Hydrantgirl and her Firefighter

Not the outcome I had worked so hard for.....

2012-01-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

So here's the deal. I was almost at the end of my fire testing last week; in fact I was so close I could taste it. In the summer I had written the fire test (and was one of 8 out of 80 to pass). In the fall I did the practical.

Then last week I had the fitness test - the very last test. I've been working with a personal trainer for almost 2 years to prepare for the test from hell - you know the one. Walk up a steep incline at a brisk walk for 8 mins in full gear with a mask and tank. Climb the ladder till your legs want to fall off. Drag around a dummy that weighs as much as you do. (I'm not bitching about the test because I know it's a requirement to do the job but rather giving you an idea it's not a walk in the park). I was prepared.

Then I got bronchitis 2 weeks before the test - 2 rounds of steroids, an inhaler and 2 rounds of antibiotics in a mad attempt to be healthy. Come test time I was given incorrect information on the options to back out of the test for medical reasons. I showed up to the test sick, and used up my one and only shot.

I am now disqualified from the process. "You're welcome to apply to the external testing" which means I'm back at square one for the fire AND medical testing (because I'm not crossing over as a medic within the department they have to also test me as a new paramedic). Written and practical testing x 2.

Insert tears here.

I've written letters and talked to all the right people, and they won't budge an inch even though I've provided them with all kinds of medical documentation. And to boot, my bronchitis is now pneumonia.

I was really hoping to write a post about how I've been keeping this secret and that we're all celebrating the end of a very long journey and how my dream has finally come true. Instead I write this.

So I'm back to the beginning and applying with every Joe Schmoe that's waited 6 years for the city to open positions to the public (because up to now you had to be a medic first, then cross over within the department to suppression. Which is what I was trying to do).

Back to studying for more tests and hoping and praying I can get my shit together one. more. time.

I feel defeated.

I feel like a phony for saying I'm any kind of firefighter when 2 1/2 years later I'm not.

I feel like I shouldn't be calling myself Hydrantgirl.

And I feel sorry for firefighter for having to put up with me.

The original mobile phone

2012-01-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

And life goes on

2012-01-22T23:15:00.000-08:00

3 code 5's (dead on our arrival, does not meet our protocol requirements for resuscitation) in one day. These calls are not nearly as exhausting as a 99 (cardiac arrest) but we are the ones to tell the family "there is nothing we can do".

Death is obvious to us. Lividity. Brain matter. Rigormortis. But not to all, especially when it comes to loved ones. "Are you sure? Can't you try SOMETHING?"

We leave the scene under the supervision of the police until the medical examiner arrives.

As we sit in our truck finishing our report a song comes on the radio. We sing along, confirming the extent of the post-death findings as casually as if it were last night's episode of Desperate Housewives.

I've only been on this job (full time) for 11 months and already I'm immune to the emotions that one would expect to feel. Grief over the death. Sadness for the family. Disappointment that I couldn't even try to save this patient. But I don't feel any of this.

I comment to my partner after this realisation "and life goes in"

My partner replies "for some..."

Like something out of a movie

2012-01-19T11:11:00.000-08:00

Quite possibly the worst call I'll ever be on - technically and medically.

A woman has died after the car she was driving veered off the side of a bridge Wednesday afternoon, landing on the riverbank below. Emergency crews found the vehicle on the bank of the river after the incident happened around 2:30 p.m. The woman was extricated from the car and taken to the hospital in unstable condition.

Police announced late Wednesday night that the woman has succumbed to her injuries. They did not release her name.

Fire district chief said the woman was driving southbound when the car slipped on the icy road. The vehicle smashed through a guard rail. Witnesses state “There was the driver in there, the only person in the vehicle, and we basically had to use the Jaws of Life to get her out.” “I was going up over the bridge towards downtown, and I noticed in the rear-view mirror a car … started to fishtail and then it got into the railing and it was gone over the side."

Water rescue crews were called to the crash site, but they were not needed because the vehicle had landed upside down and did not go into the water.

With thanks to CBC, Winnipeg Free Press and Winnipeg Sun

Fires a burning

2012-01-16T18:58:00.000-08:00

2 fires in one tour. To say I'm jealous of FF would be an understatement.

A dramatic rescue unfolded Saturday morning when firefighters saved several tenants from window ledges as their apartment building went up in flames. Some of the tenants, according to platoon safety officer, were hanging from ledges on the three-storey building’s second and third floors when firefighters arrived at about 7:10 a.m., shortly after the structure became engulfed. It didn’t appear that anyone had jumped from one of the upper storeys.

“The fire had gone up the exterior walls from the basement, to the first floor and second floor and into the third floor and attic.”

At least two residents of the gutted building were taken to hospital in unstable condition, before they were upgraded to stable condition several hours later. More than a dozen other tenants were medically treated for smoke inhalation.

Though the cause of the fire hadn’t been determined, city police had reportedly taken several people into custody in the area in connection with the blaze. A total of between 40 and 50 people were brought by Winnipeg Fire Department crews out of the destroyed building, which soon collapsed, and from two other apartment complexes — one on each side — that were damaged as well.

“The heat of the fire broke some of the windows. And then when the walls collapsed, they caused further damage on either side,” noting that between 12 and 15 emergency vehicles had responded.

“We got everybody out. The basement was very well-involved when we got in.”

