It’s not only the start of a glorious work week, but it’s also the start of National Hospital Week (though I’m sure everybody’s already aware of that). For those of us who work for hospitals, this means a couple of things. First off will be a series of daily e-mails from our “C” level administrators (what the “C” stands for is a matter of individual interpretation) telling us how vital our institution is to our community, and what a wonderful and vital job we all do (as opposed to the other 51 weeks of the year, when we’re all a bunch of assholes, I guess). As if that weren’t enough, they also force the mucky-mucks to distribute trinkets to the little people while personally thanking us for the jobs we do.

This morning, I saw a group of them gathered in front of the entrance to my building, so I immediately headed for the alternate entrance. Sadly, there was another group of the fuckers lying in wait at the other, so I was trapped into saying good morning and thank you very much for this plastic travel mug. Nothing says we appreciate you more than a plastic travel mug – and, hey, just because I have about 50 travel mugs and really neither need nor desire another one (especially some plastic piece of shit), it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it. At least this year’s trinket was made in the the USA (first time I’ve seen that since I’ve been here). I’ll give it a place a place of honor in my otherwise sterile, windowless office.

In other news, we actually got a little rain yesterday evening! Not a ton of it, but enough to at least temporarily knock some of the pollen out of the air, which is much appreciated. Things have been really dry around here – our sump “pond” is just a pit at this point, and last week we have about five brush fires in one day (and when we’re getting brush fires around here in the beginning of May, you know things are bad). Plus, it’s been hotter than hell.

In order to cool things off, we decided to get the pool open. This seems to have worked it’s magic, as a cold front is supposed to come through tomorrow, with a predicted high temperature of 58 on Wednesday (which, coincidentally, is the temperature of our pool water). It’s the first time in the five years we’ve been doing this that the water wasn’t thick with green algae (not counting the first year, when it was literally black – I was expecting the Gill-man to reach out and grab me). It’s just a bit cloudy, but that should clear up well before the water is warm enough to swim in.

I also got the grass cut for the first time this year, and we put a small dent in our piles of mulch and stone, but not much. I have so many things to do before winter, I’m a bit overwhelmed at the thought of it all. So I’m not gonna think about it.

Oh well, time to get back to work. On the bright side just two weeks ’til Memorial Day!