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One of my pictures was selected to be used for Schmap!! Australia. My picture of the echidna looking for food in his hill as selected to be one picture featured for the Featherdale Wildlife Park entry. So you can click here and check it out! Coolio.
My folks have come and gone, and work has started up again, our son has been dedicated, and a new expansion of Settlers has been experienced. I’ll elaborate.
Folks in Town
Mom and Dad were down for 2 weeks to visit and see the boy. It was good. It was good to have some time off, and good to get away for a few days. We rented a place up in Coff’s Harbour, home of the “big banana“. Pfft! It’s a medium sized banana at best. Impressed I wasn’t. Maybe it’s better in sunshine. We didn’t have great weather (again when someone was visiting) but it was alright. We would go out and do what we could when the sun did poke through (i.e. a nice hike into a rainforest, the Clog barn (snicker), and some shopping (a guitar strap). We then headed home for the weekend when we dedicated the boy and played some GnR in church and hung our with the rest of the rellies for lunch. Really it was just good for the folks to hang out with the boy. They have landed back at home with a dvd or 2 of some footage and some pics and will now be waiting for our arrival in December.
Settlers
I received the Seafarers of Catan (an expansion game for Settlers of Catan) for my birthday. We only just got to play a game when we were away with the ‘rents. I think it is a great addition. You basically have 7 new scenarios, so it is like you have 7 new games to play. They all have different set ups, different ways to gain points, and different ways to win. We have only played a couple of them, but they are different and fun. For those of you who enjoy the original, I recommend this one. It’s a good one.
Hospital
I started on my new ward this week. Adolescents. It has been good. Again, another totally different routine, but it will be good to learn there. I also get to do my first night shifts at the end of the month, so we’ll see how that goes.
Flight Of The Conchords
I had heard about the FotC on youtube, but didn’t realize they had a tv series in the states on HBO. The day after finding this out I received season 1 in the mail. A birthday gift. If Kirk gets around to reading this, this would be another one to pick up my friend. Comedy folk-electric duo. Song integrated with the show. Beauty.
Jujitsu
A friend of mine currently in New Zealand took up Brazilian Jujitsu last September. Sent me a link to some video of his first tournament wins. I had been looking for a place to train… maybe join a gym, but was inspired by Andrew to try BJJ again. I used to do some grappling in my Karate classes a few years ago, but this is BJJ. Went to my first training night last night. And basically got beat up. I got bruises on the back of my head, and my face and my chest and arms are sore. But it was great. All the guys compete and it shows with their intensity. I will be tossed around for a while I am guessing, but the guys seem to be keen to teach and hopefully I’ll pick it up quick. It’s tough to get out of an arm bar when you can barely breathe.
Tomorrow is my last day on the burns unit. I will start my holidays on Friday with a trip to the dentist. A foe I have not faced since I went off my mother’s health coverage sometime around my first year in Brockville. You do the math.
My parents land on Saturday and hopefully we get some good weather for them.
Today I got to inject people with a flu vaccination. It was my first time to ever give anyone a jab. Once we got past the first one, it was fairly straight forward. I then spent the rest of the day in the OT watching a split skin graft being done on a 5 yr old girl. Fascinating. I’ll tell you the story about it sometime.
My birthday was grand. Got some fair trade shirts, some hot fuzz, a venus fly trap, a pipe, some flight of the conchords, and a settlers expansion.
I have been doing some music at our church on and off. Played some Michael Knott last week. Planning some more.
There is definitely a Pybus staying with us at the moment.
My brother has purchased a skateboard. Injuries to follow.
A. Worked my first double ever. It sucked. Not during so much, but definitely after. Plus I had to be back in for 7:30 the next morning. It might have been ok without that. I don’t think I’ll be trying those again for a while. The payout better be good.
B. We had one of our community get baptized at a local lake. Here’s some math: 40some children + belonging to 9 adults + big park + water = stress! I always throw out “40some” children, I am not sure about exact numbers, but it does feel like there is at least that many. It was cool, but you feel like you are patrolling for potential disaster until you pack up to leave.
C. Went to a friends wedding yesterday (which was very nice) and put on my one and only wedding ensemble. I think marriage and weddings are fine, but when I listen to what is being said during most ceremonies, I get the feeling that we attribute a lot of what might be tradition to God and scripture. I am not 100% on this, but I am going to look into it. When people do this with anything, or read too much into it, or put “words into the mouth” of Jesus/ God it annoys me.
D. I think a Pybus child stayed with us this weekend. I am pretty sure she was here anyway.
E. I got my marks back for my state exam and we passed it with distinction (which sounds all grand and impressive, but what it really means is that I got 83% or above). That is now done and behind me. On with my clinical assesments (which are a lot of fun!)
One week.
Nine weeks.
On a side note, when I got my pictures developed, I asked the guy if I could buy some black & white film. I couldn’t because he didn’t have any. He then informed me that it doesn’t matter what type of film you use because it all gets put through the digital processor and he could make some black and white for me. Unfortunately his “auto” settings washed out all my shots a bit. The scans were much better. So I probably won’t be going back to him and his miracle processing techniques.
- I have met a child who was born with no backpassage. That’s right. He had no pooper. You’ll be happy to know he has one now.
- I have hung out with a 10year old child with anorexia nervosa.
