Anyone need a bus pass??

My life has been pretty boring this week. I haven't been feeling very well and I haven't had the kids with me so I have spent most of my time laying on the couch and being lazy. I got to thinking about what I could write about this week. I have been trying to update my blog weekly so it would become a habit. My life isn't all that interesting so I can tell that some weeks I'm going to have to really think about my entry.

Something happened last week at work that I thought some of you would think was quite funny. So I think everyone knows that I am a social worker and I work with developmentally disabled adults. I think I have one of the best jobs anyone could ask for. I love my clients and I love that I am able to help them reach their goals. They also make me laugh.

So, last week I went to see one of my clients to do his yearly meeting where we go over all of his goals for the year and see what services he is in need of this coming year. I will call him Jeff. Our appointment was in the afternoon that day. I got there a few minutes earlier so the staff that works with him hadn't gotten there yet. When I walk in Jeff has 4 brand new tires that would fit a truck with nice chrome rims. placed next to his couch. You could tell that he had polished them and had taken really good care of them. I asked him where he got them and what he was going to to do with him. He informed me that he went down to Pep Boys and bought them and then carried them home one by one. I don't know how far that would be but I do know that it's a long way from his apartment and he lives in an upstairs apartment. He also told me that he was going to put them on his classic truck downstairs. I don't think there's a truck down stairs. So by the time that story was over his staff had gotten there. We started talking about what he had been up to the last few months. Jeff told me that he had went to Reno to go gambling with some friends and he won $12,000. I asked him what he had done with the money (maybe that is how he bought the tires) worried that his social security benefits would be effected. He told me that the man took his name down and was going to mail him the money. I don't think there's any money coming. I then asked Jeff how he was doing on the bus. We discussed at our meeting last year that he wanted to take the bus by himself. Jeff said he takes the bus all the time. He schedules his own ride and takes the bus a few times a week. As I do with all my clients I asked if he had any extra bus passes. He started to look over his shoulder as if someone was spying on him. He got up and went in the kitchen and again started looking around like someone was watching him. He came back and gave me about 15 bus passes. I could tell when he was getting me them that he was going through something. So I asked him if he was sure that was all of them. Jeff then said "oh no, I plenty of passes." I asked him to bring me all of his passes. I nearly had a heart attack when he brought me a stack about 5 1/2 inches tall of passes. Now, we only send him one pass per month. In order for him to have all of these passes he couldn't have taken the bus in YEARSSSSSS!!!!! At first I was thinking what an idiot I was. I should have been asking about his passes every time I saw him. Then I remembered that I have only had Jeff on my caseload for a year, so I have only met with him few times. At that point I knew my co-workers were going to have a field day with that. Bus passes are a hot commodity. Without a doubt there is a service coordinator asking their co-workers for a bus pass everyday. They are very very hard to come by. Clients can make money buy selling them and most clients that don't use their pass each month sell them to people on the streets. Not Jeff!!! I asked him what he had been doing for transportation and he said that he does a lot of walking. He decided earlier this month he didn't want to take the bus anymore. Finally.... he said that he had been saving the bus passes for me. Another reason why I love my clients!!! They are funny, resourceful and always thinking of me!!! I didn't think that anyone would believe me so I decided to take a picture.

Now just to share with you how much money this is the golden ones at the top of the stack were worth more than $3000.00. I was honest though and took them into our Transportation Manager and gave her the passes. Together we had a good laugh. Next time I need a bus pass for a client that lost his or hers I know where to go.

Hope this gives you a laugh for the week!!! Hopefully next week I will have something more interesting to share.