Beer can chicken

With Steve getting the hang of the gas BBQ we decided to try something new last night. When we were staying with Nick & Ali they cooked up beer can chicken, it was delicious, so we decided to give it a try!

Armed with a recipe from the internet we made a rub for the chicken from rosemary, thyme, sage, chili seasoning (not hot), lime & cumin. I think there may have been corriander there too. Then we cut off the top of the beer can (actually we made 2 because of our numbers). Discarding half the beer down Steve we then added lime juice, olive oil & the same herbs as above to the can.

We stuck the can up the chicken's bottom & stuffed the neck with more herbs, as above. We placed ours in a roasting tin, although you can use just foil or even nothing if you're a purist (but that makes a mess of the grill!) The BBQ is lit around the chicken but not directly under it. We cooked on medium for 1.5 hours & had the most beautiful chicken we've ever cooked for dinner. I'm NEVER roasting in the oven again!! So if you want some you'll just have to come & get it!

First Day & Cast Off!

Well I SURVIVED!!!! I had 4 patients together with a more senior RN. She further subdivided so I took 2 - with LOADS of supervision because of all the computer stuff. I gave meds & flushed a couple of Central lines. I put some IV fluids up through the pumps & wrote up some charts. The RN was really nice, as were all the staff I met today.

The PCA (patient Controlled Analgesia) drugs are supplied in pre-filled syringes so no messing about with vials & vials of watyer for injection anymore!! Or the Controlled drug book either! it's signed for that patient, supplied by pharmacy for that patient & you sign on the computer that you gave it. Other than some stock items (paracetamol, aspirin etc) all the patients drugs come in single issue packets & are kept in a drawer with their name on on a drug cart. Pharmacy is responsible for filling it up everyday.

One thing that stuck out a mile was how excellent the cleaning was. Each ward has a cleaner plus there are teams that come round & mop & polish floors etc. it was positively sparkling the whole day.

We were kept going but they make sure you get your breaks properly. We have 2 half hour breaks - one for breakfast (I was on an early) & one for lunch. It was busy but not ballistic by any measure.

The other news today is that Sophie got her cast off! We took her to a local clinic to have it done. Her ankle still looks bruised & a tad swollen though so they have requested another X-ray, which we'll have done tomorrow. I think it's fine though, she just needs to be a bit careful

Now I'm sorted!!

Yes, this is my new BBQ and yes I'm using it! The weather this week has been glorious, with over 80 degrees on the day I cooked these steaks. Gas is going to take a while to master, so I will need lots of practice. I will certainly be ready for firework night, although there may be snow and a sad lack of any actual fireworks but you are all invited as usual for the burgers and dogs!

Induction week!

Well I'm nearly at the end of what has been a very tiring week of induction. To those of you for whom this is relevent - don't you ever moan about Holly House's study days again! My brain is just about frazzled & just when I thought I couldn't take anymore it was computing - ALL DAY today!!!

Everything is computerised - charting, drugs, doctors orders, results (both lab & diagnostics), where the patient is at any time, fluid balance etc etc. The ward is chock full of computer terminals down both walls. Even the glucometers incorporate bar code readers - ready for the next step.

We each have our own ID & we have to make sure we log off so we don't get blamed for someone Else's mistakes. It also means that the docs can enter their requests & we can see them really easily - no trying to guess what they've written or them saying they told us something when they didn't! It's all there in black & white!!

The drug charts show meds that are due on your shift by having a yellow fill, if they're given it's white & if they're overdue it's red. It's really good for knowing what's going on but it's going to be a complete nightmare to get the hang of!! Remember I have LPN's (like our enrolled nurses) & HCA's to help though! So it's not quite like the UK thank goodness!

Also the whole hospital is "needle less" we don't use needles to draw up meds, to give IV drugs or anything. The nurses all do there own cannulations for IV starts, the venflons are pretty good although I've only got to try on a rubber arm so far! We don't take routine bloods but sometimes we'll have stat bloods or time sensitive bloods to take. ALL IV fluids go through Baxter's - including blood & because most of my patients are oncology they all have tons of different bags - sometimes going through triple access pumps!! It's scary after Holly!!

The hospital is also HUGE!!! Bigger than Whipps by miles!

I've bought my scrubs in various colours & patterns (I might think about getting a picture on here at some point) because I have my first day on the ward itself tomorrow, where I'll be with the clinical nurse educator all shift. So wish me luck!!

Edgemont School & a new cast!!

Here's Sophie & Lewis outside their new school. Sophie managed to break....yes you read that right..........BREAK her old cast & so we had to go to hospital AGAIN to get a new one!! As you can see, she chose bright orange this time. Luckily we now have our health card numbers, so we didn't have to pay anything.

The walk to school

These are the stairs we climb to get to Sophie & Lewis' school. It also gives you an idea of the view we get from the school playground. Unfortunately the battery ran out on the camera before I could take anymore, so they will have to follow yet again!

Getting it together!

To all - promise we will be up and running properly soon - we still have quite a lot to organise but things are settling & we are now close to being back to something resembling normality.

We totally love the area we're living in right now & would definitely choose to buy here. It's on the more expensive side of Calgary but the pay off is great neighbourhoods & schools - worth every penny. It's close to good amenities, quiet(when our kids are asleep anyway) & clean.

The kids love their respective schools. The Elementary (Primary to us Brits) is really close & on top of a hill that gives the most wonderful views of Calgary & the mountains. It's a nice, bright, friendly place & Sophie & Lewis are finding it very comfortable indeed!! We can walk there in about 10 mins but I drive if it's wet, on account of Sophie's cast! Which reminds me, I will get a photo of said cast on here soon!!

The downside for the younger 2 is that, because of their birthdays, they are actually going to be in school one more year than their UK counterparts. They are in grades 3 & 5, both of which they had completed in England but if we pushed them up (which the school was not going to do anyhow) they would be by far the youngest in their classes so we chose to go with age & they're really happy, so we'll just keep quiet about that extra year!! :-) Alex, on the other hand, is laughing because he's ended up having a year less at school than his UK counterparts!! He's going into grade 11 & now just has 2 more years at school, instead of the 3 he had in the UK!! We've checked out the courses & he's totally up to speed, so he won't lose out. I've told him NOT to wind up the younger 2 - & so far he's not!

Talking about Alex, he's very excited about his school program. He's taking sports medicine as one of his options & part of the course includes attending sporting events - tough work but someone has to do it!! He's also taking Phys Ed where he will do everything from Kayaking to volleyball!! He has chosen to carry on with Chemistry & Biology for his other options, as he was doing so well at them in the UK. His other subjects are compulsory - Math, English, Social Studies & CALM (some citizenship type thing they have to do for 1 term of High School here)

Anyway, better get on with dinner!