Whatever That Is

Monday

It's Monday. Cyber Monday to be exact. Whatever that is.

It's funny, but a decade or so ago, Black Friday did not exist. It was just the day after Thanksgiving. Then it became the day after Thanksgiving when people were beating each other to get Cabbage Patch dolls and ten percent off big screen TVs. And now? Black Friday is a recognized holiday. I got paid time and a half to work on both Thanksgiving and Black Friday. In a few more years, I'll be getting time and half to work on Cyber Monday. Whatever that is.

So I did work on Thanksgiving, as I said. I slept all day while Dave went and had lunch with his mother. My Thanksgiving dinner consisted of two microwaved fake fried fish patties made into a sandwich on a whole wheat bun. It was fine.

It had snowed the night before and there was still plenty of snow on the ground when Dave drove me to work that evening. The paths from building to building were clear, luckily, and it rained overnight. For hours, it rained. And the snow started to disappear. Now, of course, it is mostly gone, but some still persists in the shaded areas.

It was a quiet night and after all the kids were in bed and I had finished my duties, I had time to talk to the other nurses and the techs that I work with.

Friday, I actually went out and did some shopping. At the quilt shop, of course. I'll show that when it is ready. They have my money; I don't yet have the goods (except for 3 yards of fabric that I bought to make a Christmas present). I was exhausted from only sleeping a handful of hours after work, but after shopping, I asked Dave if he wanted to go try a new (to us) Korean fusion place near the university. He did, so we did. We shared some Korean-ish tacos (who can resist) and a vegetarian bibimbap. Dave also had banchan of various types of kim chee with fried rice. It was very tasty.

Then I came home and went to bed.

I worked again on Saturday and I was under the gun the whole night. I started out behind and then each patient needed something extra (this is fine; this is why I'm there). I had to contact the on-call provider seven times (he sent me an iCare, which are online recognition points, thanking me for being diligent about patient care). Then, when things seemed like they were about to calm down, I had a admission that put me even further behind. I didn't finish up the charting (that I usually have done by midnight) until after four a.m. Then it was a mad rush to get everything else done. My dinner was a one and a half protein bars and a handful of Triscuits. I washed it down with my long dead, cold Starbucks coffee.

I had caffeine too late in the night--my last sip of cold coffee was at 5:43--so when I got home, I couldn't sleep. I took half a Benadryl and managed about three hours before getting up. I hate that awful feeling of not getting enough sleep that gets layered over the awful feeling of not being able to get to sleep. I'm becoming too familiar with that feeling these days.

Dave and I went out to a late lunch, to the Middle Eastern place we like so much. They had changed the soap they use on their dishes to something really flowery. Everything tasted of it to me. It didn't bother Dave, but I'm ridiculously sensitive to such things so it put me off. I ate the highly spiced chicken taouk and tabouli, but passed on the more subtle hummus (which I normally love) because it tasted like dish soap.

We came home via the pet store (I think, if I'm remembering correctly; sleeplessness). I stayed in the car while Dave ran in and bought treats for Gray Kitty.

We came home and I went back to bed.