The Essentials

Ah, Monday mornings!! How I love my Monday mornings! You see, I don't go to work until 4pm on a Monday, so for me it's a continuation of my weekend, just without the noise of 5 smaller people.

It's a dressing gown morning for me. Mrs RRD has been up at the crack of dawn to take Princess and Micro2 to the bus stop, and I am enjoying a hot cup of tea and some 'us' time, while we work out what to do with our day together.

The ringing of my 'phone sends a small shiver of anticipation through my bones: yes, the screen reads "Unknown." Control seem to have got the message that I am still alive, and this is a call to a trapped RTC nearby.

"Want to come with?" I enquire of Mrs RRD. She acknowledges that this might be fun, and I rush upstairs to get dressed.

As I run down the stairs she is passing in the opposite direction! "Get into your suit and program the SatNav," she suggests, "while I get my essentials."

Thirty seconds later, the engine running, the SatNav all ready and the lights flashing, Mrs RRD jumps in beside me; flask of tea, book and make-up bag at the ready.

As I ease out of the drive, the 'phone rings again. I answer on BlueTooth (before anyone says anything!!): "Can we cancel you down on that job: no-one trapped or injured." We climb out and continue our day.

Jaded??

Some of you eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that I haven't posted for a while. Why? Well, mainly because I haven't had anything to write about. I haven't been on holiday (apart from a weekend in Holland - more about that in a moment), just haven't been called out to anything. Nothing. Sure, there have been some serious incidents in my area; someone falling out of a tree and landing on his head, a couple of fatal accidents on my stretch of the motorway. But no calls.

You may be wondering why. Well, so am I. I call the Desk regularly, they thank me very much for letting them know that they can call, day or night, and get me running. But they don't. I ring and ask them about the call the night before, and no-one can tell me why I didn't get a call. So, I begin to wonder: have I upset someone? Nope, I'm just out of the radar.

Cut to this weekend: a great break in Holland with the whole family, visiting more family. Let me tell you something; 8 children between the ages of 16 months and 17 years in one house isn't conducive to sleep!! We get back at just before midnight from the airport. The kids are tired. The adults are tired. The phone rings as I open the door to the house. Yep, nothing for almost 2 months, and then a call at midnight on the day I get back from holiday.

It's a call for assistance to a man who has rolled his car and is now deeply unconscious. Sounds reasonable. And yet I am looking for excuses not to go. This is so unlike me. How far away is it? Oh, that would take me at least 30 minutes to get there - they shouldn't wait for me, just scoop and run.

This isn't like me at all!! Whatever the distance, wherever the call, I would normally be out of the door like a rat out of an aqueduct!! But not this time. I know I have just got back from holiday, but it was only a weekend, and I'm not that tired. And I have been complaining bitterly about not being called. I get off the 'phone wondering what has happened to me, why I am feeling so jaded for the first time about driving out at all times of the day and night.


And then the 'phone rings again. Control tells me that the crew are running to the local with the patient, and I breathe a sigh of relief. But they continue: can I run to an alcoholic who has fallen and hit his head? It's a close one this time, so I shrug my shoulders, jump into my suit and drive off to pick up the pieces of an overindulgence at the pub.