Sistah Pat

Home from the caseeno (they won’t allow the actual word in here, don’t know why..) for a day.  Couldn’t help but notice how decrepid “the girls” were last night.  Little Sister had acid reflux so she had to sleep propped up on pillows.  She can’t walk and she can’t lift anything because of her hernia.  Jo Anne had removed her hearing aide and we had to keep yelling at her and she went to bed with one of those breathing machines because she snores and has sleep apnea.  Me, I’m sitting there passing out hormone pills and slathering chap stick on my lips and lotion all over my body to keep me from drying up and it occurs to me that we’re definitely past our prime.

Okay, quick updates…I sat in court all day Monday and the end result was that they granted DIL’s EPO against DS.  I was rather pissed because DS didn’t take an attorney and DIL had one.  The judge felt that her request for an EPO was unnecessary because DS already has one on her but her attorney argued that DS was a threat to her and DS’s EPO is not permanent and she had a half dozen women from a Women’s Advocacy Center with her to argue her case for her.  Her attorney (also provided by the Women’s Center) said the final hearing on DS’s EPO isn’t until July 21st and there’s no guarantee that it will be granted so the judge went ahead and granted hers.  It has nothing to do with the kids and the judge said she didn’t see any harm in granting it since it involved only her.  Our attorney wasn’t there.  Turns out, DS didn’t tell him about this because he thought it was already over and done with.  I have a strong feeling that it would not have been granted if our attorney had been there to argue it.  Anyway, they asked for visitation for DIL and the judge granted her two hours of supervised visitation per week until the final decisions have been made.  The stupid social worker didn’t show up and our attorney wasn’t there and they wouldn’t let me into the courtroom because I wasn’t present during the altercation.  I’m pretty burned up about it because DS went in by himself and DIL had an attorney and a half dozen “advocates”.  I didn’t think they should have been allowed in because they weren’t there during the altercation either but that’s just my opinion and it doesn’t seem to be worth very much.

Of course, the social worker called DS the next day and said, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.  I didn’t realize there was a hearing scheduled and mixed up the dates but I see that they granted her an Order of Protection.”  I don’t like it that she actually got an order against him but there’s nothing we can do right now because the final hearing on the one he filed isn’t until next week.

I barely had time to run in and throw a few things into an overnight bag before Little Sister showed up.  She had a doctor’s appointment that morning and they took the cast off.  They said she could put “light” pressure on her foot and gave her a walking cast but she didn’t do very good with it.  She can barely stand to put any pressure on it at all and is still using a scooter.  Her friend, Jo Anne, drove us up to the caseeno and we played a little bit Monday evening and spent the night.  Jo Anne came back yesterday evening and played a while and just decided to spend the night with us.  It made a nice break and I got home a little while ago.  DS’s birthday is this weekend and he just wants to “get away from here” so I turned around and booked us back at the caseeno for tomorrow night.  They have a special offer…free room Monday through Thursday and free buffet dinner if you gamble for thirty minutes.  Hope we do as well as I did.  I got a free buffet dinner Monday night, free buffet Tuesday night, and free buffet lunch today.  I broke even on the slots so it was a two day get away with a nice pool and spa, luxurious room, and meals for free.

The social worker called yesterday afternoon and told me she wants to meet with me, DS, and DIL next Monday to listen to all allegations and she’ll be making a decision about her recommendations to be presented in court next Wednesday.  I was actually pretty shocked.  She’s only talked to me once, DS once, and met with the kids once.  All together, she hasn’t talked with us for more than two hours total and she’s going to be ready to make a recommendation?????  It’s scary.  In court Monday, when the social worker didn’t show, the judge asked DS if he’d had a chance to meet with her and he said he had.  The judge asked DIL if she’d met with her and she said, “Yes, we’ve talked several times.  Almost every day.”  What???  I don’t like this one little bit.  DIL can put on a spectacular show when she tries.  Obviously, she’s run to the Women’s Advocacy Center and gotten them to fall for her sob story but I hope to God the social worker isn’t buying it.