Volunteering is work.
October 9th, 2006Today is Columbus Day, a mostly bugus federal holiday that celebrates Christopher Columbus getting lost on his way to India and nearly getting thrown overboard but not quite and landing on an island just south of Florida to bring Syphiliis, Measles, and Small Pox to the Native population. Being that it is a federal holiday I don’t have to fo to work at the bank. So instead I chose to get my hospital volunteer orientation under my belt. The result was one long-ass day.
I got my kids to daycare about ten and then went right to orientation. The hospital is expanding so everything is a diaster. Almost unbelievably I managed to find a spot on the first floor of the new parking deck and caught a shuttle that was just leaving for the main entrance. Class began at 10:30 AM and I arrived right on time. For two hours we fiulled out forms and were lectured on HIPAA, universal precaution, and what I can only think of as common sense customer service. Whereas at NODA training I’m the youngest by maybe ten years here I felt down right infantile. The room was full of truly ancient women who are no doubt quite eager to help out in the numerous gift shops to while away some of their retirement time. After two hours we were given meal tickets for lunch. I was highly impressed with the hospital cafeteria. After lunch I still had half an hour to kill before I could get my TB test done, so I got my picture taken for my volunteer ID and then went to visit our NODA instructor in her office. We chatted, and then I hoofed it over to the Employee Health department to get stuck for the test. When I finally left the hospital it was 2:15, and I had just enough time to get some gas and get to my doctor’s appointment. After that I rushed out to the grocery and then I picked up my kids at about 5pm, came home and started supper. I’m just now getting to sit down. So much for a day “off!”
Tomorrow I have an early meeting and then NODA class again.
whew…
