Road trip planning

The worst part about getting used to the ‘new normal’ of frantic is that it quickly becomes the routine. I added all the ‘end of month’ tasks to my already full day today and it didn’t do me in, so you do what you have to and what you can. After all the unrest at work lately I made sure to put this quote “change is inevitable, suffering is optional” on my calendar which I distribute for June.

I’ve decided that my all time favorite reason given for NOT having the MMR shot is (and apologies to those who are fans of body art or smokers) but….“I don’t believe in putting a foreign substance in my body“ - said by someone sporting at least one tattoo on their way to a smoke break. The body art also covers the “yeow that hurts” statement as well for the momentary sting of the vaccine. I do agree with the trade unionists / human rights advocates who say that the Capital Health Authority stance of not paying an employee who is excluded from work after being a contact of mumps would likely not stand up to the challenge in the courts. However, I have neither the time (as in sick time) or energy to fight that battle and I say so to employees several times per day “go ahead if you’d like to be that test case” which usually results in a quick signing of the consent and rolling up of the sleeve. All the increased one on one contact is leading to all kinds of questions (totally unrelated to immunization), disclosures, can you take a look at this? opinions and general gossip. Talk about information overload!

The nursing students are doing a clinical with us and there are a couple who are already excellent nurses (whether they know it or not) and that lifts the spirits. Today one of them was wiping her tears in the nursing station and apologizing “you can tell I’m a student” she says. I asked one of the staff what the issue was and was informed this was in response to an emotional situation with a terminal patient. Those of us with more miles on the odometer were just as affected but have managed strategies for hiding it, that’s the only difference. We decided it was a good sign that this student ‘got it’ and that bodes well for the future for us.

Speaking of student nurses….We’re getting ready to roll out on our road trip to New Brunswick tomorrow. It will be good to have an excuse to use some of that accumulated time in lieu and exit early. The baby daughter and I are planning on heading up to Fredericton and checking out the place Friday evening, doing the registration at UNB in the morning and then heading on back into Halifax on Saturday night to stay with daughter # 2. She’ll be able to celebrate having written her final exam in her statistics course, she’s pleased that it’s over and she can just concentrate on work at the museum now. She tells me this evening on the phone that the Argentine tall ship la Libertad is in at the waterfront and the staff had a tour today and are invited back for a social tomorrow. I was instructing her to tell her host that our friend is from Mar del Plata so she’s going to practice her Spanish.

Well it’s 10 p.m. and the final day of lobstering is still being played out. The call from the Captain at supper time was “I’ll be home to eat before midnight” and the prodigal son has made a brief (covered in grease) cranky appearance at the barn about an hour ago before rushing off on another task. There were still trailer loads of traps being transported home this evening. Think they’re kind of relieved that it’s finally over. So now supper at 11 p.m. is like one of those midnight buffets on the cruise ship, well except for the lack of glamour.