A 4 day week? feels like 40

The house has been very peaceful since yesterday with just the cats and I holding down the fort. As I told Gary “it’s not like I want to be single but…it is nice to be able to do your own thing” which he answered with a wise feline green-eyed stare.

This has been an exciting few days getting students settled in, they have been an unwell duo. However, daughter # 2 is making a good recovery from her sinusitis and sounded much better on the phone. Daughter # 3 sent along this update:

I also hurt my foot my right one on the side facing out it feels fine until I walk and it's like shooting pain from my ankle to about an ince away from my pinky toe...it's been two days or so. I might die and I was just warning you.

As one of my nurse colleagues said “just think by next year she’ll know how to describe that in medical language - you know lateral aspect of the malleolus”. Then we went on to a discussion of how as student nurses we always self diagnosed ourselves / friends / family with whatever disease we were studying that week. Those were the days.

Almost as exciting as the first day of public school. When I was walking the dog yesterday we met Kate, who was beginning elementary school this year - she was pretty pumped - hopping from one foot to another when she was telling me who her teacher was. By the time I got caught up on the news with three different sets of neighbours my walk was extended 30 minutes, only in the country.

Overheard in public discussion “I haven‘t seen you for ages, not even shopping“ “oh I don’t shop at Superstore there’s too much chocolate there”. Now I have to say that’s never been a criteria I consider when buying groceries - price, location, selection even air miles but not excess of chocolate.

One of my team members is embroiled in a nasty relationship breakup and was concerned that the truck left in his former yard was still insured in his name. I told him he’d have to report it stolen if anything happened, he didn’t believe me, called the RCMP and they told him the same thing. I explained that once in the ‘bad old days’ there had been two ‘rough around the edges’ brothers taking boats for us (think Jeff Foxworthy’s definition of rednecks and you won’t be far off) and they made life interesting…descended with their crews like locusts at mealtimes “you going to eat that?“ leaving a path of destruction in their wake, sleeping with each others girlfriends, needing to be bailed out of jail to go fishing and generally living life hard. My soft hearted (and headed) husband decided they needed transportation to the bait shed and wharf and loaned them the old half ton truck to go home with the instructions that “if anything bad happens I’m going to tell the police you stole it - understand?” They agreed happily, promised solemnly to behave and off they went. The trawl baiting was fine but later that night things went downhill in a hurry. Apparently they were drinking and stopped by the side of the road to take a leak, leaving the truck door open and some unsuspecting woman drove by and took it right off. This is followed by a phone call saying “this is Cst ___ you have a grey Ford 150 which was struck this evening?” to which my spouse replied “no Cst. it can’t possibly be, mine’s sitting in the yard” “sir, are you saying the truck has been stolen?” “well it must have been, I’ll have to call the insurance company”. It was a good thing they were able to catch fish, they needed to pay off the fines first. My coworker said "oh you always have such colorful stories to tell" which I assured him were non-fiction unfortunately.

Work has been beyond, must be something in the air. And it’s not just me as another OHN sent a message asking:

Do the gates of HELL open on September 1st?? I've had a steady stream of overstressed employees/managers through the doors. The line is buzzing to mental health for help. I think I must be the one who needs help! My head is already pounding from harassment complaints to psychosis symptoms.

But I'm not thinking much about work as I plan to leave early tomorrow afternoon, pick up my friend and head off to the writing workshop for the weekend. It's giving a nice weather forecast too. Yeehaw.