Author: dloboss

I knew the position of Records Clerk for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office was meant for me. I felt it from the start. I would always observe the day-to-day functions of the Records department while I worked as the Civil Clerk/Receptionist at the front desk. I often had to assist individuals with Records when the employees were out of the office or out to lunch. This helped me when I officially moved into this department because I felt comfortable with knowing bits and pieces of what the job duties were. I enjoyed learning new skills and building relationships with the other agencies that we worked closely with. I valued the resources I had available to me through my counterparts at the other local law enforcement offices and the various government agencies that we worked with. I never shied away from asking questions or asking for help. The Records Clerks from the other local agencies always provided me with help with any issues I would encounter. More times than not any issue I was having, they had encountered before and could provide insight. The support and sharing of information between all the agencies provided a comradery and strength in numbers when things got tough.

One of the first things I learned while working at the Sheriff’s Office was that no matter how well you planned your day or how many tasks you had a goal of completing each day, you can always bet that you were going to have interruptions that were going to put a wrench in your plans. I learned very quickly to be flexible and adaptable. These interruptions would consist of people coming in-person to pay tickets, records requests, report a crime, request the civil service of documents, etc. Not to mention other interruptions that would come from Supervisors or even the Sheriff himself with on-the-spot tasks that he needed to be completed. He called them Blue Light Specials. I can still hear him walking down the hall and he would yell out “Dlo” (he called me that) and I knew he had something up his sleeve and had a task for me to complete. Other interruptions would come from the Deputies that needed assistance with Spanish translations. With these, it could be anything from traffic stops, interviewing an inmate incarcerated in our Jail, or interviewing a witness, victim, or suspect of a crime. It was like a box of chocolates without a description card. You never knew what you were going to get.

There were also opportunities to assist the Patrol and the Detention Department Sergeant’s and Deputies when they were going through their hiring process for their respective departments. They would request to have someone from the administrative staff on their hiring board during the testing and interview process so they could have the perspective of a civilian. They would often request my assistance in these instances and to be honest I looked forward to it. This would often take all day depending on how many candidates were scheduled, so it could make a long day feel longer. It was a nice break from my regular routine, but it often set me back in my own work responsibilities. Despite this, I enjoyed being involved in this process because we would discuss each candidate and how each one did during the interview process. It was also interesting to get the perspective of a law enforcement officer. I liked it when we would have moments of debate because each of us would mention different observations about each candidate. It would get especially interesting when we could not come to a unanimous decision on the candidates. I was just the civilian, so my opinion did not carry much weight as far as the hiring decisions, but it was still fun to give my two cents.

Once the new Deputy started, they would go through their Field Training Program, and during that time, they would come to Records and sit with me and I would train them on the Records system. I enjoyed this part too because I did my best to show them not only how to use the records system and what was required of them when they completed their reports, but I also explained what our responsibilities were in Records so they would get an idea of what our role was. I always had a box of tissues on my desk, and I am not sure how it started, but in the beginning, the box of tissues would be carefully placed where the Deputy would be sitting for his training with me. Implying that I would somehow bring them to tears. Seriously, this was just a joke, and I was always pleasant with the new hires. The not-so-new Deputies, well that depended on the day, but it was all in fun. This implication may have come from one of the Patrol Sergeants who would call me Captain Meano. Come to think of it, I distinctly remember him also calling me Dragon Lady. He claimed I misunderstood him and that he was calling me Dragon Lilly. Either way, the word “dragon” was used so it could not have been a compliment. At times, I must admit that could have been a valid description of me. I remember one of the previous Captains would say that people misunderstood him because he was passionate about his job and that is why he would get so fired up about certain things. So, I used that too. I just really loved my job and was passionate about how and what needed to be completed and it needed to be completed the right way. So, right or wrong, the attitude of my way or the highway often came into play.

