Cough, cough, cough...

I've caught a cold.

I hope its not so close to the marathon that it will hamper our last preparations. Hopefully I can get over this and feel well and strong for our race. I am meant to run our last long run tomorrow, a 30k and then begin 3 weeks of tapering. My sore throat is gone but I am left with a lingering cough. A cough that annoys Chris as he tries to sleep. And annoys everyone else including me.
Tomorrow will be OK. I'll just go slow.

I hate being sick. Hate having my plans hampered. Hate the thought I might be passing it on to others. It was bad timing at work as an already stretched roster meant I couldn't follow the golden advice and 'stay at home if you are sick'.

Not that I prescribe to this theory at all but coincidentally I volunteered at parkrun in the rain and helped Hayley move house in the rain and played tennis in the thickest fog and then got sick.

Pini brothers at work...good job boys

this funny little structure is a novelty 

soggy parkrun but still 38 turned up to run

Hayley is settled in her new digs in Moonee Ponds  and I was impressed to find not only the concrete structure that possibly was some sort of cellar or drying room but also a Feijoa tree and an enormous avocado tree full of fruit. I'd already come home with a big bag of lemons and chillis from the old house.

Finally my booked leave time has arrived and now for the next 6 weeks I can concentrate on the things I want to do.

2 Funerals...

2 farewells this week for patients we had grown quite attached to after years of care.

2 good tributes which gave a nice reflection of their lives, not just their illnesses. We were able to share with the gathered family and friends and acknowledge our own feelings of sadness. There were nice touches of a horse drawn hearse for the old bushman and a personalised rego plate on the casket for the car mad younger man.

Unfortunately, but is the nature of this nursing, I foresee some more sadness ahead.

Holidays are over...

Back to work this week and the 3 days have been busy. Busy catching up, busy clinically and then a forum to attend in the city on Friday.

I should have known that there would be as many 'what did you do? did you go away?' questions on my return as there were prior.

I felt like a had a long break, it didn't feel rushed and it was as productive as I wanted it to be. Sometimes I feel like making up a lie about an exotic adventure to satisfy those who are aren't satisfied with a 'nothing much' answer. I have added in a 'training for and recovering from the half marathon' answer for some who just cannot comprehend what seems to be a wasted time.

Someone at the forum said if your employer doesn't replace you while you are away then you shouldn't have to catch up on what didn't get done. If it needed to be done someone should have done it. Doesn't really work that way for me and rather than not receiving the 300 emails, it took me 3 hours to wade through and prioritise them. It will take me a couple of weeks to get back to where I was before. The forum didn't help either just gave me lots of ideas for new projects to start on...

Please don't ask...

"What are you doing on your holiday?'

I have started four weeks long service leave. I had a big chunk to dip into, a whole 23 weeks. So I have indulged myself and taken some off to do...not much. I have been asked continually what I am doing during my break, 4 weeks is quite a long time to take and my answer seemed inadequate, non deserving of the allocated time.

I don't have any trips planned. As much as I would love to see Hayley in the UK, we don't have the dosh to spend on a holiday like that. It's an expensive, long journey and I would want to see parts of Europe and the UK and she is tethered to Ipswich during the week with her full time job. If I were to go on my own to see her, the logistics of leaving family/Erin in school etc would be horrendous. I will see Hayley soon enough and she keeps me up to date with her adventures.

I don't have any big renovation or spring cleaning plans either. I might get some gardening done or clean out the linen cupboard or pantry but I might not either. My only real goal is to be prepared for the Marathon next Sunday.

I might take more photos, I might blog more often, I might do some scrapping. I might do a bit of baking for my family, I might catch up with friends. I'm not making any ambitious plans. Previously I would have put all manner of goals and achievements on myself. Not this time.

This time is going to be a breather, a regrouping time just for me. I was reading an article about a stay at home Moms perspective once all the kids are at school and how she is constantly asked what she does with her time during school hours. I liked this passage...

What kind of value do we place on a day with nothing planned? On a day not filled with lists of accomplishments, but with peace and quiet: a long walk to a coffee shop to enjoy a book, a phone conversation with a family member whom we've lost touch. Will we tell those stories, or leave them out? There is value in both the busy days and the slow, reflective ones. There is value in finding time for oneself.