In the early afternoon, firefighters continued to blast water from at least two trucks at the smoking, heaping rubble — all that remained of the destroyed structure. Damage is estimated at $600,000.

_____________________________________________________

A family is dealing with the loss of their home in a ferocious fire that began early Monday morning. A couple and their adult son escaped without injury. Firefighters began attacking the blaze at about 6:15 a.m. CT but soon realized it was a losing battle. The flames were so intense, crews decided to let the home burn. They went into defensive mode and called all crews to get out of the structure.

By 7:30 a.m. they began setting up a collapse zone — creating a perimeter around the structure, and keeping everyone out, to allow the home to fall.

The location of the house was challenging for firefighters because it is out of the water district. As a result, firefighters had to bring in a 3,000-gallon tanker truck.

Damage to the home is estimated at more than $400,000, according to police.

Wednesday funny

2012-01-11T09:10:00.001-08:00

Update on our firefighters and medics

2012-01-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update (from what I've heard. This is by no way confirmed as fact but mearly what we've heard from the peeps on the street).

The firefighters involved in the explosion are doing well. 3 suffered concussions, and 1 had the finger tip of his glove (NOT his finger) cut off by a flying piece of shrapnel. Equipment is being assessed for damages as many trucks also sustained damage from shrapnel from the explosion. There were 3 blow-away roofs in the building designed for incidents such as this - not only were those destroyed from the explosion but the entire building as well. That's one fierce kaboom.

The city medic involved in the first accident (where he was standing on the scene and a man - later charged with DUI - struck another another vehicle on the scene) is also doing well. Thankfully his injuries were cuts and bruises. He is resting at home as per doctor's orders.

The medic involved in the MVC at highway speeds is in ICU. He was transported by STARS to our local trauma center. The last I heard they were working to repair the damage to his legs, and were keeping him sedated and intubated to assist in the recovery of the chest trauma he sustained (no further details are available, and again this information has not been confirmed.)

Fingers crossed he makes a full recovery.

And the job gets harder....

2012-01-06T17:37:00.000-08:00

A fatal accident involving our brothers.

A 54-year-old man is dead after the car he was driving hit an ambulance last night, police say. Three more people have been taken to hospital with injuries either serious or critical.

RCMP released details of the crash this morning. They say the man was driving a 2006 Kia Spectra south on Highway 250 when it apparently crossed over the centre line into the path of a northbound ambulance. He was pronounced dead at the scene. There was no one else in the car.

The driver of the ambulance, however, was airlifted to the trauma center with critical injuries. Two other people, another paramedic and the ambulance's patient, were taken to the local hospital with serious injuries.

Police say they don't believe speed or alcohol played a role in the crash, although they continue to investigate.

Bad day at work for our crews X 2

2012-01-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

Eight firefighters were forced to beat a hasty retreat after a blast tore through the north wall of a factory early Monday. One firefighter was treated in hospital for minor injuries. He was released later Monday.

"They were very close to being killed," said assistant chief of operations. "That rattled everyone on the scene." He described the explosion as a "huge concussion" that tore off parts of the roof and split the walls of the 60,000-square-foot plant. "It blew the front off the building. It blew the overhead doors out where (firefighters) were standing, blew them out of the building, and they got banged up a bit," he said.

None of the workers was inside the building at the time.

"It’s just one of those things that every time you go into a fire… especially in a business, you don’t know what’s on other side."

Damage is estimated at $15 million and the cause remains under investigation.

And then............

A man, 64, is facing impaired driving charges after a collision Monday night which injured a paramedic working at the scene of another collision, police said. The paramedic was treated at hospital for minor injuries and released.

Emergency personnel responded to a collision just before 6 p.m. on Monday. While paramedics were treating the injured, a pick-up truck northbound on Stafford struck the rear of one of the vehicles involved in the original collision, causing it to move forward and strike one of the paramedics.

Police said the 64-year-old man is facing charges of impaired driving causing bodily harm, and driving over .08. He was released on a promise to appear in court.

The president of the union that represents paramedics said the incident highlights the need for motorists to exercise caution and reduce speed around emergency vehicles. "We’re obviously pleased that one of our brothers out on the road didn’t sustain more serious injuries and it looks like he’s going to be alright, but it does give you pause to think about what could have happened,"

"This kind of thing can and should be avoidable if people use caution and common sense."

Here's a thought - how 'bout if people didn't drink and drive..... In his defense, I know it's hard to see us with all the lights flashing around (sarcasm).

Common sense ain't so common.

Last shift of 2011

2011-12-31T07:02:00.000-08:00

What a night for our city. People driving too fast on icy roads, celebration with too much bubbly (or other unknown substances), house fire after house fire, assaults with knives, guns and garbage cans.......so many calls we worked our asses off to keep up. I'm exhausted. As I lay in bed listening to the winter wind howl, I can't help but think of how many lives have changed today. Everyday I see people's lives drastically change - a feeling I wasn't prepared for when I took this job.

Lana is sleeping at my side and the horses are tucked away in their stalls. I'm so thankful for my peaceful country home. As much as I hate the commute I love getting away from the rat race I deal with everyday.

The topper to end the year was receiving notice that I'm scheduled for the next step in the cross-over process to the fire department.

What a year!

Miami - picture heavy

2011-12-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

Working a combination of 4 1/2 full time jobs between the 2 of us, FF and I went on a much deserved family vacation.

Disney world. Epcot. Universal Studios. Miami. Miami Miami.

