Minneapolis-St. Paul airport hates foxes. Kind of a harsh move but I suppose that a plane hitting one and careening off of the runway isn't ideal either.

These past couple of weeks have proven that getting a Go-To card was a good choice - I've done 2 overnights in this time and both times I came out and my van wouldn't start. I'm not sure what's happening - I have a locked gas cap, although it's cheap - maybe someone has a matching key and is siphoning gas... The last time it started after some more gas was added - my gauge doesn't work so I estimate gas by keeping track of the miles - this seems to be slightly inaccurate now due to the ice and snow.
I don't mind bussing, in fact, the last time I had to do it after working (the evening after Christmas Day), it was nice to go out into the crisp, sunny morning and not have to rush around to get home or to my day job. The shelter volunteer room gets kind of hot and stuffy overnight. Also, just being in the building for that long wears you out a bit.

Another common theme lately is verbal confrontations in the evenings - last week it revolved around race. Last night, it was a variety of things - I got a knock on the door around 11:30 or so to come intervene on a confrontation. I was able to pull the involved parties into the hall to figure out what was going on. There was lots of huffing and chest puffing. As things began to escalate highly again, I surveyed my position in accordance to the gents that would be throwing fists and realized that I would most likely be in the line of fire if it came to blows - I was backed against a wall with both of them directly in front of me. My only escape route if things went sour was into the men's bathroom! Ack! That being said, there were at least 3 other men within arms length that were there to step in and help if the situation blew up too much. But still. Next time I will have to be more aware of where I stand.
While trying to de-escalate the remaining party after the other person yielded and went to his bunk, things came out of my mouth that I don't even know where it came from!! I guess some of it was instinct, some was training and some was almost mothering type of guidance. Ultimately, the words from a fellow guest were what got the man to settle down and go lie down, in a different bunk (I gave him 3 options: Leave for the evening, Relocate to a different bed for the night, or come sit, talk and settle down and go back to his original bed).
In the end, it was a good learning experience although it took much longer to diffuse the situation than I would have liked (it seemed like a half an hour). I would rather these incidents not happen but the combinations of stress, mental illness, street mentality, group living and whatever else factors in kind of makes it inevitable. Just as it was at the group home I worked in before - drama just happens.

I'm kind of spent though - I worked my 8 hours yesterday, went home for about 45 minutes, got to the shelter at 5 and slept from a little past Midnight (because of the above) to 4:30 am (early worker had to be up - my alarm was set for 3:58pm though and he knocked to get cereal and lunch - I should have been up at 4am to wake him! Gah!), went out this morning to a non-functional van and walked/bussed to my day job to get started again at 8am.

I am going to bed early tonight!