Yeaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

*My* holiday just started this morning. I have a WEEK off work. I am sipping a glass of Viognier and munching pretzels and hot smoked paprika dip.

There is plenty of work to be done to get ready for our party on the 12th, and shopping to be done for Christmas yet, but just knowing I DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO THAT HOLE UNTIL NEXT WEDNESDAY is a pretty damn good thing.

After my second Blood Bank Emergency Room trauma cooler in 10 days, that is just about enough, people. Last week in the wee hours of Tuesday, a guy decided to drive his car into a tree. The work went on for about 2 frantic hours to save his life until the family finally decided to let him go. It relieved us of wasting more unbelievable amounts of Blood Bank products. I know that sounds cold, but it was the truth. Tonight, apparently a woman was walking drunk beside the road and got hit by a car. Rumor had it she'd need both legs amputated. I didn't even waste time issuing a puny 2-unit trauma cooler we keep at the ready at all times. I had a few minutes early warning to run down the hall to the ice machine and grab a bag of ice to make a big cooler, since I guessed she'd be bound for one of our lovely operating rooms.

I guess we should be glad the hospital census is up, but we are NEVER glad to get this kind of work. Seriously.

'Tis the season for drunks, overdoses, suicides, icy car crashes...

Plus I beat my head on the bench half the night trying to work out a multiple antibody problem. I was nowhere nearer to solving it when I gave up than when I began. First shift has three Blood Bankers in the department...they can figure it out. Or send it to a reference lab.

But for now, I'm in that nice little zone between where I have yet to start roasting 14 pounds of chicken parts for Spatzen soup Saturday, and just-got-home-relaxing-a-few-minutes.