I'd rather be....

As I'm ending my day (and I'll explain why I'm glad to see the last of it below) I was thinking that instead of the goings on, I'd rather be....just crawling under my mosquito net in a very warm tropical country where I've spent the day in some kind of primary health care activity feeling I've really made a difference. This sleep of the exhausted is the kind where you don't even turn over. I'm thinking that my life partner is along for some of the logistics involved in this kind of mission - he's such a multi talented guy that he could assisting with construction of buildings or boats, planning either to do with the fishery, business, fixing or designing just about anything or doing some other kind of community work. Now that would be a satisfying existence.

The reality of my day was that I was awakened at 4 a.m. by the #1 son’s alarm insistent beeping which was leading me to believe that I was going to have to investigate as to whether he was unconscious next to it when it was finally silenced with a thump. Then a pause as I waited for other signs of life, hoping he hadn’t slipped back to sleep, but there was a groan followed by feet hitting the floor. Proving yet again that four hours of sleep is not enough with which to start your day when your social life claims more hours than its share. Another 30 minutes later and the king of the castle stirred and started his morning routine of scratching in the bureau for insulated socks etc. so he could head out to his traps. When the alarm rang at 6:15 for me, then shortly after for daughter # 3 the cats were so confused they didn’t which direction to turn for kitty treats. The felines however are nocturnal so not that annoyed at being up frequently in the dark, myself I felt it was a rather short night.

On the road by 7:30 a.m. as the 103 is being resurfaced so not sure of the delays and a detour down through Port LaTour is a better option. Into Yarmouth in time to run the previously mentioned errand for the chain saw. It seemed like $4.31 was a lot for a very small piece of plastic but…if the saw won’t run without it, what can you do? The men at the shop explain to me that mister didn’t need to take the case apart and I reply that he knows that now, that’s what made him so ticked. But I figure it’s worth the $4.31 just to have him admit he was wrong as it’s kind of like him not asking for directions - they didn’t approve of my talk but did agree this was probably the case.

In to do the orientation session and everyone in my path is set on the frantic setting. My nerves. I gather the materials and head on down to start the session. Now there have been ongoing issues with the laptop which HR uses for the presentations and each week presents a different problem to be solved, today however takes the cake. I plug my flash stick in and… there is no mouse, one of the more technical of the students attempts to assist me and we agree that the laptop is locked up tight, can’t even ctrl/alt/delete out of it, have to shut down the power but then the projector won't work. I call the owner of another laptop to assist and she arrives shortly bearing the technology which then has to be switched over to the projector. In the meantime I answer the phone in the presentation room a total of three times as there is a man who repeatedly calls back after being told this is not Ext 153. I finally unplug the phone in frustration and assure the participants that if there is a fire an announcement will be made no one will be phoning to let us know. I begin the presentation about 10 minutes behind but the group is well behaved so we make good time.

The afternoon is spent working on a newsletter, answering the phone and trying to sort lab reports. I head home an hour late, have to back track from the parking lot to retrieve my cell phone from the office where I’ve left it. Get caught in the construction, call home to find the man of the house has arrived but has to leave shortly to ‘chase lobsters’ and head out to a Directors meeting. Daughter # 3 and her main squeeze are on site but putting pizza pops in their faces so don’t figure in supper plans. Mister starts supper and I make it home in time to finish up the meal and we grab a quick bite in between the phone calls. The income taxes have to be mailed this evening as they've just been picked up today so that's another task completed.

Now the fun begins. I make a lobstering lunch for tomorrow, clear away the kitchen and sort the mail. The # 1 son needs to find a truck and trailer to tow his vehicle home from where he was forced to abandon it last night (something to do with the gas thing he says) so he’s working the phone and finally arranges the tow after bumming gas money from the Bank of Mother. Daughter # 3 and her ‘friend’ are filling the remaining space. I head out (in the drizzle) to walk the fur daughter to have some space of my own. Maybe empty nest syndrome will be a problem but I’m willing to risk it!