Records was my domain, and I often felt the weight of the Sheriff’s Office on my shoulders because of the responsibilities that I had. We were responsible for the management and storage of every record initiated by our office and the Jail. I was the liaison between our agency and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. So, to say I had to answer to a higher authority was an understatement. Every task involved a bigger picture and trying to explain that to others was often frustrating because they did not understand it. I remember there were times when we would have to provide our supervisors with our job descriptions. This would happen when Human Resources was pushing back on our request for hiring new people. When you would have the time to sit down and write down every single task you were responsible for, it could be overwhelming. You would wonder to yourself how they can think two people can do all of this.

As I mentioned in my previous post (And So the Adventure Begins), customer service was a priority in our office. I honestly believe in my case, having retail experience helped me with my interactions with the public in this type of setting. Again, it was quite opposite of the retail mindset of the customer is always right, but you still needed to provide as much assistance as possible despite what the circumstances were that surrounded the purpose of their visit to our office. One of my duties as a Records Clerk was to manage and monitor the Registered Sex Offenders that resided in our jurisdiction. The offenders were required to register either monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on the charge of which they were convicted. I would in turn have to report their registration to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. From the moment I received notification of an offender moving to our jurisdiction, I would gather all the information I could regarding the circumstances of their conviction so I would have an idea with whom we would be dealing with and if it were necessary according to Colorado Law to inform the community.

I had to treat everyone who stepped foot into our office with respect and assist the best way I could. It was important that I set aside my personal opinions and be objective to do my job. I am not going to lie there were many instances where I found it difficult to do that, but you learn to control your emotions and wait until the proper time and place to be able to process your thoughts and feelings. On a side note, I remember one man who was charged with assault on his neighbor, and I remember one of his explanations of why he did it was because she was Mexican. I recall reading the report and getting angry over what this innocent woman endured at his hands. Shortly after his release from our Jail, he came into the office requesting a copy of his arrest report. I happened to be covering the front desk while the receptionist was out, and he walked in. Of course, I recognized him right away and I could instantly feel my blood pressure going up. This was a prime example of when I needed to set aside my emotions and do my job and assist him. I remember another instance with him when he came in because he was the victim of a crime. I thought to myself how ironic he found himself on the opposite side of where he was before and now, he was a victim. One time I had gone to the pharmacy, and I had to wait to pick up my prescription and as I turned, I saw this same man sitting in the waiting area. He looked up at me immediately said hello and my name and thanked me for helping him in the past. I could not help but notice he had this look of defeat over him which was a stark contrast to when I first met him, he had a look of defiance. I could not help but think that karma had something to do with that.

Another sensitive subject dealt with in Records was deaths. Aside from having to read and review the reports, we had to also view the photos associated with each incident. I remember shortly after I first started working at the Sheriff’s Office, I had walked to the copier room and discovered that someone was in the middle of printing pages of photos from a case. Without even thinking, I had started to gather the photos and set them aside and it took me a few seconds, but I finally processed what I was looking at. I remembered when I was first interviewed for the Civil Clerk position, the Jail Captain asked me how I would react if I saw photos of a deceased person. I told him I could not answer that question because I had not encountered that before. Well, at this moment, in front of the copier I am looking at a photo of a deceased person. I knew this was not going to be the last one, so I needed to get over the shock of it and move on. It was especially difficult when speaking with the family members and they would request a copy of the report, and some would also request the photos. The same mindset applied to these that you needed to set aside your emotions and read the report and view the photos like any other case. Nothing could prepare you when you communicated with the family members on the phone and much less in person.

There was not an instruction manual on how to be a Records Clerk. I was trained on the basics, but even the basics did not cover half of what the job duties were. It was mostly on-the-job training and trial and error. With any job that I have had, once I got comfortable with it, I had to make it my own. By that, I mean I would create my own “how-to” manual on how to perform the duties of the job. After a year of my employment at the Sheriff’s Office, I had to go on Short Term Disability. After returning to work, I made it my mission to put together a how-to manual for the position of Records Clerk. It was a large 3-ring binder that included a detailed description of every aspect of the job duties. Since this time off was not planned, I knew it left a strain on the department and those who had to cover and fill in during my absence. I wanted to do my best to have a resource available to anyone who worked in Records in the event this happened again. It proved to be helpful not only in these situations but also when training a new employee. It took a while to put together and quite often had to update and add any new information as we went along. At the end of my time in Records, this was one of my proudest accomplishments.

