A Work in Progress

"It is my life goal to change my own oil today." The guy at the auto parts store stared back at me, a little befuddled, but willing to hear me out.  I had, of course, run into another snag trying to change the oil in the mini. I guess I should start at the beginning.  I have some admissions here, dear readers, admissions of ineptitude.  But, never stop learning, right? Back in the fall I decided that changing the oil in the mini would be a project that would help me bond with the me car and was some preventative maintenance that surely I could handle.  Well, so, I thought. I was full of fire and motivation one day and went out to buy the necessary items.  Bottle jack, jack stands, and fancy oil in tow, I returned ready to get this oil changing party started.  Okay, so after I figured out how to use the jack, I placed it in what I thought was the right spot.  Well.  "What I thought" is the key phrase in this sentence.  Every...

Once I was asked what kinds of things I had learned from this line of work.  I was asked in a very philosophical way by someone who doesn't understand this job at all.  Maybe he was being nice, but I found him trying.  The first things that came to mind did not include a deeper understanding of my fellow man, a closer relationship with God, or insights into the meaning of life.  What came to me were the practical things.  For example, don't climb a ladder with a saw in your hand.  Don't climb a ladder without someone holding the bottom.  Don't climb ladders.  Life is better when you don't do drugs., but do take your medication.  Don't drive motorcycles while drunk.  Don't drive motorcycles without a helmet. Don't drive motorcycles.  Knowing full well these were not the answers this person was looking for made them all the more satisfying to me.  He returned this sound advice with a blank stare.  You're welcome. ...

Get ready for the post EMS Today conference blogging blitz!  Okay, so maybe one post, but I am motivated.  Motivated not only as a blogger but as an EMS provider. It is easy to lose focus in this business amidst the crap calls, drunks, and abusers.  It is easy to be bogged down by the sad things, paperwork, and politics.  But none of that matters.  EMS today illustrates to me what really matters.  It is truly a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by the best EMS providers in the country.  They come from all corners not just to get a paid vacation, a good price on new equipment, and to drink in a different state.  The reason that unites us is that we all want to be the best at our jobs.  We want tips and tricks to make our lives easier and to improve patient care and outcomes.  We are all scared by things that we don't know we don't know (at least I am). This job can be challenging.  It is hard to give a patient your full attentio...

It will come of no surprise to you dear readers that I spent the morning relishing in lectures concerning all things London Ambulance Service. It's been a busy two years since I've been there and by the end of the week I'll have heard lectures that touch on the Diamond Jubilee, Royal Wedding, 7/7, 2011 Riots, and the Olympic Games. So many special events, so little time. I believe that many of our heavily populated cities can learn a lot from the LAS model. I believe it to be a simpler version of the incident command system that we use. It's flaws were pointed out though in my favorite part of the lectures so far. The Lecturer said that on 7/7, the London Fire Brigade were confused over the triage process and concerned that patients were being overlooked. (take this 3rd hand info with a grain of salt)  But, this reiterated that communication and knowledge of operations for all agencies is paramount for a successful response. I also thought it was pretty funny as...

I have the immense privilege to be sitting right across from Maddog Medic in the flesh. We aren't speaking, though he is listening to me. Want to solve this riddle? He is transcribing an interview he did with me for his blog at this very moment. And I too am blogging at this very moment! How crazy?! I am stationed this week at the EMS today conference to stock up on professional wheelings and dealings and learn some stuff. This is a wonderful conference full of networking and new products and I learned already that one dose of glucagon costs $130. That's out of control! I cannot wait to catch up on disaster literature and EMS tricks of the trade and get as many free pens as I can at the expo tomorrow.  As for now, I'm headed to a class on smart stuff and pediatric breathing problems.  I am surrounded by EMS nerds and I love it! I spent the day learning about things above my pay grade such as how to read a chest x-ray and how to differentiate between subarachnoi...

There is an trend in EMS that has apparently proven to improve outcomes of cardiac arrest patients.  It is the idea that arrests should be worked where they are found. This reduces the interruptions of CPR especially those taken when getting the patient on a backboard, moving them outside, loading them into the ambulance, etc.  If the arrest is worked in the house or wherever they're found, it will be worked well, efficiently and with out interruption of CPR.  There was a study in Maine where this technique improved patient outcome (or, at least, reuturn of spontaneous circulation).  The patient is worked until they are resuscitated, or they are definitly dead.  The problem the Maine study found was that paramedics were not used to giving families death notifications.  We do have to do them if we are called too late and it is just not practical to resusciate.  In these cases, we have to break the news that the family already knows and in my experience...

"How could we have missed the house?" "Dispatch said they don't have a porch light." "Yeah, but do they have a driveway?" It turned out that they didn't have a driveway.  The ambulance crew and I were on the wrong side of the road at the wrong cluster of buildings.  We did find the house after a few minutes of confusion, and I got to blaze a trail to the house with my 4x4.  It appeared as though the house had been dropped by a twister into the middle of a field.  A very muddy field. There wasn't a porch light because there wasn't a porch to put it on.  I'm not sure how they got to the house because there was no driveway or walk, and there was no mailbox, so I don't understand how the house existed at all. That said, someone knew where this house was because they used it as a place to put all of their trash and crap.  Rather unfortunately, the resident of this mystery house had recently died and we were called. Muddy and confus...

