Everwhere is walking distance if you have the time

[ClingingToHope]

Journaling

Another rough turn with D9 yesterday. I met with the after school program leader to see what the rules will be for D9 to stay in the program.

We had it all worked out. All D9 had to do was promise she wouldn't "run off" again or be physically aggressive towards the staff.

We didn't even get to the physically aggressive stuff. She refused to even say she wouldn't run off again. She was focused on one of the staffers, saying it was his fault and they should run the program differently ...

Eventually she marched out.

Wow.

So now she is going to get bused daily to a private daycare and watch TV after school with a bunch of 3 year olds. It's the only other option. I can't/not willing to go home every day at 3 p.m.

XW and I agreed we'll have to get tougher when she acts out or refuses to work with us. She was threatening not to ride the bus home, not to come to school.

I took her home and had her for an hour and she couldn't use any electronics. She had to do her homework or read. She did neither. She sat on the couch and stewed.

Later, when she was with XW, she called to apologize.

D12 has a bunch of theater stuff and I'm letting her stay at XW's tonight (my night) and Friday night (my night) because it makes no sense for me to drive her to and from the theater when XW is already going to be there as part of the costume committee.

It also limits my contact with XW. The less I see her the better. I already have to see her for a school meeting next Monday. She's taken to just stopping by lately. Yesterday, she came over at 8:10 a.m. to drop off D12's costume. Today, she came at 8:15 a.m. to drop off D12's makeup. I have to take D12 to the theater.

I worked out Saturday, worked a 17-hour day at the marathon Sunday and worked out again Tuesday morning ... so I think I'm looking good. I've been doing this weightlifting class for nearly a year and it's working for me.

XW looked stressed.

Work is going well. I'm getting some good stories done. More focused. Have some big projects going as well.

OKC and I are supposed to go to lunch tomorrow, although she has a work issue that might force us to postpone. We'll see. Now messaging another lady through Plentyoffish. It's enough to keep my mind occupied.

Coworker is going to lend me the money to file bankruptcy. I'll pay him back $25 a paycheck until spring when I redo my 401(k) loan to eliminate a ton of bills.

My sister and I worked out an agreement on the blog I'm writing for her. She prepaid by $1,050 in the summer. Now, instead of just not paying until I work that amount off, she wants to pay me a little and have me cut into the debt a bit each month. She's looking at her budget. I'm not sure why it isn't better for her not to pay me until I've worked the $1,050 off. I could use the money right now. We worked it out.

She's stressed because she put $16,000 into developing a better web site last winter and the people she hired didn't do what she wanted. Being a business writer, I know people here that I can vouch for that can do the job she wants. So I'm connecting her with them. If it all works out, she'll do better and I'll do better and I'll have gotten my friends some work.