Thursday on the bench

Good morning all (Cathy)!

(Carolin) Good evening Benchers, let me start with Cathy I changed your colour as Louise is BLUE. I know we haven't heard from her in awhile, but I am hopping that will change as soccer season has got to be over soon. Right Louise??? Also I am looking forward to your BBQ Cathy this Sunday and a chance to catch up with Louise and her kids. I think I will make a Strawberry Rhubarb pie, I know it is more a spring thing but pie just feels more like a fall/winter dessert. Not that I am rushing it but you know Fall is my favourite. Also I have lots of Rhubarb in the freezer and I was going to make one for my neighbour. So if I am doing one I might as well do two. (Sunshine) Yes, strawberry rhubarb is one of my favourites. I will be bringing as per Cathy's request salad and some appetizers. I will also be bringing a pack of hot dogs for anyone who would like some. U'm I guess I should firstly ask Cathy what should I bring and secondly besides the pie what else would you like? As it looks like Sunshine is bringing enough for all the benchers.

Today is a busy day. I am thinking of Carolin as she starts work! If you have been following her posts on finding a job, you will know that today Carolin is at the school providing a lunch for the staff. It will be a good trial run for her. Her teenager is helping her today and I know 'lunch' will be a great success! Congratulations, Carolin! What a day, as you can tell by the time (10:00 PM) I have been a little busy. Lets start with this morning, I have to clear up the teenager did not help me after all but the husband came and helped. When I asked the teenager to change out of her little shorts and put on black pants with a burgundy shirt (my chosen uniform) or something close to it. She refused and said what she had on was fine. As I am the boss, this is my first day kinda, and I am working in a private christian school, the little shorts were not I felt appropriate. So I had to fire her before she even started. I did do it gently something along the lines of "if you choose not to wear the uniform then I will not be able to use your services today" or something like that. Lets say she didn't take it as gently as I said it. She decided that since she created the advertising poster (which are great) they technically belong to her. So I was not aloud to hang them at the school. Don't you just want to hug and kiss the girl! That is just too much drama for your first day on the job. Sorry but at the same time I was laughing out loud at the interaction between you and your teenager as I can picture it playing out in my mind.


So anyway the husband and I went and things went pretty smoothly. I was short about 6 bowels of soup. but we had enough bread, buns, meats and toppings. I was amazed at how much hot peppers rings we went through. The staff seemed pretty excited about having a sandwich bar in school. And I had a lot of questions about logistics. I really pushed the preorder/pay idea as I understand that lunch time is very short (for staff I think it is about 25 minutes). After lunch and we cleaned up, we came back home put stuff away and then the husband went to work and I took the little one back with me to the school. She talked to her teacher and was able to get a bottom locker which is what she has wanted as she has a hard time reaching the top locker hook. And then we spent hour cleaning and organizing the kitchen. Clearing out unnecessary stuff and making sure everything was washed down and ready for Wednesday. The first day of school is Tuesday but I will start Wednesday as the first day is a crazy day and also an early release day. Also on a personal not the teenager has a doctor appointment as her throat is bothering her and one of her tonsils is touching that hanging thing at the back of her throat. And the little one has a orthodontist appointment to try and get the retainer in one more time. I guess that the first day of school will be a very busy one. My teenager is getting ready for school and today she was playing basket ball with her sister and her father and she ended up hurting her ankle. We went to 2 walk in clinics. The first one closed at 3:00 today because of an illness and although I was there at 2:15 the doctor was not taking anyone else as they thought that they would not even get through the pile of people waiting as it was. The second was closed and would reopen at 3:30 but we had an orthodontist appointment at 4:00. So off to the orthodontist we went to try and get in early. They did see her a little earlier and they changed some wires and attached some other braces on specific teeth to the wires. Needless to say when we left she was hopping and had a soar mouth.

I then decided to go back to the second clinic. We went and there was already a line up at 3:30 but I signed her in and we sat and waited. In the mean time Mr. Sunshine and her younger sister went to Carolin's house to borrow a pair of crutches (thanks Caroline). It was about 4:15 at the clinic and the doctor had not shown up yet and no one could reach him on his pager. At this point I made a decision to take her to emerge. at the hospital.

