Words of Unwisdom

If you've watched the news in the past 12 hours you'll know that the massive earthquake in Chile has generated a Pacific-wide tsunami. It is expected to reach Southeast Queensland in about an hour. I was telling Sparky about it when he woke up, joking that we need to stay away from the coast (we live no where NEAR the coast, and it's been raining for 2 days so there are no plans to go there).

Sparky: "So will we get any rain from it?"

Me: "What?"

Sparky: "Is the tsunami going to make it rain?!"

To his credit, he came back 10 minutes later and, in a roundabout way, admitted it was a stupid question.

Words of Wisdom

I had a patient on Friday who has, among other issues, Cytomegalovirus (CMV). She was telling me that she had not one but two strains of CMV, one of which is multi-drug resistant.

Me: "Well, that just sucks!"

Patient: "You know, I think that's the best explanation of what I'm going through I've ever heard."

Because cancer, and all its side effects, suck.

Photo Friday

Because policemen are always this cute... and wearing nothing but underpants:

Oh c'mon, who did you think it was going to be? OK, knowing me you had a shot.

Is It Wrong...

... that when I got finished with my Aggressive Behaviour Management class a little early today that I didn't go back to the unit and put in the extra time there?

... that I so enjoyed the time I got to spend at home alone, despite spending nearly all of it either exercising, cleaning or cooking, because The Hermit was at football training with Sparky and Her Majesty with Clive in tow and Miss Thing was at work?

... that I so was looking forward to my "alone time" that I didn't call Miss Thing back when she tried to call me?

... that I'm sick of being a taxi-on-demand for Miss Thing?

... that after 6 months of having Miss Thing home and listening to her complain about her job and her life in general, but do nothing to make any changes, that I'm over it and have no sympathy left?

... that I so enjoyed my alone time that I'm not particularly bothered that The Hermit is grumpy with me for having to do the Thursday training, which runs until 7pm and makes for a long day for him?

... that I have accepted I will never get along with everybody?

... to state weight I've lost in pounds but weight I gain in kilos?

... to sing at the top of my lungs when no one is around even if I can't carry a tune in a bucket?

... to miss romance even if I'm not normally a romantic myself?

... to be sick of it all sometimes?

Words of Wisdom

Late this afternoon on the drive to football training to collect Sparky:

Clive (pointing out the window): "Dat Mummy! Dat Mummy!"

I look out his window and see he is pointing to a real estate office where there are large pictures of their real estate agents on their windows. One woman has short hair like I do and, superficially I suppose, resembles me. If you squint. Or are a 3 year old.

Mooselet: "No, Clive, that's not Mummy. But she's someones Mummy, I'm sure." I don't know this at all, of course, but I need to say something.

Clive (laughing): "Noooo! Dat my Mummy."

Her Majesty; "No, Clive, Mummy isn't that pretty."

Ouch!

Olympic Memories

I do love the Olympics, even though I've had little time to watch them this time around. But thanks to the wonder that is YouTube, I'd like to share with you two of my most favourite Winter Olympic memories from when I was a youngster.

First up, 1980 and the Miracle on Ice. I was 10 and Gabe and I were out with Momma and Poppa Mooselet at Al's Spaghetti House. Friday night was Mom & Dad's night out, and always at Al's, but every now and again they'd let us come with them. This was one of those nights. I have a very clear memory of watching this game at the bar at Al's:

Memory number 2: The Battle of the Brians from the 1988 Olympics. Was 18 and at home watching with Momma Mooselet on the couch. I obviously have a much better memory of this one, but what always stands out for me is Brian Boitano's expression at the end:

I had, however, forgotten about his glorious mullet.

And of course now if I'm ever faced with a difficult decision, I simply ask myself "What Would Brian Boitano Do?"

Do you have any special Olympic memories?

The Home Economics Story

To keep myself amused while I was home sick on Tuesday I watched a lot of Mystery Science Theater 3000 on YouTube. That and getting a chuckle every time Westy walked down the hallway to my bedroom and gave me a baleful look that not only was I home but in his favourite daytime sleeping spot.

Anyway, MST3K's thing is to rip on really really bad and old science fiction types of films. I won't bore you with those I as know they are not everyone's cup of tea. However, I think we can all relate to the horror that is the 1950's era "teenage propaganda" short films. Films that extol the virtues of pulling up your socks, eating dinner with your family and just conforming dammit! Conform! Conform!

Sorry... I found this little gem on Tuesday. To summarize, little Kay decides she's going to study Home Economics in collage. Because home economics will prepare her for the most important job of all - being Mrs. Kay Cunningham. That's right, being married and raising your family in a tasteful and pleasing environment is your goal and nothing will get you there faster than a course in Home Economics:

Anyone still long for the "good old days"?

Being Sensible

It started with a tickle in my throat on Friday. By Saturday night I was hoarse. By Sunday I was coughing and some bastard had filled my sinuses with cement. My back and legs ached like I'd just run several miles, which is hysterical because I hated running when I was on the track team and had to run miles for my Civil Air Patrol training as a teenager, so why would I do it voluntarily now?? Shut up about no one making me join the track team or CAP.

