$5 cake

[Cobweb]

So, my son has been after me to write more of my nursing adventures, and I thought I'd start with a captive audience!

At one time I worked for the VA, on the pulmonary ward. I loved those guys. I looked out for them and they looked out for me.

We had a refrigerator in a little room next to the nursing station. I went in there to put up some stuff for a couple of guys and a resident was standing there, eating my supper! I said, "Why are you eating that? It has my name all over the container!" He said, really offhand, "I was hungry. You've got time to get something else," and walked out. Well, I was aggravated, but the guys were really torqued. They wanted to report him, burn down his house and salt his fields (hehe), but I told them just to wait. There's more than one way to skin a cat.

On Sundays I always made some kind of good thing to eat and brought in a movie, and we had movie night. I usually made some kind of sugar-free cobbler, but they had been begging me to bring in this particular cake I make, a Red River Torte. It's a huge pain to make--it has a whipped cream filling, and a beaten frosting; in fact, the first time I made it it took me about 8 hours and I dirtied every dish in the house. So, I made them this cake, and just as I was about to slice it up, here came the resident. "Oh, cake," he says, "I will take a slice." I could tell he had completely forgotten the trivial incident of his stealing my supper.

"Well," I said, "I would love to give you some, but this cake is a fundraiser. These guys are all going to give me five dollars a slice. Isn't that right, guys?" Now, these guys are all military veterans--they know a straight line when they hear one. They all start saying things like, "oh yeah, and it is worth every penny," "that's the finest cake you will ever eat," "Why, I'd give ten dollars for a slice of THAT cake," and so on. The resident grumbles, but he finally digs out his wallet and hands me five dollars, and I hand him a slice of cake. I turn around and hand the bill to Jack, standing behind me, and say, "Now, Jack, give me $5 for your cake," and he hands me the bill, grinning like a monkey. I throw the bill on the table, and say, "Ray, hand me $5 for your cake," and he picks up the bill and hands it to me. We go through this four or 5 times and the resident starts getting red in the face and says, "I suppose you think you are smart." I said, "Yes, I am smart, and let me tell you why. First off, I am smart enough not to eat other peoples' lunch when it has their name all over it, and secondly, I am smart enough to get you to pay for it." Those boys started howling like dogs and laughed themselves sick. I felt vindicated and content :)

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

love it love it love it,

it wouldbe against the law to admitt what i

did to a resident who kept drinking my cokes........uhhhhh he was "occupied" for a while

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

First off; great story, good writing!

I've heard from police officers (i.e., people who carry weapons at work) that taking someone else's food from a communal frig is a "shooting offense".

Like many, my co-workers bring the fancy creamers for their coffee. Putting your name on the bottle is kind of a lost cause. Pouring the creamer into a breast-milk collection bottle (common in our NICU), now that will assure no one is going to take that chance (lots of pumping nurse-moms in our unit also).

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

First off; great story, good writing!Pouring the creamer into a breast-milk collection bottle (common in our NICU), now that will assure no one is going to take that chance (lots of pumping nurse-moms in our unit also).

LOL. That idea doesn't sound so bad.

[LocaW8ta]

First off; great story, good writing!

I've heard from police officers (i.e., people who carry weapons at work) that taking someone else's food from a communal frig is a "shooting offense".

Like many, my co-workers bring the fancy creamers for their coffee. Putting your name on the bottle is kind of a lost cause. Pouring the creamer into a breast-milk collection bottle (common in our NICU), now that will assure no one is going to take that chance (lots of pumping nurse-moms in our unit also).

Haha!!! GREAT idea! :)