Managing Upwards

The X-mas/Chanukah/Kwanza Holiday was nice and quiet. Karl had dinner with a friend from Jamaica at her mother's house in Jamaica, Queens. The food was excellent but the conversation about the Jamaicas became a bit confusing. The late night call to Victor on Middle Earth was unsuccessful. No one picked up the phone. Were they out visiting or delivering gifts? Maybe the traditional Holiday dragon knocked out the power and phone lines. One never knows what to expect on Middle Earth.

Today was the second appointement with the Probation Office. I was the only person in the waiting area for the first 30 minutes. Upon further inspection of the "help" rack, all the outreach material was for STDs, Hep C, HIV and Birth Control/Teen Pregnancy. One stop shopping for the demimonde. I parused the November issue of Latina magazine instead. Curious thing, all the perfume ads were missing.

The PO, Mr. L---, called my name and waved me in. The meeting was short, I had nothing to report except that I'd be meeting with Day Top Village at 6:00 pm for Substance Abuse Assessment. He reminded me to that he will be out for the month of January and I will report to a new PO , I should just keep following up all appoitments. I told him that Anger Mangement will not happen until January 3, 2006 as with Community Service assignment.

2006 already? Wow, where did the year go? Oh, that's right I spent most of it in court.

Managing the Anger Management
This is where things get confusing about Anger Management. Fortune Society referred me to BRC which told me to make an appointment in January with BATF, or the Brooklyn AIDS Task Force. Aids? This poney ride just went even more sallow. It seems just two weeks I got used to idea of sitting in with a group of angry meth-queens in Chelsea. What are angry AIDS patients like? Maybe I should have grabbed the literature from the help rack. At least it's in the same building where I teach. Again, one stop shopping. I won't know the duration of this program until I meet with them next week. I was told that it can go anywhere from 12 to 26 weeks. The person I spoke with said 6 weeks, but he seemed concerned about getting home during the strike.

Probation Agenda 2006
- January 17, third of four probation appointments
- Appoint one more home visit with new PO
- Call Ms. R-------- at Resource Division Unit for 70 hours of Community Service
- Anger Management with BATF, make appointment on Jan. 3

Civil court still looms like a pendulous boulder. Nothing has moved yet but I can't imagine someone filing with Supereme Court and letting a case lapse. Civil lawyers need to get paid too.

So who are the two creatures that put me here? I don't know much about them at all. They are neither monsters nor demi-gods. Just two mortals that confused entitlement with civic action. I know they both met at Bard, and they both pursued an education to become a bard. But both ended up just playing the lyre, and not so well. I don't think much of them.

Managing the various programs and appointments has become my third job. I have to keep track of all dates to make sure they do not conflict, the Probation Office does not keep track of this matter. If I don't fulfill these requirements I'll prolong my probation. Essentially, I'm managing the management.

70 hours of community work: I bought some good thermals. I think I'll be picking up a lot of poop by the highway this winter. Buy 2006 date book. Buy more socks.