An AWESOME Friday

Work: Spent the morning with my old client, mopping up the aftermath of a particularly annoying "emergency" that we were all drawn into at the end of the day Thursday. It was something that was presented as a "Patient Care Issue", but wound up really being a report formatting issue that was VERY work-aroundable. The department in question likes to be the tail wagging the dog a bit, so we've got some work to do with them...

In the afternoon, I was encouraged to come out to the NEW client to see some workflows in action... So I got there and was told to "suit up" - an angioplasty was being done RIGHT NOW, so I got to see the procedure being done, and the software they use to document the procedure... and be in the middle of an OR, listening to the banter. It was a non-critical case, but there were some difficulties.

Afterward, one of the techs talked me through the whole procedure, what was happening, why there was a difficulty, what some of the terminology they used was. He was very helpful and patient, and I was on cloud NINE: IT WAS SO COOL to be in there. I suggested that I could REALLY help them out if I knew their workflows better, and now I have an open invite - anytime they're doing a procedure, I can get my lead apron on, wear a hat and mask, and watch the entire procedure.

THIS is the sort of this I was hoping for with this new gig - getting closer to patient care, seeing technology HELPING people. At the old client, I still love what I'm doing, but billing and receivables... I could just as easily be working for Target or something.

HOME: When I got home, Bella was READY TO GO. I had got a couple of phone calls during the day confirming my time for arrival: WHEN WOULD I BE HOME???? And why this urgency?

Friday was the day Bella was to get a BIKE. A two wheeler (with training wheels). The real deal. She was deliriously excited about the prospects.

We went to a small, locally owned bike shop and asked to see the kids bikes. (We had preshopped at Toys R Us the day before, with no luck - kids bikes can be nasty little things, covered with BRATZ and BARBIE and other things I don't even know about). The guy was very helpful... it turns out they don't carry any "toy bikes" - only real ones that Bella will be able to use for a few years. We sized her up to a 16" wheel bike, and she was able to climb on and off no problem, pedal, brake, steer, the whole shebang.

The bike is from "Electra", and is the same group that made OUR bikes, our supercool bikes. She picked a light BLUE bike with hawaiian flowers on it. And she rode it around the store, around the house, up the block... she was giddy with pride in her real bike. We got her a pink helmet (it coordinates nicely with the blue bike), and ordered up some tassles and a bell.

With all of the excitement, both kids were pretty late to bed (a midafternoon nap didn't hurt things - while I was watching balloons being fed into a lady's heart, they were snoozing...), and by the time Bella was out, it was well past 10, and we just plain... passed out.