This is what comes up if you Google 'relaxing'

So that is what I am doing on my leave, a little bit of this or that, maybe nothing, maybe a lot. I will go back to work knowing I have had this time for myself.

Meerkats at the hospital...

I attended a Forum at the new Royal Children's Hospital and got to have a poke around the new 1 billion dollar facility.

It is light and airy and child friendly. It has lots of play areas for the patients and green retreat areas for the staff and families. The forum was excellent and I learned something new about blood.

I also learned about meerkats. There is an enclosure of meerkats inside the hospital and they are very cute and distracting. They are maintained by Zoo staff and we were told that they stand to attention when the helicopters land with sick children aboard. Much like Radar on MASH, they can sense the helicopter before anyone can hear them.

A lot has changed since I worked there but it is still very patient focused and a leader in paediatric care. I still have great memories of my time and my 11 years there really shaped the nurse I am today.

The pain of not running...

Last week at Cardio Tennis I felt a sharp pain in my calf as I ran across the court. I felt it as a 'ping' and it stopped me in my tracks. I hobbled off and sadly made my way home to get some ice. An Ultrasound revealed a grade 1 tear to the unpronounceable gastrocnemius muscle.

Now it seems that when you have one of these injuries everyone you talk to has had experience with it. And everyone has their opinion on treatment and length of abstinence from activity. Of course I did the R.I.C.E. treatment and avoided H.A.R.M.(heat, alcohol, running, massage) and consulted Dr Google (sports medicine). Each day has been better and after one week of walking only I am looking to get back into my activities. I keep looking for the shortest answer when I am searching the length of time to rest.
Its similar to the drug clearance chart I see at work. This chart shows the different times it takes for a clean urine after drug use. For example for marijuana it says 1-7 days but to assume it is the longer time not the shorter one, there are lots of factors which influence the clearance - weight, frequency of use, dose etc. That is the advantage of sharing an office with the Drug & Alcohol Counsellor on a Monday ... I know things.

On Saturday for the Debut I was determined for the injury not to hamper my night out. Luckily wearing heels was less painful than having my foot flat on the floor. My dance moves were not discernibly different.

When I read or hear 1-3 or 4 or 6 weeks of rest I assume one. I want it to be one. Having to miss runs or training or getting someone to replace me is as painful as my calf.

Today was the first pain free day with walking so I am even keener to try it out with a run but  Google Physio says I should be able to hop pain free before going back to running . Tomorrow I am going to try hopping and if that is good I am going to stretch stretch stretch and try a run.

The school holidays coming up is a forced break from tennis and Pilates and if I wasn't so impatient I would hold off running til Term 2 as well but if I start back too soon I will just have pain and the doomsayers will be proved correct in their prediction of a longer recovery. I am trying to be good and to do the right thing but it's hard.

Wish me luck (& patience)

Poor old neglected blog...

too busy doing life stuff to write on the blog about it.

I have been running. Running a lot more and really enjoying it. We ran at the Zoo on a hot evening back on Feb 5th and I struggled with the hilly course but today we ran along the Barwon River in Geelong in much nicer conditions and I loved it. Not as hilly as the Zoo but longer by 2km. The difference between running in the morning and evening is astounding. I used to think I ran better in the afternoon than in the morning but  that changes from run to run. The running group on Saturday mornings always includes hill work and I can see the benefit now. Every time I run up a hill (there is some quite steep ones around here) I curse them as I struggle to breathe. We will need to keep at the hills if we are to do the Run 4 the Kids again this year. That bridge is not the only challenge in that race.
Thursday night tennis has started up again and cardio tennis on Fridays. We even squeezed in a fundraiser tournament on a lovely Sunday afternoon. I'm enjoying the tennis but my game isn't reflected in that enjoyment.
Pilates is back on again also on a Wednesday night too, the family look at me in my workout gear and say 'where are you off to now?' Tuesdays are the only rest/non exercising days.

The other event that is occupying our thoughts is Erin's debutante ball which is only 4 weeks away now. Shoes, gloves, hair, makeup, jewellery are sorted, the dress is under way and on track. Tickets, suits and other outfits are organised. The only thing we can't tick off is the limo as we are waiting for everyone else to get their act together. At this rate Erin might be going in her Dad's limo!

We went to a 40th the other night and had a lovely time

pic from facebook, thanks Mel

I was surprised and delighted to see my lovely friend Sheryl had flown down from Cairns to join in the celebrations. We tried to convince her and her husband to come back 'home' to us but they won't be in it.