In early 2006, I started feeling like I needed a career change. I had been working in the Property Management/Short-Term and Long-Term Rentals/Reservations field for about 5 years and was beginning to feel bored and unfulfilled. I happened to come across a job posting for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office for a Civil Clerk. The first thing that popped into my mind is what is a Civil Clerk, and can I do it? I honestly did not waste any time and I applied for the job without even thinking twice about it. The next thing I knew, I was completing a 17-page application that was way beyond what I expected. I remember it being labor-intensive because I had to research online for my previous jobs from way back when and I honestly did not know if they were still around. After turning in my application, then it was the waiting game to see if I was going to get an interview. To my surprise, I did get an interview and it was the last interview of the day. I remember showing up for my interview and about walked out after seeing the number of individuals that were there for the same thing. Then I was thinking to myself that by the time they interview me, they are going to be tired and ready to stop for the day.

I walked into the conference room to a long table with (if my memory serves me right) five people including the Jail Commander. I was sitting alone on one side of the table in the line of fire bracing myself for them to shoot off questions to me. It was one of those interviews where you are so nervous you cannot remember what you said. I am not sure if I am remembering correctly, but it was either the next day or a couple of days after the interview that I received a call from the Jail Commander and one of the first things he said to me was “Hey kid, do you want a job?” I was speechless and shocked but managed to say yes sir! I had to go through a Polygraph exam, an extensive background check, and a Psych exam. Next thing you know, I am the Civil Clerk for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. The Civil Clerk’s responsibilities included receiving the filings for civil cases, preparing notices and citations, and maintaining records associated with the cases filed with the Summit County Combined Courts. I would prepare the notices and citations for the Civil Deputy to complete the Civil Process Service.

A whole new world opened to me working in the law enforcement environment. A world where you are constantly shocked and amazed by humanity in both good and disturbing ways. I was working in a civilian capacity so I can only imagine what the Deputies were experiencing daily. I would love to hear the Deputies talk about their day and in many instances, the people they would encounter would end up coming into the office for one reason or another. Hearing their stories provided insight for me in the event those individuals came into the office, and I would have an idea of how to assist them. Since I was located at the front desk of the office, I would be the first person they would meet. I have always been involved in industries where customer service was a priority. I remember when I first started working in retail and the mantra was the customer is always right. In this environment, that mantra did not apply.

It was still a priority to provide customer service, but it was with caution. You learned to adjust to the different types of personalities and attitudes you would deal with on a daily basis. You also learned very quickly not to take anything personally. The one thing I was confident in was that no matter what, I knew there was always someone around to provide backup at the Front Desk if needed. We also had a panic button in the event situations got out of control.

My bilingual skills were utilized more than I could have expected. I was one of the few employees who spoke Spanish in our office, so I often assisted the Deputies in our office, Jail, Combined Courts, and the Probation Office with Spanish translations. I enjoyed learning about various aspects of the different agencies. I also began to build a rapport with the Spanish community in Summit County.

Once I felt comfortable in this position, I began to feel like I wanted to explore other positions within the company. One piece of advice my mother gave me when I was younger and began working, was to learn as much as I could about my job, but also the other positions within the company. This way I would not get stuck knowing only one skill but open to learning more. This was effective in every job I have had because I learned multiple skills and could work in different departments within each company. When I worked in retail, I was able to move around the store and work in various capacities within each department. It did not get boring or monotonous and it opened doors to other opportunities.

About a little over a year of being the Civil Clerk, I learned of a Records Clerk position available in the Records Department. I knew immediately this was something that I wanted to pursue. I submitted my letter of interest and applied for the position. After going through the application and interview process, I was promoted to Records Clerk. I was not fully prepared for what was in store for me as I began my journey as the Records Clerk. It not only impacted my life professionally but also personally. If I could have given myself advice prior to this, I would have told myself to buckle up, it is about to get bumpy!

