Of mumps and tall ships

Today was a usual Monday in the district facility, doing orientation. It was a nice change to have a small group and one who actually wanted to be there and was interested. Tomorrow will not be as amusing as there are back to back meetings from early a.m. to late p.m. on three different topics and after three days in a row I’m tired of the drive up and back. There is not likely to be consensus about much so I take comfort in the following quote:

We find comfort among those who agree with us - growth among those who don't Frank A. Clark

This afternoon I had a call from daughter # 2 advising that she would be sailing on a tall ship from Halifax to Louisburg as part of her work at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. She's traveling on the Playfair a square rigger based out of Toronto - here’s the website for the details - should be a fun time:

http://www.tallshipsnovascotia.com

My first comment was “if you don’t have mumps by then”. She attempted to reassure me that the room mate had the mumps a long time ago. We (again) reviewed periods of communicability and incubation and basically there are still a few weeks left to worry. I can’t imagine that causing the quarantine of an entire tall ship would make you a popular addition but what would I know? I’m only a nurse and a mother. When I described that for male patients the mumps can go to ‘other places’ this caused great mirth and she had to ask the room mate if his mumps had gone ‘other places’. He quickly reassured that “no” he’d had a straight forward case only in his jaws.

A quick stop for the essentials (as per teenaged priorities) of strawberries for shortcake, photo reprints and ink cartridges for the printer. By the time we ate leftovers in shifts the shortcake was a welcome finale. How Canadian Living magazine and Martha Stewart whip up five course al fresco summer suppers is beyond me.

Tonight's follow up call from the would be tall ship crew member is that she needs her original birth certificate in order to board on Monday a.m. So sending it express mail has been added to tomorrow's 'to-do' list. The comment that she'd be as popular as ants at a picnic if the ship was quarantined brought her rationalization that "I'm pretty healthy, I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables so I shouldn't get the mumps" Oh my dear if only it were that simple. This will be a busy week with the tall ships beginning to arrive by Wed, all in Halifax by Friday and the parade of sail out on Monday. What a great place to have a student job this summer eh?