Hey ya'll (I keep trying to come up with something different but usually
I am unsuccessful),
It is the first day of February about 2:30pm super bowl Sunday. While most
of you watch the game, here I sit in the ER-ONCE AGAIN-babysitting a drunk and
attempting to, as a former nurse used to say, "stamp out disease" on the few
folks trickling in. Back in inpatient as I write an Inupiat church group is in
the hall with a guitar singing gospel tunes as only the Inupiat can (don't tell
anyone, but I'm glad I'm down here). They do this on most Sunday's. Also every
Sunday an unknown lady calls in to bless us and thank us for what we do. See,
there are some perks for the staff.
It is minus 14 outside with the sky clear and no
wind. Cathy went out to camp Friday night and came back last night to wash
clothes. Patty called and said she was going out with them today on our new
machine. I told her to dress warm, pack a snack, some extra clothes, her .44
magnum, (all routine travel requirements) and to have fun. By the way, camp is
across the sound and up the Noatak river a ways. Cathy has made friends with a
local young man and his mother. They go out to a cabin almost every weekend and
just do chores and enjoy the day. This is the Keith camp and it is where the
widow of the man who was lost late last year and their children stay. It is not
an easy existence as everything has to be brought from town including fresh
water. Many folks up here choose this lifestyle including some Caucasians. The
last two days have been cold-minus 14-18 degrees-but absolutely beautiful. The
sun has been shining and there has been no wind. The air is just so clear it
seems like you could see all the way to Russia. Looking across the sound there
is an optical illusion of what looks like cliffs all along the mountains and
looking towards Russia across the frozen sea is the same illusion of a cliff
face miles away. Hopefully they will stay warm and have a good time. Yesterday
we towed the old machine to the firehall to thaw. I tried to work on it last
week but the throttle linkage was frozen in a solid block of ice. Hopefully we
can get it running and when we do it will make going out just the two of us more
feasible. With both of us on one machine we don't want to go to far in case of
trouble with the machine.
In a small bit of follow up from the last letter there was one more sudden
death, although this was an older man who died of a heart attack. He was the
former fire chief and his services are Tuesday. There are services tomorrow for
the young man who aspirated and we were unable to revive. There have not been
anymore suicides although we have had a few individuals in for suicidal
thinking-some with plans. My gut tells me it is just a matter of time but I can
pray I'm wrong.
I have gone and done it. I accepted a job with Public Health Nursing
here. I've been thinking of doing something different for a long time and
although it means a cut in pay, supposedly this is the up and coming thing in
Alaska. I am going to be the Kotzebue school nurse for a couple of hours a day
and maybe get a village or two for my own. Who knows, it's something different
and if I don't like it, I can always change to something else or come back into
the hospital. It will be easier for Patty and I as she is in human resources
and is responsible for the department I currently work in. This makes it
extremely difficult when either of us has a bad day and needs to vent (usually
me of course). Another benefit is it is an 8-5 job, Monday through Friday. For
the first time in our married life of 28 years we will both be off on Saturdays,
Sundays, and holidays together.
Well that's enough for now as the last letter was so recent and so long.
Take care all,
Carlo
PS I finished this letter after I got home from work around 8PM. I haven't a clue who won the super bowl but eventually I will find out. Patty is now home and nursing some swelling under both eyes and on her forehead. Yep, it appears she has been initiated. It appears to be frostbite.
For problems or questions regarding this web contact
carlo@samsicles.net
Last updated:
08/29/05