I’ve found that I often need a distraction from the monotony of my daily routine. Something to break things up. I started taking courses from on online learning management system to improve and upgrade my work skills. I’ve been going to the gym doing strength training to keep myself physically fit not only for my own health but to be able to care for mom and to transfer her to and from her wheelchair. I’ve also been writing more and that has been very therapeutic. One of my neighbors recently approached me if I could teach their spouse English and I was more than thrilled. With being mom and dad’s primary caregiver, committing to any type of employment is challenging so having the opportunity to work from home is ideal. I’ve also been reading more and devoting more time to build myself spiritually because Lord knows I need the help. When I go shopping, I need to stay focused and stick to my list and mission at hand, otherwise if I see anything else that catches my eye (like anything shiny or leopard print) then I’m immediately off track!

I can reflect back at the type of distractions I would seek out when I was getting over a bad relationship. That would consist of alcohol, retail therapy, changing my hairstyle and color, getting my nails done, and going out to the bars and dancing the night away like I was Jlo. I had a bar that I frequented often, and I had my own bench upstairs that I’d like to think was reserved for me so that space became by dancing platform. I didn’t have to think about anything just dance and be free. Working was also a distraction for me and there was a time in Colorado where I worked three jobs at once. I worked at a T-shirt shop full time, I worked part time at the Coffee/Ice cream shop next door, and part time at a Day Spa as the Front Desk Receptionist. I basically worked myself to death because I needed to take my mind off how sad and unfulfilled, I was feeling. After getting burned out with my jobs, a friend approached me about a position that was open with a Property Management company she worked for in the Homeowner Relations department. I had never worked in Property Management, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to have a real job with benefits and more pay so I decided to go out on a limb, and I applied and interviewed for the position. To my amazement, I got the job. I learned all the different aspects of Property Management, Short- Term and Long-Term Reservations, Housekeeping, Maintenance, and Front Desk. I really enjoyed my job and thrived in learning the different departments.

One of my favorite memories is when the General Manager took all the employees to a snowmobile tour. It was the first time I had ever driven a snowmobile. I had no idea what I was doing but we had a blast! This same General Manager at the end of every day would always say “thank you so much” to everyone. I always appreciated the fact that he always took the time to say that his employees. There is another memory I will never forget and that was when the General Manager called an emergency all staff meeting, and we were all informed that our office had been bought out by a third-party company and we were all going to be laid off. In my mind, I was already thinking about going back to the t-shirt shop to see if I could have my job back. The next thing I know, the General Manager and the new owners took myself and my friend aside and explained that we could keep our jobs and hold the same positions with the new company.  I was in complete shock and so grateful beyond words. I continued to work for this company for the following three years and was able to transfer to their office that was closer to my apartment. The company was owned by a father and son, and they proved to be not only one of the best bosses but genuinely good people. I continued in the same field of Property Management but had a more involved role in Homeowner Relations and Long-Term Reservations.

The son who was my immediate boss took on the challenge of teaching me how to drive stick shift. The previous company had these older Toyota trucks so he would let me take those out to do property inspections and I learned how to drive them at the same time. Those were honestly easier for me to learn with than the newer vehicles. I remember this one occasion he had just bought a new sports car I think it was a Miata or something like that and he needed to go to Keystone to check out a property and told me to drive him. Man was I nervous because it was a brand-new car, and I wasn’t familiar with it. I stalled out multiple times, but I eventually got the hang of it and didn’t kill us both in the process. The whole time I was wishing it was one of the older beat-up Toyota trucks. The other owner his father would often bring us treats from Denver where he lived. Since we didn’t have a lot of fast-food options in Summit County at the time, he would often bring us Chick Fil A, donuts, and any of our favorites that we were craving. His wife was just a sweetheart and would always bring decorations for the office and especially for the holidays. She would always go all out for Christmas. She had a knack for making everyone feel special and appreciated.

