Back to work

This week has been "welcome to the real world." And we've survived. 

Natty went to school 6-8 hrs a day, all 4 days and liked it - although the hug tonight when I picked her up was a long, tight one. She enjoys school and they do neat projects - today all the kids brought in an ingredient for soup and they ate it for lunch. Kind of a "Stone Soup" idea. She was very excited about the zucchini she brought to add. 

I have started my orientation with a month working day shift so I go into work at 6:45 am. Then Murray drops Natty off on his way to work - between 8-9 and I pick her up when I get off at 3:30. RNs at Day Kimball Hospital work 8 hr shifts, which is new for me and I really like it. Very civilized hours.

Going back to work has been fun for me. I had to do computer modules for a total of 4 days and that was soul-sapping. But then I got onto the floor and it was like discovering a box of clothes that have been in storage for a long time and you remember how much you liked them and, hurrah! they still fit! The nurse precepting me and I went into a delivery right off the bat my first morning and things just kept going along from there. It's all coming back to me. I still need to do a lot of studying, but the basics are firm. To continue the clothes analogy, there are some things that are old irritations ("I always meant to change those buttons" or "the length of that skirt was never quite right") but I'll cope with them - I did before. 

Murray's work is also the same but different. It's a busy practice, taking over from a "old school" MD who has practiced here for 45 yrs, has a huge patient load and no chart notes! I guess he just knew everyone so well he didn't need them. Murray is bemused, having always felt that his own chart notes were pretty minimal. Following someone who took minimalism to a whole new level makes him feel better about his documentation. 

Natty and I are getting used to not having him around as much.  And there's the familiar 5 o'clock phone call he makes every evening to touch base and give an ETA. After chaffing at having him so much in my space at the beginning of the sabbatical, now I miss him zooming around the house. We're both so grateful we were able to spend some great time together and happy that we took the opportunity when we could. Highly recommend it (but maybe don't go to the most expensive city in the world when the exchange rate is at it's worst - just some friendly advice from those who've been there).

What do you think of the new blog? Let me know. I still haven't figured it all out but I'll keep working on it. The previous one was a little unwieldy so I thought I'd try another - we'll see how it goes.