And we are finished!!
Well for 7 days at least!

Six months of a very full schedule of work after losing a doctor, our part-time doctor dropping from three days to two days and it has all impacted highly on my husband who has been working almost 7 days each week and it has taken its toll! In my role as practice manager, dealing with patients who need appointments ‘now’ and you don’t have any left because the doctor is already full and the part timer is booked 2 weeks in advance because she is only there two days….you squeeze children and toddlers in, you squeeze those urgent appointments in as ‘ad fits’ and hoping that when you say, you will have to wait for the doctor to see you when he has a chance, that it is only half an hour and not hours! You must try and make sure that the doctor gets lunch and a break, which sometimes happens….and sometimes not…and it all becomes too much at times. Your staff are tired and dealing with the same thing and you are constantly protecting them from abuse and hassles when they are only doing their job, and doing it so well, but sometimes people just don’t quite understand.  You can hear yourself snapping and being crisp with your words and you know that’s not how it meant to sound, and you apologise…. perceptive that it is only because you are tired!

Well – that holiday that we planned 18 months ago with the family to go to the snow ( for the first time for the grandchildren)…certainly has come at the right time ! We both cannot wait. Finished work…. bags are packed…house is clean, animals are taken care of and it is time to go!

Such a horrible hour to arise after only a few hours’ sleep…well actually for me, not much sleep…because I was waiting for the alarm to go off…how I hate that! But arising at 2.30 am and heading to the airport to meet daughter and family…two plane trips of 1.5 hours each, one car ride of three hours…oh and don’t forget the hour stop to fill the car with food for the week for 10 people…. that was stressful ….and eventually we are rising the hill to Mt Hotham. To head into Dinner Plain for our week away.

Such a fun ride!

Son-in-Law sweating profusely in the back of the car as he was watching the cliff edge beside him on the road drop away at such a severe drop. My daughter having to ask to stop the car many times as the curves and the bends of the road are playing havoc with her stomach and nausea rising quickly. My husband following the orange line in his vision as the twists and the curves of the mountain road ascended into the clouds. The road itself disappearing as the mist and cold surrounded us, giving only a few feet of vision through the fog in front of the car as we round each bend rising higher and higher. The temperature getting colder and colder…..And all the time, little granddaughter slept…crashed from her early start, her shopping trolley rides – her eyes simply closed and she fell asleep.

But the hassles of the long day and travel woes and frustrations were all worth it with one simple spoken sentence as she opens her eyes and looks around at the white world of wonder.
…..“Are we at the snow?”