Big Brother is watching...

Well, El Jeffe has finally managed to demonstrate her superiority by tracking my every move. She asked me to go out to the store to fetch some French bread to go with the spaghetti bolognese we were having.

So I went to the store near our house and found the bread. I waited in the queue to pay (getting angstier as I waited - I hate queueing for anything) and just as I reached the checkout the store's telephone rang. I waited some more, as the checkout person chatted on the phone, writing little things down, smiling and doing the 'wait a moment' thing by raising her index finger at me (and doesn't that just make you want to drown someone). Then she put the phone down, looked me straight in the eye, and said "You need to get some garlic as well."

Here's the thing: how did she know it was me? I mean, she didn't ask who I was, my name, or anything. She just knew. Apparently, my wife had told her what to look for. 'Short, holding some French bread' was the description I got, although it probably included 'bald, talks kinda funny' too. Whatever. The point is, El Jeffe tracked me down to the store herself, then used one of her undead minions to identify me and pass the message on.

Anyway, now we have cellphones. Or rather El Jeffe has a cellphone. I have a homing device that I can also use to make telephone calls with. Maybe she should have just fitted me with OnStar. Or LoJack.

Thought for the day - just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not watching you. Night, all.

All work & no play...

Well, it's been a busy week (hence no post since last Saturday) and I've had enough of X-ray for a bit. Which is unfortunate, because I'm going in from 3 to 11 today. I'm going in from 8.30am to 11pm tomorrow, too. Oh, when will it ever end? Well actually it will end in August, because I'll be done with school and the Registry exam on July 26th (see earlier post regarding Registry) and it'll be time to kick back & relax a little. I'm planning to visit Mum in Britain as she is leaving hospital for the first time in eight long months. I'm planning to go to Nag's Head with my delightful wife too, if we have time. Then it will be back to work. Only this time, I'll have a full-time job which actually involves a REDUCTION in my hours spent at that hospital - no clinical training, you see. No nights, no call, no working for nothing for 7 hours in the day, then going to work in the evening or night-time work. No bowel studies (flouro-filming barium being poured down throats and/or up butts) or voiding cysto studies (flouro-filming people peeing onto my X-ray table) hopefully, either - I'll be doing orthopedics Mon, Wed & Fri, and Emergency/Trauma cover every other weekend. A pay rise. Benefits. Sick pay. Holiday pay. 401K available. Healthcare. Oh, joy. Oh, bliss. Did I mention the pay rise? El Jeffe will be so pleased, what with her birthday coming up and all...

Thought for the day - take time to make time. Night, all

The road to recovery

Well, my mother is finally going to get to go home from hospital. It's been eight months since she went in and we're all glad it's over. What started out as backache turned out to be a meningeal cyst, needing surgery and some top-notch antibiotics to clear. Meanwhile, pneumonia, MRSA and a lingering kidney infection set in. Now Mum is pretty debilitated from lying around for so long and has to build up some strength. But she's a tough old bird and with luck she'll recover to a point where she can do most, if not all, of the things she used to do. I'm just glad that she has recovered this far-when she first became ill there was doubt that she would survive. I'll be going to Britain to visit in August or September.

Thought for the day - tomorrow never comes. Night, all.

Cruising along

Well, my wife & I had a bit of a tiff. We both need a vacation (see profile) and she has been very keen on going on a cruise to Europe, probably down the Rhine or the Danube. I'm not too keen on the idea, and I think we ought to try a cruise somewhere here in the US before we go all the way to Europe. What if I don't like it?

I must admit that I do have a rather jaundiced view of cruise vacations, which is odd, really, seeing as I've never been on one. I just keep getting these images of that Caribbean Cruise advert with the old people watching a stage show, eating in the ship restaurant and shopping for jewellery and aftershave for ten days. But she is adamant that we're going on one, and to be fair, she wants to go on one where you get off the boat and do stuff every day.

So it appears that El Jeffe has won and we're going to book one up for later this year, or possibly next Spring. She wants to go to Europe, although I quite fancy whalewatching and visiting the frozen wastes of Alaska. Or Southern Chile & Antarctica. Or maybe somewhere really remote, like the Galapagos Islands in the footsteps of Darwin, or Easter Island (now there's a thought. I've always wanted to see those giant stone heads.) And you never know, I might just get a taste for it.

Thought for the day - beatings will continue until morale improves. Night, all.