I've been having trouble falling asleep the past couple of nights...I suppose it doesn't help that I got the TV series Bones and NUMB3RS on DVD for Christmas, and the episodes can be gruesome. I find that my patients run through my head a lot as I toss and turn. Funny how, even with six patients, which I consider to be a light caseload, there never seems to be enough time to do everything I want to do for my patients, to do everything they deserve. I guess part of that problem is that OTs in this country are at least half social workers as well. Today in particular I spent probably 3/4 of my day on the phone with various patient issues. During our multi-disciplinary meeting, we were interrupted 5 times, all calls for me with regard to one or another of my patients. The rehab assistant was all apologetic for taking me out of the meeting, but these weren't issues she could just take a message about.
Anywho, I've been craving a latte this week. I think I must be growing up, I had two coffees during the holiday week. An eggnog latte when I met up with Rob and Nicole at Heathrow on the 23rd, since we were all flying out the same day. And a peppermint mocha latte whilst I was home. I'm sure at least a few of you are groaning, thinking to yourself, ha! that's not coffee, the same way I get protestations when I call california or avocado rolls, sushi. But hey, for a girl who has shunned coffee all her life, this is a big thing. I'm using my hours off from the relative group I ran in the beginning of December to take off from work early on Friday, and do a bit of January sales shopping. Maybe I'll treat myself to a latte then. :)
I was also remembering my trip to Macys at 7am on Christmas Eve, whilst lying in bed last night or the night before. Nature called, so I turned to the sales lady and asked where the nearest toilet would be...she stared at me, and finally said, "Ah....you mean the bathroom?" Which made it my turn to stare at her. Finally, I burst out laughing and said," Yes, I mean the bathroom, I'm sorry I forgot I'm back in the States. That was rude, I'm very sorry." At which point she started laughing, and pointed a finger in the direction I needed to go. My mom was also in hysterics, having lived in England herself for 4 years, and made some crack along the lines of "What country do you think you're in, lady?" An observation: I think the English are rather European, which explains a lot of phrases that they use, and it's common across Europe to ask for the toilet, or perhaps WC, a bathroom being more that place where you take a bath or shower. But generally speaking, I do think I've absorbed more of the British culture, it has become more second nature, than it was when I first arrived.
I've been out tonight for a leaving do for the speech therapist on our unit. She's moving on to a research position elsewhere, and a lot of people, not just from the stroke unit, went for drinks and a meal at the local pub. I am a big fan of the pub life, as I've said before, it's an addictive piece of British culture that makes you feel cozy, intimate, generally warm and fuzzy all over. City pubs can't compare to country pubs for the most part, but pubs are homey places, and I love whiling away the time with friends, down the pub. It was also a great time to keep building the buzz for my bday plans. Paris is not happening, that's a definite, we couldn't get a big enough group together and I think you need that energy for a night where you are out partying until 9 or 10 in the morning. Also, many people are currently experiencing money problems-- you see, we get paid early in December because of Xmas-- specifically we were paid on 20 Dec. And we don't get paid again until 31 Jan. So many people have already spent most or all of that money they got in December, and cannot afford Paris this month...so we've agreed we will do the Eurostar party fare and cabaret night a different month, probably this summer actually. But Plan B ain't too shabby either-- we're going to Ministry of Sound, baby!! Huge nightclub in London, known worldwide for the famous DJs who play there, they put out compilation CDs every year, mostly house music. I knew I'd have to go at least once, and this is the perfect excuse. It's not an expensive entrance fee either, so we'll have dinner and drinks first, haven't decided where yet, and then we'll dance our hearts out from midnight to 7am. And this plan is drawing a big crowd of people to join me, both because it's reasonable on their wallets, and you mention Ministry of Sound and people are hooked. So I'll do something more low key for my actual birthday on the Friday, and ramp it up big time for a massive Saturday night out on the town!
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Thursday, January 04, 2007
And, she's back
I went to the GP yesterday. What a mess that was. They only had one doctor, or so they said-- it looked like two when I got there-- so I couldn't actually make an appt, but had to call the morning I wanted to go in, and they would give me a time. I missed a half day of work due to that little system, argh. Anyway, I didn't want to see the doctor they offered, I've had him before, but that's what they offered. So I walked in, sat down, and the first thing I said to him was, "I'm here because I've had a cold since October 22" and proceeded to describe my symptoms and what I've done for my cold. He listed to my chest, found it to be clear, and began to tell me I should keep using expectorant cough syrups to get rid of the phlegm and paracetemol for headaches. I was at a loss for words, I just stared at him...so he said, well, look, you've only had this for a couple of weeks, right? And I said, "NO, since October 22! I would never normally come in for just a cold!" His eyes widened a bit, and in a quiet voice, he said "Oh, ok then, we'll try some antibiotics." I just love doctors who don't listen to a word that comes out of your mouth. By tomorrow, I should know whether they're making a difference or not, although I think already that perhaps they are. Touch wood.