Study day...

It was a loooong day.

Quite boring and I wasn't really learning anything, and I think I turned into that annoying person in the audience that keeps challenging what you say. Sorry. BUT don't try to teach me how to suck eggs. Teach me what I want to know. At one point I was flicking ahead in the workbook provided to see if the content would ever be relevant to me and I had tuned out. I tuned back in when one of the other participants asked if we would be covering any relevant material. It was then that the presenter actually focused on what our needs were and the conversation turned to an interaction that was helpful. Pity it was late in the day and we will be covering more on that tomorrow when I should be playing tennis.

I'll try not to be bitter about that and pay attention.

October 8...

October 8 already?!

After a dreary day of governance, quality improvement programs with very little clinical time I was cheered by this glowing plant on my arrival home

 I couldn't resist getting my camera and quickly snapping some pics while they still had their faces pointing towards the setting sun.

 It had been a nice day and tomorrows forecast is for 27 degrees.

Tennis last night worked out well in the end, we fielded a team, played 4 sets on a beautiful night and had an unexpected win (lost overall).

Callum has been building this guitar. He has stripped the body, stained and sandpapered it and added new 'pickups' among other hardware. Each day another small packet would arrive in the mail - special screws etc until tonight he was able to actually play it. He has done a great job, its really beautiful.

I just hope the neighbours appreciate the time and effort.

A mixed up week...

What a week it has been. Now that I am on holidays I can reflect on that hectic time.

Monday started with Erin and her friend going in to the Melbourne Show on the train while I was at work. I was thinking about her all day, how she was navigating train timetables, platform changes and vomit inducing rides. She did well.
Meanwhile I was at work trying to navigate my own way through National Standards introduction, Risk Registers and Quality improvement strategies. Not my favourite things but these will consume my non clinical time until 2015. After that I will need more than a Bex and a good lie down.
Thankfully there was no tennis on Monday night because I had to go back to the hospital for a doctors meeting. To tell them about the National Standards. How did I get into this?!?

Tuesday was another busy, but good, clinical day. No school run in the mornings means a leisurely arrival.

Wednesday I had another intense day of the National Standards steep learning curve at a National Symposium in the city. I had to choose whether to battle the traffic or battle the train travel. I chose the latter. And I always regret it at the end of the day. And I got back too late to go for our usual training run. I probably needed it more that day than any other lately as my head was overflowing with information. At least the food was good and I came home with a notebook full of prompts, suggestions and ideas.

Thursday I tried to tidy up loose ends during our busy day so I could have a week off. No tennis or guitar during the holidays also means a leisurely departure from the building.

Friday Erin and I had a little drive in the country to Romsey to check out their gift shops and cafes. Not a lot to see but we had a nice day. A training run in the afternoon topped off the day.

Last weekend was the local Relay for Life and luckily it wasn't this weekend, the rain and wind would have made them miserable. I had a good catch up with a friend who told me about the banjo ukulele. I want to learn how to play the banjo so maybe that is an option?

Today we went back to the jeans shop and this time I got jeans. Finally some that fit well so I don't need a belt! On the way back I was spoken to by a motor cycle copper. As I was following a tram down the narrow Sydney Rd I wasn't in the lane properly, he told me 'there are 2 lanes, pick one'. I'm sure he meant it in the nicest possible way!

And as I look out my window into the burgeoning grape vine, I know it is Spring. I can see pigeons procreating.

A good day...

When I buzzed into work this morning I bee lined for the positive affirmation headquarters. To my relief & amazement the red Nano stick was there in the computer. Oh happy days. It set the tone for the rest of the day... lots of things fell into place, the presentation went well, the sun shone, I walked in said sunshine to get some lunch & got a call for tennis tonight.

My plans for tomorrow aren't going to go exactly as I planned but I think we will have a good day. After tennis I am taking Erin for her Learners Permit test on her day off. It would have been a day off for the school bus driver also but he got a charter to keep him occupied.

And if the sun keeps shining we will all be happy.

Work, work, work...

The days all seem to run into one another.

It's cold.

It's raining.

I go to work.

Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Even the weeks seem the same...Work, tennis, work, run, work, run, work tennis, tennis, no work.
Oh yeah I have Friday off!

