Fun

So, I went to a supervised visit between my CASA kids and both of their parents. It started poorly and I should've realized early that maybe I just wanted to turn around and go home.

The National Youth Advocate Program (NYAP) building, where the visits are held, is in a questionable part of town. I never feel particularly threatened there but I do become much more alert while in the area. The building has a weird entrance and I always forget that if I turn down the wrong road, it is technically one way the wrong way for me to enter the parking lot. This time I decided that I would be a good example and go around the block so I could enter the correct way. In doing so, I got stuck behind a car full of folks who stopped to talk to a man and a woman on the street. Of course this led to what I believe was a drug deal. Then everyone turned around and took a look at me, dressed up in office clothes, glowing all white and conspicuous. I just kinda smiled and nodded my head, and put the car in reverse. They must have seen that I was harmless and probably looked nervous, because they all laughed and drove off or returned to their corner.

Things only get worse from here.

The father is at least 6'5" , 270 pounds and a felon fresh out of prison. The caseworker told them something about me and he immediately demanded that I leave. Which of course I didn't. Just to make matters worse, for him, the youngest ran to me and gave me a hug. I had to force him to go visit with his parents and chase him off (gently) every time he came back to me. This did not make dad happy. But he decided that he would ignore me, which I was fine with.

The caseworker was sitting next to me and told me that she hadn't been feeling well. About half an hour into the visit, she took a drink from her gallon jug of water and promptly inhaled it. She started coughing and then ended up vomiting all over the floor, repeatedly. The oldest kid thought this was fabulous and kept yelling, "She's barfing! On the floor!" The caseworker couldn't leave because the visits are supervised. So, I had to go run all over the building begging for someone to come relieve her. Amazingly, none of the other social workers really seemed to care and it took awhile for one of them to eventually come down and relieve her.

At the end of the visit, I found myself outside in the parking lot with everyone and 4 caseworkers. The everyon, including the caseworkers, then vanished and left me alone with the parents. Dad was pretty ticked off at me and was under the impression, thanks to the caseworker, that I was the bitch who took his kids and controlled everything about the case. That was a little nerve wracking, considering he has issues with violence and all. In the end, I kinda got him to understand my roll, although I'm not going to be on his Christmas card list or anything.

That was a very hard 3 hours and I was the amusement for the CASA office the next day. Hey, at least somebody had some fun out of it all.