Pleading the Fifth!

Well, I finished the grant proposal for Muppet Corporate. It weirds me out that they accepted my draft pretty much on the first try. "They" encompasses three corporate VP's of Quality. Granted, I have another one due in January (to the US government, no less), so maybe they thought I was practicing?

Also, the article went off to the publisher this evening. Our Muppet process improvement work will be featured in the January issue of...[scratching head]...I can't remember. I should know this, right? Anyway, it's the third academic piece I've been able to publish in my lifetime and the fourth piece at St. Fozzie's. The Marketing people have let me start writing for the physician and community newsletters, so at least I'm getting decent practice.

Is it strange that I kind of like writing? There's an immediate gratification when it's published. The grant writing? Not so much...you may get the moolah, you may not.

I cannot believe that next week is Christmas. The shopping's not going to finish itself, is it? Dangit! I have a feeling that this weekend will be full of shopping and copious amounts of pizza-eating at Chicago's finest eateries. Next Monday and Tuesday are nutty at work while Wednesday slows to a halt. I was talking to Nurse Jackie today (our CNO) and she suggested we have a party on Wednesday. Administration receives all kinds of gifts for the holidays, including gourmet food, fine wines, top-notch spirits, and homemade baked goods from chefs that rival Martha Stewart. So Nurse Jackie suggested that we plan a party so that Admin can, um, consume some of the fun. Apparently, this is an annual thing. Hmm.

I had my assistant pop it on the execs' calendars as "Christmas Cheer: Must be 21 to Enter" and they all accepted the e-invite within 5 minutes. If you ask us whether we're drinking at work next Wednesday afternoon, I will plead the Fifth!