From: JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU (Thyra)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Steamed Phoenix
Followup-To: alt.callahans
Date: 17 Dec 1992 21:14:52 GMT
Organization: the Polyhedron Group
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: aaa.uoregon.edu

In the early evening, a bright glow descends into the snow covered meadow,
visible through the French doors of the place as it touches down nearby.
There is a massive hiss of steam as it contacts the snow. Then more steam
as a short glowing figure moves through the drifted snow, melting a path
between it's landing point and the door to Callahans Place. The glow
subsides a bit, and the doors open, to an inrushing cloud of steam. They
close, and the steam rapidly dissipates, revealing Phoenix. "Aarrrggghhh!
I'm really steamed, and -not- because I landed in a darned snow bank!"

She walks straight towards the bar. Mike says to her. "H'lo Phoenix. Been a
while." She looks down and pats her smoldering feathers, looking for a coin
to pay for a drink. Mike stops her. "Don't bother, you still have a tab for
several free drinks from other patrons that you can collect on. I reckon
you're good for about a dozen free ones at this point. What'll you have?"
She sighs. "Coke classic, please, Mike." He starts to pour it into a
standard glass, then pauses, looks at how mad she is, and gets out a heavy
Pyrex lab beaker and pours it into that instead. "It's fireproof glass," he
says with a wink. "won't melt right away, and it still smashes real nice in
the fireplace."

Phoenix takes herself to the chalkline, sips at her drink while it is still
cool, and addresses the crowd.

"Well, it seems as though some of my bad luck is rearing it's ugly head
again. Last week CSD admitted that they should give the kids back. They
even said my daughter Devon might be back with me before Christmas! Now
there's yet another delay in getting my kids back from CSD. This time it is
the kid's lawyer, Ms. Leslie Kasner, who doesn't want Devon to be released
to me without a hearing.  Seems as though she has some concerns. She has
refused (as I understand it) to cooperate with CSD, who now have no problem
with returning Devon.  Unfortunately for me, I found this out after Hoffard
(the CSD worker handling my case) had left to go home because of the snow. 
She had told her supervisor that Kasner didn't want to release Devon
without a hearing and then Hoffard left.  I found out when I called her
back, like she asked me to, and talked to one of her co-workers, who talked
to the supervisor."

She pauses for another sip. The cola is rapidly heating to a simmer in the
beaker, but she doesn't seem to notice. Folks in the bar can feel the heat
radiating from her, several feet away.  "It gets worse.  Seems as though I
need to have my lawyer call Kasner and see what's up, BUT wouldn't you know
it, He's in court all this week on a trial!  So I left him a message and
described the problem and the CSD worker I talked to this afternoon was
going to try to get ahold of him too.  He is only going in to the office
early in the morning and during lunch break to check his messages. So I
have decided that I am going to start calling his office every hour until
he calls me back, starting at 0900 hours.  Think I'm mad yet?!!!!  Not yet,
just wait and see what I can do when I am really angry! Apparently Hoffard
did not tell the supervisor exactly what kind of concerns that Kasner has. 
Because of the snow, Hoffard may not be in to work tomorrow either."

Her cola is nearing a boil now. She sips some more. "I went through the
Adult and Family Services orientation this morning and boy is it a piece of
sh*t.  I was going to be job mandatory until I told the worker about the
PTSD and the depression.  He made me medical exempt but I need to get a
statement of disability from my doctor.  Hopefully Dr. Shepard will do it
for me. Just until I get into OHSU and can have them do it and I get some
solid information about Jordan.  Also, found out from this same AFS worker
that while CSD can request that I be exempt from job search, AFS will not
accept it. As for why?  Well, he just said that it was not sufficient
reason.  I cited the stress and that Jordan may have some disability and he
said that it was not sufficient. It's kinda funny, one government agency
can require participation in a variety of activities so that I can regain
custody of my child but another government agency will not accept that as
sufficient reason for job search exemption."

She's glowing brightly, and people have had to step back a bit from the
heat. A cocktail napkin on a nearby table burst into flames, and was
extinguished by Mike with an expert shot from his seltzer bottle. The cola
Phoenix is drinking is now boiling merrily in the beaker. She takes another
drink. "I guess that I am supposed to be a miracle worker here and clone
myself so that I can be in several places at once! If I cannot get the
medical disability from my doctor then I will have to look for work and
accept ANY job that is offered at min wage or better and 20+ hours a week,
make sure that Jordan is cared for and makes all appointments, go to
therapy myself, go to the parenting classes, do visitation, spend time with
Devon, etc. I'm not a goddess (yet).  This is very frustrating for me. 
Somehow, I am supposed to find the time to also take care of myself.  I
just don't know. Yes, I'm down today.

She finishes off her boiling Coke Classic. The glass beaker hasn't melted,
yet, but it's glowing a pale red. "So here's my toast. To Lawyers and
Bureaucrats. We have too damned many of both!"

She flings her glass into the fireplace, and it flattens against the back
with a wet 'Splat!'. Then, true to Mike's promise, the cooling slab of
molten glass fell off the firebrick into the fire where it shattered with a
satisfying <CRASH!>.

Thyra shifts her shape to a metaloid cat form, because it is fireproof, and
guides Phoenix to a fireproof chair and table that Mike had set up for her.
Then she sits next to Phoenix for a while, eyes glowing bright blue, as she
tries to drain the excess heat and energy from her brightly burning friend.

------------------------
This post prepared and sent for Phoenix by Thyra, based on a recent e-mail
letter from Phoenix, who is still having access trouble.
.