Ahhhhhhhhhhh..........
That is the sound of the last day, Friday. Breaking in the new resident is done, and he is fledged.
Tis the most exhausting thing I do. Two weeks, 60 hours per week, walking the fine line between his education and my contract of safe and exquisite care of my patient. Tis also one of the most rewarding things I do.
This year, it was a rare privilege to work with this resident. The Navy paid for his medical school education, and he paid back the Navy with four years of his life. One of those years was in Afghanistan. (Most memorable quote: "Don't worry, Doc, they have to get through us to get to you!" He said that wasn't all that reassuring as the tracer fire was visible above their heads in the trench.) He is smart, practical, mature, and will become a really fine gas-passer.
In the meantime, I have to reconstruct the shards of the life I left behind two weeks ago. I have lost 3 pounds in two weeks (a distinct shortage of workplace graham crackers, anorexia from stress, and bedtime at 8:30pm decreases eating opportunites. There is a lesson in there.) Bills unpaid. A warp that needs to be finished on the rigid heddle. Mail that needs to be sorted. And yegods, a hurricane that needs prep. I was stamping out lives and saving disease yesterday. I was unable to line up at Home Depot for plywood. The dice are tossed, and they will come up however they come up.
I finished Pamuya. Must block her. I finished FeatherDuster. Must block her. Must wash two sets of plyed handspun (Polwarth/Mohair from Rovings, and BFL from Lisa Souza). Am plying long-ago-spun batt from Grafton Fibers, when they were still Grafton Fibers. Lists are taking form.
(Aside: I read Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love on my Kindle during these two weeks. If I had known how self-involved this book was, I wouldn't have done it. But as a fait-accompli, I did enjoy her TMI after all. I have no idea how they made it all coalesce into a movie.)
A couple of life bits until the hurricane passes:
Last weekend, one of my groups had a midsummer barbeque BYOB. Our asthmatic, 69 year old colleague plays the Alpenhorn. I stood in the crowd, expecting to have to do CPR after his performance. My fears were unfounded.
The deck garden has surpassed all previous performances this year. Best new plant was a tall, spiky thing, with beautiful morning glory-like flowers. It is a ruellia (pest in southern areas, confine it, as I have done, in containers.) The hummers love it. So do I.
SOAR is coming! Rhinebeck is coming! NEFF is coming! Better get cracking and use up some yarn.
I am glad you survived the last two weeks, but are you sure you have enough knitting and spinning projects to last you through this hurricane? (kidding!)
Posted by: Lynn | Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 09:05 AM
Have been thinking about you during the last two weeks and very happy to hear your survived. Enjoy your garden during the next few hours. It may be quite water log by this time tomorrow. Sending good thoughts as you weather the storm and get back into the swing of life. Ah, Rhinebeck. I hope to see you all there again someday!
Posted by: margene | Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 09:30 AM
You weathered one storm to go straight into another, your timing is exquisite. I've never given much thought to choosing appropriate projects for candlelight knitting, big wool and not much shaping is probably most appropriate.
Posted by: Caroline M | Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 12:52 PM
Mostly Mozart ended a night early as most arts events have been cancelled for today. Fortunately I had tickets for last night and knit baby booties during the Mozart Requiem.
It sounds like the MTA is telling us there may not be service on Monday morning. Oh, dear, *forced* to stay home and knit!
Posted by: Angie | Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 05:13 PM
That resident was lucky to have you by his side, I'm sure of it.
Posted by: Carole | Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 06:02 PM
Glad you had a good resident, though I don't like the sound of "stamping out lives and saving disease".
I read EPL, but can't say I liked it at all, even in retrospect.
Hunker down and stay safe!
Posted by: Cheryl S. | Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 12:05 AM
I've never heard an alpen horn performance. It sounds interesting and... um... loud.
Hoping the storm doesn't disrupt you too much. Other than maybe giving you some extra knitting time.
Posted by: gayle | Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 07:39 AM
Hoping all is safe and sound with you, Mr. E, the house, etc. Cuz you need another ounce of stress like a hole in the head.
Posted by: Anne | Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 12:58 PM
Hope the storm passed you by and left all safe! We have morning glories here growing wild everywhere, you're not very popular if you actually PLANT them.
And I'm quite sure you make a good resident-launcher. He'll no doubt appreciate your hard work later on.
Posted by: Lorette | Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 08:42 PM
I have not been reading your blog for very long. I love your pictures and hearing about your life. What kind of work do you do? As I was reading I was wondering about that. You sound like a very compassionate person!
Posted by: sueb | Monday, August 29, 2011 at 10:34 AM
Too bad about Saturday....I'm looking forward to a rescheduled round of merriment.
I actually listened to the entire audiobook of Eat Pray Love. And liked it, despite the navel-gazing nature of it. But I couldn't watch the movie for 10 minutes. Go figure.
Good job getting through the resident-situ for yet another year. Rest well.
Posted by: claudia | Monday, August 29, 2011 at 03:19 PM