Asheville Adventures

Week 1 appears to be Orientation week for me at Mission.  My RD (Jodi) worked this past weekend so she had Tuesday (today) off.  Fortunately, I follow her schedule, so I drove the Blue Ridge Parkway after breakfast, and then before dinner, I found a section of the Mountain to Sea Trail and had a nice little trot in the woods.  In my usual fashion, I packed no long sleeve shirts or long pants (other than hospital clothes) which meant I sprinted from the front door to the car this morning because it was still under 45 degrees around 9:30am. 

Nothing interesting to report hospital-wise.  On Monday, I sat through the General Hospital Orientation and a sizable minority of the attendees were somehow connected to the Food and Nutrition Department.  Apparently, Mission contracts with Aramark for their food (patient and retail) and I met a manager and several Nutrition Care Representatives (UNCH would call them hosts/hostesses).  Tomorrow (Wednesday), I will begin the normal routine of arriving in the mornings, however, Jodi mentioned that I'm learning the computer system this week, and Cardiology begins Week 2.  I am curious to learn the Mission system because the department orientation binder's examples of "notes" was not in the Nutrition Care Process format (perhaps, SOAP notes?), and nothing is done on paper any longer.  It's all electronic medical records.  (The hospital CEO claimed that this switch was due to so many mis-reads caused by the MDs' messy handwriting.)

My neighbor, on the other hand, is worthy of reporting.  We hear everything that goes on around us because these condos have minimal (or non-existent) insulation.  I am currently listening to his techno CD through the wall.  The past hour, however, I was victim to his Mamma Mia soundtrack.  He has six cats (that I've seen so far), and he loves to garden.  That's a plus for us all because when I read outside, I get to look at his careful landscaping, and everything seems to be blooming right now.  I'm not quite sure of his name yet, but he always greets me with a "How-are you?How-are-ya?" every time we pass each other in the yard.  He struck up a conversation with me this afternoon when I was reading "The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe".  He told me all about Tolkien's and CS Lewis' friendship, and he made several book suggestions (he is, naturally, a Lord of the Rings fan).  I apparently seemed interested enough for him to run inside his house and lend me his "Middle Earth Encyclopedia" complete with both black & white AND color illustrations.  

I was told to return it when I was through.