Saturday 3 December 2011

Countdown 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

If I had not known differently I would have thought that yesterday was Friday 13th. We had a right day and a half of it at work. By yesterday lunch time my head was spinning and I do not think that I have ever been as glad to come home as I was last night. I know that the closer we get to Christmas the more manic Fridays will become.  Looking back to a year ago I wrote a post saying that I would not be doing this pre-Christmas holiday work stint again. Well that was what I thought at the time. The work situation has not quite gone to plan and it seems that I just cannot say 'no'. Anyway this really is the last time.

I now have four days left to work before I stop practising. I have been trying to stop practising for about two years now and have been putting off the fateful day for one reason or another. Now that the end is in sight I feel a bit sad. However, there is, now, no going back as I have taken myself off the register from 31 December. In any case I need to be realistic, standing up for eight hours a day is a young person's game. When I was younger I used to stand up all day at work then stand up all night in the pub. Nowadays I rarely get to the pub, even when I am not working. I shall miss the staff that I have worked with but I will not miss the patients. I can live without the hysterics, tantrums and theatricals that relatives and patients sometimes subject us to. Life will be quieter and a little less colourful, but that is how I prefer it. Professional ethics prevent me from going into more detail here.

Whether or not I am working it seems that my presence is going to be felt. Last week one of the assistants claimed to see me upstairs in the stockroom when I was actually downstairs in the dispensary. Even if work does not haunt me, I am going to be haunting work!

I am not quite sure what I am going to do with myself when January comes around, but one thing that is certain is that it will be different to what I have been used to. Before I get myself involved in anything whether paid or voluntary I intend to work my way through the list of jobs in the cottage that  have been ignored or left undone over the last 18 months.

If you are wondering what I have been up to since I last posted, I always struggle to find the time for my blog when I am working and husband is at home, which he is at the moment. Recently most of my spare time has been spent in the garden - weather and light permitting. Autumn is the best time to move plants, in the garden, while the soil is relatively warm after the Summer. Over the last few years we have missed this opportunity which has left us with a lot to do this year.
 


The other big job that we have also done was to take down a dead tree and prune a rather out of hand hawthorn hedge. This left us with a massive pile of prunings (right) to cut up and dispose of. What could not be cut up into logs or kindling for our open fires, was loaded into our garden waste bin and that of our neighbours for several collections.

12 comments:

Sandi McBride said...

So glad to see you! I know what you mean about garden clean up...we've been hard at it for weeks now and I feel as though I'm climbing a never ending hill...but it has to be done in order to have a beautiful and productive spring...don't overdo at the job JOB...they take advantage of good worker bees!
Sandi

GaynorB said...

I know what you mean about getting worn out at work more quickly the older one gets.

I don't really want to go into the pensions issue as we all have different opinions about it. I really can't see me being able to get to grips with about 150 different pupils, in a science lab, on a typical day when I am in my 60's. It's hard enough at the tender age of 55!!

Like you, I think I shall bow out gracefully while I still have the energy and mobility to bow ....

I hope you enjoy your last days at work.

With very best wishes.

Gaynor

mrsnesbitt said...

Oooooooooh enjoy your last few days at work - good stuff! Shame you can't come to my Craft evenings.

Maggie May said...

I don't know why everything seems so much harder as people age. I seem to take twice as long to do anything. You are really busy in the garden, though with some heavy work. How lovely to be able to do more of the things that you want to do when you finally pack up work. Not long now.
I wonder if you will do more blogging when you have more time. I find I don't as I tend to do other things instead.
Maggie X

Nuts in May

American in Bath said...

Yes, indeed glad to see you post! And glad that really you mean it this time. I hope you love love love your time off.

LindyLouMac said...

So much to do in the garden at this time of the year, I so agree! We had an absolute mountain of wood to deal with after our olive harvest!

the fly in the web said...

When I stopped working I wondered how I had ever had time to work...life seems to take over.

Carol said...

Well, best of luck with the last few days work...try and enjoy your time when you get it and don't work too hard on doing all those chores!

C x

Rob-bear said...

Ah; the mixed feelings of parting with one's employment. I understand that, having done it several times.

I do hope the future holds many interests for you. I'm sure the cottage will be one of those.

And who knows; perhaps you can do some some more concentrated writing.

Akelamalu said...

I thought I'd have lots of time when I retired, now I don't know how I found the time to work! :0

Heather said...

Please email me! I have a question about your blog :)
HeatherVonsj@gmail.com

Heather said...

Please email me! I have a question about your blog :)
HeatherVonsj@gmail.com