The smell of smoke

Another busy day...is there any other kind?

Due to a combination of staff vacancy, holiday and illness we are a bit short handed at PEP at the moment which means everybody is stretched to cover all the tasks. So I found myself out and about with the decorating squad, supervising jobs, buying paint, that kind of thing.
It's always interesting to see how other people live: however, I was shocked to smell the nicotine on my hair, clothes and its taste in my mouth after a visit to one client. He is a heavy smoker and needs his entire house redecorated to rid it of nicotine stain and smell. A charming gentleman, we spent 10 or 15 minutes chatting, but he never once stubbed out the fag - and in his own home, why should he?
Times have definitely changed when one is conscious and resentful of the dinosaur smell of smoke clinging so long. Remember, I was brought up in a household where my dad smoked 30 a day and I never once noticed the pong.

A busy surgery too: a harrowing, troubled, family tale. It is difficult to know where to start, how to unravel years of problems ...and I doubt I will succeed but I must try...otherwise it remains an unrecognised personal tragedy.