!Federal holiday
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agk's phlog
5 July 2021 @ 0948
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written on Pinebook Pro while Cassie
fixes eggs, avocado, and berries for breakfast
---
It's the first Monday in months I haven't had to be up at
five. I'm officially part-time! I went back to sleep til
Cassie woke at nine--she has a Federal holiday today.
Yesterday on my drive to work the sun hovered over the
horizon to my right, beautiful! '90s biker-shorts neon-
orange. Dozens of big white charolais cows ranged the
lush summer-green hills to my left. I love to drive through
the dense morning mist between the tall bluffs that rise
from the Kentucky river.
I thought about how I write to blow off steam after hard
days, and overdramatize my present and past in this log. I
don't like false self-presentation on social media. I don't
want to do that.
Yesterday I drew a flag and fireworks on the whiteboard
after I erased the names of the previous day's staff and
wrote our names. It was a holiday in my country. I went
light on therapeutic groups.
The polecat was still on his unit. The rest of the kids
were evacuated. A single staff entertained him in the unit
hallway with high-intensity, high-engagement games of catch,
soccer, racing, and karate every waking moment. I didn't see
them sit, but I'm sure they must have eaten. They did go
outside once and the polecat broke a shatterproof window. It
took many staff to get him back in.
My boys were chill. Rec therapist took them swimming. Boys
that can't pass the swim test wear life vests. Dietary made
hot dogs, hamburgers, delicious potato salad, grilled corn,
and watermelon. I took the boys to the gym with a basketball.
We played horse and foursquare. I played a thousand games of
rummy on the patio and in the day room. We watched Spongebob
and part of Batman and Robin. I tried to get rec to bring us
psych-safe fireworks.
An adolescent told me about their non-binary journey. Boys
talked to me about anxiety and impatience. One asked quest-
ions about stuff that happened when he overdosed on ibuprofin
after his dad died. Another asked what residential is like.
We threw a football in the courtyard, listened to music,
played more cards.
Mr. Shirley brought barbecue ribs he got up early as hell to
smoke. He works on the girls unit. He watched my boys so I
could have some. Man, those ribs were delicious.
