Dealing with... road construction, bedpans, and the NOC shift...

I'm awake... barely. The city picked the perfect time to begin road construction. They started on Tuesday. This is ironic, because I worked all weekend, and worked both jobs on Moday; so, I was working from 7am to 11pm. What is that? Sixteen hours? I can't complain, I asked for it. But, I can complain about road construction. Exhuasted by Monday night, I fell into bed by midnight, relishing in the fact that I could SLEEP IN on Tuesday, because I only worked the one job. Right. As luck would have it (my luck anyway), I was rudely jarred awake by the road construction crew at ten to six in the morning. Loud booms rattled the windows and shook the house as the asphalt was broken up and scooped into dump trucks. I stared blearily at the clock, wondering if we were having an earthquake. Okay, so I was confused. An earthquake in Wisconsin? I realized what it was when when the bulldozer backed up, its safety backing alarm hooting like a deranged owl. Doooooot, doooooot, dooooot, dooooooooooooot... *ARGHHHHHH!!!!* I pulled my pillow over my head, but the annoying sound persisted; penetrating the pillow and viciously attacking my senses.

Now the dog was awake. Thank you very much. He doesn't want to sleep in. I take him out. He barks. I stand on the steps, waiting for him, and then realize what I look like. My eyes are red and puffy and I have those nice dark circles under them from lack of sleep, and my hair (that I haven't had time to comb yet) is still a wild mane. I go back inside. The dog barks. I give up on the dog, and go back to bed. Let him bark. No one will hear him over the construction racket anyway. I pull the pillow around my ears and try to go back to sleep.

I can't get used to the construction crew... but I am getting used to the NOC shift (noc = nocturnal). Its a pretty quiet job, mostly cooking and cleaning for the following day, and helping residents in the night with Bathroom calls, giving out meds, and making the occasional midnight snack. And charting everything, always charting. Charting, charting, charting - that's probably the biggest part of the job. Good thing I like writing...

More to come later... got to go for now. :P