Good food. Good visits with family. Good times.

(roller coasters. I love em')

Disney parade. I'm keeping this picture close by the next time I curse my job.

NFL tailgate party - Dolphins vs. Eagles.

Sand + sun + ocean = heaven. Especially when it was -35'C (-35'F) the day we left.

Good times had by all. :-)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

2011-12-24T13:59:00.000-08:00

From our family

to yours

FF's Christmas Gift

2011-12-23T18:35:00.000-08:00

FF's getting some fancy illuminating tetrahedrons for his helmet for Christmas this year - only $15 from Daily911deals.com. But shhhhhh, don't tell him.

The scarist of all calls

2011-12-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

Police said the car had been speeding westbound on Portage when it hit the SUV that was turning from Strathcona. During the investigation a package with contents that resembled a pipe bomb was found inside the car, driven by the 39-year-old man.

That prompted police to set up a wide perimeter around the scene, completely shutting down a section of Portage Avenue and keeping vehicles and pedestrians away. After the detonation, which happened just before 10 a.m., members of the bomb unit moved in to investigate the package.

Things they don't teach you in paramedic school

2011-12-17T19:08:00.000-08:00

1) You will receive thank-you letters. Sucks that most times it's in an obituary.

2) DO NOT put vicks vapo rub under your nose when going in to a "code black". It'll open up your nasal passages somethin' fierce. Be careful what you eat or drink after a smelly call because your memory will tie those smells together. To this day I still can't drink white grape juice.

3) Cutting through a down filled jacket in the back of an ambulance makes an awful mess. It will make for good conversation when you roll in to the hospital looking like Foghorn Leghorn.

4) Learn to be tactful, but enjoy when you don't need to be.

5) People's perception of an emergency will amaze you. Hungry? Call an ambulance. Stubbed your toe a week ago? Better send a fire truck and an ambulance. Had a fight with your husband and now he's ignoring you? Best call 911 and tell dispatch he's not responsive. "So let me get this straight, you beat up your wife, and while chasing her down the hall YOU tripped, fell, and knocked out your teeth. And YOU'RE calling 911 for yourself?" Again, see #4.

6) You'll see some pretty nasty stuff, and it will affect your relationships. The sooner your spouse / partner / family learns that sometimes you just need a hug or to be left alone after a bad call the better. It's ok to cancel dinner plans after dealing with a suicide or not feel like gettin' it on after a child assault. Learn how to deal with that kind of stuff, because you will see it.

7) You have limited real estate on your duty belt. Choose the equipment you carry carefully. Make sure everything is packed away nicely - nothing worse then having your stethoscope catching on a stair rail while carrying a patient.

8) Turn off your cell phone ringer. That catchy Katy Perry ring tone will go off at the most inappropriate time. Trust me. "I Kissed a girl and I liked it...."

9) Wear nice underwear. You'll never live it down if you split your pants and your crew sees your "SASSY" gitch.

10) You will never be met at a Personal Care Home by a nurse who knows anything about the patient. For some reason they always send a nurse who is new to that floor / patient / shift. And the patient has been unresponsive for 5 hours...... Funny how that works.

11) Dispatch will always find you. Don't try to hide.

12) You will be met at the door naked, and it will be by the people you DON'T want to see in their birthday suits. Practice your poker face. Or have your camera ready for your partner's face when they get that first glimpse of 80 year old nakedness. (kidding, don't take pictures...)

13) don't take pictures.

14) You're going to deal with assholes. It's ok to point out that although you're the jerk taking their blood pressure, they are the ones that have soiled themselves because they're drunk. Again, this plays in part to #4.

15) You're going to be shit on. Literally. Bring spare uniforms and don't be afraid to wrap the patient in a few sheets. You'll be thankful for the barrier while confined in the back of the truck.

Have fun. It's a great job.

*Did I miss anything?*

FDIC - Fire Department Instructors Conference

2011-12-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

Has anyone ever been to The FDIC (fire department instructors conference) in Indianapolis? Your thoughts? Is it worth the trip?

Food for thought

2011-12-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

My poor little city is topping the charts and making a name as the murder capital of Canada. This weekend was the 37th in a population of under 700,000.

For every "successful" murder (for lack of a better word when I'm posting this at 4 a.m.) there are many more "unsuccessful" attempts. That's a whole lotta trauma for this country girl to deal with. Not that I'm complaining; I'm getting very proficient at dressing wounds.

For my fellow medics - ST elevation at it's finest

2011-12-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

It was a good call - one of the few where you know you made a difference.

Turn signal

2011-12-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I got cut off by someone in a Dodge Neon with a loud muffler. No signal, no courtesy "thank-you wave" in the rear view mirror. That's fine, Gretta the Jetta and I are polite. We understand our lane is where the cool kids roll and he wanted to join us.

Neon Leon then slammed on the brakes and pulled in to a parking spot along the curb. Again, no blinking light to indicate the upcoming transition in direction of travel....

I pulled up beside Neon Leon and rolled down my window. "Excuse me, your signal light is broken..."

Neon Leon "Pardon?"

Me: "Your signal light - it's burnt out. You changed lanes and cut me off, and your signal light wasn't on. It must not be working properly"

Neon Leon "Uh......... thanks.........."

I drive away smiling, knowing I had done my part for the better of mankind. hee hee hee.

