I'm SOOOOOOOOO TIRED!!!

Friday didn't come fast enough yesterday. This was my first week working the new part-time job as homeless count coordinator, in addition to my normal part-time job as municipal employee. 40 hours isn't so hard when it's evenly dispersed over a 5 day period....but, halfway through the week, that balance shifted.

On Wednesday, there was a statewide conference that Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, (CCH) sponsored, and in one of their breakout sessions was a training for those who would be involved with the statewide homeless count on August 28th. Being true to their metrocentric form, CCH scheduled the blasted event from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. I had to leave at 6:15 AM just to get there on time, which, ladies with wavy hair will appreciate and knowingly nod along in sympathy regarding the fact that for me to have been up, hair straightened nicely, made up to look professional, organized to the extra business cards in the bag before I left, etc - I HAD TO BE UP AT 5:30 AM!!! I'm so not a morning person! But I did it, with massive amounts of caffeine coursing through my veins. CCH's director, Mr. Non-Dynamic Speaker with a horribly monotone voice, tendency to go on and on AND ON , let alone a very narcissistic agenda for his agency proceeded to get all of us workers from the "rural" areas to all but protest: . Don't get me wrong, his agency does great work, in DENVER. CCH, to the rest of us, is little more than a paradoxical agency, displaying overbearing micromanagement in their role as fiscal agent and yet a very keen disinterest in the unique needs of the "rural" balance of state (probably most notable when a couple of years ago CCH was under sanctions with HUD b/c of improper usage of federal dollars and their subgrantees had to operate CCH funded programs for 9 mos without funding!), and has long since frustrated many to tears.

You see, we aren't Denver in a number of ways. Predominantly, we're not the same political climate, at least not at the leadership levels. Secondly, because our experience of homelessness is different - often hidden and not the in your face panhandling variety of many urban homeless - our communities do not have a reason, desire, etc. to change this difference in political climate. Another thing is that our homeless populations are TOTALLY different - so what works in Denver, may not work in other cities/towns through the state. And that, is where CCH's arrogance comes in. Mr. Non-Dynamic Speaker went on this asininely long diatribe touting the agency's many successes in the past year. The implicit message was rife with the understanding that all we had to do was mirror them, with their help, and we could have the same successes. And nevermind the above cited differences, we're supposed to have the same FISCAL RESOURCES to implement these programs? Thank you, CCH for solving all of Colorado's homeless issues...or not. Anyway, I digress...my very LONG point here, is that most of what ended up to be a 12 hour day was really useless to me, equivalent to Ron White's joke about ear rape. The part that I attended for, was actually really good, and gave me what I believe to be a leading edge. That day wasn't over at 4:30...no, I still had prime-time rush-hour traffic to face on my ride home. Then, when home, it was cook, clean, put the kids to bed, etc. Didn't hit the pillow until 11:00...AAAck!

Then....Thursday, I ended up meeting with a church who had approached my office about our City's homeless needs. Since it related to the Count...yeah. I'd gone to work at my normal 8:30 and got home just before 9:30. Bed at 11:30 that night....then dh gets frisky in the middle of the night....normally, I'm ALL for midnight nookie, but that night, I was SOOO "just have your way with me and hurry, 'k?" LOL.

Friday, I have a breakfast meeting with some key players about homeless discharge planning, a huge item of research I tackled last year in aiding my boss with developing the city's 5 yr. consolidated plan, and the count. By 2 that afternoon, my brain resembled an old campaign: , no drugs involved, per se, but apparent lack of sleep, which researchers now say can be equivalent. We DID have date night that night, but I'm ashamed to say I became rather maudlin and no fun to be around after a 23ox light beer with dinner. Self-sabotage?!?

Today? Our neighbors were moving, and Charlie Brown helped via manpower. Me? I watched 4 children 2-5 yrs of age...then took LMNOB to a 5 y/o b'day party for 2 hrs. Then, Charlie Brown and I attempted to take them to Home Depot for some landscaping needs we'd wanted to address...well, we actually did, but it was with an assaulting barrage of whining, sibling attacks, and flat out disrespect, that it didn't have any resmblance to the outing Charlie and I had in mind.

Now...it's nearing 11:00, yet again. I'm not in bed, we have roughly 10 loads of laundry that are dirty, begging my grudging attention to my domestic neglect this week, my eyes burn this week with what I imagine are allergies, and I'm only 24 hours from preparing for my return to the work week. And yes, there is another long day in Denver this week - for my municipal job this time.

In the words of Shania..."Man, I feel like a woman"

particularly those too-tired, always got a headache women who prefer sleep over sex whom I never used to identify with....

it's happening...

I'm getting older