I got a flu shot today. It gave me a headache but it will keep the flu away so the tradeoff seems fair. Especially this year when we have a tiny little itty bitty baby girl in the family that we all are charged with protecting. It struck me as I waited to get poked in the arm though, how lucky we are to have capable, dedicated nurses in our lives. Trained and ready to assist in emergencies, in surgeries, as doctors assistants and for routine, yet still important work like giving flu shots.

A big part of what I really like about my job is that I work for a public, non-profit, utility. I like that our product is power and water — true products that affect your quality of life. I like that we don’t make any profit from our sales. I like that we work to make a real difference in our customers lives every day. Its a warm and fuzzy part of what I do. And I think my work is important. I like communications and I think, done right, they can make most things run better, or at least, smoothly.

But I’m never going to save a life. I can never make anyone well from what I do, mend them in any way or help keep them safe from disease. I also don’t have to watch anyone die or clean up wounds or set broken bones. And no mistake I make will ever affect someone’s health in any kind of negative way. It’s a lot of responsibility to take on. I love that nurses are willing to do it.

Now to the other matter, yes, you read it right — I am back to packing again! What a great problem though considering its because I’m going on another cruise! Man do I have a good life. This time its our annual weekend “cruise to nowhere” which goes very slowly from Seattle to Victoria Canada to Nanaimo (what happens in Nanaimo stays in Nanaimo!) This will make four years in a row that both Tina (that’s her in the photo. Fun note: she grew up in England) and I have made the trip and each year there are a wide variety of different people along. First year it was Glen and me and Tina and her now ex-husband. The next year there were 14 of us which was great fun. Last year it was Glen and seven women and we all had a blast (most especially Glen!) And this year it is going to be me with Mitzi sharing a cabin and Tina with her ex-sister-in-law-but-still-good-friend, Lynn. I think we all plan to do not much of nothing except nap, read, spa, drink, eat, nap, and laugh, laugh, laugh!

Okay, enough for now. Make healthy choices everyone. Get a flu shot. Spend your weekend laughing till it hurts!