She got out of the car at the hospital and tries on the borrowed crutches but they didn't really work for her. I decided to go and get a wheel chair instead and gave the crutches back to Mr. Sunshine. We went to stand in line and a security guard gave us a number. Emergency was packed and we had number 48. I asked the security guard if he knew of an after hours clinic that I had heard of. He told me that it depended on the injury. I told him about the ankle. He took my number and told me that I was lucky. He told me to head over to the fracture clinic as they had just opened at 4:30 and they would see us there.

Well I started to quickly wheel her over to that end of the hospital but she wanted to wheel herself over. I told her that she could practice later once we were registered but she stopped the chair with her hands and her one good foot and I could not budge her. She said that she was not moving unless she could wheel herself over. I looked at her and looked at the lady in the hall way who was staring at us and smiling. I said fine and started walking. Well she was not going to straight and was heading towards the wall and then she said OK you can push me. Teenagers (that's why I was laughing earlier at Carolin because I was thinking of my own experience today).

Anyways the fracture clinic took us immediately as there was only one person in front of us. The doctor saw us and sent us for x-rays. We came back from x-ray and the x-rays themselves were already sent to the computer in the fracture clinic. The doctor looked at them and told us that she had a nice ankle and that it was not broken. She apparently has a very nasty sprain which will take at least a month to heal (what is it with ankle sprains this summer?). He told her to take it slow and they put a tensor bandage around her ankle and gave her a set of crutches. We were in and out in 1 hour flat. Even the doctor commented to the nurse on how efficient they were in this clinic. He was amazed that the e-rays were pulled up on the computer without him even asking for them. He said that this service would spoil him as the other departments are not as efficient. The first day at her new school will be very interesting as she hops along on one foot with crutches. (I feel so bad for her). From experience she shouldn't need the crutches by then. I think I only used them for two days. And then walked very slowly after that for about a week. Just so you know it has been about 6 weeks since my fall and the ankle is still sore (if I have been on it a long time) and still swollen. I am told it could take up to three months to heal. So be careful and try to keep it elevated and maybe some ice. Which I never seem to do.


Today, my sons and I are meeting Hubby downtown for lunch. We have spent a lot of time this week buying a few clothes and supplies for school. We have also been to the highschool to receive timetables and locker assignments. We still need to go by the junior high school to check on the teacher for the younger one as well as his bus schedule. My teenager won't get any of those things until the first day of school, she is a little nervous. The teenager went on Monday for registration and locker, timetable stuff. She doesn't share any class' with the Dilbert (boyfriend) but they do share the same spare (please pray that homework gets done at that time like she has told me it would) She also got her work schedule and will be working Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings as a head guard. Hopefully she pass the HG course before hand! She also has arranged to teach a young girl privately on Mondays during a public swim for one hour. Between school, work and band practices she should be darn busy. We will have to keep an eye on her make sure she doesn't exhaust herself.

It figures that this week the weather is great, not that I'm complaining. I'm trying to enjoy every last minute of it. We have stayed up late the past few nights and I'm not looking forward to 'back to routine time.' When I got home from the school I was so hot I went in the shower first thing. Then had to speed dress as I heard Mr. Sunshine in my entrance. I will let Sunshine explain why her husband was at my house. Lets just say it is never a dull moments around here. Mr. Sunshine went by to borrow a pair of crutches from Carolin.

I hope everyone had a good summer and I wish everyone the best for the start of our fiscal year.
I am assuming we will blog when we are all together on Sunday. I remembered to take a picture of my new sink. Don't you just love it!

I must say that although I don't get as excited as you do over kitchen equipment, that is one gorgeous sink. Have a great last few days of summer. I look forward to seeing all you girls on Sunday (thanks again Cathy).

(Louise) Good Morning everyone........Friday morning that is..........

So we are all getting ready for back to school????? I don't even want to think about it.......More changes........daycare.....yuck! Two different schools......a pain in my ass........but I know it will all work, it's just getting in the routine of it.

Sorry ladies, but I won't be attending this Sunday. Cathy I'm sorry.

Well I'm being hailed yet again by a screaming child............... School is actually starting to look good!