12 posts tagged “work”

Today I was supposed to be making big in-roads into our waiting list for initial appointments. It would have gone well if people had actually bothered to turn up, over the course of the whole day only 1 person turned up! Now whilst that was good for the admin I've had piling up around my ears it was bad for our wait times. All of those people that haven't turned up will have to have another appointment offered (for some this was strike 2 of a potential 3) and then people complain about how long they have to wait to be seen.

School holidays are always a nice time at work. A lot of people in the team only work during termtime, so its nice and quiet and there's a bit of a blitz mentality. We always have nice cake and actually have occasional chats that we don't stop and have otherwise. My clinic workload doesn't reduce, but I don't have to go out to schools. Means there's time to catch up on reports and write programmes for children. Its always a nice feeling to start the new half term with a relatively clean desk.

Plus, school holidays mean its easier to take time off and go visiting.

I spent the weekend having a wonderful time down in London at Gemma's. I drove down which was a novelty, its been a long time since I last drove on the M25 and it was the furthest I've ever taken this car. The roads were pleasantly quiet which meant I got a good chance to test the car out... I'm not convinced that the reported top speeds are accurate - if they are then mine is breaking the mould :)

The weekend was spent mainly watching films. I have finally seen the 'Back to the Future' trilogy. Yes, I'd managed to get to my ripe old age without seeing any of them. I'm so so glad that I've seen them now, and just wish that I'd been watching them for years.

We all loved 'The Unicorn and the Wasp'. I thought it was very funny, and well written - it really felt like the step up from 'The Shakespeare Code'. I also really liked how it was woven around Agatha Christie's disappearance, felt quite clever to me.

Today back at work has felt a little like a rude awakening. I've felt really irritated by the smallest things today, so have ended up trying to be as invisible as possible. I think the fact I got missed on the tea run almost every time may have contributed to my irritation... just an inkling though.

Yup, I'm back just one day and already I'm whinging. Today I had my semi-regular catch up meeting with my line manager. That in itself feels like a bit of a bone of contention - I'm the only person who has these meetings, and I start to wonder quite how long they want me to work there before they cease. The bit that really got me though was when she suggested that I have anxiety about my health, and this causes me to give up quicker than most people. It just showed me that after over 18 months she hasn't got a clue about me or what I'm like.

Luckily its not only me who is have issues with her, she's ruffling a lot of feathers. We all end up having hushed whinging sessions, which is cathartic at the time but very bad really. I don't want my workplace to end up like that - considering its an all female office there is very little of the stereotypical women together behaviour. It'd be a real shame if that changed.

Haven't been online, boo bah, yadda yadda yadda. This will be fairly short as it seems in the week that I haven't managed to blog everyone one my bloglines has had a million things to say... I plan on going to bed in about 40 minutes but I don't expect to manage to get much read by then.

Work's been pretty good this week. We had a whole day meeting on Monday which was a nice ease into the working week. The rest of the week was pretty hectic culminating in my first thankfully non-major filling in of an incidence form (turns out violence happens outside of hospitals too). I've got another busy week this week, though am only now realising the stupidity of arranging to go on some observations in Malvern at 9am on Friday (means leaving about an hour earlier than normal). One of my colleagues has also recently got engaged so there've been some really nice off topic moments within the office.

Out of work I have mainly been sleeping, or wishing it was time to sleep already. I had assumed that by now I could just bounce straight back from a routine infection but it seems not. We've been a little busy this week as it's been Richard's birthday - he was playing a gig on the day so we went out the night before instead for a meal.

I read the last book I'd received for Christmas / Birthday so I'm now on the ones I received at a huge discount from Mango after they messed me about a lot. I can always be bought off with books. The one I'm reading at the moment is the new one by Kirsty Crawford, "The Secret Lives Of Husbands". I read her first novel and felt all of the way through that there was something missing... I have to say that I'm feeling the same about this, though I can't put my finger on what the problem is.

I've been away for a while, no exotic trip to blame though sadly. I've spent the last week at home ill and unable to go to work which has been sad. Yup I'm still sad enough to get excited on a Sunday because it means tomorrow I can go to work. I'm well enough to go back tomorrow though, so I'm happy once more.

I haven't really done anything of note, so I thought I'd just pop by and update about my reading challenge. Thank you to everyone who has recommended a book (or books) - there are some brilliant books on my list already :-D In answer to one question that was asked, I don't mind fiction or non-fiction. I tend to read mainly fiction, but the whole point of this is to expand the range of what I read.

Please keep the recommendations coming!

P.S. Yes Keris I definitely would like to borrow 'Dirty Sugar Cookies'. I don't mind sending it on to Diane, or Diane having it first. Whichever is easiest!

Happy New Year one and all!!

I've managed to miss the entire festive season online, so I guess I have some catching up to do. I've been reading everyone else's musings but not really been inspired to write myself. Apologies as this post will probably as a result become long and meandering.