Before you lament  "Oh, resqellie, if only you'd get yourself together and blog again like in the old days!" don't fret.  The blog has suffered due to my apathy, work schedule, and most importantly, because of writing.  Yes, writing has gotten in the way of my writing.  I've been passively working on a non-blog writing project for some time and recently have decided to dedicate myself more to it than blogging.  It's odd that I haven't shared any snippets of it with you blog readers.  It is a work of fiction and somehow I am far more self conscious of it than writing about myself alone.  So, I will probably continue to not share these writings with you, but at least you know the truth.  This other project does take up some time.  The other night, I had a great brainwave and set to putting it on paper.  About three hours later I had written two pages.  Two pages!  I was as shocked as you are.  But, such is the nature of writ...

At part time work, I hang out in the ER, see patients as they come in, and help with triage as time allows.  The last time I was there there was a worrying trend. "Hello, how can we help you?" "Yeah, I was at my doctors' yesterday and I was diagnosed with the flu and I just don't feel better so I came in to get seen." "Whoa.  Let me stop you right there.  If you wouldn't mind, could you put on one of those yellow masks there?  Yep.  Just like that.  Thanks." I know the flu sucks.  You are not going to feel well.  You will not be healed overnight. It can take a healthy person a good week to fight off the flu.  The people I saw coming into the ER with the flu were not old or young or immunocompromised.  They were between 25-35 and just didn't suffer well. Please stop coming into the ER and spreading your germs.  No offense meant. Also, don't come to work, go to wal-mart, or Applebees.  Please.  That being said, the flu ...

Already I am behind and it is only the 10th day of the year. I have not come up with any topics for my column writing idea, so I am taking suggestions. Give me a topic and I'll bore you with it.  For free! I am making other progress in re-uping my membership with the red cross and making an honest attempt to be more dedicated to the organization. Work is not a good excuse to miss meetings. That is what I've decided. I mean, I'll alter my schedule for less important things, so why not them? Also, I will just take their classes. I need to get over myself and just do it instead of thinking I am overqualified because I am not. There is always learning to be done and if some of their classes are redundant: so be it. Resolve! I have some at this moment! I have also booked flights for my first very far trip in almost three years.  I'll be visiting dear friends in the Pacific Northwest before they leave their post.  I am super stoked and relish in the preparation....

It's been an odd year, I guess. If I say that every year, then what does a normal year consist of? I just read through my whole blogging year and although it didn't take me very long, due to a shameful lack of posts, I think it was pretty good. I did a little travel, a little car buying (get it? little?) and had some good times at work. Having reviewed last years 'end of the year' post I have concluded that I should read that post sometime in June. That way I can remember my 'resolutions' and maybe be inspired to tackle one or two of them. I did accomplish, finally, a throw back resolution and bought a super expensive fancy smallish flashlight for work. It is obnoxiously bright and I have already used it at work. Result! Also, I bought it at the Bean, so if it ever goes wrong, I'll get a new one for free. The Bible, the Torah, the Quran, and for fun, let's say the book of Mormon are all still unread. I went on only one first date and it was m...

It's good in this biz to get a patient with something you've never seen before. It keeps you on your toes, reminds you to be humble, and gets you to dust off those old textbooks. I had a guy who very late in the day had a few too many beers to drink. He stumbled backwards off of his porch (I'd guess a couple of feet, though I never saw the porch) and got a pain in his back. But, he managed to brush himself off, sit back down on the porch and crack open another cold one. Less than an hour later, though, he started to feel short of breath. This is the part where I come in, finding him wandering through the back of his property nowhere near a house. (hence how I never even saw what he fell off of). He looked peculiar to say the least. Stumbling in the dark, he was caught by our headlights by chance. For a moment I thought I was in a zombie movie as we watched him grope for a hand hold that wasn't there while moaning between unintelligible words. We walked him to...

This is a picture of my father, mild mannered historical nerd, pipe smoking type, driving a real NASCAR car. Stock car.  Race car.  Whatever you call it.  You know I don't know. For his landmark birthday, my mother bought him this racing experience.  I got to come along as staff photographer. It was really cool as we all got to hang out at the infield of the track and let our minds wrap around what it might feel like if all of those thousands of seats had fans in them.  Everyone doing the experience was very keen on nascar racing and my mother may have admitted too loudly that we had not actually ever seen a nascar race ever.  I, at least, have never watched more than a minutes worth of it.  I'm sorry, but I just don't get it.  I knew then, but even more so now, that there is more to stock car racing than turning left.  There's turning left and driving really fast in between.  And sitting in a really uncomfortable position for several h...

