Before I finish this, I may think of a better title, but it is about situations, and there's some humor, though not with as much belly shaking, and tears on your chin, as with daughter, Bev's "Little Red Hen" at "Scratchin' The Surface."

Having two days off began almost gently, as I poured more coffee, and made an errand list. I would mail a package of pretty little items for her granddaughter, in care of Barb at "A Chelsea Morning".The post office already had a line of eight or ten restless people, none of whom smiled much as they waited, and more arrived and lined up after me. Finally, it was my turn, but I couldn't hear the clerk try to talk with me, because suddenly a woman rushed right in, and before the next waiting person could hurry to the counter, she pounced in front of him.

Another thing I planned doing after leaving the post office, was making sure I bought corned beef, and all you cook with it. Just because my family's grown doesn't mean I can't have all of it I want to. That's the reason God called me a "Mc". I'm suppose to, and it almost got me in trouble while I was in the Post Office, but I wisely didn't say anything to the woman who crashed the long waiting line.

She was so worked up she was yelling, complaining about a letter not getting somewhere on time, and it was obvious she wanted a chunk out of the poor postal clerk's behind. I could feel the line's anger and impatience with her, and wondered if this was what caused crowds to do crazy things that could hurt or kill people. After the clerk told the woman I don't know how many times that he couldn't do anything about her letter, she stormed out, and that's when the crowd had plenty to say about her. Suffice it all to end this postal situation by simply saying I can't repeat any of their comments here.

After my package was on its way to Barb's, the next stop was the grocery store. People there seemed hurried, and sometimes not very polite, but perhaps I was still dealing with the post office fallout.

At the corned beef bin, another shopper and I dug through many packages of it. The biggest day of the year for this feast demands that we find a good cut of the meat. Part of the display bin was kind of empty, so I tossed my rejects there, and pretty soon the other customer joined right in. I checked to see if anyone was watching, then really slammed a couple of them. From the way she also threw them, I kind of wondered if something started her day off badly too.

I did more shopping for things around the house, but by the time I got home, didn't want to cook, or do laundry, or much of anything else. Had hoped to trim and rake some flower beds, but another snowfall cancelled that.

Tomorrow I might do more, but the rest of this called to me to take it easy. In the back of my mind, I knew I was thinking of big changes that are planned where I work. Even after I crawled into bed, until sleep took over, I kept thinking about it, but at least no one was angry and yelling, like at the post office, nor throwing corned beef around.

Sometimes even family may think I make decisions without more completely checking related details. But the more I get to know me, the more I realize I deal with things by letting them ferment, not in the way I make daily decisions, but more like my Granny used to heat her old metal irons. She would set the two of them on the back of the stove, and while she used one, the other was heating. That's kind of how my thought process works. This morning as I got out of bed I knew what I needed to do.

So far, it involves two other nursing homes where I've worked before. So I do have some things to compare to. If I stay where I'm working now, I will have to learn three more larger groups of patients and their needs. Nursing staff won't be assigned to particular units, but will work wherever management puts them. Even if this big change had not come about, I was considering working closer to home, and the higher gas gets, the more I think about it. That long drive home after shifts that keep you there even longer sometimes is a challenge, especially when the snow blows sideways.

Considering that staying where I am is almost like beginning a new job, I think I have figured it out, and this came about loud and clear, as I sat in the lobby of one of the other places, filling out a new application. Across from me I noticed an almost quiet little lady who is a resident there. A younger person was busy playing card games with her. I noticed the cards had large numbers on them. It was easy to see she was quite serious about getting the game rght.

Then I realized a year or two before I was taking care of her. She liked a certain kind of candy, little pieces wrapped in papers which her family made sure she always had. After supper she would hurry to her room where she listened to "talking books". While others showed little intrest in much of anything, she kept using her mind, and seeing her so intent about a card game was probably, except for throwing the corned beef, the most interesting thing I experienced all day.

You'd think I would have figured this out many years ago: I can take care of people like her anywhere I go. I think family will also tell you,(maybe even give examples) that I usually do things on a big scale, and they'd be right. After I finished filling out that application, I knew my next step would be another nursing home, one that's even closer. Whoever calls first from them gets me. The applications go into many details, as they should. I completed that one, and decided that's enough for this day.


I still needed carrots, celery and new potatoes to go with the corned beef, so back to the grocery store. Once there, might as well check its day old breads and breakfast rolls off in a corner of the bakery area. Two other customers were already there, so I somehow ended up with them between me and an escape route, which I quickly realized I would need. Both of them talked without either really listening, and it was all about physical ailments. Each one's diaster story outdid the other's. I had to get out of there, but when I tried getting my buggy where I could, the lady poked her arm almost right under my face to show me some miraculous surgery she'd survived. Let me tell you, taking care of the little people at the nursing home is comforting compared to listening to sickly entranced strangers. I was so surprised at how they went on and on, I just threw some of those not iced donuts, and some croissants in my cart, and as soon as I got the chance, without being too rude, hurried out. As I left, the lady was still listing her medical experiences.

Pulling into my driveway I noticed the young boy neighbor who so impressed me last summer. Another one about his age was with him. They'd been throwing something on the hard pavement, to crack it, or maybe just to hear the noise. Sometimes kids just need more to keep them busy. I was so hungry, and wanted to start the corned beef cooking, but the boys were full of things they just had to express, and they sure sounded more interesting than the two hypochondriacs trying to drown out each other.

One of the boys showed me how he could break up old combination locks. By striking them real hard, the tiny pieces would tumble out. A kid's got to have something to feel accomplishment about.

But then the other one showed me how he could make my car light shine, or not, by touching my door lock that should be working, but still isn't. I didn't really yell at the little guy, but I did speak loud enough to convince him to not mess with my already broken lock.

When I got inside the house I was so determined to call some time my own. The herd mentality at the post office, and those two socially needy people at the store had just about used up my benevolent attitude.

Tomorrow I'll be back at work, and maybe soon, orienting other nursing units somewhere. I am pretty certain work for me to do is around. I do need to help it settle down some, and when it does, perhaps I should work on my social life.