I resigned from my position there in 2006 and I began working for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. In December 2007, I had my surgeries to remove a brain tumor. I wasn’t aware at the time, but I was told that the owner (the father) and his wife came to see me in the hospital. I was later informed by my parents that they offered to take care of me when I got out of the hospital. I unfortunately didn’t get the chance to see them or talk to them at that time. I never had the opportunity to see them again after that. Life happened and time went on and I lost touch with them. It wasn’t until the beginning of 2020 that the owner (the father) and I reconnected on Facebook, and I learned that his wife suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. He was such a sweet soul, and he was her primary caregiver for quite some time before she was placed in a nursing home. It wasn’t until earlier this year in February that I learned of his passing. My heart was broken when I found out. He was a strong man of God, and he had a heart of gold. I will treasure the talks we had when I worked for him and the advice and encouragement, he would often give me. I don’t know if I ever told him, but I adopted them as my other parents.

A distraction can come in many forms both good and bad. In my examples above, I used those distractions to fill the void and emptiness I felt. The interesting thing is that they ended up revealing to me that I was placing too much importance on people and things that weren’t of any value at all. Don’t get me wrong, I still change my hairstyle, hair color, get my nails done, but it’s because I feel like it. I haven’t been out dancing in years, but I can still bust a move even better than I did back then! As I mentioned in a previous post, my self-worth was measured by if I was in a relationship. When the lightbulb finally came on and I began to step out of my self-loathing, I began to shift my focus and goals into improving myself and learning new skills to find jobs that were more challenging and fulfilling, that’s when I found my confidence and my voice. I’m thankful for the opportunities that I had, for the people I worked with (both good and bad), and the connections I made along the way. This laid the foundation of what I was going to need in my next job adventure.

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When I worked at Foley’s Department store and Sears, I had the opportunity to work with the visual merchandising teams and would also be responsible for decorating the entire store for the holidays. Visual merchandising was my dream job and I loved every aspect of it. I thrived in that role and I was in heaven! Then once when we had to start decorating for Christmas right after Halloween, I began to dread the holidays. I just couldn’t get into the groove of Christmas and all that came with it that early. Since I worked in retail, it was mandatory to work the holidays and the days after Thanksgiving and Christmas which I absolutely hated because of all the chaos. The attitude of Bah Humbug was born!

Fast forward to living in Colorado and my first of many white Christmases which I loved. I lived in a quaint small ski resort town and it was beautiful during the holidays. It was like living in a postcard. I worked retail for a while in the beginning but it was nothing as bad as my experiences with Foley’s and Sears. I was working in a T-shirt/Souvenir shop so low key, no stress, and very laid back. Then after retail, my following employments not only gave us the holidays off, but we would also get paid! What more could I want?

I have some holiday memories of the first few years of living in Colorado where my friends and coworkers would get together since most of us didn’t have family to spend with. Those were good memories that I won’t forget. I’m not gonna lie, there were also times I spent with people I didn’t really know or like but had no one else to hang out with. I remember instances where the guys I dated didn’t celebrate the holidays so I would end up alone or hanging out at the bar with them. That definitely didn’t put me in the mood. I’m not proud of this but I remember one Christmas Eve I spent the night with a guy I had just met because I didn’t have anywhere else to go.

During my 14 year relationship, he wasn’t much for the holidays and I think he would make the traditional holiday meals just to amuse me. He knew I missed my family during the holidays and he did his best to make it special. Since he was a chef, more times than not he was also working during that time. I think he dreaded the holidays just as much as I did but for the reason that he was extremely busy and working long hours and me because again I was alone. Here again comes the attitude of Bah Humbug! After he left, I made it my mission to decorate my deck with lights and put up my Christmas tree. From then on, I was never alone again during the holidays thanks to my close friends and neighbors who lived downstairs from me.

So, over the last year of being back in Texas I’ve had a different perspective. Now, I’m home with family and friends and I can appreciate the holiday season more and the true meaning. I still can’t grasp decorating right after Halloween, or listening to Christmas music, or watching any Christmas movies. So still not in the mood, but I’ll get there.

