Wednesday, May 28, 2008

And don't forget the turtle...

    Today, which actually started yesterday(in the clock confused world of midnight shifts) had a few bumps in the road that really ticked me off.  Then doing something nice for someone resulted in some amazing sights.  I'm alittle "loopy" as the mood window indicates, so if this doesn't make sense, I'll have to just plead that for me(today) it's the middle of the night in the middle of a gorgeous day.  Huh???  Let me explain the situation.  I'm a day person, have trouble sleeping past daylight in the normal course of things.  Right now though, I'm working some midnight(8pm-8am) shifts that have my sleep cycles all messed up.  Usually after a  midnight shift, I nap a couple hours and then am up for the rest of the day.  Today though, I need to sleep as I have another midnight shift tonight.  But I'm not sleepy, it's a beautiful May afternoon, so here I am with a case of insomnia.  Anyway, back to the story. 

    I worked last night and was supposed to be relieved at 6:30am by the day shifter so that I could go to another client for a 2 hour shift from 7-9am.  This was all arranged, confirmed, and expected.  6:30 comes and no day girl.  6:45 and I'm on the phone to the on-call to find out what happened.  No clue, she can't get the day shifter on her home phone, well no, she's already left so that she can be here by 8am.  ::sigh::  I explained that I was due 15 miles away at 7am and told the on-call that I'd call the client, make apologies, and find out if she wants me to come late(which I know she won't) letting the on-call off the hook from talking to the client when she really has no idea what is going on.  Confused yet?  I am...  I made the call, confirmed that 7-9am wouldn't want me to come, apologized over and over, and called on-call to cancel the shift.  I waited for 8am and the day shift girl arrived on time.  No, she didn't have any clue that she was supposed to be here at 6:30am. (heavy sigh now)   The client(12 hour shift) needed someone to go pick something up for them and didn't know how they were going to arrange it, so I volunteered to go on the errand as the store opened at 8am.  I had nothing else to do, I'd lost my other shift. 

    It's a beautiful, sunny, cool morning.  I'm traveling south on Old-27 and all of a sudden a shadow comes from behind, over the front of the car.  I look up and spy a bald eagle, maybe 25 feet in the air, swoop to my right toward the watershed area and down to find some breakfast.  What a sight!  Not 50 yards past there, I look to my right and see a pair of great blue herons standing in the marsh grasses, maybe looking for their own breakfast.  A mile past there are the osprey nests, up in some treetops, but visible from the road.  A couple of them were occupied, the birds just sitting there watching the world go by.  Okay, time to take a few deep breaths, contemplate the wonders that surround me.  As I pass the duck crossing signs, I think about the sight of mama duck and 6 or 8 little ducklings wadddling across the road, stopping traffic as the more important occupants of the road.  I smile!  I completed my errand and on the way back spotted the osprey, still nesting, the herons still in the same spot, a couple pair of ducks dunking for their breakfast, and there on the side of the road, a sight that should warrant another of those nature crossing signs.  A huge turtle.  That's right, in the gravel on the side of the road, sunning himself, a turtle about 10-12 inches round.  Okay, I get the message!  Drop off the stuff, go home eat breakfast and think about what you've just witnessed-the miracle of life as it goes on around your crappy morning.  ::Sigh of wonder this time::

    So here I am at 3 in the afternoon suffering from the insomnia of a day person working midnight shifts.  I'm going to go try to nap.  Have a wonder-filled afternoon...

                                   ~Thanks For Stopping By~   

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You were granted a miracle, glad you enjoyed it no matter how wieid the other stuff was! I'm a morning person too so I understand loopy on late shifts.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you were given such gifts of unsuspected beauty on a day when you truly needed it.  Sometimes the larger miracles of life remind us of the smaller ones.

I'm a night owl, myself...  I sometimes think I could work the night shift with no problem and sleep half the day away.  But then I think about how wasted that time would be, and I think better of it!

Hope you found some rest along the way.

Michelle

Anonymous said...

hi there; first time (I think) that I'm commenting in your journal; I just loved this entry with all the wonderful things you saw when your day took an unexpected turn! I bet you remember this day for a very long time!

(I'm the same as you, a morning person, those midnight shifts of yours would be so hard to do; hang in there)

betty

Anonymous said...

You are so thoughtful and you care so much.  It is a pity that not everyone can be like you and look after these people.  You always seem to see neat wildife and such where you are.  That would make me happy, nature is so important to envigor one's self.  Hope that everyone will get their stuff together so there won't be anymore confusion.  Have a happy Thursday.  Luv ya!

Allison

Anonymous said...

Awww... the herons and ducklingsand turtle... totally got me...  how cool for you to see them all!  I am sorry about your shift mix up though!

be well,
Dawn

Anonymous said...

I just recently started blogging. I to do homecare. From what I read of your blog you are with an agency and do homecare. You havent been on in awhile.The last I read you and your husband were going to take a trip in Aug.
I hope your back on soon. I emjoy reading your blogs. I recently lost my dad and started reading to help clear the mind at night. Take care