March 24 and March 25, 2010

The word for today, my lovely readers, is exhaustion.  The word for the day before is “sick” as in a cold.  The first is the normal state for this time of year; the second makes life…interesting.

When Michelle, the nurse, walked in yesterday, she saw me with a tissue pressed against my nose.  This is because my nose was doing its best to imitate a faucet.  Next thing I know, she’s calling the supervisor, hoping to have me go home.  Nope – they needed me there.  So, next best thing – lots of hand washing and a face mask.  Which I kept stuffed with a tissue, and every time I changed it or sneezed or whatever, I washed my hands again.

Mostly it was Mendyness, since we wanted two full weeks of pesach food for him – he started today.  I did most of the dairy – matzo brei, egg salad, tilapia (with and without “stuffing” – meaning mixed with soaked shredded matzo), cheese “lasagna”, tuna “quiche” and so on.  I made dinner for the others – baked tilapia, and mashed sweet potatoes.  There was also leftover soup.

Today, I continued to look like a misplaced surgeon, although I’m feeling a little better.  I made six meat loaves and a dozen pieces of chicken, and Mendy got chicken, stuffed chicken, beef, beef “lasagna” and stuffed turkey, as well as plain “quiche” and broccoli and spinach.  Oh, and gefilte fish and something for his seder (a half piece of machine matzah and a slice of gefilte fish).  At this point, all he needs from me is portioning cake, two more quiches and six baked tomatoes.  So that’s good. Oh, and egg salad because that’s already gone.

And, yes, this all took me a while. Not counting lunch, it was about five hours.  And tomorrow, I still have lots to do. Shabbos, yom tov – all tomorrow. 

Why do I still love this job?