Journal - Burnaby

Friday is my day off. I used to work 120 weeks and thought an 80 hour week was okay.  12 hour days five days a week and paper work and phone calls on weekend. I’d like to be sailing on weekends because I’d be outside phone at first then cellphone range included all of straight of Georgia. Back in the day too a whole lot of necessary work, like call, was not paid. The Administators took all the free work of doctors and got more administrators Administration excpanded trying to keep pace with government and beurocracy.  I remember it.  It got better for me for a long time in the community. Today is great. 30 to 40 hour work week and finished mostly by Friedan.

Today is rare. I’ve really nothing pressing.  I’ve been in a whirlwind since the beginning of the year, returning to Canada from southern US, then dealing with practice and taxes, then trip to visit family, first time since Covid, driving my truck and camper across Canada to Napanee then returning with my boat and outboard. Then more practice and July, the International Conference of AA and Spokane International Doctors in AA.  Motorcycle trips. Now coasting.  Work is a challenge.  New Patients are unknowns.  I’ve started so many practices and survived the first year with all these unknowns.  Now I’m facing a mix of patients, many longer term and stable.  I really like the patients as they are progressing and so many make quite miraculous recoveries.  Mental illness is chronic but there are the wins’ .  I felt useful prescribing viagra last week.  Monitoring a medication and blood work. Diagnosing quite a few people whose diagnosis’s hadn’t been completed.  The GP’s who refer so commonly don’t know about cocaine use or infidelity or domestic stressors.  It explains so much.  

But today I’ve really nothing pressing.  I stayed up late watching the series For All Mankind, the idea of the moon mission and mars mission persisting with the Cold War. Great music.  Captivating for me.  I really do love sci fi.  This morning I was a little slow.  After getting up and getting started lay down for another half hour. Just got back from laundry with new owner, seems nice and no change for my routine. I was out at 9 and it didn’t open till 10 and Full Basket Butcher didn’t open till 930 so I walked Madigan and came back.  

Home I had coffee yoghurt and boiled egg.  Now I’m off to Staples to meet Kevin. Encouraging his writing and putting out a musings hunting book.  I love his stories and pictures of the kids.  Meeting at Staples to look at laptops. 

Laura is coming over for the weekend which is good given my general lack of motivation. She’ll help us lie on deck chairs in the sun. I can be impatient and have difficulty just being. 

I finished Jordan Peterson’s audio book. We who wrestle with god.  Uplifting.

I gave George his 49 year cake and Neil said I was okay, high praise from Neil and George said he was as honored but not as much as me.  Marty was away and would have been first choice.  I said I was second choice, like giving people Justin Bieber when they were hoping to hear Elvis Presley.  George won the international barbershop quarter championship in US and travelled the world with his group.  

I miss my little guitar and might get to the storage locker to bring one back. Last time I was there I saw the keyboard but not the guitar.  I’ve things from here I can drop off there tool. 

Madigan will like the Staples trip as its dog friends. 

I’m very thankful for all the blessings I have today. Summer is wonderful.  

Thank you God.