A summary of my holiday week at home: I was on the wrong time zone all week. I woke up at 4am the first day, and got better by about a half hour each morning, so by the time I left, I was "sleeping in" until about 7am. I had my best night of sleep on January 1, which was my first night back in London...hey Midge, does that mean that GMT is actually the time zone my body wants to be in? (I remember you saying the US felt like the right time zone to you.) I did quite a bit of shopping, taking advantage of the excellent exchange rate (well, for those of us who live in the UK anyway), and my mom's generosity. On Christmas Eve, we were in Macy's by 7am, since I'd been up at 4am and was bored by the time Mom got up around 6am. I went with Tress to her hand doctor appt- we both decided the guy was an idiot, given that he didn't do any testing of strength, function, or sensation, didn't ask for a history of the problem, didn't look at her splints, and discussed one potential diagnosis with us, but wrote down something completely different as diagnosis on her prescription for therapy. Oh, and I especially loved the part where he told her to go get some blood tests done to see if it was arthritis or fibromyalgia! Thankfully, Tressa didn't really know what that was, but it scared the hell out of me the way he just tossed the term out casually, and without explaining it to her. Fibromyalgia is widespread pain affecting muscles, ligaments and tendons all over the body, is quite severe, and lasts for years. Nope, no thanks. Anywho, I had the name of another hand surgeon recommended by an OT I'd met through housemate Nicole, and we got her an appointment with that doctor for two days later. He seemed to be competent, and told her he thinks she has tennis elbow in both arms, suspects she has muscle tears at both elbows, and that the pain in her wrists and hands is referred from the elbows. No one seems to know exactly why the pain travels along her forearms as well, the radial nerve tunnel on both arms- she underwent a rather painful nerve conduction test at his office yesterday to make sure there's no nerve damage. And he told her no physio- just relax and try not to do things that aggrevate her arms (to the extent that is possible).
We spent Christmas Day with the Florys, Jenn and I continuing our tradition of cooking a gourmet feast for our families, although a toned down version since no one wants to work hard on Christmas Day. Standing rib roast, shrimp fra diavolo, twice-baked potatoes filled with cheese, shrimp, and sour cream, cauliflower au gratin, and pannetonne trifle for dessert. I've got a few pics from that day, see below.
Spent a lovely spa day with Viv and Rhonda, I had a Swedish massage, manicure and pedicure. And an absolutely delicious meal at Delta's in New Brunswick, a soul food restaurant- blackened catfish, mm-mmm.
We entertained the Heilalas at our house, played some Wizard, learned an addictive new game called Blokus, and generally had a good time.
I visited with a previous patient of mine from when I worked at Roosevelt, he has come a long way in recovering from his stroke. It was really amazing to see what he has accomplished since going home, and I enjoyed catching up with him and his wife.
Oh, yes, and Viv delivered the bad news that since she has just bought a new townhouse and does not yet have renters for the old condo (poor baby, she's just racking up the assets), she has backed out of our trip to Thailand and Philippines we've been planning for the last year. Therefore, I am thinking I will attend Nicole and Rob's wedding in Boston the last weekend in March after all, or at least I hope to, and I am trying to plan a trip to Peru (Machu Picchu at long last!) or Costa Rica from the US whilst I am there.
Oh, and it looks like I will be going to Paris for my bday after all!!!! Two takers so far, and I'm thinking more people will say yes...how can you say no to an authentic top-notch Parisian cabaret, I mean come on! You can't say no. It's going to be fabulous...