- I have helped a patient insert a catheter by themselves.
- I have walked the halls with urine.
- I have sore feet.
- I have learned about securing my home when my boy begins to get mobile.
- I might be able to put a vacuum dressing on someone now.
- I have consoled a wandering 4yr old patient.
It’s been good. I am exhausted at the end of the day, and am hanging on for the weekend, but the first week back has been good. Still waiting on my state exam marks.
I have 2 more days of TAFE to go and then it is goodbye forever… hopefully. I sat our state exam on Tuesday, have 2 more assessments to complete (one administration of medication by injection, and one by IV) and a theory exam to sit by Friday… but then I can leave this part of the program behind me.
I have discovered a few triggers for frustration for me over this second block of TAFE. One is definitely disorganization. I wonder sometimes how that place functions. We spent far too much time sitting around doing nothing, and staff never seemed to know what was going on. That stressed me out. Unfortunately for Rick, that’s what he got to see when he was here. Much fun.
We have also moved yet again (that’s 6 times since we’ve been married). Our agents at the last place were completely incompetent. I am not even being dramatic. They were. We had 7 different property managers over our 6 months there, and left with no one in charge of rentals. This equalled to absolutely nothing being done about the water streaming into the place in 3 spots, a bathroom vanity that was rotting apart, and a hot water system that sounded like a train running through our roof. We actually really liked the place, but were just a but wary of what might have happened if something seriously had gone wrong. Did I mention that one weekend our sewage was pumped into our neighbours front yard and we had no emergency number to call? Yeah. That stress is also behind us.
It was good to have Rick (and Andrea for a bit) with us for a fortnight. Although, as I mentioned, I was completely stressed and not really myself. But he seemed to enjoy himself. We pointed him in the direction of public transport and he was off. He probably had the worst weeks for weather possible. It rained at least part of the time every day. Funny enough, it hasn’t rained like that since.
The boy has reached 6.1kg and is in the 90th percentile in weight, height, and length (and looks). That to say he is doing well, although last night he got his 8week vaccinations and his little legs were pretty sore. It made feeding a bit traumatic for him unfortunately. He seems to be doing better today, so hoping he sleeps well tonight.
Let’s see, what else is new… Our last game of floorball is on Saturday. Jer and I have still not played during a hitmen victory. We HAVE played for quite a few of our losses. But no one is really counting. I am thinking about taking up jujitsu again. There is gym around the corner from us. I have also discovered the joy that is Lego Star Wars: The Original Trilogy. I should probably go over some notes for Friday. Gone.
Nursing:
Today my clinical took me into the operating theatre of one of our local area hospitals. I got to watch a caesarian for twin boys. Whew! This is not a “gentle” procedure can I say! Yikes! Ladies, I feel for you. Basically today was to expose us to theatre nursing and give us a chance to see the roles of the different nurses in the OT. Very cool experience, and I think I am going to get my educator, once I am back on the ward at the Children’s Hospital, to see if I can observe a few more. Very cool experience. Plus, the scrubs I had to wear were very slimming don’t you think?
Church:
Been a bit frustrated with stuff at church over the summer. Not a good time to gage anything, as it has been a incredibly busy time for us, and full of huge changes, but it’s been bugging me nonetheless. Been talking with a few people and hopefully we’ll be able to sort some stuff out this year. Our Thursday night community feed started up again tonight. It was really good to see everyone together again, and although something will need to be sorted out so that the 40 odd kids that come have something to do, I think it will work out. It was a bit of affirmation that we are doing some good things here on the Hill.
The Boy:
He is growing like crazy. He is an awesome sleeper… we are hoping the one night feed keeps up. We are enjoying being parents and there is nothing i like better than to come home after TAFE and smell his head as he snuggles into my chest to watch the Simpsons… or Spaced… or Scrubs… or The Mighty Boosh. He’s a series watcher this one.
The Visitors:
The Pybus duo will be landing tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to having buddy here. Hopefully I’ll be able to find some time to hang out as he nurses his sunburns.
It’s amazing how such a little person can completely change everything. I am a little late to the parenting game, I know, so you will have to bare with me. Last night wasn’t so hot, since he could sense the tsunami of baby juice on the doorstep, but the milkman hadn’t quite got around to dropping it off yet. Today however has been much better. He, like his father before him, likes nothing better to curl up and have a nap with sport on the tv after dinner. 
I love being a dad. I love smelling him while he naps on my chest. I love watching him sleep. I love watching him looking around and wondering what he is seeing. I love to hear him burp and fart and whimper, and look forward to the day he laughs, says things, sings for the first time.
There is no going back now. It is immensely cool. I love watching Jo be a mum. She is fantastic at it, and I am careful to tell her so as often as I can. We, like so many parents before us, have already confessed to our wee son, that despite the show of confidence, that it is in fact a ruse… we aren’t real sure of what we are doing… but are doing our best, and with some help and a little luck, things will be ok.
In other news, I have received my permanent residency. No more interviews for me with immigration. Unless of course I decide to check out my options with citizenship… but that won’t be for a few years.
I am falling asleep at the keyboard now, so I’ll go. I’ll try and throw a few more pictures up on flickr for you later this week. Out.
Everyone is home now. He isn’t even 3 days old yet. He is our son. I am a very proud papa. And there is washing to be done.
