it was in one of the lower-income areas of Springfield. Anyways, little did we know (but it should have been expected) that her neighborhood had construction going on all around it, so we missed the exit. Then instead of making a u-e or going the infamous "straight" we accidentally took I-95. And, I had indicated that 95 was on the right but somehow we still managed to get ourselves on there.

Okay, so, there are no exit signs for another 10 miles so my friend is freaking out and I just decide to let the seat recline and i rest and ever so often jerk up to see where we are. now, see, i was very frustrated, b/c there was traffic, traffic that you would see in rush hour, at 11:30 at night. Please explain why on a Sunday night, this was happening-there were no holidays, nothing. Anyways, yet again I'm looking for an exit and we see a sign for Lorton, and we decide we would take that exit. We weren't quite sure where in Lorton we would end up, but we decided to take our chances. And en route to finding our beloved exit to no traffic and hopefully home, we see a random lady running bare-footed across the side of the highway with her pants nearly falling down! And then, she jumps over the ledge onto the highway finds a car and goes in. we weren't sure if she knew the driver or hitchhiked... i guess you had to be there, but I just found it odd that here was a person at 11:30PM running to get into a car on I-95 bare-footed.

So, as we approach Lorton, my friend and I are about to call someone who has a GPS on their phone. Luckily, my friend and I have been lost enough and on so many adventures that we recognized many of the roads. She picked one, we went down it, and when we had the option to turn right i said NOOOO KEEP GOING, drum roll please, STRAIGHT! And, while we were in the middle of no-where, I love that idea of no where land it's so exciting and Kenya-like. But, we made it back to Ox-road and to the comforts of Springfield.

Hip Hip Hooray

So, voila... I put up the post of me leaving the country and then 9/16/10 I get a phone call at 9ish (I was asleep). When I finally did get up around 10:30/11 AM, I looked at my phone and recognized the digits, my heart started to skip beats, as my adrenaline sky rocketed with anticipation of whether I would be offered a job or not! And, 15 minutes later, I was offered the job! I have a job, a full time job during the day, and I'm going to do an old part-time job in the evenings! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you to everyone who was a constant support for me.

However, for those of you who taken a sigh of relief that I will not go abroad, don't let that breath out too soon. I will be traveling in the summer either to the middle east of Japan... but no worries, cause all will be well! :)

The job hunt continues

While my part-time job at the ADC is exciting... momentarily, I am seeing no success in having a full-time job shortly or activities to release my raging aggression! (not really hahaha but STRESS, yes!!!!). Therefore, after constant contemplation, I have decided to travel elsewhere in the wonderous (is that a word?) world of adventures to seek a job. My prospects include the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Perhaps, I'll find a job and will walk or bike away my stress. I will keep you all posted :) hahahaha

okay my crazy adventures: this would only happen to me!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know how this happens, but it's like I have a magnet for adventure, trouble, danger, and getting lost...not that it is a problem or anything, I enjoy it and it poses for great stories hahahahaha. So, my friend and I, we wanted to go and get a snack. We saw a pizza place lebanon, and chinese, and then fast foods. Obviously, none catered to my dietary needs so, I ended up getting a diet pepsi, yes I know, I"ll be up all night (I'm posting this at 4:10 AM). Anyways, my friends and I were analyzing different types of people we saw of different cultures, not to be rude, but because it was interesting. So, after we were content, we left...we go down a back route, and all of a sudden my friend (who was driving) goes absolutely bonkers on me, and is screaming in the care and I was like what, because I thought she was freaking out over this dead animal, that looked gross, and she just pointed, so here was this tall guy all in green! IN GREEN! Okay, so my friend thinks he's going to pull out a gun b/c he turns his face and puts his hand down to his waist, so I'm here in the passenger seat telling her to calm down and just keep driving as she's thinking hey, i'm going to die! hahahaha....so anyways we drive off and when we were analyzing this ( i guess you never put a social worker and a counselor together, because it's natural for us to do this generally, and even more so if we are chilling together). And, we both wanted to go back, b/c we couldn't believe what we saw and considering i had caffeine, i was like maybe we both saw a ghost or something...so, we returned, but we also agreed not to get out of the car...yes we are stupid, but hey, we enjoy adventure. So, when we go back we go this weird way, and i was like we weren't gone that long, so it would only make sense for him to be near where we left him...and guess what!?!?!?! He was in the shopping center we were at, eating. So, anyways, everyone was like why are you wearing a green suit, laughing, etc...but it was odd too, b/c he seemed to crouch and jump back in fear multiple times, and he hid behind a van and kept hiding his face with his hand....so, again the analysis, we were like maybe he was a hardened criminal, or maybe he was someone with the medical disease of nowt allowing his skin to be in sunlight, or maybe he had a phobia he was trying to get over, maybe we were on the dateline show! Who knows, the social work realm continues! Anyways, my friend announces through the window "hey your awesome!" and, we proceed to drive around again, our last attempt for a picture; she finally slows down, and well, hahaha, he waved to us, and we got a picture as he walks into giant....
the wonders,
what are your thoughts,
and yes, i know i'm silly, that was defined a long time ago
hahaha! anyways, just thought hey, a good analysis, a good way to ponder, or simply to laugh, it covers all this story so voila!

only THURSDAY?!?!?!

The joys of a part-time job...it seems that only part-time employers value the idea of giving a person a chance to excel and grow.....however, I hope the job is near. My next cross stitch is comping along quickly and nicely. Having four needles at my disposal comes in handy even when multi-tasking with cross stitching. upon finishing, i plan to visit.