Ninjas in bunker gear

2011-11-26T21:47:00.000-08:00

Sitting in the back of the ambulance with yet another person intoxicated on life. Or mouthwash, I'm not sure. My patient was getting upset because I wouldn't let him out of the ambulance before I had completed my assessment. Little did he know it would be in to police custody - that's how us prairie folk roll when you drive into a fence taking out a row of cars along the way. Fire was on scene to ensure the car didn't start on fire / leak fuel in the parking lot / protect me. Sitting in the back of the ambulance was myself, 3 firefighters and my patient. Tight quarters.

Patient : "Let me go, you can't hold me here against my will"

Me (not looking up from my computer) "you're right, I can't. But it'll make it a whole lot easier on yourself if you cooperate".

Patient: "Fine, what do you need to know?"

Me: (running out of questions to delay him jumping ship until police arrived) "When was your last bowel movement?"

Patient: "Are you f*cking kidding me?"

Me: (Still not looking up from my computer) "Nope. This is very important information that I must document for your medical records. This data can help diagnose any internal damage you may have sustained from the impact of the accident."

Patient: "I'm not going to tell you in front of all these guys"

Me: "Why not? We're all professionals here" (seeing the firefighters smirking from the corner of my eye).

Patient: "Why the f*ck are they here?"

Me (Looking up, snapping a glove on to my hand) "To protect me".

Patient: "Yeah? Well my protection runs in high groups in this city. You want protection? My guys will ....." blah blah blah. I stopped listening once he went on about who knows who and how his guys have got his back.

Me: "Yeah, but does your gang have their own calender?"

Patient: *blank stare*

Me: "So when was your last poop?"

STARS

2011-11-24T09:32:00.000-08:00

This spring we had some pretty major flooding that mandated that advanced medical services be available to rural areas. Enter STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society); a group of highly trained medics / nurses / physicians offering advanced life support to the critially ill or injured. Based out of provinces to the West it was brought in this past spring, and now has a base in our prairie province. Although we do have flight medics and air ambulances in our area this service is offered with a rotary wing craft versus fixed wing planes which gives them more accessibility.

In our region you must be an ACP (advanced care paramedic) with oodles of other skills to work as a flight medic with STARS. There are other companies with flight medics in our area, but STARS is the cream of the crop. Carrying over 100 drugs and skills that make your head spin I'm honored to be able to work with this crew.

Last week we required them and the flight medic is my ACP partner with the city. Both caught moonlighting :-)

And the best part? I got a free band aid.

Firefighter Christmas gifts

2011-11-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

This blog has allowed me to meet some amazing people, who have some amazing talents. As the Christmas season fast approaches (eeeek!) I thought I'd share some sites to help you choose the perfect gift for your firefighter, or add to your Christmas list.

Fire Hero. I've talked in the past about Frank and his amazing talent. Last month he was generous enough to give FF a print, and we gratefully selected Lest We Forget. I can't wait to frame it and hang it with pride. A perfect gift for your firefighter and your home.

"Bling for your fling" by Fire Wife Kate. Kate made me my own personalized "Hydrantgirl" keychain which I love, and get so many compliments on. A great present for your firefighter / fire mom / fire wife.

Feuerwear - amazing gear made from recycled fire hose. The company was awesome enough to send FF and I merchandise to review, and a fancy belt for a give - away. This give-away has been a long time coming (thanks to the new girl at the post office who couldn't figure out the paperwork to clear customs). More on this give away later.... but in the meantime I'm adding Mitch to my Christmas wish list.

It's no surprise that I love Black Helmet, and they've been oh so generous in the past with give aways. They've got some new shirts and an all new line of gear called Black Helmet Supply including a 911 leather tribute helmet. Very cool.

Firefighter decals - check out a store like Firefighter.com. The helmet decals are pretty damn cool. If / when I get on I'm ordering this bad boy.

What's on your Christmas list?

Florida

2011-11-18T12:58:00.000-08:00

Do we have any readers in the Fort Lauderdale or Miami area? If so, please message me at hydrantgirl at yahoo dot com

My loyalty

2011-11-16T08:49:00.000-08:00

FF and I got into a discussion the other night about a certain medic I had just worked with. I thought this medic was great - patient with the new kid and willing to teach me with their advanced skills. FF had a different opinion of this medic, as did many firefighters. My excitement of my partner was met with cynicism and warning.

There are firefighters and medics in our department who get along quite well with each other. They get along at the hall and they don't mind helping each other on calls. They socialize after work and some are even married.....

Then there are some medics and firefighters who still hate the idea that we are a combined department. They can't stand each other and they loathe having a medic on a fire call or a firefighter on a medical call. They don't make an effort to understand each other's career or way of life. In fact, they make an effort to slander the other - even to the media. Unbeknownst to me, the medic I was so excited to have worked with was one of "those".

I haven't heard this medic say a bad word about firefighters. It's also known that I'm married to one so I'm not sure they would have entered that discussion with me. I brought up this point to FF in defending this medic, and that I need to make my own opinion of people based on what I've experienced, not what has happened in the past before I was on the job. FF warned that I needed to be sure where my loyalty was, because if I stand up for these medics when I cross over to the fire side I'm going to be in for a rough ride. He reminded me that firefighters are a tight bunch and find it hard to forgive and forget when someone tries to bring down one of their own by embellishing the truth.

