Well on a positive note, summer arrived today. I do not care what the calendar says it was a balmy 26 c here in the beautiful sunshine this afternoon and warmer than the first part of July last year. We have celebrated this turn of the season by enjoying the first burgers on Friday and steaks on Sunday to break in the BBQ. The cats were left to flop over in the veranda room and here you can see Mr. Gary taking advantage of the peace and quiet.
This has not been a restful weekend as although I am supposed to have the weekends off I have spent 7 hrs dealing with outbreak situations of various illnesses from near and far. Enough said, you can check the global news to find out the latest updates. Just remember that those of us working in infection control/occupational health will be dealing with the fallout of whatever the lead infectious disease story is. I’m much rather describe myself as LBWA – you know, living by wandering around. One noon hour this week I amused myself by checking out the Doctors Without Borders website and this great article by a nurse doing an immunization program in Chad. Now THAT is something I have the skills/inclination to do. Then daughter # 1 sent this link:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/04/23/older.volunteers.abroad/index.html
which only lead to more dreaming. You have to have your small pleasures remember.
Daughter # 3 has been attempting to organize herself for her adventure across the pond and appears to be getting closer to packing – good thing as the departure is Thursday – but her 16 hr shift today (in her quest to fund these wanderings) at the nursing home has put a dent in her remaining time.
On Friday while I was struggling away obliviously at work apparently there was a crisis of the cleaning lady kind at home. Apparently (as related by the baby daughter who had already been awoken by her father at 5 a.m. with “come on get up” as he thought her brother - the one going lobstering was asleep in the man cave not her) as she dozed off and one during the morning while the cleaning lady thumped and banged around the house with vacuum cleaner, mop etc. she was privy to a meltdown. At first the baby daughter thought she was dreaming and kept meaning to get up and say “don’t worry about it” but just couldn’t get herself awake. Now be advised the cleaning lady (as they all have) takes her weekly job here very seriously. She always take the circular covers for the propane range top off and soaks them in the sink while she cleans the bathroom but when she returned on Friday to try to drain the sink, she discovered one top had fit exactly into the drain (with plug in) and no way could she get it out or drain the water. She tried to pry with a knife and various objects and finally resorted to calling her husband to make an emergency house call telling him to “bring a big magnet” and when he questioned what size she said “the biggest you have and come now”. He arrived shortly thereafter, signaled by the canine doorbell and was unable to magnetize, pry with any kind of tool or otherwise free the circle so….he eventually had to remove the sink drain and pop the circle up with a screwdriver! The cleaning lady called Saturday to confess to her meltdown and advise she was NEVER putting those covers in the sink again.
This evening, when I chatted with the neighbour living in our ‘old house’ as I walked the dog in front of a glorious sunset, she was telling me it had ‘made her day’ to find daffodils blooming in the front lawn which I’d left so I told her there would be later perennial surprises as the season went on. She was thrilled as she’d left quite a garden in BC, so it’s always nice to think the plants will have someone who cares. And even before it starts this week is looking up to be a doozy as I’m off to the district facility for a round of meetings and presentations which will start early and run late. Sigh.
