Double the nursing, double the relaxation
By JODY RATHGEB

Having two nurses in the family can mean double the stress. But relaxing together doubles the fun.

That's the math behind the weekend water jaunts of Pat and Roland Anderson of Richmond, who use sailing, diving and kayaking to wash away the cares of their weekday nursing jobs. Pat Anderson is director of inpatient services at Children's Hospital, and Roland is an interventional radiology nurse at the VCU Medical Center. These days, their schedules mesh well, but that hasn't always been the case.

"We spent many years raising our children by handing them off to each other," Pat says. Scheduling was difficult for two nurses, both graduates of University of Virginia School of Nursing (Pat earned her master's from VCU). Even in those busy times, though, the couple managed to get away to the water.

Both were "water babies." Roland grew up in Virginia Beach and was never far from the ocean, and Pat's father sailed and taught her about boats. "We grew up boating separately, and we have had a sailboat for at least 20 years - different ones. They've kept getting bigger."

Their current boat, "Blessings," is a 36-foot motor/sailboat harbored in Deltaville, where Pat is secretary of the Stingray Harbor Yacht Club. The Andersons usually put their boat "to bed" in November and start working on it again in March so that things are shipshape when good sailing weather arrives.

They bought "Blessings" used and so did not name her, but the moniker is appropriate for two nurses seeking relaxation. "It's good to get away, to be outside," Pat says. "I enjoy a day on the water - the solitude and quiet. That's how we get it. It's my chance to physically and mentally disconnect from a stressful everyday work life."

Virginia's weather doesn't allow one to be on the water all the time, but the Andersons work at coming pretty close. Winter sees them going diving on Caribbean vacations, and kayaking can take advantage of brief winter warm-up days. Pat says she also keeps the thought of their aquatic life going on the coldest days. "This winter I spent sewing cushions for our boat."

Roland has his own way of relaxing when hes not on the water: building boats. He has made kayaks, and the Andersons' second sailboat is a small wooden one that he built.

But in Pat's opinion, nothing matches the feeling of getting out on the water. When they travel from Richmond to Deltaville, she says, "By the time we're halfway to West Point I'm relaxing. I have always loved the water and I enjoy my boat a lot."