All the news

Back again and filling you in on all the news that’s fit to print. And trust me a lot of what’s been happening lately especially at work is not repeatable. Some of it for confidentiality reasons but mostly because no one in their right mind would believe some of the goings on. Well, actually another Occupational Health Nurse would I think.

The saga of planning for immunization continues and there is word on the street that Public Health will recommend vaccinating all acute care employees for measles, mumps and rubella. Not a huge job for me, but will add to the pressure within the district for sure as we attempt to cope. This requires phone meetings, memos, ordering supplies and vaccine, clinics, record keeping etc. Our team has decided we will wait for written instructions from PH and then put some plans in place.

The renovations continue, going well but many staff are not happy. Enough said. It is going to be one long ten weeks at this rate I can tell you. And today certainly felt like Hump Day for sure.

But while I sleep tonight my pay will be deposited into an account allowing me to eat, pay some bills and live in my house - so tomorrow will be a good day on that measurement if no other. And the weather here has been wonderful - breaking all temperature records for Halifax as well as a number of other areas in Canada today - hope it lasts for the weekend.

For some distraction factor I went to visit Mom in the nursing home attached to our facility and it was tempting to jump ship and stay - not the least because they actively recruit me 100% of the time I pass through. Mom is doing better since her dental extractions and has regained her appetite a bit. She was just getting the rollers out at the hairdressers when I walked by so we had a stroll and a visit. She enjoys the courtyard on these fine days - in large part because she is trying to figure out how to escape from the gate. She’s still pretty restless, didn’t recognize me and really kind of ignored me for the majority of my stay but I know I was there.

I’ve been writing some commentary in the photo album where I’ve tucked the cruise photos. Now that’s a fun job, kind of like revisiting the vacation times. I’m guessing when I get around to scrap booking the pictures it’ll be another pleasant go round. Have to keep those positive memories front and center. A friend left a message today saying she’d been following the blog and had been jealous of the cruise but my dear just think about the rest of my existence you’d have to take on just to have one short trip of fun - not worth it!

For example…I was attempting to track down the disappearing son this evening and when I phoned the other household which is sharing him I was advised that he’d ‘gone fishing’ this evening. There was confusion about whether it would be 5 or 10 days. But needless to say it was a surprise as there had been no advance notice of this career path. Unfortunately the site he chose is with a well known shyster so the likelihood of making any money or even $2 when averaged is slim to none. As Jed Clampett of the Beverly Hillbillies used to say of Jethro Bodine “one of these days I’ve got to have a long talk with that boy” I’m not sure I’m strong enough - as a colleague at work said “I’ve been in fragile state lately“.

My travel partner has returned from her Cuba trip and I’m awaiting news of all her adventures. We’ll have to get together so I can give her the underwater photos I had developed. We’ve talked about a trip to Halifax to check out a new Cuban club/restaurant that’s been opened by a Cuban ‘friend of a friend’ and here’s some blatant adverting for the place:

CLUB CALIENTE 5680 Spring Garden Rd 902 405 4248 reservations@clubcalientehalifax.com

Open for dinner everyday @ 5:00 pm

Cuban Cuisine
Cuban cuisine has been influenced by Spanish, French, African, Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese cultures. Traditional Cuban cooking is primarily peasant cuisine that has little concern with measurements, order and timing. Most of the food is sauteed or slow-cooked over a low flame. Very little is deep-fried and there are no heavy or creamy sauces. Most Cuban cooking relies on a few basic spices, such as garlic, cumin, oregano, and bay laurel leaves. Many dishes use a sofrito as their basis. The sofrito consists of onion, green pepper, garlic, oregano, and ground pepper quick-fried in olive oil. The sofrito is what gives the food its flavor. It is used when cooking black beans, stews, many meat dishes, and tomato-based sauces. Meats and poultry are usually marinated in citrus juices, such as lime or sour orange juices, and then roasted over low heat until the meat is tender and literally falling off the bone. Another common staple to the Cuban diet are root vegetables such as yuca, malanga, and boniato, which are found in most Latin markets. These vegetables are flavored with a marinade, called mojo, which includes hot olive oil, lemon juice, sliced raw onions, garlic, cumin, and little water.

Most people who haven't tasted Cuban cuisine (such an elegant word) think our food is typically spicy. Wrong! We sure are spicy -- as a culture -- but when cooking we leave the tongue-stinging peppers to those flirting with gastrointestinal problems of astronomical proportions. Leave the hole in the stomach lining for other cultures, thank you very much. We'll stick to the artery clogging fried plantains, dense meat dishes with salsita, and overabundant plates of rich frijoles negros con arroz.

Well, time to head off to rest up for whatever tomorrow brings at work. All good I'm sure. But first I'm going to enroll in the Crown&Anchor Society - it's the frequent floater program for Royal Caribbean. A girls gotta dream eh? Hasta manana.