Monday 31 May 2010

May Bank Holiday - 2

We visited East Grinstead and over a coffee planned the week. Hannah's friend Hugh wants to get together in London, so there was a bit of arranging to do. I then left them to potter and got on with some errands.

Adam played with his band at a street festival in Haywards Heath and John went to see them. John called me on his mobile so that I could hear them. It was mowtown and very good.

In the evening they all went roller skating and it was a huge hit. They started off creeping around the wall, but by the end of the session, were out on the floor, wobbly, but skating. After dinner they had a parfait making session which was noisy, but they are all getting on well and that is what it is all about.

One of the pictures here is of my lovely hostas, favourite of slugs, so they really suffer at times. I spend a few minutes each day picking the beasts off them, but will not use slug pellets. A trip to Starbucks the other day was lucky as we were able to nab a bag of coffee grounds and apparently slugs hate them. Time will tell.

Sunday 30 May 2010

May Bank Holiday - installment 1

Holiday, such a great word. We collected Mika and Shizuka from the school yesterday afternoon and had a reasonably quiet journey home as shyness reigned. However, we then raced off to the shopping mall and I think that helped with some girlie bonding. They are both 17, but there does not seem to be too huge a difference between what they like and what our two like.
There is of course a lot of Japanese and we have all agreed that mealtimes will be for English. It is however, brilliant to be using it so much!!

On the work front. The job is very interesting but the volume of work is huge. I have yet to take on two of the major parts of the job, scheduling the operations waiting list and monitoring the outpatients clinics and am aware that there is not enough time in one week to do all aspects. Since joining, everyone, including management and my consultant have said it is a two person job. Having said that, the previous secretary came for a visit this week. She had a break down and is off on sick leave on medication. She did say though, that she wants to come back in about two weeks. I had mixed feelings as I am keen on part time work, but she indicated that she would only need an assistant and that it was her decision about what parts of the job she would keep and what she would hand over. Odd.
It turned out though that both my team leader and my consultant want to keep me. Good for the ego and the bank balance, but I have been thinking long and hard and will be honest with them both.

I would be more than happy to be part of a two man team as I can see how one could be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work. I really want a small amount of breathing space in my life at present. Full time work like this is a buzz, but it takes a while to settle when I get home and I need my energy for the family and for myself so that I can enjoy life, not live to work.

All of this seems pretty obvious, but like many people, I have a tendency to take on too much and end up feeling wretched. This is the perfect chance to start the way I want to continue and maybe we can all be happy?

Saturday 22 May 2010

Things going on recently

 

Adam in concert, the girls in Yo! Sushi, Camden angel, gardens at Penhurst, Zoe and Francoise, iris in the garden, things on Bosley...Hannah's birthday cake...a few months late. Em and Emma, naughty cake in Lewes, Hannah's big shoe bag and with hair extensions.
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Bleary eyed

Writing a blog entry at 3 am! I miss the blogging, have loads of photos to put up and plan to do something about it over the weekend!
John is in Whitley Bay with his parents this weekend and Adam is away most of most weekends, so in theory, with fewer in the house there is more time to blog!
The weather has been hot and sunny, so the garden will need attention, we have two Japanese students arriving next Saturday, so the house definately needs attention, but watch this space for some pictures.

Sunday 9 May 2010

gardening...?


Not having to work on Saturdays is great! John and I had a little potter in Godstone, then lunch in a pub and a trip to a garden centre where we went a bit mad...He was in London today catching up with a friend from Singapore, so Em and I went to a boot fair, where I got a big planter for the cucumbers and a tea towel..I am a sucker for linen! We then did a grocery shop and I finally got to plant some things out. I made a 'hot house' for the tomatoes, planted lettuce, iceberg and various other leaves, peppers and some flowers. I also put a spirea in a pot at the front door. The Japanese name is Snow Willow, (yuki yanagi) very pretty and apt, with its drooping branches full of white flowers. There is still so much to do, but at least it was a start today.

Thursday 6 May 2010

one week

It is one week later and the work is intense and never ending. The learning curve is very steep. In my heart of hearts I did not want full time work and so I do this as well as I can, but feel as if I am counting the days until the old secretary returns in about a month (if she returns...)

The bit I love is the people bit. Everyone that comes across my desk is facing the worrying news that they MIGHT have a form of cancer. I speak to family and to patients. I am very much in awe of the men and women who treat them all.

Walking in to work today even though I have a lovely bright green nissan micra on the driveway. Very old, but such a delight to drive....we call it the frog!