If this gizmo worked like it promised it would make work a little easier.









Tomorrow I have to give a presentation. A presentation I have given before, that is loaded on my red Nano USB stick. Problem is I cant find it. I've looked in all the usual places & I still haven't located it. I have till 11am to find it or reproduce the presentation. I'm hoping that I can find a copy in a sent email, that should work shouldn't it???? I remember sending a copy of the Powerpoint to someone who had missed the talk about a month ago. I even checked the presentation after being booked for tomorrows session to make sure it didn't need tweaking. Maybe the drive is still in the 'positive affirmation office'. I'll go down & see the counsellor/decorator to see if my Karma is in good standing.

Or don't bother me between 830 & 11.

Chilly Friday...

I spent the day in chilly Ballarat, where the temperature sat around 7 degrees all day. It was also windy & rainy. I spent the day learning about breasts & breast cancer. It was very informative but also the 5th day in this week of work. Fish & chips for dinner was the easiest option.
We usually phone in our order & pick it up 20 mins later. There are 3 fish & chip shops in town & we like this one the best. We don't have fish & chips very often but the little man who doles out the orders always lights up & says 'ah Meetchellll!' when I walk in. As if I order there a lot. We get this take away about once a month and you would think I was more regular than that. Its a nice touch if you don't get too sensitive about it. My new friend Kerry from tennis is the burger queen down there and I always joke to Chris that Kerry has cooked his dinner for him. She didn't even turn around tonight, they were rushed off their feet. The usual 20 min return took about 45 tonight. Seems everyone had a busy week.

Hayley has been much better posting her photos now she has a Tumbler blog

her comment on this pic was
Every Thursday, loads of market stalls line the streets in Vila-Seca. I bought a head band and some peach heart lollies. Look ma! Scarves!!!

She knows me well

This is just a taste, you can see more for yourself. Unlike other blogs you can't really comment on the photos but as she told me 'you don't have to comment on every photo'.

Hayley had posted this on Facebook in response to my birthday post for her, it had me in tears.

25 years ago you became my mumma, and I couldn't have asked for a better role model growing up. You've always been supportive, caring & patient with me and I can't thank you enough. Thank you for being the best mummy, and for helping me become the coolest person haha. Thanks dad toooooo. It's still my birthday here, and I'm allowed to be somewhat sappy! I love you both xo 

Hayley, queen of the selfie

nice photobombing Cal

Cake...

I would really liked to have made Hayley a cake for her birthday.

If she had been at home and I had enough time I would have like to try this one.

from here http://thecakeblog.com/

Pretty eh?

and some more words of wisdom from Pinterest

Whenever I read these positive affirmations, and there are loads and loads of them out there, I always think of the Drug & Alcohol Counselors office at work. I sit in that office to do my work once each fortnight and wish I had a permanent base to my admin work from. The powers that be have found me this space, and yes I can work down there, nobody knows how to find me and I get the odd call relating to the main use of the office. But that's not where I'm going with this, I'm thinking of that office because the wall you face when you sit at the computer is COVERED in positive affirmations, quotes from Masai warriors, poets, authors, Buddhists & Yogi. The Dalai Lama and an indigenous American (used to be called Indians) also have posters & quotes. Dr Phil, Oprah & US Presidents get a gig.It is quite overwhelming & I wonder if it has the desired effect on those needing counselling.

I was reminded today that 30 years ago on this day that a huge dust storm rolled over Melbourne on a 43 degree day.

I remember sitting up in a classroom on the third floor of the Alfred Hospital School of Nursing as a brand new nursing student, watching in horror & amazement as the dark cloud darkened the sky.

 

 

 

It was both amazing and frightening at the same time.

A week later the state was ravaged by the Ash Wednesday fires.

This reminder sparked the 'where were you when the dust storm hit' conversation. Chris remembers that he was working at RSA in Sth Melbourne on that afternoon.

Where were you? Do you remember that day?

So there it is, another anniversary. 30 years since I was one of these students embarking on a career in nursing. I wonder how many of group 1/83B are still nursing. I only know of 2 others from this snap for sure.

We certainly don't dress like this any more and all of us don't look like this either.

Fabulous...

