When it rains, it pours

When it rains, it pours … and it does so in bucket loads.

You know those times in your life where you’re rolling along nicely, real nicely … even getting a bit smug about how good your life is. Ying and Yang are in harmony. Life is good. And then … without warning … life hurtles around the corner, slams into you and leaves you wearing your latte on your shirt. That's exactly where I am, my friends. Wearing my fashionable skinny latte on my front and cursing quietly under my breath.

I am perfectly aware that everyone gets these not so funky dips from time to time – I’m not trying to be a martyr or beg for sympathy. And I have to admit, not all of what’s going on is negative but it’s stressful all the same.

The mish mash of stuff that’s going on at present includes (in no particular order except for the first):

• My grandmother being terribly ill. Terminally ill, in fact. Every day she’s alive is one more than was expected.
• Spending three long days scouring the internet for a reasonably priced airline ticket home so I could see my grandma one last time … prices range from 800-2400 GBP. Gulp!
• Purchasing tickets home (international and domestic flights) at an exorbitant price.
• My international air flight ticket has not yet been delivered (why do airlines still do paper tickets in this day and age?). I checked the website and they stated that they would not take responsibility for lost tickets and would charge a re-ticketing fee if you need the ticket to be re-issued. I could’ve paid 10 quid for courier delivery (covering me for re-issuing of the ticket if it happened to get lost) … but that seemed pointless as I’m not home during the day to sign for the ticket anyway. Consequently, the ticket is being sent via snail mail. I bought the ticket Monday evening. Royal Mail is meant to deliver the next day (if mail is in by 5:30pm). So I figure it should’ve been delivered today. It wasn’t. What’d you reckon the re-ticketing fee is? Sigh.
• Desperately trying to find a job in Kuwait so I can join Rob. But jobs are proving to be a little elusive. I’ve sent my CV out to my Kuwaiti patient’s relatives who have offered to help my cause – but as yet nothing has come up. I have been busy putting packs together with my CV, certificates and references to be taken to Kuwait in 3 weeks with the business manager of the hospital for distribution.
• Stress and worry about my recent choke. I worry that I might’ve done some damage – maybe slightly dislodged the band or something similar. It’s a completely unfounded worry but it’s there all the same.
• Suffering with some minor sinusitis. Bah!
• Finding a mobile phone a couple of days ago – I have been debating over what to do with it. I feel bad about still having it and not trying terribly hard to find the owner.
• Being financially a little skinny – especially after all the airfares I’ve been purchasing. Let me think … I believe it’s a grand total of five tickets. Two tickets to Riga, one ticket to Dubai, one ticket to Australia and one ticket from Brisbane to Cairns (Australia). Oh! And the Eurostar trip to Belgium for surgery.
• Not having enough patients at work at the moment to really justify me working fulltime hours.
• Winter is fast approaching again – meaning it’s darker in the mornings and getting dark when I leave work. The only consolation is that it’s not too cold yet.
• My dad failing to inform me that my professional registration was due … in June. I am now practicing without registration … which isn’t an issue here in the UK (as I am registered with the UK board) … but if I want work in any other country where there is no registration board, they want you to be registered in your country of origin. I was registered with the board for 9 years. I now have to complete the whole application again (which is very involved and time consuming) plus pay the application fee and registration fee. In total this comes to $400 AUD … almost 200 GBP. Which I really can’t afford at present.
• Secretly worrying about my health … I have a few things which have to be investigated. I don’t really wish to divulge my health issues but it’s stuff that needs serious and proper investigation. The clowns in the health system here are incompetent. I wouldn’t trust them with the family pet … yet alone my life. I’m going to get it all checked out while I’m home.

So I feel like I have a little more than the average chop suey on my plate at the moment but the only way is up. Right? Ummm … people? Hello? Where did you all go?

***
On a much more positive note, I have lost a further .7kg (1.5lbs) this week. Not bad, huh? Unfortunately, my dream of going home and having my family not recognize me is to be dashed. But not entirely. I have decided I’m not going to say anything this time around. Next time though. Next time it’s going to be a jaw dropping oh-my-god reaction for my family. I swear it!