I bet you didn’t know that this whole time, I’ve been living with Wonder Woman and Spider Man. Yes, I’ve kept it to myself this whole time but now it’s time to share. It’s a good thing my parents don’t have social media much less know how to use it or understand how it works because they would probably freak out if they knew I was sharing this. We all go through stages in our lives where we are faced with certain limitations that never used to be a problem but all of a sudden has become an issue in some way shape or form. I’ve learned this not only through myself but more through my elderly parents. I always hear them say that they have always been able to do this or that with no help. Now it’s become apparent to them and me that they do in fact need help with sometimes the simplest things. In their minds, they can do anything and everything and it’s business as usual but unfortunately, their bodies beg to differ. My job is to be an extension of their arms and legs and to help with anything that I can. If they are outside in the backyard and I’m home, I’m constantly looking to see where they are and what they are doing. First of all, I’m making sure my mom has her walker and that she’s actually using it. She enjoys tending to her plants, watering the yard, feeding the birds, and filling the bird bath. I’ll get the water hose positioned where she can sit on her walker and water what she needs to. My dad, he’s pretty independent and he’s usually doing yard work like trimming, digging up weeds, and blowing leaves. He has trouble at times with his own mobility but doesn’t want to use a cane or walker. I have to keep an eye on him too because at times it’s difficult for him to lift his legs when he’s walking and he has balance issues too. He’s unable to do so much physical yard work or landscaping anymore which thankfully my brother helps with this once a week. More times than not, my dad is straightening and shredding papers in his work shed that we call the “Cuatito”. With my mom, I can often times predict what she’s thinking of doing and I’ll try to beat her to it if I see that it’s going to be too much for her physically to do. If anything, I try to compromise with her and still let her do what she wants but I will be there to help. Again, this is all on the basis that I’m actually home. When I’m not home, well that’s another story because there’s no telling what trouble they can get into!

I’ve mentioned to my parents that the time may come when we will need to look into getting help with those tasks that they can’t do anymore but they aren’t quite ready to entertain that thought yet. I can understand when you feel like you’re losing your independence you feel like you’re losing a bit of yourself. I get that because my situation of not being able to drive can be frustrating. I can’t just pick up and go when I want to. It’s a whole process of scheduling transportation, how much is it going to cost me and I’m dependent on someone else’s time. I don’t like it but it’s my only choice. With my parent’s it’s the same concept in that they too can’t just pick up and go when they want to because my dad can’t drive very far from the house anymore and if it’s raining, he really won’t want to drive even if it’s close to the house. I have to utilize other transportation options for them too. Driving is part of my dad’s independence which is slowly coming to an end. The independence of working on the house and doing little maintenance projects like he was used to doing is no longer an option for him. I know this bothers him and I don’t blame him.

You won’t believe this, but they do have their moments when all of a sudden a change takes place and they take on the personas of Wonder Woman & Spider Man. Yes, I have witnessed this firsthand! One example of this happened recently after I got home from work. I walked in the door and I see my mom sitting down in her recliner I could tell right away something was wrong. She didn’t look like she was feeling well and also had a guilty look on her face so I knew right away something happened. She had fought a battle and came out a little bruised. She had been sitting down at the table in the backyard reading, taking in the beauty of the sunny day, and enjoying the sounds of the birds. Then suddenly, she has the urge to repot one of her plants. She had been planning this mission for a while but wouldn’t share the specifics with me as far as what, when, how, and where. It was on a “need to know” basis. So, here she goes making her way to the fence, and starts digging a hole (don’t think the thought of the position of the walker in relation to her was in the plan). Next thing you know, something is taking over her body and it slowly takes her down to the ground. Well, let me back up and say that she was bent over from the beginning so that didn’t help her cause. So now she’s on the ground and contemplating how she’s going to get up. Dad on the other hand was busy in his cuatito doing his own thing and he’s hard of hearing so he probably wouldn’t have heard her crying out for help. That’s a whole other story for another post! To continue, she’s trying to work up another plan of how to get up from the ground. Thank God the fence was there and somehow she managed to reach up and slowly get up. It took a while, but she did it and it also came with a price. Yes, a price of a cut on the inside of her hand, sore neck and muscles, and plenty of heat patches and Icy Hot. I know you’re wondering….what was the outcome of the task she was in the middle of when this unfortunate mishap occurred? Mission Accomplished! Yes, she is Wonder Woman!

