popcorn snow and dishpan hands

So last night I'm sitting in my alcove pretending to chart and suddenly the hall smells like popcorn.

for the record, I don't like popcorn. unless it's covered in caramel or toffee.

and I really don't like the SMELL of popcorn.

But it reminded me of my first nursing job at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. I love that place.

They were given an enormous donation in order to build a new building by a single person years ago. I mean enormous in the range of millions of dollars (I've forgotten the exact figure) However, the money came with a stipulation. The hospital absolutely could NOT look, sound, feel or SMELL like a hospital. No exceptions. In order to accomodate this stipulation and get the funds several things were done in the building of the non-hospital.

2 floors are below ground level and 3 above so that the building doesn't look institutional. Each area of the hospital is themed, not given medical names. For example. The physicians are full time employees of the hospital and their only "office" is in the clinics on the first floor. They rotate through the various clinic areas throughout the week. So that, as an example Dr Dodge who works with the Spina Bifida population (and was one of my favs) would see patients in the Red clinic Mondays, the Green clinic Wednesdays and the Rainbow clinic Fridays.

The radiology area was labeled and decorated something to do with fish...I've forgotten the exact name now. But families would be told "you're going to Fish land (or whatever) for an xray today...you can find it by following the trail of fish on the floor (true--no signs saying radiology with an arrow...instead trails on the floor)"

So you get the idea right?, now, how to keep a hospital from SMELLING like a hospital? In the center of the sprawling building is a large area that is open to all 3 floors. you get across this open area by large bridges or catwalks on the upper floors. it's all open air. and for the record, I worked on the 3rd floor and am scared of heights but crossed this daily without a care cuz it's just THAT well done. Suspended from the ceiling of this 3 story open space is the coolest perpetual motion sculpture I've ever seen. For stress relief I would stand on the 3rd floor catwalk/bridge and just watch this thing....always something new to find. On the first floor is an enormous fountain and play area (remember it couldn't SOUND like a hospital either and the water and laughter would echo around the whole hospital during peak times) Just inside this open area during all daytime hours you could find a volunteer (they have more volunteers than employees....HONEST) sitting at a movie theater popcorn machine popping corn. nickel for a small bag quarter for a large one. If the bags started getting stale they'd pile a cart and hand them out to whoever they ran into. Because it wasn't the SALE of the popcorn that was important....it was the SMELL of fresh popping popcorn that ~~due to the very intentional design of the building~~ wafted into all areas of the hospital.



As I left work this morning it was snowing. almost horizontally which was cool. what I'd call a "light dusting" and what folks further north wouldn't even register as snowing. But for us, it was way cool. 33 degrees in fact....which is WAY COOL!....made me rethink the whole relocate to Alaska thing....South Dakota maybe???


So, a few days ago hubby asks me to look at his hand. Seems one of his fingers had a crack right at the edge of the fingernail that was really bothering him. He wanted to know what to put on it. Knowing that he eschews the dishwasher whenever possible I told him he was developing dishpan hands and should put lotion on daily and see if that helped.

I wish I had a picture of the look he gave me.

trust me. that WASN'T the diagnosis he had in mind.

A week's worth of baby lotion later......no more cracks.

Advent Calendar scripture for today