Well, last week at work was so difficult that I inquired about alternate employment and was warmly received (as any warm body writing RN after their name would be) discovering that long-term care has achieved parity with acute care. This however means at the rate of a staff nurse, not someone with my education, experience and specialty qualifications, as my family physician pointed out to me. The sad part was not only that he realized this discrepancy but also that my employer doesn’t compensate for all the time, energy and money I have invested in being able to write all those letters after my name.
Not to for one moment suggest that staff nurses do not deserve every penny (and more) which they earn but it sure is disheartening to think that a 12 hr. shift position where an RN does their best, at a reasonable pace, mind you with a fair bit of responsibility pays the same as the centrifuge I’m subjected to now. And don’t even get me started on the ad for Nunavut I found in the latest Canadian Nurse Journal, which arrived tonight. The northern ads have always rated a browse since I’ve looked as a student nurse but this one said base salary up to $102,458 plus northern living allowance and bonuses of $30, 063 to $63,681 depending on community plus signing bonuses. Now, before you say “but it’s up north” the instruction certainly has to be “do the math”! Not sure I’m ready to abandon those I attempt to be the buffer for yet, but am certainly moving closer to ‘gotta think of myself’ mode every day.
As I learned I in a Human Resources session for the new system we’ll be using come April 1st that the term for ‘terminating’ employees is “dehired” as it sounds better. I mused that “used to work here,” sounded much better in the frame of mind I was in regardless of how HR labeled it. My personal favorite from the session was to discover that SME stands for Subject Matter Expert. Honestly some folks have WAY too much time on their hands.
The personal mastery workshop second part was held on Saturday afternoon and the timing of the two sessions couldn’t have been better what with all the ethical dilemmas etc. We did a vision board, which involved of course in my case travel, family and some other fun stuff. Our homework is to contact the leader with a personal action plan which is a goal, what I need to stop doing, continue doing, and start doing to reach this goal. Hmm.
The business daughter just happened to make a 70 on her mutuals exam after only being with the bank for just three months, studying for only two months and having a fair bit of personal excitement herself in that time. No surprise to any of us that she would ace it of course but the exam is a tough one and the pass rate is not all that high. Not only did she receive congratulatory flowers from her branch manager but also had a business supper with some banking execs.
Before I had left the house on Saturday I wrote the life partner a note, which read:
There are some things I’d change if I got to live my life over but…
You
The kids
Living in this community
Being a nurse
Are not things I would change.
Mister was so concerned that he called me on my cell when he came home to find the paper stating he wasn’t sure if I was saying goodbye temporarily (by running away) or permanently (by ending it all) so I reassured him and noted it had been too long since I expressed appreciation for all the good in my life. When I arrived with the groceries, I tried to explain it was a part of living gratefully but he was just relieved I actually came home.
We did have a slight disagreement on Sunday a.m. when I was taking him to retrieve the ton truck as he mentioned that he wouldn’t have to wash his insulated coverall suit but simply put it in the dryer because it was “clean just wet” and I lost it saying that the dryer is for clean clothes only not dirty ones to be cooked and then I instructed him that is he was going to insist on doing such idiotic things would he please just do it on the sly, like drinking from the juice container out of the fridge, and not let me know about! He had that look that husbands of women having perimenopausal outbursts exhibit and clamped his lips firmly shut and looked out the window. Got to keep em wondering.
I did head off to attend the writing group, which I had not made for months and it was fine with the usual light exercises and a few new faces. As we were sharing our second exercise a bit of drama was inserted. A young man came to the door and asked for a lady who I had not met before urgently saying to her “you have to come, there’s a birth and the baby is coming head first”. The group of middle aged women, many of us mothers and some grandmothers looked on perplexedly thinking that ‘headfirst is good’ as she jumped off the sofa to her feet and said “you’ve got to call Billy Rose, let’s go” with the young man replying “he’s already on his way” as they rushed out. As we glanced in confusion at one another, someone volunteered that they were referring to a…..sheep and it was not a good thing for them to be born anything but breech (feet first) as they got stuck. There was a slight delay as we collected ourselves to go on with the readings.
The drama at work has not assisted in my interest or time to research my presentations for the upcoming cruise. Well, not true as I have been checking out cheap Barbados hotels but nothing deeper than that. The travel partner did pick up a pair of sandals and a pair of sneakers on sale at the local sports store. When I asked him if he was getting excited about the cruise he said “I don’t get excited” and when I asked if he thought it would be romantic he gave me a funny look so I said “oh yeah, I just remembered who’s going with me this time” and he agreed with one of those “have you gone stupid?” looks.
However I have been researching netbooks or mini laptops as they only weigh about
2.3 lbs, are much more portable and perform all the functions I require for cruise ship speaking for a reasonable price. On the advice of the computer tech at work (who also suggested tigerdirect.ca and checking out staples.ca) I located a nice Dell model at http://www.bestbuy.ca/ for only $299 + $10 delivery. Now my plan also includes convincing the shore captain that he can have the larger laptop if he buys the mini for me but as the sale expires in two days I may find myself self financing the deal as it’s just too good to pass up at a savings of $120. A photo just to prove it, here to the right.Other than that the closest I came to thinking about the Caribbean (other than trying to move there or checking for a cruise wardrobe at Frenchys) was trying out this plantain recipe from the newspaper, apparently inspired by a Dominican Republic dish which looks bad, tastes good:
3 green plantains
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 green onions (greens and whites) chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 can (14 oz) chicken or vegetable broth
1 tsp. ground cumin
¼ cup water
1 tbsp. limejuice
¼ tsp. salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
In a large skillet with lid, heat oil and fry first onions x 3 minutes, add garlic for 1 minute. Then add broth, cumin, water and sliced plantains, bring to a simmer, cover and bring heat to low and cook until very soft (30 –40 minutes). Add limejuice, mash puree, adding water if too thick and season to taste, sprinkle with cilantro. Yum, comfort food.
Oh and by the way, those slow cooker liners – fantastic – obviously invented by a woman who scrubbed one too many slow cookers. Worth every penny!
