Tomorrow after work we (we defined as just the Mr and Mrs) are going camping. This will be the first time in 25 years we’ve been camping without kids so it’s kind of like full circle. We’re headed to Graves Island provincial park in Chester, here’s the link to check:
http://parks.gov.ns.ca/parks/graves.htm
It’s a nice little park we’ve looked at but never stayed in. We’re taking in the Mahone Bay Classic Boat Festival on Saturday and will head back Sunday p.m. as boats will be leaving to go fishing. I will still have Monday to decompress (and likely clean up from camping) so nice to not have to head directly back into the workplace.
Today I got one step closer to my ‘speaking on cruises’ plan when I noticed the computer tech down to work at our site asked about laptops. He suggested I ask to buy a surplus one from work. He tells me that the Toshiba laptops which are about 3 years old are regularly sold off for what’s remaining in the lease (about $300) and you just have to ask, they work great and many folks are still using them. Some have very few hours on them as they are used as a secondary computer only for traveling. The IT manager was working at our site today so I almost twisted my ankle getting down the hall to ask. He directed one of the techs to ‘pick a good one out of the pile’ and get it ready for me for when I head up to the district facility on Tuesday. Yeehaw! I have a training session for PowerPoint presentations booked on the 15th so I’m going to get my presentations polished up.
When I was looking up a medication online I came across the term cyberchondriac which is defined as someone who searches online for symptoms and diagnosis. It’s now thought that 90% of patients have looked online for information which they use in questioning their physician.
I was visiting on the nursing unit at work and two of the Registered Nurses were telling me that their self esteem was suffering. One mentioned that a patient was complaining of some symptoms and when the RN and daughter were trying to figure out the problem she says to her daughter “don’t tell her, she doesn’t know, go tell a nurse”. The other RN said she understood as the day before she was standing at the medication cart preparing medications and another patient called out “can you get me a nurse please?” to which she replied “I am a nurse, can I help?” to which the patient replied “no, I mean a real one”. Talk about being bad for your ego eh?
Better than the little lady I found weeping in the lounge as she is waiting to go to a nursing home. I did my best to convince her how much better it would be at the Manor, all the social activities etc. and she occasionally let her guard slip and showed interest in some detail but kept maintaining she wasn’t going to enjoy it. She finally said “I’m not going to like it there because I don’t want my family to see me happy” One of her visitors was shocked but I told them she was being honest at least and still had enough spunk to keep on fighting.
Well only one more sleep until it's tent sleeping - can't wait. Insect repellent - check, sunscreen - check, rain jacket - check. You name it, I'm prepared! Just thinking about being able to camp whenever the weather cooperated instead of days off makes retirement even more delicious.
