Day: February 10, 2009

So, with me taking the DAF more days than not last week I had plenty of time for contemplation on my journeys – the DAF having no working Radio (she came with one, it just, somewhat unfortunately, died).

The Canada plan had been troubling me not because I’d any less desire to do it, but my cunning plan of funding the move by selling the vastly more valuable house (having done it up and added central heating and so on), and skipping all the way to Canada on tens of thousands of ill-gotten gains has somewhat vaporised. The house is probably worth more money than I/we’ve put in; or at least, it will be when it’s all finished and painted, and when the standard of finish can be shown off.

But it’s unlikely to do what I hoped, which is to give a big chunk of cash on which we’d be able to live and sort out where we want to live in Canada, and to give me those ever elusive ‘savings’ of which I’ve heard so much about.

I’ve found out that, apparently, I’m actually in-line for some inheritance from the death of my Grandparents. This is somewhat of a surprise. I’ve no idea how much; it could be £3.50, £3500, or £35,000. I don’t know whether it’ll help sort out the financial situation I find myself in; and clear the decks which’d make me feel more hopeful about fleeing this place.

It is terrifying for me though; the idea of ripping up my life, small as it is, and moving it, roots and all to another country. I know my mum did it before me, and Kathryn’s here in this foreign (to her) land. I know Kathryn will look after me, and hold my fear in a bright shiny ball that I can gaze on and see it’s beauty, but it’s still scary.

I’ve spent 30 years in this land of rain, semi-detachment and knowing how it works. Knowing that if I don’t know, I know who to ask. And suddenly I find myself with this idea of being in a land where I won’t know how any of it works. Where I’ll be the foreigner, and where my very Englishness will make me stand out.

What does scare me is I don’t fit in here. I am quirky and strange, and I don’t think people quite know what to do with me. Apart from my friends. I don’t readily fit into a pigoen hole, and I don’t want to end up without the freindships I managed to make here.

Anyway. Thoughts.

In other news: the Ent Mac contained more dust than it should’ve. I spent some time with the Air Duster cleaning it out, it’s now substantially less dusty. It’s open, at the moment, as it’s copying the contents of the drive ‘Baird’ to the new drive ‘Baird’ (can y’guess where the TV/Videos are stored?). I didn’t realise it boots of a PATA drive.

Incidentally, PCWorld: No SATA cables?! WTF? They are a PC shop. *rolls eyes*. Did play with a MacBook though. It was shiny. I think I’d want a matt screen though, which is a bugger. I find it hard to imagine spending the cash on such a thing. But there y’go.

Continuing to enjoy Danielle ate the sandwich and have added the Ting Tings and VV Brown to the list.

So I was booked on an ALS course, it’s one of the things missing from my repertoire. I’m trauma trained, ILS trained and so forth, but I’ve not got Critical Care or ALS. They’re the two things I’d really like to have got on my CV.

I got on the ALS course by dint of the fact that people ahead of me in the queue are doing Critical Care, and thus don’t have time to study for and do the ALS course. Unfortunately, I just lost my place to junior doctors. Now that Hospital at night’s running, the junior doctors have to do it. Which means that all the ‘nurse’ places have been taken by junior doctors.

While I see the point, I can’t help but be frustrated. I was complaining about it, and nervous about doing the ALS course, but now I can’t do it, well, *feh*.

So, I spent much of the week with this vague intention that I’d make a post. It started early in the week when, as one of the nurses trained to take the head during log rolls (having done the trauma course), I put gloves and an apron on and we log-rolled this chap to get him into our CT scanner. Then back again to get him off. Halfway down the corridor he vomited.
(more…)

I don’t know if it’s the nights, or the terrible habit of not drinking any water, or the contact with sick people when I’m exhausted, but I’m sick again. This is ridiculous. I went through a whole year without being sick, more or less, and now every flipping time I do nights I get sick. This time it’s very vague, though. My stomach’s not happy, I’m pyrexial, and just feel a bit under the weather.

I first really noticed it at work; I was just feeling a bit rough and checked my temperature (38.6C / 101.5F) – and having whined a bit downed some paracetamol and ‘brufen.

It quickly came down again, and I didn’t really think about it again until I got home, downing my night-nurse which I reckoned would give me a better day’s sleep and keep my temperature down, but when I got up yesterday I still felt rough and ended up cancelling my night shift (much to my agency’s annoyance).

I hoped I’d feel better today – as proof to myself that I’m ill I slept most of the night despite sleeping all day. But I do, in fact, still feel pretty awful. I gave in at 6am and came and took more paracetamol and ‘brufen, ‘cos I can feel I’ve got a good-going high temperature (without resorting to my thermometer).

I’ve got to do one errand today, but that’s it, apart from probably stopping off to pick up lots more paracetamol and ‘brufen. Hopefully when I’m feeling a bit better I can have some breakfast. The only other thing that needs doing today is studying, and that’s fairly low impact, but I need to be better for my ILS training tomorrow.