A summary of my holiday week at home: I was on the wrong time zone all week. I woke up at 4am the first day, and got better by about a half hour each morning, so by the time I left, I was "sleeping in" until about 7am. I had my best night of sleep on January 1, which was my first night back in London...hey Midge, does that mean that GMT is actually the time zone my body wants to be in? (I remember you saying the US felt like the right time zone to you.) I did quite a bit of shopping, taking advantage of the excellent exchange rate (well, for those of us who live in the UK anyway), and my mom's generosity. On Christmas Eve, we were in Macy's by 7am, since I'd been up at 4am and was bored by the time Mom got up around 6am. I went with Tress to her hand doctor appt- we both decided the guy was an idiot, given that he didn't do any testing of strength, function, or sensation, didn't ask for a history of the problem, didn't look at her splints, and discussed one potential diagnosis with us, but wrote down something completely different as diagnosis on her prescription for therapy. Oh, and I especially loved the part where he told her to go get some blood tests done to see if it was arthritis or fibromyalgia! Thankfully, Tressa didn't really know what that was, but it scared the hell out of me the way he just tossed the term out casually, and without explaining it to her. Fibromyalgia is widespread pain affecting muscles, ligaments and tendons all over the body, is quite severe, and lasts for years. Nope, no thanks. Anywho, I had the name of another hand surgeon recommended by an OT I'd met through housemate Nicole, and we got her an appointment with that doctor for two days later. He seemed to be competent, and told her he thinks she has tennis elbow in both arms, suspects she has muscle tears at both elbows, and that the pain in her wrists and hands is referred from the elbows. No one seems to know exactly why the pain travels along her forearms as well, the radial nerve tunnel on both arms- she underwent a rather painful nerve conduction test at his office yesterday to make sure there's no nerve damage. And he told her no physio- just relax and try not to do things that aggrevate her arms (to the extent that is possible).
We spent Christmas Day with the Florys, Jenn and I continuing our tradition of cooking a gourmet feast for our families, although a toned down version since no one wants to work hard on Christmas Day. Standing rib roast, shrimp fra diavolo, twice-baked potatoes filled with cheese, shrimp, and sour cream, cauliflower au gratin, and pannetonne trifle for dessert. I've got a few pics from that day, see below.
Spent a lovely spa day with Viv and Rhonda, I had a Swedish massage, manicure and pedicure. And an absolutely delicious meal at Delta's in New Brunswick, a soul food restaurant- blackened catfish, mm-mmm.
We entertained the Heilalas at our house, played some Wizard, learned an addictive new game called Blokus, and generally had a good time.
I visited with a previous patient of mine from when I worked at Roosevelt, he has come a long way in recovering from his stroke. It was really amazing to see what he has accomplished since going home, and I enjoyed catching up with him and his wife.
Oh, yes, and Viv delivered the bad news that since she has just bought a new townhouse and does not yet have renters for the old condo (poor baby, she's just racking up the assets), she has backed out of our trip to Thailand and Philippines we've been planning for the last year. Therefore, I am thinking I will attend Nicole and Rob's wedding in Boston the last weekend in March after all, or at least I hope to, and I am trying to plan a trip to Peru (Machu Picchu at long last!) or Costa Rica from the US whilst I am there.
Oh, and it looks like I will be going to Paris for my bday after all!!!! Two takers so far, and I'm thinking more people will say yes...how can you say no to an authentic top-notch Parisian cabaret, I mean come on! You can't say no. It's going to be fabulous...
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Planets, Planes and Potter News
I apparently missed this...one of the papers has done a review of 2006 in today's issue, and around August, Pluto was demoted. 70 years after it was discovered, Pluto has lost its planethood.
In other news, for those of you Harry Potter fans, check out her website, jkrowling.com to find out the title of the upcoming 7th and last book in the series.
As reported by MSN, "If you go to her home page, click on the eraser and you will be taken to a room — you'll see a window, a door and a mirror.
And finally, no, Heathrow is not closed, and no, I don't expect to be stranded here for Christmas. Whilst we are in the midst of a pea soup fog that apparently will not lift until Sunday, it is domestic and some European flights that are being affected. Heathrow was operating at about 60% of its normal flight volume today, according to news reports here, and I have it on good authority (the sister of a colleague for works for the airlines) that thus far, flights to the US are doing just fine. :-)
In other news, for those of you Harry Potter fans, check out her website, jkrowling.com to find out the title of the upcoming 7th and last book in the series.
As reported by MSN, "If you go to her home page, click on the eraser and you will be taken to a room — you'll see a window, a door and a mirror.
In the mirror, you'll see a hallway. Click on the farthest doorknob and look for the Christmas tree. They click on the center of the door next to the mirror and a reef appears. Then click on the top of the mirror and you'll see a garland.
Look for a cobweb next to the door. Click on it, and it will disappear. Now, look at the chimes in the window. Click on the second chime to the right, and hold it down. The chime will turn into the key, which opens the door. Click on the wrapped gift behind the door, then click on it again and figure out the title yourself by playing a game of hangman."
