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January 11, 2009
And I've Known Quite A Few
Sorry for my absence... I've been working literally around the clock on our new campaign. Haven't cooked much, and when I have it's been recycling old favorites. Have barely seen MR, but he's quite well after his very brief migraine episode. Thanks so much to all who missed us!
This week has given me cause to reflect on what it takes to make a good organizer, and why it is that we stay in the movement. I would have to say that I work with the best, most talented people in the labor movement. Their level of commitment and understanding, and their unwillingness to sell out, are quite rare and extremely impressive. Last night I was talking with one of my oldest friends, a guy who was with me in 1996 when we supported the service workers at Yale in their historic strike to guarantee that working people in New Haven could still have decent wages and pensions and health care, and I said, "I have never in my life been so proud to work for a union of independent nurses who stand up for themselves and their patients every day." I started to cry as I re-counted the story of how these nurses liberated themselves from another union and decided to run their own show, winning better and better contracts for themselves and their patients every year. I am so blessed to do the work I do, with the people I do it with.
My staff is stepping up to the plate in an amazing way. Danny California, Asparagus-phobe (who really needs a name... I think I will call him Dave) and Jeannie have all been awesome. Their level of commitment to building a real nurses' movement here in Pennsylvania is remarkable. Jeannie has so much experience organizing, but has made a conscious decision to work for a local union and really commit to building the movement in one place. She's such an asset to the organization... I feel so lucky to have her. And the colleages we have from the union with which we are affiliated on a national level are doing great too. They're young and full of energy, remind me very much of me when I was their age.
Our nurses have also been amazing... taking time out of their busy schedules to meet with other nurses who want to organize. Why do they do it? Because they know that the key to winning improvements for both nurses and patients is nurses joining together, all over the state and all over the nation.
Of course, the other thing about being an organizer is that you have very little time to do anything other than work! So I haven't been home much or writing much! Don't worry... everyone is fine. MR's headache went away very quickly and he's been right as rain ever since, as usual. My cold went away just in time.
I've been eating pretty simply... cottage cheese, yogurt, my salads, etc. There's this restaurant in Philly that has an amazing salad where for the same price as other greens you can use arugula as your salad base and add ingredients from a dizzying array of choices, including artichokes, red peppers, grilled onions, cranberries, walnuts, plum or regular tomatoes, basically everything you can think of to put on a salad. It's a special treat if I get time to get there and have a nice salad. In fact, their salads are so big that I often can't finish one and end up taking it home.
So back to work... well, I actually never stopped working, I just had a day to work from home. More recipes soon! I'm going to spend a lot of time sitting in traffic, and that's a great time to think about cooking!
Posted by april at January 11, 2009 5:53 PM
Comments
Just glad you're back. And nice to hear you're doing well :) I love hearing someone else get excited about great salads. There is a really good chain in Boston called Sebastians, and I get ridiculously excited about their enormous make your own salads.
Posted by: Rachel at January 12, 2009 8:59 PM
How about Dave Arizona....kinda like Danny California... or maybe Elliot Arizona. I'm fond of the name Elliot.....like E.T.
Posted by: Marti at January 13, 2009 8:39 PM