To begin the quote of the day:
Only 8% of what we worry about comes true
Now the pessimist will say "but which of the things falls in the 8%?". I prefer to consider it pretty good odds and not mess up the present with things that can't be changed. Which is how I'm choosing to think of the situation as I'm first call tonight. Less than two weeks remaining so not many call shifts left.
And no, I don't have a Dr.
daughter roommate so instead of cleaning up on Sunday, I went for a walk out to the airport and the beach. I discovered a helicopter and a charter airplane being used to collect a scientific weather balloon which had landed about 43 miles north of here in the tundra. It had been launched from Sweden and gathered data,
taking photographs of solar flares for five or six days. The crew had taken about five days to recover the equipment with the helicopter and then load it on to the plane. It was being flown to Yellowknife and repacked for shipment to the USA. Apparently this had been done a few times before with good success as the equipment is extremely pricey and they don't want it landing in the ocean. The crew will come back to recover the balloon as well, they're getting it down to a smooth operation.
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| Helicopter for recovery |
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| Charter being loaded |
Today was a day to have some chuckles through a miscommunication which sounds as if it were a Saturday Night Live skit. The past few weeks while our regular 62 yr. old caretaker has been off we have had a new, young (well the age of my son) fellow working as a casual. He is very eager to please, keen to learn and likely hoping to replace the soon to be retired caretaker as he has a young family. He's gotten more comfortable and now asks a few questions but figures many things out on his own. He is particularly careful to try to do exactly what the nurse in charge - Nellie asks of him. We have been thrilled with his quiet manner, and enthusiastic work ethic. He's pretty easy on the eyes too as he's tall (for an Inuit) well built with good teeth (unusual in the north) and it's fun to watch him mop the office floor for example.
Outside the door of the public washroom in the waiting room there is a high shelf where patients put their labelled urine specimens for the nurses to collect and test - yes we use dipsticks regularly here (sorry inside joke for former coworkers). This afternoon as I walked past on one of my many trips, I spied a bottle half full of urine and noted with surprise our caretakers name. I asked my coworker if she was seeing him and she shook her head, looked towards the shelf and offered "perhaps he's seeing the Dr." A few moments later I walked into the front office to find my coworker and two of the front staff in hysterics! The explanation is....There were no urine specimen bottles in the public washroom so Nellie tells our caretaker to fill up the orange topped bottles. He thinks she says to fill a urine specimen bottle so provides a sample, leaves it on the shelf and then goes about another chore. Nellie checks and sees there are still no bottles in the bathroom so says very shortly to Rita "tell him to fill up those bottles". Rita protests she doesn't know where he is "well then page him and get him down here". I hear Rita summoning him to the front. My coworker overhears part of their discussion where Rita says "I'm not joking that's what she said you have to do" and his reply"I don't think I can do anymore". Apparently he thought Nellie wanted an even bigger sample. Howls of laughter from the three women and a bemused but relieved grin when our caretaker receives a matter of fact Nellie clarification. I get an instant replay as I enter to put away a chart and join in the laughter. I later tell our caretaker that he didn't realize that random drug testing was a part of the job when he took it did he? He chuckles and says "I kinda wondered". Just goes to show what some folks will do to keep a job.
Yesterday a 440 lb. patient was waiting to see the Dr. and as I went over to talk to him I said "oh you got a new haircut, I didn't recognize you" as his hair was buzzed off and he grinned (as he has a pretty good sense of humour). When I walked to my office I noticed my coworker slumped over in her chair shaking and realized she wasn't having a seizure but was laughing silently. It took her a while to collect herself as she kept gasping "he's the only one that size in the entire community, you can see him on his Honda for miles on the tundra" and such comments which would start her off again as he is also tall so reminds one of Gulliver on his travels. And no (I asked the travel clerk) the government does only buy one seat when sending him out for medical appointments, so they sure get their money's worth.
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| Clouds reflected |
Although the weather was cooler with a few showers today - one of the patients told the Dr. it was dust remover. Since the physician is from BC where the floods have been a problem he said "yeah, and bridge and house and boat remover too". It has been pretty dusty here lately so it was welcome. The day I walked to the airport I headed down to the shore which makes me think of the maritimes and it was a glorious day. It must be really balmy by next month, mind you the bugs will have found Taloyoak by then. I am hoping that the ticks will have slowed somewhat by the time I make it east. Apparently there has been a black bear mother and cub snacking on the green bins in our community at home. I asked one of the DNR (no for all you nurses not a no code or do not resuscitate) but Dept of Natural Resources employee to ensure my dog and dog walker were safe and he could only promise for the dog he said.
I've been looking at a creative writing course online as my alumnae newsletter mentioned various courses available. It is geared towards writing your memoirs, runs for six weeks, is only $150 and I don't have to travel to do it. My only decision is when to take it. I'm thinking that the summer at home may afford me more time than north in September. Decisions, decisions:
And while on the literary topic, I must mention Read by the Sea. Perhaps I'll be able to convince someone to take a road trip with me. I'd love to meet Vincent Lam and hear the other authors read. The Feast Fest is SO good that it alone is worth the drive to River John:
With the floods in western Canada the Red Cross disaster relief teams have been busily responding and there are calls for volunteers but.....I don't think I'm up for a trip back out west just after I get home for the summer. This week the local teams are helping out with a call centre doing R & I (registration and identification) in the metro area. Would be good experience if I were around. All those we know are managing fine out west but the photos are pretty disturbing.
To end this post on a more upbeat note I offer the definition of a life hack:
An adaptation which simplifies or makes ones life easier for example....lying in your hammock while puling on a cord attached to the post in the veranda to make it rock. Here is a video of one example of a life hack - how to fold a shirt in under two seconds.
Let me know how you make out with it will ya?