My Christmas began with me finishing work on 22nd. Fridays are a slightly strange day for me, unless I phone and speak to someone in the main office I don't see a single colleague all day. I was told I was daft for having booked clients in, but to be fair I'd rather be busy and see the clock whizz around. I went out for a meal in the evening with Gemma and Kat to Frankie and Benny's which was brilliant. If I came away with nothing else I came away with more thoughts for my budgie vs hamster debate.

On the 23rd it was time to return to Villa Park. It had been far too long since I'd last sat in the stands, and I intend it to not be so long again. I went to see Villa play Man Utd with my cousin Harry and uncle. We had to fight our way through Kings Heath (so many people trying to do last minute shopping) and realised we had taken so long to drive along the high street that my uncle had actually had time to go into Sainsbury's and get the goose fat he'd been coveting ever since Nigella said it was the thing to have, and get back. We got to Witton in good time in the end, and joined the queue to get into the club shop. The queue was stretched across the car park and naturally a car turned up wanting to cross through it. So there were me and Harry calling the driver names before we realised it was Martin Laursen (Villa defender)! The match itself was pretty good, despite the final result. Our seats were fantastic, we were in Trinity Road (one of the longer stands) but right near the corner where it connects to the Holte End (the short stand where all the Villa diehards sit). The singing was deafening and the atmosphere electric. The first half was reasonable - we looked as unlikely to score as they did. The second half was when the real Man Utd turned up, and it got to the point where you had to forget that it as a Villa match and just enjoy watching the beautiful football Utd were stringing together. Ronaldo got booed every time he got near the ball which added to the Christmassy panto feel. By the time we got back to the car we couldn't feel even hands or feet but a decent day was had by all.

Christmas Eve wasn't such a good day. I woke up feeling a bit wobbly, then nearly fainted midway through peeling the sprouts. I had to cancel meeting up with everyone which was really blah :-(

Christmas Day was eventful in a very quiet kind of way. The morning went as planned, just the four of us opening presents around the tree. Then my dad went and fetched my granny and grandad ready for lunch. We got partway through the meal when my granny was taken ill. No one was quite sure what was going on, but we eventually got it sorted. No one ate a proper lunch, but it all seemed not to matter. It ended up with my granny and grandad going home so that she could get warm and settled. Later in the afternoon Harry and my aunt and uncle came and we ate lots and played Pit (scroll down) which has been a staple and highly contested part of Christmas Day since long before me and Harry were born.

Boxing Day and the next few days pretty much came and went. I didn't feel any better, and realised that I needed a GP appointment as my asthma was completely off. I apparently have a viral infection of the respiratory infection and was doing everything I needed. Meant I was kept quiet (any unwellness makes me sleepy these days) and had to cancel going to London for New Years,

My birthday was pretty quiet, both cos I didn't feel up to doing lots and because the weather was appalling. We went out in the day but ended up only leaving the car to get a cuppa and to go into Morrisons and buy a sandwich! In the evening we went for a meal and then took Richard to the station to get the train to Derby.

In exciting news (well New Years Eve can be summed up in tv, fireworks, bed) I got a new phone! I'd liked the LG Chocolate lots, but there was something I wasn't completely sold on. I went into the Orange shop with my mom and decided I liked the Nokia 6111 better, and it was cheaper. Its so nice having a phone that all the buttons work on, and that doesn't lose its charge a matter of hours after being charged up! I also got enough money from Christmas and my birthday to be able to buy a digital camera (I can't believe it's taken me so long). I decided I couldn't justify making the move to an SLR just now, so I went for the Fujifilm F30 instead. Its very wonderful and I'm excited like a little child at Christmas!!

Having just watched Shiny's latest vids I'm really beginning to think I'm in the wrong job. Well actually no, that isn't true, I really love my job. Its just a little short on men. Across the two teams I think I work with about 30 people, 1 is a man and that's pretty unusual. Also the running joke is that the only free gift you get on the NHS is germs, and sitting here with conjunctivitis caught off one of my patients I really can't argue with it.

I had my favourite school visit yet today. Due to the nearness of Christmas the classes were all merged due to teachers being involved with different year groups' productions. The class I was doing an observation in were comparing the book 'The Polar Express' and the animated version. This wasn't a particularly language heavy exercise so I got to sit and enjoy listening to the story and then watching the film. Not a bad start to the day.

I've realised it's been ages since I've added any books to my book list. I'm going to try really hard and remember what I've read and then come back and update.

I absolutely can not believe that tomorrow is the start of my 4th week at work. Officially I should have been payed on Friday (they pay on the 26th or if that falls on a weekend the Friday immediately before) but due to paperwork and administrative stuff it will be sometime this week instead. Seems a bit quick to be getting money!!

I spent Wednesday doing more shadowing which was fun, and then arranged my school visits for the rest of this term (the schools break up so soon). Thursday I shadowed a school visit in the morning for my other team and then I did my first actual visit. It was really cool to actually be doing something properly and independantly. Finally on Friday I helped run a parents education morning before doing more adminy stuff in the afternoon. I got off early which was great - I fell into my bed for what is fast becoming my weekly nap!

