just one week

Sitting tucked up on the sofa tea cup in hand, laptop on knee and the x factor on the tv. Rockin' saturday nights I'm telling you. But it's my weekend off, it's my time and I love it.

The week started off badly. Well, to be honest the monday after a weekend on is always going to be rubbish. I'm knackered, my feet are knackered and well, as Mr S said I'm" just cream crackered dear." I mixed up2 warfarin prescriptions at 5 to 6 in the evening, I was chasing after blood chits at 6.25 and I got away at 6.31pm. I ran down the road, realised I had nothing to feed my dinner guest. I dived into the coop and at 6.50pm I had an assemblence of tea rammed into my mary poppins bag. At 7.02pm I carrerred into my street to discover dear friend abanndonned outside my front door. Apologies to all. Only to discover I'd come home attached to my bloomin bleep. Get me away from that thing. So the kettle's on and I'm on the phone to switchboard frantically transferring bleeps as it's the overnight one too And I breathe. I breathe again pour a couple of glasses of wine and relax. Now I understand alcoholics. Then a good gossip, a just about passable meal and more good gossip, things are looking up. Even tuesday was looking almost possible. I even avoided sending my cv in reply to the local chippers advert for a part time counter assistant. Perhaps life in hospital for me could go on.

aliens and chinese visa shennanigans

A few weeks back I booked up flights to Shanghai and in my excitement (and then a stretch of work, where in nothingelse gets a look in for 4 weeks) I bypassed the thought of visas. In my infinite wisdom, I thought passports in date=sorted. Until my father dropped visas into conversation yesterday. WHAT VISA? I might have screamed down the phone.....I NEED A VISA? Yes that's a question...no Dad I don't know if you do need one or not...oh, so you're sure I need a visa...but I go in 5 days...where do I get a visa from in 5 DAYS people??

And so I remained calm (I wish) and frantically googled "visas for china emergency" and other such things till I got this emergency number for the embassy in London. A totally cool, calm and collected lady answered, listened to my spiel in blind panic and then assured me there's a consulate in Edinburgh who can issue visas in a couple of days.....WOW, thank the lord. Profuse thanks followed. Then I discover it's blooming Chinese national holidays till today (how rude).

So that's how I landed up on the train down to Edinburgh at 6am this morning. And how I saw the most beautiful sun rise along the coast. And got to the Chinese Consulate just before 9am. Phew. Five minutes later I'd handed it in and was out on the street again wtha ticket to collect it tomorrow. Here's hoping all is sorted and they don't decide I've got some unkown criminal record/infectious disease/goverment spy personna and give the passport back with the visa tucked inside tomorrow as per the deal.

Who knew this travelling lark was quite so stressful.

Just to add a little excitement for me, E bookers phoned and told me that there was a significant change to my flight details and could I call then immediately. Give it up people, I mean come on, I just want to go on holiday for a couple of weeks, not a blooming space mission to Mars. As it turns out it's just a few hours different from before but they sure know how to get you tachycardic in seconds.

But I guess, at least I have the chance, the freedom to travel. I'm not having to put everything on the line to cross borders in order to avoid conflict, ethnic cleansing, famine......I guess I take my passport and my rights for granted. That's a lot more than some people may ever get.

And tomorrow, I'll find out if the Chinese want me in their country or not. I am, after all according to their embassy site an "alien" entering- see their "law of the control of entry and exit of aliens". I hear they welcome foreingers with open arms.

just a rubbish day

Today was one of those days where it felt like I was always chasing my tail. Everything I touched seemed to break and everything took an age to do. I blame this all on the fact that I never had my essential morning cuppa. Well, I'd like to but I guess some days will always be crappy. It got to 9pm and I was still behind. Blood results to chase, phlebotomy forms to print, a couple of patients to see.

But in amongst all the rubbish, I thought I'd make the effort to think about the better parts. Mr D's family profuse thanks for his care, talking to Mrs M about her husband's palliative care, laughing with Mr J over the silly ECG machine printing out strange patterns, getting an arterial blood gas on a very scared patient, stubborn Mr W laughing with me for once.

And usually it's these tiniest moments throughout the day which keep me going. Otherwise it wouldn't be worth it. Here's to a better start to tomorrow....

sunny days

I love the sun and today was sunny, even warm enough to just wear a t-shirt outside. Exciting stuff for this part of the world in September. And even better I am off and can be outside enjoying this weather. So I had a good run this morning before having lunch with one of the other girls who work in the hospital. We had a good gossip about, well, you guessed it the hospital. Getting out gripes is most definitely therapeutic. Then it was time for shopping! As usual I found plenty of things I don't need and failed miserably on the perfect-black-trouser hunt which is, by the way, is getting a bit desperate. As it stands I have 2 pairs. One passable baggy, the other jogging bottom-esque baggy. Comfy but not really workie clothes. Darn it. Ideally I'd be well up for scrubs. Equalling much less hassle each morning as I ponder the dimishing clean clothes pile and try to avert gaze from the ever growing laundry heap. One can wish. Till then it's pink tops and dodgy black trousers. Someone has to keep up the femine side on the ward I tell ya.