What a Day

Hope everyone had a fun filled weekend! I know I did. I was invited to a theme party on Saturday, a Purple Party. Who invited you are wondering? Well let me tell you. I go to a small town once a week to do assessments, check up on the recreation assistant and recreation aid and take care of any recreation related business/concerns. So it happens that one of the SLP (speech language pathologist) recently moved here from Manitoba for work. That's who invited me and how we met. I didn't know I could tell so much in one sentence. Anyways, she wanted to throw a theme party after seeing a bunch of people all dressed in white for a birthday party at the bar one night. It was an interesting offer so I said I would come. Who am I kidding, I never have plans on the weekends but I had to make it seem like I wasn't desperate to hang out with people on a Saturday night. :P It was nice to meet new people and drink with other people. I hate drinking alone!

So the theme of the night was purple, hence the Purple Party. I was looking through my closet and I realized I have nothing purple. Time to head to the mall! I was surprised at how many purple shirts there were at different stores. Lucky me! It was a good party for sure. Everyone was talking with everyone, everyone had at least one piece of clothing that was purple, and the hostess did a good job planning and organizing. We decided to head to a bar afterward and that was... something else. I felt like I was back in university and crammed like sardines cause everyone wanted to be inside or close to the door cause it was freezing outside. Not to mention, the average age was probably 20... give or take 2. Just getting inside, I had to wait for people to leave so they could let new people in. I can't complain cause there was no cover charge or charge for coat check.

The bar was packed and the music was decent. Your typical dancing music. The crowd that went from the party found a section where the pool table was, few steps down from the main area so it was pretty much like having a VIP section for us. People playing pool, dancing, drinking... for some people a little too much. I spotted couple of people sitting and their heads dropping. The same guy actually lost his jacket, well he didn't... it just wasn't at coat check. I wonder if they found it cause it was coooooold! Damn the wind hurt, especially when the wind carries snow and hits you in the face.

That was my weekend... well just the Saturday. Sunday I went to a baby shower for one of my coworkers who recently had twins. The twins are so cute! A boy and a girl. It was good to see my coworker again and was good to see she was doing well. IVF is a wonderful thing.

Work was work. Another Monday.  It's crazy how every culture has different traditions when it comes to dealing with deaths. One of the residents passed away in the early morning and he was of Cree background. I didn't know this until I looked it up but the Cree hold a 4 day mourning period where family and friends come visit the deceased and share stories to one another. You would think they would put the deceased in casket but no he was just in bed sheets up to his shoulders. It just looked like he was sleeping. I only know cause I was walking passed the room to get to my unit and I was wondering why there were so many people around this room. I was thoroughly surprised to see him just lying there so peacefully and people around him. Now if they hold this for 4 days... I just can't see that being approved by the managers of the facility. A lifeless body left alone in bed for 4 days without being prepared... I just can't imagine how the body will look or the smell. The residents on the unit were already acting unusual and I don't want to think how much more unusual the residents can get.

The things I encounter at work. It's definitely a learning experience. I am going to miss this resident who passed away. I used to do my best to speak Cree to him and learn but he would just laugh at me while repeating the words I probably butchered. He was a fun man to be around, even though near the end of his life he didn't look well physically, I knew inside he was still doing ok cause I could make him smile and sometimes laugh when I would greet him in Cree every time I saw him. R.I.P.

I wasn't going to blog today but I knew if I didn't I wouldn't do it tomorrow or on Wednesday and it'll just become a bad habit. So here I am blogging to keep it going for another day. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Pay Day

Yes! It's pay day! In about an hour, the balance of my bank account will increase only to see it decrease again after bill payments. Argh, why are bills so annoying? Can't live without them and can't live with them. Actually I guess you can live without them. In that case I better cut back on internet, cable television, cellphone, car payment... OR I can just win the lottery. How great would that be! Wishful thinking, wishful thinking.

If anyone has any other ways to save money... leave a comment.

Short blog today.

Hump Day!

The good thing about a short work week is well... its a short work week. The bad thing about a short work week is my days get all confused and messed up. I had to think twice... well maybe few times before I realized it was Wednesday today. Near the end of the day, I was talking to a coworker and I was going to say "Have a good weekend" cause she works part time and doesn't work Fridays or Mondays and I had to catch myself. My coworker just looked at me funny and laughed and said "You know I'll see you tomorrow, I do work on Thursdays." But now I'm all caught up with my days... I hope! Tomorrow is Thursday right?!

