Feathering the Nest, and other ramblings

A few weeks ago, I headed to Pet Smart to look at the pups in the adoption clinics - and danged if they didn't make me take one home with me, so Spike and You have a brother now.

His name is George - he is an eight-month-old blonde Golden Retriever/Chow mix who brings me his water bowl when it's empty.  And then he throws it at me.  He demands a lot of attention, has dragged all my shoes all over the house (rounding them up was no joke), and he's big and bumbly and furry and I just love him to pieces, even in the middle of the night when he bounds onto the bed and lands smack dab in the middle of my back.  Should you come to my house, before entering, you might hear someone screaming - GEORGE!  PUT THAT DOWN!

That would be me.
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When we arrived at work on Friday morning, they were locking down the inmates.  We didn't think much about it.  Sometimes there are drug interdicitions, etc., but THEN...the officer from the control center came into the office and was shocked that we weren't wearing gloves and masks.  She ducked back into Control and came back with boxes of the things. 

Things were getting interesting about that time.  Over the loudspeaker:

"All department heads report to the conference room."

"All kitchen workers, return to your quarters."

"All physicians call extension 328."

"All staff and inmates - you may remove the masks, but you must continue to wear gloves."

Roberta looked at me with something like fear in her eyes and said..."I want to go home..."

Well so did I.  And after the department heads came out of the meeting, all nonessential personnel were told to GO HOME.  They didn't have to tell us twice.

We have an outbreak of Norovirus in the hospital.  Thank God it was that - I was imagining much worse scenarios (not that Norovirus isn't bad enough), because I knew one of the inmates had been sent out with viral meningitis and thought...My God, what if it's that??

In an outside hospital or nursing home, the administration will ask the public not to visit if they have nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and the staff would remain.  In a correctional setting where the guys bunk together, eat together and ...well, I don't want to think any further than that...the virus spreads like wildfire.  And because we constantly have more transfers in and out - it could easily become a viscious cycle that keeps going and going and going...

And so, while essential staff are busy sanitizing the place and restricting inmate movement inside, all us nonessentials got an almost free day off.  And on a Friday, at that.

By the way, if you should be in a place where there is a Norovirus outbreak - don't count on hand sanitizer to keep you safe. It doesn't seem to work.  Wash your hands with lots of soap and water to minimize your chances of getting the virus.