Ah, a wonder, my fault for keeping you all in anticipation as Ii disclose what my part-time job will be: (it was fun while it lasted) I will be working with Adult Detention Detention Center and teaching pre-GED! A new experience and adventure indeed!

Until next time :) Enjoy your Friday!

Another day...

As I sit idly, I lose focus…only so long can one reminisce of childhood memories by watching Dr.Quinn marathons during the day… and poke myself till 3 AM with cross stitch adventures at night. Reading books are engaging, but sitting all day, hmmmm… not my idea of fun. The normalcy of sleeping between 3 and 4 AM and waking up at 11/noon has become ideal…Sudoku puzzles engage my mind.

But, now, a work-out schedule, what have I developed to keep mind & body occupied? Running, Pilate's, stretching, and core exercises (ie: push ups/sit-ups/squats)…. While my fiery spirit is not watered down by any means with these exercises, I suppose they will suffice for now, until something new pops up…

Ah the joys of unemployment, for how long can I wait, not too much! I’ll get bored :)

Recalling the past and hopefully a glimpse into the future

“There is more in us than we know. If we can be made to see it, perhaps for the rest of our lives, we will be unwilling to settle for less” – unknown

The Beginning: The comforts of the melting pot of Northern Virginia/D.C., as I settled comfortably in the city known well to the Simpsons: Springfield (except my Springfield is obviously in Virginia, hahaha). An elementary school is built, Sangster, and I am in the first group of students to enroll, a signature on the wall, from the 80s, indicates the momentous occasion (boy am I old-only in numbers though, not in heart!)…

Middle school: Washington Irving, not the writer, the school :)… a point of growth, defining yourself, and being a nerdy goofball who played the violin and loved Math.

High School: West Springfield. The era of knowing everything but really knowing nothing, an age of ego easily heightened or defeated. An understanding of cliques and either selecting a group to join or maintaining your own personal being… a confusing place to be. Academia, wonderment to our survival of 7 am classes, where motivation was something that we were constantly lacking, especially b/c the ac was on during the winter, and the heat was on during the summer. Hm… sounds like my TKD classes!

And, then Randolph-Macon Woman’s College: To the comfort and challenges of the intensity behind the Red Brick Walls set at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A place where two nicknames evolved: Riki and Energizer Bunny. The understanding that smarties were enough to cause me to go “off the wall” and have 2 AM pillow fights in Main Hall, causing Ms. Peggy to close the door. Insistent upon being involved in clubs to grow and understand the qualities of a leader are not to necessarily lead, but is really to simply guide and follow. An academic realm where professors acknowledge your abilities and constantly raise the bar such that your successes are never good enough, and the statement “anywhere else it would have been an A” cannot be challenged without all nighters, coffee, stress, and most of all hard work! And then finally, graduating, knowing that my college had molded me into a young, independent, capable woman, who could accomplish anything and overcome all challenges!

Ah then a small part-time job until the spontaneous adventure of Peace Corps arrived, May 2005! Nairutia, Kenya was where I lived, and a mwalimu (teacher) I became. An adventure into the unknown indeed, for only 22 was I, with only the need to be given the tools and an opportunity, and then I would fly! Little did I know seeing people die daily of HIV/Aids, the poverty, and the constant struggles of my community would be a daily job to face. However, the gentleness of the community, their constant smiles, and their willingness to see beyond their struggles and look at the small gifts (like clean water) that they received was enough to keep me in awe and in gratitude. While it was the hardest job I had, I can never take credit for teaching my community, for I believe that they taught me more about life and living each hour and day to the fullest, as if it were your end. Not that it wasn’t dangerous, or that hassles did not occur, for they did, but one goes in knowing that it safety is a concern…and ones leaves understanding that they will be affected by the trauma…

And then I had to leave, medically separated, ah the beauties of anaphylactic shock, to milk! However, it is a great natural diet :)

Return to home, and realized I had truly applied what I had learned in college. I had seen what I had read. I wasn’t attempting to put a Band-Aid on the issues; rather I was trying to untangle a web of issues to find the 1 core concern to help my community develop a sustainable project to address whatever they needed! Home was different, electricity hmmm…that’s new/neat, Valentines-what’s that, warm-clean-baths, really?

As I settled in, TKD and BJJ, became a stress relief and a good exercise…sparring MMA style was the name of the game, and black eyes were war wounds, that were given, but never fully accepted as they were not “good enough…”The shorty bball player now on the mats, never avoided injuries, they are still coming strong and fast! But, while some of you are skeptical, I still do believe, that now, I will truly not have any more injuries, even if I am a well-defined clutz.

Then George Mason, no GRE, sweet! MSW, yes again, part-time, even better. 3 years of working hard and long, 6 am-11pm if not later. Sleep, not in Tarika’s dictionary! But, the infamous Randy-Mac days, taught me well, start the work early-and it’ll all end well! Macon, well thank you, for I felt prepared for any Graduate Program indeed. And, don’t forget the adventures of Costa Rica, mmmmmm the food was great, the scenery breath-taking, and the course, “Human Rights and Sustainable Human Development,” who could ask for more?!?!?!

2010 May rolls around, and finally I graduate! Travelled and visited friends: Lynchburg, Bedford, Atlanta, NY, New England, and Toronto, a nice relaxation indeed it was! So many pictures and memories! A graduation present from me to me…yes, it was well-deserved!

And now here I am, with experiences and an education, but my job only is to seek one, a full-time job it is indeed, perhaps I should ask to be paid! I wait patiently, in hopes to start a new journey where I settle into a career, and let it take me somewhere, out there, where ever that may be!- Over the rainbow?!?!?! Hahahaha

Till the next entry, enjoy, and thanks for reading!