A little night shift will cure you.

It's presently 0320 the mornng of my 44th birthday.  I am sitting at my desk in the hospital working a night shift.

Happy Birthday to me.

I am thankful for this shift for a plethora of reasons:

1.  I am healthy enough to work.
2. Cancer is expensive.

I walked into the hospital tonight knowing that there has been a WHOLE lot of drama that has gone on while I have been away.  Union stuff, shift work stuff, it's been horrendous what the people in my department have been through in the past 5 months.  I am thankful for my postition, I am also thankful I haven't been here for the past 5 months to witness the stuff that's gone on.

It is truly one of the wonders of the world to me.  Unions.  I have really never understood the beaurocracy the ins and outs, the rules.

If someone is qualified to do the job, he or she out performs, shows initiative, is a good worker, it just doesn't seem to matter to the union.  The one with the most hours wins.  Whether they are good for the job or not.

It's amazing.

I love the department I am in, I work with truly wonderful people.  They have made me laugh, cried along with me, supported me.

When I see the drama I am convinced that I should really be working a 9-5, Monday to Friday job in a Doctor's office.  I miss Bernie and Elsie.....but I fear working with another Doctor Satan I worked with last year...

Although, it is feeling darn appealing at 0327 the morning of my birthday.

The funniest thing almost happened to Kent last time we were in the hospital.  We came last week to visit a friend of his named Ron.  We walked up to the elevator and Kent went to push the button, but he reached for the code blue button.

I gasped.

What a totally dumb system, that there is a blue button marked code blue right beside the button to call the elevator.

What a huge commotion that would've caused....

To kick off my birthday celebrations Kent and I hosted some friends for dinner on Friday.  Jamie made the most amazing pistachio and lime cheesecake.

Yes, Melissa, you read cheesecake.  That's what happens when you run off and marry the man of your dreams....you miss out on Jamie's cheesecake.

Yum.

It was a really fun night.  Lots of people, food, drink, talk--it was really great.

One of the best moments went like this:

Mikayla: Max, why weren't we friends in middle school?
Max: I don't know.
Mikayala: I know, there were several reasons, they all started with RACISM!

A great moment was reaching for the door knob to let the first person in, Lucas, my son, when I realized I was getting a migraine.

Another moment when Shannon Beat-Whissel came to my door.  I haven't seen her in 24 years--at least.  it was good to see her face and to see she is doing so well, with a man who really loves her.

It was a good, good night.  When the last of the people left, I crashed.  Seriously slept *hard*.

Probably why I am having no difficulty being awake now, a little night shift will cure that insomnia!