Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Lunchtime

It was past noon and I was driving like a native; that is, more or less down the middle of  a two-lane road, in a hurry to get down the mountain and on to my next patient.   I was also hungry; the hot tea and banana I'd had upon leaving the office had completely worn off.  After several unsuccessful attempts to fetch my lunch box, I lost patience with it.  "For heaven's sake!" I snarled as I pulled over and snared the insulated box from the passenger side floor.  

I was pleased to see Big Sweetie had packed me a piece of leftover pizza, some apricot-pecan cake, a yogurt cup, and cold water in a non-BPA bottle.  With no traffic in sight, I was free to savor this little meal by the roadside.  Nearby ox-eye daisies nodded in the breeze and I could see the jacaranda flowers were just about spent.  A bluegrass tune floated out of my CD player, ancient as the place where I stood.  

At the end of nursing school I was voted "Best at Carrying Her Lunch" which, being poor but always hungry, I did with some regularity.  This amused my wealthier classmates no end and I let them have their little joke because I wasn't about to go hungry just to impress them.  I had no idea it would prove good training for the future.  

Then I poured myself another cup of tea, checked my GPS, and pushed on, still chewing on remains of the cake.  Time and tide...and patients...wait for no man.


Sunday, April 22, 2012

Peace and Quiet

Sunday is my favorite day to work.  Sunday is usually a quiet day with a lighter patient load.  I enjoy meeting visiting family members and everyone seems more relaxed.  The radio plays hours of Celtic-Blue Grass music as I drive back roads mercifully free of excess traffic.  In general, patients scheduled for a Sunday really have a need to be seen and it's always nice to be needed.    Today even the weather cooperated to put me in a cheery frame of mind.

Often clients ask me about my weekend work, as if it might be a terrible burden or something.  One recent client  remarked at length how pleased she was that a nurse had been able to visit on a Sunday.  "You don't have to work every Sunday, do you?" she asked.  "I work the weekend," I replied, "unless I'm on vacation.".  Her eyes flew open and she exclaimed, "Oh my!  Why do you do that?"  I smiled.

"You remember the old Star Trek movies?  The one where Commander Uhura says," (I put on my best no-nonsense Uhura look and continued)  'Peace and  quiet appeals to me, Lieutenant.'"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k9Ukm9LaWg

watch for it at 1:38  Happy Sunday!