FF also reminded me that most firefighters know medics are a hard working bunch, but that firefighters are first and foremost loyal to their own. He suggested I start playing my cards right if I want to fit in the group down the road and defending some of these medics wasn't going to help. He really was trying to help me with this conversation, but it took me by surprise. He states I would never be judged for being a paramedic, but there is a strict line between these medics and firefighters. I never realised how much those actions affected the firefighters and how hard forgiveness has been. (and these medics really pulled some nasty stunts).

So where does my loyalty lay? With my current co-workers who haven't done me wrong, but have to my husband, his brothers and the possibly myself if I cross over. Or to the firefighters who I'm not currently involved in with but are my husband's brothers, and possibly my future brothers?

Not an easy task to stay neutral to both sides when I'm not sure where my future will be, but I'm going to try my hardest.

Honesty - its over rated

2011-11-11T10:43:00.000-08:00

Getting in the shower last night after working 17 hours on this barn - dirt on my face, messy hair from my hat, no make-up and totally exhausted. Firefighter looks at me and says "Boy, you look really ugly right now".

They say honesty and open communication is the secret to a strong marriage. He's lucky it wasn't the secret to a strong left hook.

Poopy eye and stale herbs

2011-11-08T21:25:00.000-08:00

Upon investigating pink eye (posting on Facebook and having all my friends comment) I've discovered that it's actually caused by poo in the eye. Crap in the cornea. Sh*t in the Sclera. Meconium in my macula. The question is, who's crap? This has been keeping me awake at night and really creeping me out. I wash my hands all that time. I carry fancy hand sanitizer on my belt and in my purse. I don't put my eye next to any one's bum hole. Yet all this doesn't seem to have been enough.

Did you also know that you can get Chlamydia pink eye?

Please give me a moment - not only have I discovered that I can't put my eye next to a rectum, I also shouldn't put it next to a va-j-j.

*kidding*

My symptoms weren't getting any better even with the repetitive application of my polysporin drops. Then I realised they had expired in 2003. Oh, 8 year old eye drops; what crazy eye infections you've seen. If only you could share your stories.

Last night I was helping FF cook (he cooked and I helped by staying out of the kitchen. It was a win win).

As he pulled out the cilantro he looked at it quizingly and said "I don't ever remember buying this spice". He knew better then to ask if I had bought it because he knows the only spice I buy is rim topper for my beverages.
Me: "I got that from my grandmother J"
FF: "Hasn't she been gone for 10 years?"
Me: "Yup".

I later cleaned out the spice cabinet. And my medicine cabinet. And my closet (clothes expire too). It was like an episode of hoarders and sadly I was the star.

Conjunctivitis

2011-11-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

Pink eye - it's a wonderful thing; especially when it comes on in the middle of a shift. Sitting at the triage desk rub rub rubbing my eye (what can I say, I've never had pink eye before). As much as nurses and medics butt heads at the hospital I sure did appreciate their help yesterday. Here is some cream, drops, ointment, and let me arrange a quick look by the Opthomologist.

Me: "Boss, I'm sick. I'm ok to work, but I've got pink eye".

Supervisor: "Go home, it's contagious and you're around sick people with compromised immune systems. Plus I don't need you infecting your co-workers and having all my staff off sick".

Me: "Why wouldn't you want all your medics to have swollen eyes with yellow puss dripping down their cheeks?"

Supervisor: *silence*

Me: "I'll call you tomorrow"

On a positive note I've expanded my vocabulary explaining my signs and symptoms. Oozing. Weeping. Discharge. Leakage. Draining. All sexy terms to match how attractive I feel with my eye sealed shut with crusties.

Later that night......

FF: "what are you watching?"

Me: "My Life, a classic"

FF: "Are you crying?"

Me: "Nope, it's my pink eye" (brilliant, I'm going to use this excuse everytime I want to hide a tear. Hee hee hee)

So true.

2011-10-27T20:23:00.001-07:00

Parteeee

2011-10-27T03:01:00.000-07:00

Its our annual Halloween party tomorrow night. If you leave now you can make it in time to hear the band. You're not gonna want to miss this one.

Sunset - my happy place

2011-10-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

please vote!

2011-10-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

My cousin is in a music competition and sure would appreciate your support! Please vote for Terence Babych everyday until November 2nd.

http://www.whiskyrocks.com/competition/terence-babych.shtml

FF catches a big one

2011-10-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

Fire consumes a large papermill in our city spreading to 15 buildings. 100 + firefighters and 30 + trucks. Chemicals, machinary and multiple buildings on a 20 acre (approx) site with limited water supply. Thankfully no injuries.

As I post this crews have been on scene battling for over 16 hours and it's still going strong.

FF is home and tired and smells good (any fire wife can appreciate that).

smile

2011-10-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

This morning :

My car died on my way to work.
A drunk peed in my ambulance.
I stepped in poo.
I got called a c*nt (not even from the same drunk who peed in my truck).
I got cream in my tea when I ordered milk.

This afternoon:

I got some great news (will share more later)
I reconnected with an old friend.
FF fixed my car.
I got another tea.
I decontaminated my boots.
I had a fantastic call with a great yet hard-to-impress supervisor who gave me a "good job".
I cardiac paced a patient who had a heart rate of 24. Yes. 24 beats a minute (and other cardiac stuff goin' on too). Sucks that I hurt her, but awesome that I saved her.
I talked to the patient who coded on me in the hallway. Yes. I talked to him. He's alive.
I came home to a large glass of wine and a bubble bath.

