Written a month ago, published today.

It appears I am processing my retirement through my dreams.  Last night I returned to E Pod at Eastern State Hospital.  As the float, I was immediately assigned as a 1:1 to a female patient age 65-70.  Outside of that the only "normal" was the physical layout of the ward. Of course, vivid dreams have license to conjure imaginative events that just would not occur, hopefully, in real life experience. In my dream the first half of the shift I did several things that would have led to a discipline at the least and being fired since all the events occurred in the same shift.  A visitor to the ward used a patient bathroom for a "conjugal" visit and complained about the condition of the bathroom and the lack of privacy.  He was quite vocal in his grievances, and I was equally vocal in return voicing the inappropriateness not only the activity, but the location chosen for it.  I "lost" my 1:1 at mealtime trying to set up the dining room and provide patients, most new to me and whose names I did not know, their dinner.  For some reason there were line cooks rather than dinner trays, but the ward staff was not yet available, so I was setting up tables, and learning names and matching meals. Not only did I lose my 1:1, but I also served the wrong meals to patients.  One woman was provided 2 dinner rolls as requested, but when I unwrapped the rolls, I set them on a plate that was not her own and she indignantly refused them (and rightly so).  I had to scramble to replace them but could not locate her when provided.  After the meal as patients relaxed around the large screen TV, I located an empty geri-chair and dozed off to sleep.  I awoke with a start, but too late to pretend that I hadn't.  My snores were heard from the nurse's station.  I truly awoke from my dream at that point, a bit bewildered that I was no longer at work.

I wonder how many dreams I will have about my current employment after I retire.  They could be revisits in court rooms where I am called to defend the decisions made based the Washington State Administrative code.  Could be interesting.