Erin was so keen to get the Christmas tree up yesterday she did most of the work herself. We have gone again with the blue/silver theme and it looks really pretty. Of course Mum had to pack away the empty boxes and finish the bits that were boring but that is usually the way. Our white bud lights have been twinking already and Chris in his bah-humbug way keeps saying they are going to give him an epileptic fit. I will have to get him up the ladder today to check/install/replace the house lights outside so the neighbours can tell we have the Christmas spirit.

As Christmas Day celebrations have made their way back around to us this year I have a list of other jobs to complete before the family get here. The major one being the pergola roof. I am happy to say it will be able to be ticked off once the remainder of the flashing is done. During the storm yesterday we stood under the colourbond sheets and checked for leaks. There is a couple of areas to address but we will be dry and shaded from here on in.

While I was searching for the decoration boxes in the garage I found a Meritorious Service Award for Significant Achievement that I received in 2000 when I set up the Pre Admission Clinic for the Health Service. I'd forgotten about that one but I could look pretty impressive if I had an office to display them in!

The pool room is looking fuller by the day.

Train(ing)...

I had to go into the city for a training forum today so I decided to go on the train. As usual it was torturous with delays, cancellations and unreliable signals. We spent some frustrating time in a dark tunnel going nowhere. I don't know how people do that trip on a daily basis.  I was late, which I hate, and missed my morning coffee, which added to my grumpy state.
The only good thing about the extended time spent on the train was that I read a book lent to me by my niece. The Giver by Lois Lowry is aimed at an adolescent audience but was a really good read and I can see it being used as a text prompting much discussion.

Next time I'm going to drive myself and even if the traffic is frustrating I won't have to put up with smelly people squashing me, I'll have a seat and I can vent with the radio turned up loud. I might not get any reading done but I hope to be home quicker and less grumpy.

Acknowledgement...

Today was the hospital AGM at which I was to be presented an award.

This recognition was a Meritorious Service Award for Outstanding Achievement. I was honoured to receive this acknowledgement of the work I do in the role of Transfusion Nurse. I still think that most people have no clue as to what that involves but someone has noticed the work I do and the benefit it has for the Health Service.

Yay me!

Even more weary...

I was right to anticipate feeling weary today. I can hardly keep my eyes open after about 2 hours of sleep overnight.

This is just part of our large hospital team. We had a great sunshiney day for the start and a still evening for the candlelight ceremony. Many laughs were had, lots of laps walked and again our team reached the $5000 mark for fundraising.

Erin and I squeezed into the swag to try to get some shuteye but it was really cold and the wind got up and blew some of the tents up and over the oval fence. We were glad to get home this morning, back to our comforts.

And this afternoon after a rest and reviving shower we loaded up Hayleys double bed on the trailer and she has officially moved out. I will really miss her but she is ready for the move and should have some fun in this dose of maturity.

I am now going to bed and look forward to a lovely sleep in to boot.

My busy week...

has not let up.

After working for the past 3 days I was asked to play tennis on Thursday night. I filled in for the mixed doubles and had 2 really good games. It wasn't as intimidating as I had thought, the men were very welcoming and didn't seem to let me off by underplaying but didn't smash me either. We all had our fair share of unforced errors and perfectly placed shots. Chris is not that happy about me disappearing at dinnertime these days but my fitness has definitely improved.

Yesterday, on the day I normally have off, I travelled onto the city for a full day seminar. It was really interesting and took my full attention. I hardly missed the running, tennis and scrapping I normally do on Fridays until I was travelling home on the train.

Uuuuggghhhh!  I HATE THE TRAIN!

Not only was it running late it was packed with likewise 'over it' travellers. I understand it was the end of the day and the end of the week but I dont want to be crammed in with lots of smelly impatient people. But I finally got home and then had to zoom out to a Trivia Night.

We had fun on the night and our competitive streak came out and we did very well. With 3 generations having input, and clever use of our wild card, table number 4 nearly had it in the bag but were pipped at the post by half a point! I also picked up a bottle of champagne and a family pass to the Royal Show in door prizes. A late night but lots of fun and a test of our knowledge. I think I even learned a useless thing or two.

Today was a day to regroup and I'm back at work tomorrow for a study day. There is a loud party going on across the street and if I don't get much sleep tonight I'll be struggling tomorrow to stay awake, especially if they dim the lights during some of the boring presentations. There is only so many times you can watch the same video on the 'No Lift' principles but if any one falls asleep during my blood presentation I'll be miffed.