Live is good.

Although it's been difficult at times and I've questioned myself, I'm so glad I made this career change and opened up this part of my life.

MacGyver's watch

2011-10-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

Imagine MacGyver and Chuck Norris meet. In a dark alley. And they're enemies. Like Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan (happy 42nd birthday Nancy Kerrigan).

Who do you think would win?

Yeah, Chuck Norris would kick his ass.

But what if MacGyver had this watch?

I'd pay to see that.

I'd also pay for this watch, especially since it's now 35% off. Sounds like a perfect Christmas gift for that hard to buy for person in your life.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

2011-10-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

What a tour. Overdose after overdose (you thought you wanted to die then you called 911 for our help. I'm here because you asked for us, so please cooperate.) Bed bugs (*heebie jeebies*). Vomit (I'm never eating green beans again). Combative patients (thank-you O2 tank and my ninjas dressed in turn-out gear). Green as grass patients coding right in front of my eyes while waiting in the ER hallway. Holy shit, i just saw that happen. Broke trucks and downed computer systems added to the frustration.

It's the kind of tour that makes me appreciate the peace and quiet of my country home, and the support system have with my co-workers and FF. The brotherhood is strong and I love being a part of it.

Happy Thanksgiving.

p.s. i've decided to start a collection of pink fire shirts. if you have one you can donate or sell, or want to buy one of ours ($20) e-mail me at hydrantgirl@yahoo.com Best do it quick, they're a hot ticket item.

Pink and proud

2011-10-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time I had a give-away to support The Pink Heals Tour (pinkfiretrucks.org) in their effort to raise money and awareness for breast cancer.

I'm super proud to share that our city has joined the efforts yet again for this cause, and have pimped out one of our trucks in the token pink paint.

I'm loving the pink t-shirts that FF is sporting, I think it adds to my current collection of "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" wardrobe.

Any other departments wearing pink for October? I just may have to start 'me a collection of shirts from departments around the world supporting this cause.

The best part of this? Today signed it for my frient Tannis and her boobies of steel.

The worst part of this? Today signed it in memory of too many.

My new favorite site

2011-10-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

Beware Visa, you're about to get a workout.

https://deals.firerescue1.com/

Deals on Black Helmet AND pants that might actually fit my booty? And they're on sale? Sweet Red Tomatoes, I'm in heaven.

What's worse then no fire?

2011-10-02T23:37:00.000-07:00

Gong goes off in FF's hall for a fire

Black smoke can be seen for miles

It was a good one - a large grass fire along the rail line had spread to a large building

Upon arrival they discover the fire is actually in the neighbouring district and mutual aid hasn't been called for

Good-bye fire

Bummer

Puppy love

2011-09-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

Since my last post was a flop (I thought it was a funny story and would get at least one comment!) I tapped in to my softer side to share this with you.

If funny inappropriate stories don't get your comments maybe a puppy will. Cause I love comments *smile*

Postal Service

2011-09-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

A while ago I hosted a give-away where Momma-Fargo won a gift pack of Canadian chocolate bars. I packed up the goodies with care and sent them to their new home to be loved and enjoyed. By Momma-Fargo. Not a postal worker. Seems that somewhere between my house and hers the package was intercepted and found a new home.

The postal service was nice enough to send Momma Fargo a letter telling her they found the shipping label (and nothing else). I made a claim with the postal service who responded with a long list of requirements I must send them before I could be refunded, including the original receipt from purchase. Problem is I didn't keep the original receipts.

Knowing the only way to get my money back was to find a receipt dated before I shipped the package, for something that could qualify as the "candy" I claimed on the duty slip.

I searched my house high and low.

And then I found it.

A receipt from the gift I bought for my friend's stagette. From the Love Shop *evil smile*

Ah, to be a fly on the wall when they open my file asking to be refunded for sex toys I shipped to another woman a million miles away. *hee hee hee* Don't mess with a woman and her chocolate.

And to Momma Fargo - I'm sorry. There may be a few people wondering about us.

Sad day at work

2011-09-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

While waiting with a patient in the emergency room a little boy from the waiting room walks up to me and asks "What day is it today?" I reply that it is Saturday the 24th.
He walks over to his mom with a sad face who tells him "Sorry, we missed your birthday. It was yesterday".

Much thanks to my family for never letting me miss a birthday.

Feeling sad for seeing what we do in this line of work, my partner and I return to the hall for our warm meal, dry clothes and friendship with other crews. I see that a family wrote nice words of thanks for our hard work with their loved one. I'm not sure I'll ever appreciate those gestures as long as their written in an obituary.

Under-roos

2011-09-21T22:35:00.000-07:00

There's an old saying: "Always wear clean underwear in case ever in an accident"

Here's a thought: if your husband is in a very minor accident, you call 911, the paramedics take him to the hospital and you meet them there, make sure you wear clean underwear. Or underwear.

I'm 3 for 3 this shift alone on mama's hanging free.

Cover-up shorts

2011-09-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

After much discussion on FF's choice in wardrobe it's been decided that I'm shallow because I would let clothing determine who I date. My defence is that there are three things I look for in a man 1) he has to have teeth (or most of them) 2) he has to have some goal for his life, and 3) has to be nice to his mother, small children and old ladies. Now, I'm not saying that someone wearing ripped pants covered in spray paint with worn shorts over top and a dirty t-shirt isn't nice; he's probably homeless.