I think I've settled on getting an LG Chocolate, I've been really pleased with how easy my current LG is to use. Now it's just a case of finding time to go and get one. I know I can buy online, but I need to make sure that my free text deal will be kept on (I know how confused the Orange man got last time).

Argh I feel like I'm being really very boring. Its hard to find interesting stuff to say when all you do is work, watch tv shows that involve people getting voted off and sleep. Though as an aside it's been nice to see both John Barrowman and Jason Isaacs getting plenty of tv airtime of late :-D

It's not like I can even say anything interesting about sporting events. Villa only managed a vaguely controversial draw against Middlesbrough, and as for the cricket... well all being well there's a glmmer of hope of a draw!

Oh I give up.

... utterly unlucky! I cuaght the germs going round the office and naturally it's gone to my chest and I've coughed so much that my vocal cords are scratchy and inflamed and I'm managing to say about 2 words in 5. Now I know I should just shut up and let everything have time to heal... but I'm not good at not talking.

It was interesting reading the Cosmo article about blogging about work. Since I knew I had my job it was something I've been thinking about. Like all health workers I'm bound by a confidentiality agreement so that limits what I can write about. I found it interesting reading about the student nurse who did blog about things that happened on the wards but with a different time scale. I'm not sure that would work for me, so pretty much I think I'll blog about wider issues but naturally no specifics. Sadly though work is tiring me out so much that I'm not really doing anything else (and I've already started thinking about work when I'm at home) so this might be a bit boring for the near future.

My second week at work was better than my first. It was still induction but I got to do more. It was really useful to have done most fo the admin and policy stuff in the first week because it meant I had some kind of framework to hang all of the new information on. What I found really amusing was that on Tuesday I had my induction to community clinics (all preschool age children are seen here for whatever speech and/or language problems they have) we talking about the rates of people not turning up for appointments and I was told they were really low. One of the children we were going to see rang to say they couldn't make it and the other simply didn't turn up! Oh the irony :-)

I'm wracking my brain trying to remember the interesting things I was meaning to say. I can't remember any of them so I'm going to give up and go and sleep some more.

It's been nearly an entire week since I was last on the internet. I have a couple of excuses, one good and one purely annoying. My good excuse is I've just finished my first week of work, all I would have been capable of saying would have been pure drivel. I don't think my brain has hurt this much since I was ill! There is so much policy and procedure to be covered - even I was surprised by how many folders I needed to read.

The week has been pretty good, regardless of the mind boggling nature of it. I've met most of the SLTs working in both teams, and they're all lovely. Everyone keeps saying nice things and offering any help I could possibly need which all helps to make me feel a bit better about the fact my brain seems to be using all the policy stuff to replace all of my clinical knowledge. I think it will be better once I can actually start doing therapy and put everything into practice and context. I shadowed a school visit and a community session last week which made a nice change from all of the dry stuff and this week I'll be doing lots more of that.

Okay I'll stop whittering about work now. If anyone's still with me, my second annoying excuse is the delight I call my brother. He's being generally obstructive to me grabbing the internet for even a few minutes, but he goes to Derby tongith for a few days so hopefully this week will be easier.

Onto the good stuff now :-D

My cousin has tickets for hm, my uncle and me to go and see Villa - Man Utd on 23/12!! I'm so excited about it. He's trying to get tickets for the Chelsea match on New Years Day too, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed (though I may end up having to travel a bit on the day). Yesterday's win against Everton was welcome after the mid week disaster in the Carling Cup. It was also nice hearing a post match interview with Gareth Southgate when it was mentioned the Middlesbrough had three tough matches coming up - one against Liverpool, one against Chelsea and one against Villa!! We're now classed as a tough match :-D (well 3rd in the table must mean something).

Last Saturday I went with my mom to Bristol to the open day of GetKnitted. It was a really useful trip - I'm very fibre sensitive so it was useful to be able to feel lots of the yarn I've thought about using and finding out whether it was something I could use or not. I was very restrained and resisted buying lots of the laceweight yarn I was very tempted by. All I bought was a pattern and a skein of Rowan's Kidsilk Haze. Its beautiful and so soft to touch, though its nigh on impossible to rip out if you make a mistake so I'm working a little slower than normal.

As my final thought, I just wanted to share with you the events of the week before this last one. I went on Tuesday night to get my flu and pneumococcal jabs. All went fine, but by the time I went to bed my arm was already red a swollen. Wednesday I couldn't move my arm even an inch (absolute agony) and then Thursday my arm was a little more mobile but I felt absolutely awful. Red swollen patch at this stage growing - had nearly reached my elbow. On Friday I woke to find the red patch past my elbow and spread so far round the back of my arm it nearly touched. I knew this wasn't right so phoned the doctors, one appointment later I found that my arm was infected. A week of antibiotics later and my arm is all better bar the remains of the bruising the violent nurse who did the jabs also caused. The first time I've wished I were back in Reading for my GPs!