A Brief Update in Book Seven: Reconstruction 2020

Hello, all. A brief update. Though I’ll admit my brain ain’t all exactly there right now.

(1) I… like many studies show throughout the United States… am sleeping like shit. HOWEVER what the studies have not said is that I, presumably like many, cannot sleep sometimes and yet have a demanding and annoying erection. STRANGELY, taking care of it does not always help me sleep (as it once did) but it is still a healthier alternative than drinking myself unconscious.

(2) In order to establish boundaries with my dog and also help her keep from expecting Work From Home is something she should expect… I have set up my WFH office in the basement and I keep her in the upstairs. However, since I am home and too often, she can hear me… I typically check on her during lunch. And then walk her after I eat. And allow her to sleep on the couch in the basement in the afternoon IF she is good.

(3) TODAY wasn’t great for me. Besides the difficulty sleeping, I had quite a day ahead of me. I managed it (so far, one tortured phone call left) but it did require me to stay by a small computer and my phone doing Conference Calls and Phone Hearings all day. Nala, duh, was pissed that her routine was interrupted. So she took the only shoes she could find and moved them… a common act of protest for her. HOWEVER typically, she takes some of Martha’s shoes and moves them to the living room… an act essentially stating “The wearer of these shoes is absent and should be where I want her to be” (my interpretation). TODAY? She moved my tennis shoes from the back door (where I had placed them due to dirt from walking Nala) and she moved them to the bedroom (where I normally keep my shoes). It was humorous. To me. At least.

(4) That being said… since she has not had her walk nor any great play time, she has refused to sleep on the couch in the basement. As I am, in her mind, neglecting her. An expected reaction. But, sadly, one that is too close to true as the day progresses. My day has become far too full and I cannot provide her the walk she very desperately needs. I’ve asked Martha to come over and walk her… we’ll see if that happens or not. (Not only did it happen but Martha even raked some of the leaf piles in the yard!)

(5) OTHER than COVID19 complicating things that are scheduled and will not be postponed by the courts (like Plea Hearings, Sentencings, and Probation Revocations) today has been quite an exhausting day. So… I hate the phone. I also have to provide all of my own digital extensions and hardware and software for any WORK FROM HOME activities. So… everything is being conducted by a “gosh, I hope this works” perspective. It, therefore, does not surprise me that I am losing most of my hearings. Not only do I not have access to the courtroom/witnesses/officers as I would otherwise… the court is also FAR less willing to put anyone in detention right no considering the pandemic. So if you beat up 6 people and then punched the arresting officer in the face? Enjoy your freedom!

(6) But… of course… it couldn’t just be the complications from COVID. I’m an entertaining mfer. Our District Associate Judge left a few months ago. Our replacement judge started at the tail end of February. So as we’re all now trying to respond to COVID, one of the two most important Judges I deal with is “figuring it out, getting used to things, happy to be finishing his first month as a judge.” So we’ve got that to deal with.

(7) BUT THAT’S NOT ALL! MOST of today was dealing with a complicated issue that is further complicated by my own involvement.
(a) Hopefully by now you are all aware that I care deeply about Mental Health Treatment and think that Iowa has really dropped the ball on this issue.
(b) You may recall that when I was first looking for a job in Des Moines, an old friend of mine who married one of my oldest friends set up an interview at the firm where he worked. They specialized in helping the disabled, including those suffering from Mental Health Disorders.
(c) He, and his firm, successfully sued my County in Federal Supreme Court over the treatment of the inmates at the Juvenile Detention Facility for Violent Offenders (that name is a pseudonym).
(d) Despite the facility being treated as a correctional facility for the last 140 years, the Supreme Court determined that children under the age of 18 who exhibit chronically violent behavior are clearly mentally disturbed … so there are now a lot of new regulations, rules, staffing… a lot of issues that we’re required to fix… within the next 45 days! So… yeah.

As for me? Right now I’m super tired and my stomach hurts so I’m gonna go. Everyone else? Have a good night!