I've dated some real losers and figure I am at the point in my life that I can be picky on who I date (not that I'm looking for a date). And I'm not saying that homeless people are losers, because I've met some really nice ones that have fallen on hard times.

But I like to be honest when I ask "Your place or mine?".

Today we helped a friend fence her pasture, and 2 other gents also had rips in their groinal region. I guess they scratch hard? Who knows. But it's convinced FF that his cover-up shorts are the greatest thing since slice bread and spent all day trying to convince our friends of the benefits of wearing multiple layers. "It keeps the boys warm." "You can have your fly down and no one will know." "It looks cool."

We'll see if it takes off.

I'm not holding my breath.

Firefighter the fencer

2011-09-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

Remember WAY back when? " http://hydrantgirl.blogspot.com/2009/05/well-it-happened-again.html

Well, we FINALLY settled with our neighbours to fix our fence (which also means we can now use this pasture again).

It's been super dry around here, so putting in 7' posts required a bit of power.

While watching in awe of my fence finally getting fixed I noticed FF had recently returned from the house with an interesting choice in clothing.

And in typical hydrantgirl fashion, I didn't miss a beat.
Me: "What in gawd's name are you wearing?"
FF: "How did you notice so fast?"
Me: "How could I NOT notice? What the frick?"
FF: "I had to cover up the hole in my crotch"
Me: "Why didn't you just put on different pants?"
FF: " I dunno......." *shrugs shoulders*

It got me wondering.

If I was walking down the street.

As a single woman.

On the prowl for a new husband.

And I saw this man.

In his bleached stained work pants and a pair of ripped shorts with a torn waistband over top.

Would I think to myself.......

"Damn, I'm going to marry this man"

An amazing birth story (on the side of the highway) - must read!

2011-09-08T00:06:00.000-07:00

My aunt reads this blog (Hi Auntie! *waving*) and has the most amazing life. She's adopted a bazillion kids and fostered a bazillion more - changing each and every child for the better. Her and my Uncle are amazing. They have the greatest stories to tell about their adventures and I keep trying to convince her that she should write a blog. No go yet.

I did convince her to write this story how she delivered her granddaughter on the side of the highway.

Yes, you read that correct.

See below for the amazing story; and feel free to leave a comment for my Aunt telling her how amazing this story is. I'm sure she'll appreciate your kind words.
____________________________________________

August 12, 2011

12:45 am. Contractions woke up my daughter Kate. She rested on the living room couch for 15 minutes and then sat for another 10 minutes just to make sure she was really having contractions before she woke anyone up!

At 1:10 am she came and woke me up, then lay on the floor and told me how much it hurt! I suggested she wait another 10-20 minutes to see if the contractions settled into a pattern (I had talked to a nurse so I knew what advice to give her; and besides it is her first child and everyone knows how long first children take to be born). Kate tried a bath but was so uncomfortable she had to get out. Her contractions were not settling into a 5 minute pattern so she asked her dad to phone our neighbour Sanda to come over. Sanda was over in a flash and was able to put her nursing skills to good use by rubbing her back and putting a cold cloth on her head. The contractions quickly progressed to 1 – 2 minutes apart.

We live 30 kilometers from the nearest hospital and it was time to go!

Sanda helped Kate to the van. My husband Larry thought to grab Kate's shoes and Sanda ran back into the house and grabbed the first hoody she saw - my son's favourite green hoody from Christmas.

I got into the van and Kate was on all fours on the bucket seats in the middle row. She didn’t realize how close her butt was to the side window!!

Kate felt the first urge to push as we were pulling out of the driveway. She thought she was imagining it so didn’t mention it to us!!

As we left our small town I was able to convince Kate to sit on the seat, or lay down if she had to but to please get her butt off the window. I'm sure passing motorists appreciated that.

We were just starting on the highway and...

Kate: “Mom, I have to push.”

Me: “Don’t.”

Kate: “Mom. I can’t help it. I need to push.”

Me: “Don’t. In 20 minutes we’ll be at the hospital.”

I yelled to my husband: “Don’t drive at Papa speed. Go faster. And go to the closest hospital.” (Not the hospital for delivering babies but I figured they’d know what to do anyway!)

Kate: “Oh Mom. Oh Mom.”

I dialled 911 and in a voice that was shaking like crazy I explained to the operator what was happening and where we were and where we were headed.

911: “Pull over and put your hazard lights on. I’m calling the ambulance.”

I repeated this information to my husband.

Larry, a man on a mission, keeps driving.

911: “Ask your daughter if she feels anything between her legs?”

Me: “Kate. Do you feel anything between your legs?”

Kate: “No but I really need to push.”

911: “Have you pulled over yet?”

Me: “No.” To Larry: “Why haven’t you pulled over yet?”

It dawns on Larry that there is about to be a change in plans. For the past 2 weeks he has been teasing Kate that there were 2 things she was not allowed to do - one was have the baby on Friday because of the Rider’s football game, and two was she couldn’t have the baby in his van.

It was Friday. Game Day. We were parked on the side of Highway 11 in his van, in the wee hours of the morning with Kate saying she had to push, and a 911 operator on the phone.

A look of horror comes onto Larry’s face and it will remain there for the next 22 hours.

911: “Are you pulled over yet?”

Kim: “Yes.”

911: “Can you climb into the back seat and check if you can see the baby’s head?”