And finally, no, Heathrow is not closed, and no, I don't expect to be stranded here for Christmas. Whilst we are in the midst of a pea soup fog that apparently will not lift until Sunday, it is domestic and some European flights that are being affected. Heathrow was operating at about 60% of its normal flight volume today, according to news reports here, and I have it on good authority (the sister of a colleague for works for the airlines) that thus far, flights to the US are doing just fine. :-)
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
"A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight..."
...walkin' in a winter wonderland.
Well, we pretty much had our first frost overnight/this morning. The Epping Forest area looked just gorgeous on my walk into work, with everything covered in a light dusting of white. The only way it could have been better would have been if it had snowed. And this- this is what I'm talkin' bout!! This feels much more like Xmas weather. If it's warm, it just doesn't seem like Christmas somehow. Maybe I should wear my PJs inside out tonight, like I did when I was a kid hoping for snow days from school- it makes it snow if you wear your PJs inside out, you know ;)
Well, we pretty much had our first frost overnight/this morning. The Epping Forest area looked just gorgeous on my walk into work, with everything covered in a light dusting of white. The only way it could have been better would have been if it had snowed. And this- this is what I'm talkin' bout!! This feels much more like Xmas weather. If it's warm, it just doesn't seem like Christmas somehow. Maybe I should wear my PJs inside out tonight, like I did when I was a kid hoping for snow days from school- it makes it snow if you wear your PJs inside out, you know ;)
Monday, December 18, 2006
David Bowie, Goblin King
I was out shopping locally yesterday for a Secret Santa gift for work, and one of the places I checked out was HMV. The way we're doing our Secret Santa, we didn't pick names out of a hat, we're just bringing gifts in, and it will go by number...with the twist that some people like where the person who draws second can choose to keep their gift, or steal the gift from the person who went first, and so on. I wasn't sure what to buy, since I didn't know who I was buying for at our 5 pound limit, so I settled on a DVD of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Jim Carrey version. And as I walked down the aisle, I couldn't believe my eyes, I came across a DVD of the Labyrinth! Also for a fiver. Let me see if I can jog some of your memories...David Bowie? Jim Henson? No? Well, it has always been a favorite movie for me, even though I hadn't seen it in years and years, so I bought myself an early Christmas gift. And it's my little piece of happiness today :)
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Straight No Chaser (name of the group) & "12 Days"
Ok, even if you are not a big fan of a cappella, you have GOT to watch this video, all the way through. Believe me, it's worth it, I PROMISE. (Oh, and click stop on my MP3 player to avoid competing audio, ugh.)
And if you liked that, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKx_BTj_-IE
And if you liked that, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKx_BTj_-IE
Sunday, December 10, 2006
the christmas party
I have a couple of pictures of my co-workers from the day hospital (my original rotation, before the stroke unit), from the Christmas dinner we had on Friday night. We went to a Greek restaurant, where the food was excellent, the restaurant was jam-packed with long tables full of very drunk people from various offices, schools, and in our case, the hospital, and the entertainment was a belly dancer, a traditional Greek male dancer balancing towers of glasses on his head, and cheesy good-time music from a DJ. Christmas dinners/parties/balls are a huge deal over here, everyone has them, and everyone "lets down their hair" big time, no matter what part of the hierarchy their job title places them in. It really is a British thing...I was thinking today about how we always invited our rehab director and manager at the hospital in NJ to the happy hours and BBQs, etc that we had, but they always politely declined. And additionally, while I can happily remember some all-out holiday bashes my father's company used to sponsor back in the day when I was little, including magicians, bands, and someone dressing up as Santa, Christmas parties don't happen like that any more in the States (except for maybe the big money law firms). So this year I am happily taking advantage of the myriad Christmas do's that are such a cultural phenomenon over here...great fun!! Oh, and the pics- well, I'll post them when Blogger stops acting up and lets me.
"Oh yes we need a little Christmas, right this very minute..."
I have updated the MP3 player in my sidebar with Christmas tunes, both contemporary and classic. Hopefully there's something for everyone. Sometimes it takes a little time to change over to the new playlist, but by tomorrow you should hear them. I wanted to include "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" but the site where I put my playlist for the MP3 player is refusing to accept it due to something in the file name, grrr! I'm doing my best to get into the spirit as much as possible, though unfortunately, I don't really have Christmas decorations over here (but I did buy a pointsettia to brighten up our living room), and I can't do all the baking I would be doing at home...ie sugar cookies, as is traditional! Not to worry, I'm sure my mom will have cookie dough ready for when I arrive, right Mom? ;) I will also have a marathon Christmas movie watching session, since all I've got here are The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause 2... in particular, the Muppets Christmas Carol is traditional for our family, over and over and over again, as well as Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation. Classic!
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