T-3 in BookThree: Flight Log 2016

It is only 9:06 a.m. CST and I am already forcing “calming breaths” and whispering “Don’t complain, push forward” over and over to myself. It is… difficult in such a “lovely” place (sarcasm).
I’ve had nightmares for the past two nights in a row. The other night… it was a nightmare of personal health… dying in the Tiny Town Hospital unable to get help because the County was unwilling to re-up insurance… a very real concern. Last night it was more “fantastic” in that it involved Zombies; but it was a strain of Zombie-ism where the entire body had to be destroyed. I would make a successful head shot; the Zombie kept coming. I would stab the brain over and over and even sever the head… but the head stayed animated and the body kept moving. It was… unsettling and threatening.

After I got out of bed… even in the time it took to go from “Awake, no zombies” to “In the kitchen, isn’t it cold?” already all of my personal motivation had evaporated. The will to push forward and go to work was gone. It is a familiar feeling. Back when I was a telemarketer, I would use that feeling to call in sick… go back to sleep… and sleep until I felt okay again. I can’t do that here. I can’t even take vacation or sick leave as I’m the only one still actively “attorneying” in the area. I will admit a twinge of jealousy in the morning when I have to drag my butt to work in the mornings and Wife is still sleeping soundly (every day). As soon as I got into work; Boss called. Not to discuss the legal ramifications or the precedent law for the Hog Confinement Issue. No. She called to let me know the issue was covered in the paper again. A woman more concerned about press coverage than about getting anything done. She certainly provided the expected level of service this county requested. After that… a phone call from Boss’ secretary… who the Board still won’t let her know if she has a job after the year ends. She is freaking out (understandably) and the Board keeps saying, “It isn’t our call whether you work for the new County Attorney.” Well… it wouldn’t be normally; but since the Board hijacked the entire County Attorney process… we can’t really trust the process to work as it is supposed to. Just let the woman know she has a job; cutting it to literally the last minute is sadistic.

::begins breathing exercises; whispering “Don’t complain, push forward.”
I am going to the Board meeting as Boss doesn’t want to. I anticipate it being an experience that continues to make me passionately hope I managed to impress the Hiring Agents in Des Moines!

As I returned from the Board of Supervisors meeting; I was greeted with a Notice from the Court that a case had been sent from Adult Court to Juvenile Court. This is a case where I, the Juvenile Judge, and the Juvenile Investigator all told my boss that the case needed to be an adult case. My boss claimed that, though the charge is Assault with Intent to Commit Sexual Assault, the boy doesn’t have any sexually related issues and needed to be taken care of by the Juvenile Court since he shouldn’t have his life ruined. Except… the charge is a sexual intent crime. Meaning after the age of 16, Juvenile Court loses jurisdiction. My exact words to my boss were “I spoke with the Juvenile Judge and she says that if the case is sent to Juvenile Court, as the defendant is 18 years old, she will dismiss the case as a matter of improper venue.” So… told my boss that… she went ahead anyway. Right now… I don’t even consider this complaining. This is straight up information sharing. And the information… kind of makes me want to explode.

Seriously, God… what added value is there in keeping me in this place? I’ve learned about small town life. I’ve learned about how Rural Iowans feel and think differently from Urban Iowans. I’ve grown to appreciate even the annoyances of modern civilization. Genuinely, the only reason I can see to keep me here for another 6 months would be that you want me to quit this lawyer thing. So, please. I’m begging you, God. Please bring me home.

I’m a bit foolish sometimes. I thought “for sure” I was going to finish my To-Do List today. But at the very end of it, I placed “Fix Cases” so… that isn’t going to happen. So I’ll have to be happy with “Close 4 Cases” which… it is what it is, I suppose?

And because Alice in Wonderland has several connections to my Wife and I.....................

UPDATE:
The DHS Officials are discussing placement plans for patients and disabled individuals today. Every five minutes I hear things like “What if we got them a place in Des Moines? What if we got them a place in Waterloo? What if we got them a place in Cedar Rapids?” And I keep thinking ME! SEND ME!
I won’t let this experience turn me cold to the needs of the vulnerable. The people that DHS helps have zero options out here… this place is shriveling and if anyone is to get assistance, they have to leave the area and go to a larger place where assistance is not so hard to find. But of course… I keep hearing “our tax dollars are going” to send these people (who want to stay here) to my home and other areas of personal comfort. Meanwhile, I’m stuck here (where these people would rather stay) working in order to make sure the State has sufficient tax receivings to afford programs like that.

Last updated December 06, 2016