Just when you think the story has ended, there’s more. So, rewind back to when I arrived home from work and I see my mom and she’s detailing her battle from the day. I walk to the backdoor and look outside and ask where dad is. As I mentioned earlier, dad is very independent when it comes to being outside doing his tasks. He’s a very quiet man and keeps to himself. He’s always thinking always planning and he doesn’t share. He keeps it all inside and when he’s ready to share what’s on his mind, watch out! So back to the story, as I’m asking where dad is I’m looking out the window only to see Spider Man in the cuatito with one leg on a table and the other on the ladder holding a big object in his hands. I’m in the middle of WTF and running to the cuatito to witness this firsthand! I run in and again WTF and attempt to take on the burden of this heavy object (big heavy luggage) that is about to overtake him. Actually, this object was about to take us both out but suddenly my own Wonder Woman strength kicks in and saves the day! Spider-Man has been spared as well! Just like my mom, my dad’s day started just as innocently. He was also enjoying his day outside listening to his music on cassette tapes (yes, my dad still has a tape player and cassette tapes), moving things in his shed from one place to another, organizing, sweeping, etc. Then suddenly, something catches his eye and he gets inspired to hang the heaviest object up on the wall while hanging from one leg on the ladder. Oh, Spider-Man what were you thinking!

Living with Wonder Woman and Spider Man can be enlightening, entertaining, challenging, frustrating, mind-boggling, and physically and mentally demanding. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful they still have that fight inside to keep moving (even though it’s a lot slower) despite their physical limitations. I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s a fine balance between respecting them to let them do what they want to do but not to the point where they can hurt themselves. I take it one day at a time and I’ve learned to be prepared because I never know what journey these two are going to take me on!

We recently had a project done at the house where we had to have the original cast iron pipes replaced underneath the house. I believe this house was built in 1959. My parents have lived in this house this whole time and we all grew up in this house. Thankfully, they have never had to do any major repairs to it over the years so this was the first real major project it’s ever faced. My dad has always handled any minor maintenance issues and painting that needed to be done to the house, but over the last few years, he’s physically been unable to keep up with those things. The health issues of both of both of them took priority. Over the last year of being here, I’ve taken on the responsibility of helping take care of them along with handling any issues with the house.

The plumbing issues that have been around for a few years had just progressively gotten worse to where we were faced with the need to replace the old pipes. The main and most challenging part of this whole process was explaining to mom and dad the who, why, what, where, and how. This was a conversation that not only took place multiple times before the project even started but multiple times during the project up until the very end. This was a very stressful and anxious time for them because it was a project that they had never had to face before. It required a lot of patience to explain the process to them the best way I knew how and to take any questions or concerns to the contractor and his team. It was a continuous conversation that often involved talking them off the ledge and assuring them everything was going to be fine. I was also telling myself this so I could remain strong and in control for their benefit. Luckily, we were able to stay in the house for the beginning of them digging the hole in the backyard and making a tunnel underneath the house where the pipes were. For the part where they were going to be removing and replacing the pipes, we obviously couldn’t be in the house. We were originally told it was going to take a full day to have this done. One of my brother’s came to the rescue and took them to stay with him for a couple of days. This was a much needed mini vacation for them both. Luckily, it only took a few hours and the project was a success. I needed that mini vacation to take a moment to breathe and reflect on what just happened.

It reminded me of how our lives can be turned upside down in an instant. Life can feel like someone dug a hole inside of us and turned our insides out and there is just a pile of crap left. It looks huge and intimidating and you wonder, where did all this crap come from? What am I supposed to do with it? Where am I gonna put it?

Then suddenly you receive a helping hand, guidance, wisdom, and answered prayer and things start coming together. The next thing you know that pile of crap suddenly no longer looks as big as it once did or it’s gone completely as if it was never there to begin with. I took photos of the progression of this project and that’s what came to my mind after seeing the photo taken at the end. It looks like nothing ever happened.