Saturday, January 15, 2011

Babies and beer for breakfast.

Not babies for breakfast, I don't mean. That came out all wrong.

This has been a hellish week on the unit, mostly because staffing sucks. I've had nightmares every night--and when you're getting six hours' sleep at the most, spending even a few seconds of it back at work is too much--and the topper came this morning:

I dreamed I was stepping on and in piles of imported cheeses in order to get to a dinner party I didn't want to go to, and sit next to a woman I particularly dislike. In my dream, I threw a temper tantrum.

So this morning I cancelled my workout with Attila, turned off the telephone, drank two cups of incredibly strong coffee with cream, and then made:

Eggs, softly scrambled and baked in a tomato
Mushrooms, broiled with butter and sea salt
Sourdough bread I made last week, toasted
Lashings of triple-cream brie
Imperial Stout with an ABV of 10.

Thirty-nine hundred calories later, I feel almost human. This has as much to do with the fact that I served breakfast on vintage Fiestaware with a real cloth napkin and a flower in a tiny Fiesta bud vase in front of me as it does with my blood sugar normalizing.

Staffing has been...well, frankly, I'm concerned about my license--and the safety of my patients--after this week. Things have been busy, we've been understaffed; I'm tired of being alone when a crisis hits. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about it yet, but it'll probably lead to some sort of snarky showdown and then a temporary improvement in conditions.

So today? Is off the chain. It'll probably involve my dropping way too much money at the local hippie-dippie market for more cheese, scented holistic vegetarian one-world body washes, and a massage. I might get a pedicure as well. Perhaps I'll even watch a movie (I have "The Thin Man" coming today from Netflix, and why didn't anybody tell me Netflix is like crack?).

Later tonight, The Man of God and his Lovely Wife are having a little Do so that everybody can meet The Child of The Man of God. He's cute, in the way that cute babies end up being unfortunate-looking children and good-looking adults. His nose is way too big for his face, and he's as long and skinny as somebody who crawls under doors for fun.

I figure beer (and cheese and mushrumps and toast) for breakfast and babies later is the best way to wash the taste of this week out of my mouth. Tomorrow will be yoga and vegetables; for now, it's a free-for-all.

11 comments:

rnraquel said...

That breakfast sounds heavenly, just the thought of homemade sourdough bread and brie is enough to make me swoon, if I were the swooning sort. When work sucks like that, comfort food is definitely in order.

Silliyak said...

May I suggest a nice meditation to go with your yoga? What I get (even with my poor meditation skills) from meditation is a bit of non attachment which sounds like what you need.

Lurkette said...

Can I come over for breakfast?

allison said...

That breakfast sounds AMAZING.
Nevermind Netflix discs, Netflix Instant is addicting, thousands of movies right at my finger tips? Such a tool of procrastination.

Anonymous said...

Long time reader, first time commenter; all I can say is thanks!

Crap day today; 13 hours of rubbish at a 3rd (and final) year student nurse in the UK on placement. I love reading your musings when I get in and this (he's as long and skinny as somebody who crawls under doors for fun) made me cry with laughter as I imagined my 6'7" brother doing the same.

Much love x x

rebekah said...

You forgot to mention that you also came to the aid of an insomniac worrywart friend at the crack of dawn! Thanks, Yo!

messymimi said...

Sounds like some well deserved time off the chain, and there are few better ways to spend it.

Your title reminded me of a little old lady who used to tell me that a nice hot toddy would do wonders when the babies were colicky or teething. She would then emphasize that the toddy was for mom, so she wouldn't care, not for the crying baby.

Congratulate the Man of God and His Lovely Wife on the happy arrival.

Anonymous said...

You go girl! Loved reading you were using the Fiesta ware for your terrific sounding breakfast.

Been there with the understaffing and worrying about my license. You need to stand up, speak up and be heard before the sh*t fits the fan one of these times.

Glad you took some me time and got to unwind.

Katy said...

Always remember the Safe Harbor rule. You can protect your license with that, and make some noise to administration.

inkgrrl said...

Sounds like an allover yummy day. I might have to copycat that breakfast sometime soon ;-)

woolywoman said...

Uhm, maybe unionize? consider sending an email to your boss and her boss and her boss every single time there is not enough staff. Point out all the ways you kicked ass and saved the day, and all the risks of the situation, and end with a cheery " I just wanted to be certain you were apprised of the situation"