Holy Canoli!

Has it really been that long since I last posted? Guess I haven't been too creative here the past couple of weeks. We had a big snowstorm last week. Had about a foot of snow. Usually that would cause widespread panic in Baltimore, but this time it was a fairly controlled response considering how much there was. Got to work the next morning no problem. Funny thing was, almost as fast as it came, it went away. We had a couple of days in the 50s and 60s that wiped most of it out. Today, only the really huge piles of plowed snow are still around.

Things with my niece have improved, thank goodness, but they are still tense. She is now with Mrs. Dave's parents, which is really the best place for her. They are going for temporary custody (we'll find out in March) and after that, permanent custody. But the web of lies her father and his girlfriend have woven has only snared themselves. And every new one just digs them a little deeper. It's just becoming increasingly clear that they have no concern whatsoever about my niece except as a status symbol. They are now claiming that she is uncontrollable because she has an Oppositional Disorder (BS!). She's a little girl that didn't have the chance to bond with her mother or anyone else for an extended period of time, then had to endure her father and his girlfriend beating and abusing her. So here's one of the snares they have caught themselves in. They have said (in a joint session with a counselor) that they don't have the problems with her behavior like Mrs. Dave's parents do when she stays with them overnight (screaming fits, biting, scratching), but yet they think she has an Oppositional Disorder? It just doesn't fit, and the professionals surrounding the situation are starting to realize it.

But at least she's safe and in an environment where she feels comfortable. Hopefully in March things will go our way. Stay tuned. Oh, but this isn't the March news mentioned in an earlier post. No, no, there's more...

Dave