My main task of the day was to purchase the cookies and juice for the flu clinic which we start Monday (fully staffed or not) from the Northern Store. It was a challenge with the lack of flights lately as I depleted their stock of real juice boxes and still within date (good) cookies on my mission. And while I'm on the topic....do you realize that packages of cookies don't actually state the number of cookies inside? They are measured by weight and this is a problem if you're trying to buy 200 cookies as instructed by your boss. Since I don't buy many packages of cookies, I was forced to fondle them and guess. I think I'll write Mr. Christie and express my displeasure. And don't even get me started on trying to find cookies and juice which will not trigger ANY of the allergies in the community. Add to this that the store staff were completely disinterested in their paid employment, busy checking out iPods, visiting with customers, eating, and generally ignoring using the cash registers. The line up behind me grew as the intricacies of the purchase order were explored, I called Nellie for a number clarification and then I refused to pay $67 for twelve AA batteries (yes three packages of four) for the health centre thermometers. There were no cardboard boxes to be had (they are popular for carrying groceries on the Honda or skidoo and can be used to cut up seals or caribou and eat it raw - common joke is that it is an Inuit dining table) so it was quite a number of trips up and down the store steps and again at the health centre with armloads of juice boxes, felt like carrying in wood for the woodbox. A staff member (wearing gloves) is being tasked with serving the treats post vaccination as we don't want to be dealing with a gastro outbreak the following week from self serve. It's already rumbling around locally.
And speaking of shopping, especially northern shopping and shipping, this link to a blog from someone in Cambridge Bay:
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| by Simon Oleekatalik |
Although it's been busy lately I did manage to arrange for a local carver to do a piece for a friend's summer neighbour. He does nice work out of caribou antler and soapstone, signed the piece and even made it to be disassembled for packing. He arrived in the middle of a busy clinic morning with the piece of art and I protested that I had to go to the ATM at the COOP store to pick up the cash. He was keen for the funds so I suggested that perhaps Nellie would man the phones and I would run over at noontime. He planned to meet me there. The morning (as many lately) was a write off and when noon came Nellie had to take the shipment of bloods we'd drawn to the airport for the flight - which didn't actually arrive but I digress. By then, I was putting a ring block and two 5-0 prolene sutures in the finger of an 18 month old who managed a triangular deep cut in his ring finger. Found the scissors his sister took upstairs to cut her Mr Freeze apparently. The mother wasn't keen on looking at the gash, so I told her to call in reinforcements and she phoned her husband who held the toddler tightly, she held the hand while looking away and it was a pretty quick procedure. I am getting faster and neater with practice. Before I started suturing I called the COOP and told the clerk to give a message to the carver that I wouldn't be able to come and he should come to the health centre to discuss alternate plans. I told him we'd try again after the clinic closed and he said "can't you go over at coffee break?" I laughed and told him that coffee break was not something that nurses get, he would be waiting until suppertime. He gave in. When he followed me to the store that evening and I handed over the money causing him to smile broadly, I felt like I was doing a drug deal or perhaps a ransom payment.
Had a nice FaceTime chat with my down the road buddy who tells me that she hasn't renewed her nursing license for 2014 so will work her last shift on Hallowe'en. I told her that not being licensed to work in NS was another thing we now had in common. Sounds like she's too busy in her retirement to work anyway. I know I certainly find lots to fill my 'time off'. My friend was telling me about going to walk the dog one day and finding her napping on her dog bed as it had been really rainy when the shore captain left so he'd let her stay inside and she woke up all discombobulated - kind of the way we humans do after napping. She quickly realized why she had company was very appreciative of the sprint. There apparently was a mink swimming along in the water when they walked (which she thankfully didn't see) as that could've ended badly with either a swim for all three, a tussle or worse. Sounds like the other dogwalker is enjoying her time volunteering at the animal rescue centre but reports she's been bitten by a squirrel, pigeon and ferret.
I also (eventually) had a FaceTime chat with the life partner who was supposed to call me today. When it came 8:30 pm time in NS, I decided he'd forgotten (again) and tried connecting. It rang and rang, no answer, but a few moments later I heard my computer ringing. He admitted that he'd come home, eaten, taken a shower and fallen asleep in his la-z-boy chair. He got full marks for his honesty so was let off the hook. We discussed the details of upcoming vacations. The first being his redneck trip to 'back of Meat Cove, CB' the last week of October. The shore captain and the young fellow who manages things at the plant are going and have invited along a semi retired guy who works with them. He was told to "ask the boss" and apparently his wife let him go on the big excursion. As I said to the secretary "there'll be lots of stories, and some of them might even be true." They may or may not (depending on if/when they get a moose) be home before I arrive. If the shenanigans with flights continue, it will be me who is last in the door. Air Canada has already changed the flight from direct from Edmonton to Halifax to a stop in Pearson which increases the likelihood of issues and adds an hour to my day.
Speaking of flights, there were some good seat sales this fall and the electrician daughter is coming home the last two weeks of November for a visit. Will be nice to have some time to spend together when I'm home and not working. And she'll get to take her own (and likely her sisters) lobsters back when she goes.
And of course we're into the planning for the Mexico trip. The vouchers for the resort arrived in the email this week proving the shore captain had finalized the arrangements. It is a ways away but those March Break arrangements have to be made early or not at all. Looking forward to having the family all together in the sun for some fun. Nice to be thinking of the tropics while it's full winter here, the skidoos are becoming more plentiful every day.
Speaking of fun...the young fellow who works as a janitor was called in last week and arrived after lunch. When I asked why he hadn't come in the morning he said "I went to bed at 7 am as we were up playing dare all night". When I asked for clarification it was explained as a card game called Elmo which included the concept of full house "oh, like poker, you were gambling!". This brought protests that it was called dare and that the loser had to "do a dare". Apparently his brother-in-law had lost and the dare was to "go to the Boothia Inn early in the morning wearing a hockey helmet and sell some leg hair on a piece of tape"(think waxing) and he giggled "it wasn't even his leg hair". When I asked if he'd been successful in his sales, the answer was "no" to which I replied "not a surprise". The final statement of "I got it all on video, it's pretty funny" made me think of it going viral online but....I guess you had to be there. This is a culture of visiting, playing games, sharing and laughing - so used to seeing smiling faces, I've come to expect them.
Well, enough updating, going to crawl into bed a bit earlier than I usually do, just because I can. Less than two weeks remaining, looking forward to being a lady of leisure.