My point is that I'm sick. I could have been sensible and stayed home from work on Monday. But on Friday we had a staff meeting and were told that our unit has the worst sick leave record of all the oncology units. Well hell. How am I supposed to call out sick the very next day when my boss, whom I like nearly as much as Former Boss Lady back at the US Hospital That Used to Employ Me, is under pressure to reduce our sick leave? How bad is that going to look for everyone? Yes I know I really shouldn't be around people whose immune systems are compromised by the drugs we're pumping into them in an attempt (mostly successful) to save their lives, but I can't call out sick! So yesterday I pumped myself full of Sudafed and 800mg of ibuprofen (yes I know the recommended dose is 400mg - shush) and went to work.

I put up with the hot flashes and general shitty feeling until about noon, when the ibuprofen wore off. I grabbed a hot pack that we use to warm up patient's arms to try and find a vein and stuffed it down the waistband of my pants to ease the pain in my back and soldiered on. When I started coughing again and the hot flashes got so bad I was breaking out in a sweat I finally went to my boss to say that I was really sorry that I may make us both look bad, but I might not be in the next day. To her credit she asked if I needed to go home, but since it was close to 3pm and I was finishing in an hour and a half (and just going to lunch, to give you an indication of how our days go) I said I was good.

And just to make crystal clear - she didn't put any pressure on me to come in Monday, or imply that I needed to come in today. "If you're sick, you're sick," she said, watching me fan myself in her office. But the people who are taking sick leave when they're not sick, who check the roster to see what days are good to "chuck a sickie" don't seem to give a shit if they put pressure on her or the rest of us. And I am the type of person who seems to have an overblown sense of responsibility, so I went in to work on Monday.

Today, however, common sense prevailed in the form of a pounding headache in my left sinus cavity. The Hermit did very well in getting all four kids out the door as I lay under the ceiling fan on our bed, alternating between those damn hot flashes and getting cold from the fan. Today was probably the better day to stay home anyway, as my bowels decided they didn't want to be left out of the party and I was forced to add Immodium to my medicinal collection at my bedside.

Oh, and did I mention the monthly bloodletting is in full swing, making me cranky and anemic? Joy to the freakin' world...

PLUS - I keep wanting to get up out of bed and clean my house. Really. Hmmmm, maybe I'm sicker than I thought.

Random Thoughts

I need to get back into my blog. I'm sure Momma Mooselet is worried about me, convinced I'm overworked and overtired. While this is true, I'm chugging along in passive mode. Instead of waiting for it to end, I'm starting to think I need to fight against it. Of course that requires a lot of energy, which is in short supply these days. It's the Vicious Hamster Wheel of Fatigue, and I'm trying like crazy to get off. So here are some random thoughts as I spin on the wheel:

** Dear Doctor - you are NOT the be-all and end-all fount of knowledge. Yes you have an important job and you help your patients battle a potentially life-threatening disease. However when we mere nurses make a suggestion, we're not trying to be better than you, or one-up you, or whatever it is you think we're doing. We're trying to do our job and help the same patients that you are. So stop being a jackass and doing the exact opposite of what we ask just to make a point that you're the doctor. It does nothing positive for you.

** I work with a lot of amazing nurses from all over the world. It is a seriously multi-cultural environment with nurses from New Zealand, the Philippines, South Africa, France, England, Scotland, Ireland... and me. I'm the lone North American representative. I get some grief now and again, but it's given in the Australian spirit of "we only give you shit if we like you" and I know now that it's required that I give it right back. But they are a great bunch of folks to work with.

** Ben & Jerry's ice cream now have a shop in Sydney and sell their pint tubs in Sydney & Melbourne. Gah!!! I love Ben & Jerry's so much I actually wrote to them and begged them to come to Brisbane. How sad is that?? If Krispy Kreme did it I hope I can soon have a tub of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough of my very own.

** Speaking of food, I would commit unspeakable acts for a decent bagel.

** Clive has started speech therapy sessions once a week. We can safely say he has an expressive speech problem, but can't say if there is anything else going on or not. His therapist has taped his sessions and Clive has been watching them non-stop.

** Sparky and Her Majesty have started football again. Sparky will be in the Under 15s, which gives me pause as it somehow represents a point in my mind where he is not longer little. Of course he hasn't been little for a long time, but it hit me like a ton of bricks this year. Her Majesty is in the Under 7s again.

** Sparky and The Hermit had birthday's this past week, with Sparky turning 15 and The Hermit turning an undisclosed age.

** Miss Thing continues to make me batty. Just want to let that be known.

** I have gotten several really nice compliments about my blog from people, and I thank them profusely. It's always warms the cockles of my heart (and ego) to hear people say they enjoy my ramblings.

** Dear Woolworths - If you're going to make a big deal about price reductions, advertising a change from $1.02 to $0.99 is probably not your best bet. Especially when Australian prices are rounded up or down if one is paying in cash. Last year, the pack of noodles cost $1 cash. This year? $1 cash.

** I find I'm turning into something of a prude as I get older. For example, porn never really bothered me in my younger days. These days I'm really over it and wish there was less of it around. And I don't like being a prude, so this bothers me.

** It's taken me over 5 hours to compile this list owing to multiple interruptions and an evening out to dinner with the entire family. 5 hours is insane, and explains why my poor blog gets neglected.