It's Wednesday and that only means one thing... ULTIMATE! My one and only hardcore exercise of the week. Running around with 4 other people trying to catch a frisbee. Sounds silly? Maybe. Sounds fun? Of course! Its a good cardiovascular workout and you get to meet new faces. As I play every week, my stamina is getting better and my muscles aren't as sore as last week. Yay for muscle memory! Its been good turn outs lately... although I can only speak of last week and today but I've heard good things in terms of players showing up. I do have to admit my ultimate skills are declining. What a sad thing to happen to such a young guy with so much potential. Ha Ha

Hope everyone is enjoying a short week this week and hopefully I'm not the only one whose days were out of whack. There's got to be one other person out there! Show yourself!

Reality Check

At work I deal with a lot of emotions through family member and/or through the residents, patients, or clients directly. Today reality hit me. As I was talking to one of my patients, she had a card from her neighbour and long time friend. Well before I start I should explain the type of people I encounter on a daily basis without giving out too much detail. I work with people, seniors mostly, who can not live independently due to various factors (i.e. dementia, danger to themselves, danger to others, aggressive behaviours, etc). So my job as a Recreation Therapist is to work with them to improve their quality of life and to help them gain their independence through their recreation and leisure interests.

So that being sad, back to my point. One of my residents had received a card from her neighbour and good friend and she started to read it to me. It was a very touching letter which in the end brought tears to this resident's eyes and felt ashamed cause she was getting emotional over a stupid card. But one part of the card read something like this:

 I hope you are doing well and we miss you very much. This past week I went to one of our dear friend, ______'s, funeral. It was a nice funeral but I miss her. Next week will be my 86th birthday and in the coming months yours. You're catching up to me in age. ha ha Next time I'm in the city, I will make sure to come visit you.

Now those are not the exact words and I do admit my memory was a little fuzzy recalling this portion of the letter but it reaches the same emotion, I think. So it got me thinking... 50 years from now, would I still be in contact with my close buddies? Would I be writing letters to them if I knew they were in a facility getting treatment cause of their memory loss or their uncontrollable behaviours due to dementia? Or would they write or visit me if I was in that situation. I would hope so and I would definitely visit or at least write. After all they are my friends and if our friendship lasts until we are 80, I think I would be entitled to check up on them and see how they were doing in their time of loneliness and need. I would want the same.

My job isn't always fun and games as most people would like to believe. I admit, I do have fun for the most part but there's the other part where reality hits and hits hard. Working with seniors, especially those with dementia, has given me a new appreciation on life and on this specific population. I wish more people would embrace them instead of neglecting them. There are many of us who embrace them but just as many people who do not. Our population in general is getting older, so lets slow down, get down on our knees and listen to their life stories.

Guess who?!

So after months and months of being away from blogging I thought I would start up again. I have had few friends ask me why I stopped and the truth is... I just stopped. A lot has happened while I have been gone. It's been 1 year since I moved to Grande Prairie, Alberta for work, I got a car, and well that's just about it.

How do I sum up months and months of blog material in one post? I'm not sure. Maybe I'll make a list or do point form or make a power point presentation and upload it (if that's even possible). Or I'll just make those who actually read my blog to just ask me instead of wasting time typing everything and having no one read it. So for those who know me, just ask me how I've been doing! I'll be waiting.

I was briefing looking over my previous posts and I noticed that I have more pictures of the meals I've cooked since my last post. I don't have the memory card with me now so I'll just have to upload and post them later. Ok I lied, my camera bag is just few feet away from me, I'm just feeling lazy and not very motivated right now. But let me tell you folks, I've cooked some pretty amazing meals. From Christmas turkey dinner to a beef roast. My mouth is watering as I talk about it now (and as I edit/proof read). You just wait people, pictures are worth a thousand words or a thousand drooling mouths and growling stomachs.

So I'm having an ADHD moment. I shouldn't blog while watching television. Or doing anything else. Maybe that's why I haven't blogged for so long, blogging hasn't been a top priority or I'm always doing something else and blogging just slips my mind. Hopefully this isn't the only time I blog in months again and I can keep it going like I did when first started this thing.

So wish me luck folks and maybe, just maybe, I'll be logging on tomorrow. We shall see!