Pink Warm and Dry

365 Project – 1/10, 1/11, 1/12

Seems like I’m constantly playing a game of catch up lately.  Sean is putting me to shame!

How could you NOT smile back?

Date:  1/10/10

Time:  1500 ish

Subject:  She Who Rules.

I was raised by one of the toughest women I know.  In 18 years of living under her roof I can count on two fingers how many times I remember seeing her cry.  It’s not that she wasn’t emotional (I get it from her), she just did shed her tears away from my brother and I.  I’ve been the same way.  I all but refuse to cry in front of my children. I’ve been pretty successful at this.

Up until last Sunday.  SWR busted me.

“What’s wrong, Mom Mom?”  She was balancing on one foot wearing my sunglasses, teetering to the right like a drunk socialite attempting a field sobriety test.

I quickly wiped my eyes and forced a smile.  “I’m fine, Sis.  Whatcha doin?”

“Nooooothin.  You wanna play wif mah dollhouse or you wanna have a teacup party.”  This girl has learned from the best. It’s all about giving someone options. Crying was not one of them.  It was her own way of telling me to pull up my damn big girl pants and drink some imaginary tea already.  She was now standing on other foot and teetering to the left.

I exhaled and smiled again, this one significantly more genuine.  “Teacup party.  Definitely.  We’ll even have cookies.”

Thank you, little girl, for schoolin’ your Mom Mom.

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Winter in Ohio

Date:  1/11/10

Time: 1643

Subject:  The view from my front window.

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Still Life composed by SWR

Date 1/12/10

Time:  1400ish

Subject:  You’d have to ask SWR, I’m still trying to figure it out.  Guess she likes shoes…

Some days these moments in time just jump out at me and I just happen to have my camera by my side.

Some days I have to put some thought into it.

Today I delegated that task to SWR.  She set the shot up, I snapped it.

365 Project 1/8/10 and 1/9/10

My 1/8/10 submission may possibly break the rules. No picture today, but a very blurry video.

You remember the post I did about my Rockstar Partner?

Yeah, this guy.

There was a comment and a few emails about video being needed.

It took me awhile, but I managed to catch another one of Rockstar Partner’s shows, and while the video quality is craptastic (totally my fault), the audio is decent… If not a little loud.  So without further ado, I present RP.

This is a guy who I have barely known a year who has been there for me from day one.  I consider myself lucky to have had the opportunity to get to know not only him, but his ridiculously beautiful and sweet wife and their even more dazzling baby girl.

Working in private EMS, particularly in my area, well, it’s kind of thankless. It’s nice to have someone you can trust completely who will listen to you vent.  Venting is a good thing.

That’s where RP and I are. I’m grateful to have him around.  As a partner and as a fellow classmate.

By the way, when he’s singing at the top of his lungs at three in the morning, he doesn’t sound anything like this. And the lyrics don’t make much sense. Again, my apologies for the video quality.

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Lying in Wait.

Date:  01/09/10

Time:  1350ish

Subject:  My Dashboard, five minutes before a CCU clinical.

I know, this is some captivating stuff, yeah?  The truth is that I had my camera on me and knew that I needed to take a picture for today, and this was the only thing that caught my attention.

Medic school is stressful.  Anyone who’s done it once (or twice, or three times) will tell you that.    Even more so if you work full time and/or have smaller children while you’re going through it.  You work your ass off and try to be a good parent and a good spouse.  You are constantly buried in a big red book, or drug cards, or ACLS algorithms, or trying to remember what cranial nerve controls what.   When you aren’t fighting like hell to be a good parent for your little ones, you’re listening to a lecture.  When you aren’t fighting to stay awake during a lecture, you’re at work.  When you aren’t at work, you’re at a clinical. When you aren’t doing clinical time you’re fighting off nerves (at least I am) during a lab.  Every once in awhile you get to sleep.

It’s not fun, ya’ll. Not by a long shot.

That being said, becoming a Paramedic is something that is just in me.  I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.

365 Project – 01/07/10

Heading home.

Date:  January 7, 2010

Time:  2030ish.

Subject:  We got SNOW ya’ll!

Ha HA Supervisor T.  I’m still in it.

Even if today’s pic is just a quick shot as I ran screaming from the station.

Today was the first “significant” snow of the season (and don’t you dare laugh at my choice of words Medic Matthew, it’s Ohio, not Maine), and in true NW Ohio fashion everyone lost their damn mind and drove like fools.  It didn’t help that the salt and shovel trucks were nowhere to be found.  Seriously though, if you drive 65 mph on top of packed snow and hit your brakes, chances are things are going to get kind of interesting for you.  Real quick and in a hurry.

Be safe, ya’ll.

365 Project 01/06/10

Date: 1/06/10

Time:  1600ish

Subject:  The Cardiac stuff I didn’t get before, I now get.  Woo!

P school has up until now… Well, it hasn’t been a tremendous challenge to me.

Then again I’ve been through it one and a quarter times before, so… Yeah.

Up until now.

We recently started the cardiac stuff.

Yep that. My favorite subject, and probably one of the more complex things we cover in class.  I find it all fascinating and simultaneously challenging.  And let me tell ya’ll, this girl LOVES a challenge.  And I’m finally at the point where I feel like the “why” of it all.

Thank you to my instructor and to my cardiac tutor.  You know who you are.

PS– Painting the walls of your classroom in paint that can be written on with wipe off markers is brilliant.  Just saying.

365 Project

No, Lt.  I didn’t miss a day, so you don’t win the pool

Date:  1/4/10

Time:  2300ish

Subject:  The teacher becomes the student.

The shift Lt. loses his backside at Monopoly.

Date: 1/5/10

Time:  0445

Subject:  Lots of room at the inn.

We’re the only truck at the local level I trauma center.  Oddly enough I had no problem parking. Number of yellow poles hit: Zero.

365 Project.

A two for one.

01/02/10 – Heart.

For those of us brave enough to still have a little hopeless romantic left in them.

01/03/10 – Nerves

Heading in to the ER for clinical time. Hit .1000 on IV starts, pushed some drugs, and saw what I can only describe as the single nastiest decub ever known to man.  You know it’s impressive when a girl who’s done more wound care runs than she can count on 100 hands is grossed out.  McHottie would have been impressed.

365 Project — I’m in.

Okay, so I’ve caught the 365 project bug.

Yet again.

I’m going to attempt to post a picture a day and put it up here.  Anyone want to make a bet on how long I last?

So here’s my first contribution.

THAT was a good run. 1-1-10

The cabinets are empty, there’s crap laying everywhere and I feel like I actually did something.  That’s good stuff.  Now time to clean up.

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Participating in the 365 project?  Leave me a link in comments!