I’ve been giving some thought to an aspect of my life recently that I really should appreciate more. As a single woman with many married friends, I feel like I get to borrow husbands. There may be no way to introduce this topic without looking needy and weird, but in all sincerity, I am blessed to have married friends and husbands I can borrow who will take care of me. Without sounding like a polygamist, I have different (brother?) husbands who fix my car, chop wood, play video games, fix random stuff, and even a work husband who looks after me there. In a way it is sort of like borrowing other peoples’ kids and giving them back when they get cranky or smelly. It is a luxury in my life to have these men who work as worthy place holders for my future possible husband. Of course, they are spoiling me in a way that will make it more impossible to find an actual husband, but oh well. And of course, I can still kill my own spiders, change light bulbs, and trim trees, but it is nice w...

Okay so, I was fording a river on an Austrailian outback expedition and Half Pint and I took on a bit too much water.  We were being chased by angry dingos at the time, so there was a bit of a rush to get back on the road.  The engine was running fine, of course, but I had to use an outback technique and shoot a hole in my floorboard so that the water would quickly drain out and we could continue to make our daring getaway.  Luckily, we next went by a winery who sold novelty sized bottles of wine so I was able to negotiate an extra large cork from them to fill the bullet hole.  We had time to stop there, as dingos are famous for their dislike of wine.  We sought refuge in that winery for several months, in fact, and I have become a vintner and can speak perfect Austrailian.  I digress.  I've been considering fixing the hole, but I'd really rather keep it as a reminder of our great adventure.  I still have the extra large cork anyway. I am a hu...

Among the millions of things I've been meaning to do, I have been meaning to post about when my good friend came to visit from far away and we got to take a day trip starring the civil war and a classic mini cooper.  The mini is a perpetual scene stealer, though we learned that not everyone would like to have a picture of it (even when you accidentially/kind of knowingly drove in front of them while they're taking a picture)  We probably should have shouted 'You're welcome!' to the guy I made really mad, as his picture was probably much improved by having half pint in it.  The car brings sunshine and happiness where 'ere it goes (except for that one guy).  (Besides, everyone shoots in digital and he was taking a picture of a statue that wasn't going anwhere.  Okay, I'm finished feeling guilty.) Anyway, we drove out to Antietam national battlefield mere days before the 150th anniversary celebration.  Well, celebration is not right.  I'll just leav...

I am a week behind in the blogging once a week plan, but no one noticed probably. Moving on! This has been an exciting and unprecedented (pun intended) week. Last Tuesday I voted for all winners. Initially I was quite disappointed that my Tuesday improv class was still a go on election night. Therefore, to have an election party I would have to sacrifice class. Needless to say, I didn't have an election party. Well, I guess I did have quite a small one, after I got home, by myself whooping at the TV for a minute before going to bed. Not quite as good as the George Bush piñata from last time, but I'll take it for a good result. That was certainly the highlight of my two weeks, even trumping making my first pumpkin pie entirely from scratch. That was an amazing experience that took almost the entire day and most of my sanity. The result though, was scrumptious, I must say. So, I will tell you of my recent first foray into the world of roller coaster riding. My childh...

There are a few things that stereotypically define adulthood. One of those, other than drinking soda whenever you want is owning a home. Here you become responsible for 30 years of debt as well as maintaining what is really a big space with tons of working parts that no single person could understand. From roof to basement, front yard to back, a house is needy. Mine is 93, so sometimes it needs a little extra love as well as help across the street. Back in September, I had my first house guests of the year. Two separate parties coming within a week of each other. On the eve of the firsts arrival, I decided to double check on the guest room (which I hadn't seen in some time, keeping the door shut for temperature efficiency). I opened the door and found the most hellacious mess where part of the plaster ceiling had fallen in. In a most sitcomesque fashion, I shut the door immediately and sent up a little prayer. But, when I reopened the door, the mess was still there. Lite...

I bet that you thought I forgot to blog today. Well, I didn't.  I purposefully waited until 9pm so as to keep you guessing.  I have not neglected any social media today.  In fact, it is a momentous day as it is the day I added pics to facebook, wrote a blog post, and joined twitter.  I know, I know.  Don't give in to the man!  Twitter?  Isn't that yesterdays myspace?  Isn't that for aging actors to connect with the young folk?  Isn't that just another way for everyone to annoy all of their acquaintances with superfluous updates about their mundane lives?  Yes to all!  Well, mostly all.  I was inspired by an improv peep to get on over and tweet like a bird of some sort.  I am going to reserve my 140 characters for charming and amusing insights into my every day life.  I know no one cares, but having amassed a whopping 5 followers in my first 24 hours, I am inspired.  I will be publishing a book of my clever tweet...

Good Lord, it is October 17th.  This is a date of no personal significance, but it is important to note that I am blogging, and the last time that happened was September 2nd.  And I call myself a blogger!  The shame.  Anywho, to the things!  I'll stick to this past week, vow to make up for the last five by blogging every week until I am caught up on all of my nonsense news.  Yes, let's make it Wednesdays.  Deadlines!  Expectations! Motivation! Plus, having a weekly thing sets me up for weekly reflection and maybe I'll stop forgetting things.  I'm afraid this post is already too random, but I will promise more cohesion in future.  And maybe even a point.  Last week, some of the fam and I went to see Wicked to celebrate a couple of birthdays.  It is an awesome show.  I am not a fan of frou-frou musicals, but this one is great.  I've seen it three times now and it is magic.  Unfortunately, the songs have been ...