The JOB

I am about to wrap up my fourth week back to work and I am still liking it! When it is sunny I ride my bike (so far no balance problems) and I get there at 8 and then ride my bike back home at noon and have lunch with Bob and from there each day differs! I should say that even at work each day is new and exciting. Let's look at this week for example...Monday I reviewed a couple set of plans, Tuesday I went to Lincoln City with my supervisor to inspect a dialysis clinic, Wednesday I went to state training for new managers (in my title, I don't supervise anyone though) and today I started reviewing an Oncology clinic. The co-worker I share an office with has been on vacation the last two weeks so it has been even quieter than normal (there are only 5 of us total, 3 of us on the 2nd floor). I quickly lose track of time and find the morning flies by. I don't have a badge yet because they really aren't necessary in our department, but I do have my motor pool rental card. I have a state ID number, my own phone number and starting August 1, new health insurance and a first paycheck. The 8-noon schedule lets me make my lunch meetings for the AIA and Housing Committee and two weeks ago it meant we left earlier than traffic to spend our anniversary in Sunriver (9 years, can you believe it?). I still don't have all of the details for my maternity leave and we need to crunch some numbers to see if taking 3 months off will work. It sure would be nice, but in any case, I'll still only be working 4 hours a day so I hope that makes it easier to go back. Bob has less than a month now until his classes start up and he is still working his tail off to wrap up the dissertation.

Always wear your helmet!

On June 30th, Bob went mountain biking with Spencer and some guys on a new trail. I went to dinner and was running errands with my sister when I get a text message from Bob's phone that read "Spencer here, call Bob's phone when you have a chance." Small panic begins on my part. At this point I am now at Winco and my phone starts to ring, I answer but cannot clearly understand Spencer. What I do understand is that Bob is headed to Good Samaritan's in Corvallis and I need to meet them there, but he is okay. Okay? What does that mean? So my sister graciously offers to accompany me to Corvallis and proceeds to find directions and start texting Spencer for more info, she calls our mom, I call Bob's mom and then she tries to just keep me calm on the way there. We enter the Emergency area, I sign a form and then we are shown back and told what curtian/room he is in. As I wander through I think, "No major problems here people are in slings, sitting up etc." Not Bob. I get to room 14 and see his feet and a sheet covering him and tears begin to fill my eyes. I walk over to his side and he has a neck collar on(because they did a scan of his head) and I reach out and touch his shoulder because he still has blood running down his face and I don't want to try to kiss any thing that might hurt more (as it turns out the shoulder I chose was one with a big scrape, but he didn't say anything because the look on my face nearly broke his heart.) We've now been married nine years and in that time neither of us has seen the other in the ER, we've had minor injuries or surgeries, but this was different, this was not planned. By now it is close to 10pm. Everyone is tired, Bob and Spencer are starving, we're still waiting for results of the scan so the collar stays on, but everyone is in good spirits. Once the scan comes back and everything is fine, the collar comes off, Bob's brother and our nephew came in for a visit and then Spencer left for home. Now it is time for stitches (and Bob thought the collar was uncomfortable!) We don't know how many there were, a couple here and there and then 'bunches' was what the guy with the thread said. I couldn't watch. Around 11pm things are wrapping up, the doctor has given me paper work and they are checking Bob out. We gather his cracked helmet and slowly walk out to the car, a small, but very welcome miracle.

Last Friday Bob went back to have the stitches removed, because they do it for free after your trip in there! He is healing nicely and doesn't seem to be suffering from any long term concussion symptoms. He is sporting a goatee because he can't shave around the stitched area as it heals. His knees are almost bandage free and he has a new helmet, because he'll be back out there in 2 weeks.