When I opened the sliding door I saw Kate was huddled in the seat furthest from me. I convinced her to scoot down and put her bottom on the seat closest to me - my fear was that the baby would fall down the space between the 2 bucket seats.

Me: “Is that the ambulance lights I see?”

Larry: “No.”

911: “Can you see the baby’s head?”

Me: “No. Oh dear. Yes. Her face is down”

911: “Put your hand on her vagina so the baby doesn’t come out too fast.”

Me to self... wearing her own look of horror... You want me to put my hand on my daughter’s vagina... For how long?

I place the phone on Kate’s belly and do as told. More of the baby’s head emerges and I can see lots of dark hair. I realize I have lost my lifeline to the 911 operator so ask Larry to quickly pick up the phone.

Larry: “The operator said to grab something to help you get the baby. She’ll be slippery”

Now her head is all the way out and I rummage around the back seat and find Jordan’s hoody.

Kate lets out a final “awwwwwwww” and out pops her daughter, my granddaughter...onto the hoody. What do I do now? I lift her down off the seat away from the mess.

Larry with the phone now imbedded in his ear: “She says to wipe off her mouth and nose.”

I do as told and my grandbaby lets out a beautiful cry. She is looking around the van and waving her little arms. She is beautiful. I think of babies who enter the world in warm water, soft lights, quiet music and voices. What a gentle way to start your life on this earth! And here is my granddaughter, born on the side of Highway 11, cars passing us by, a 911 operator our lifeline, waiting for the ambulance but in her gramma’s arms. I have to admit for everyone’s sake, especially Kate’s, I was really glad there were very few mosquitoes that night.

Larry sees the ambulance go by on the other side of the highway looking for a spot to turn around and come back to us.

I am so thankful when they pull up behind our van. The cord is clamped; the baby whisked into the ambulance, the stretcher arrives at the side of the van. I guide Kate onto it and help strap her on. When the paramedic asked Kate how she was, Kate responded with “That was intense!”

After one little slip in the direction of the ditch, Larry and the paramedic get Kate moving towards the ambulance. I’m instructed to go to the side door to ride to the hospital with them. I now know that it is not unusual for an ambulance to have 3 doors on its side but only one leads into the back of the ambulance! Lesson learnt.

My son Kristopher often says: “Man plans. God laughs.” I am so thankful He kept us all safe while He was laughing. For months I had hummed and hawed about going into the delivery room with Kate. I was scared I’d faint. I was concerned I’d get in the way. I feared a hundred fears. God had other plans!

Kate and Jayda are doing wonderful.

Larry’s face has lost its look of horror.

I am thankful I was there to welcome little Jayda into the world.

And to all the 911 operators and paramedics out there...THANK YOU from all of us.

Like something from candid camera

2011-09-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

My partner and I are called to a 50 year old man with a swollen neck. The cigarette smoke in the apartment is so thick I'm certain I lost 5 years of my life from second hand smoke inhalation.

Husband and wife are sitting in their recliners, in matching NASCAR housecoats, puffing away. Hubbie was trying to do his best Sharon Stone impression from Basic Instinct.

I was trying my best not to be scarred for life.

The family cat saunters up to greet us and the patient tells us his name is Mickey - because "hes' as useless as a mickey. Why would anyone buy JUST a mickey when they sell bigger bottles?"

Good question my friend.

It was also at that exact moment in time I vowed to start my 90-to-none campaign. If you've lost 90 % of your teeth you should have them all yanked. Because really, what purpose does that lone bottom tooth serve?

Trying to obtain an assessment from him was near impossible - his "pretty lady" was so drunk it was distracting. At least she was honest to admit that she called 911 to see if Bobby-Joe was working - an old high school friend.

I don't know Bobby-Joe but if I ever meet him he's going to hear about this one.

Our patient refused transport to the hospital. While explaining our refusal checklist I mentioned that if anything changes with his condition he can call us back.

He replied "if I was single I'd call you back" *hip thrust*

And if I'm ever single I'll keep that in mind.....not.

The call followed us like a bad haircut. Our next call was an airport transfer and as we approached the crew the pilot asked the flight nurse if she smelt smoke. She replied that yes, it really stunk and something must be on fire. I think my big cheesy smile broke the awkward silence when I told them that smell was actually us.

Hydrantgirl in the kitchen - a scary thought.

2011-09-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

Me: "Be careful next time you turn this stove element on, there's salt on it and it'll probably smoke and smell"
FF: "Why is there salt on the element?"
Me: "I had a bit of an accident when I was cooking bacon and I started the stove on fire."
FF: "and why did you put salt on the element?"
Me: "Because that's what you're supposed to use for a grease fire"
FF: "I've never heard of that before"
Me: "If there's anything I know, it's how to put out kitchen fires"
FF: "How about you just don't start the kitchen on fire?!"
Me: "Well, for that to happen I'd have to stop cooking all together."
FF: *blink blink*

FYI

2011-09-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

Unicorns ARE real.

They're fat and grey and we call them rhinos.

Puff puff

2011-08-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

We're on scene for a little old man who was complaining of shortness of breath. History of bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer.... all the good things that come from filling your lungs with tobacco for 50 years.

Trying to get him ready for the ambulance and he's packing for an around-the-world cruise. I drew the line at the freezer-bag of cigarettes.

Me: "ok Jack, that's enough, you don't need all this stuff for a quick stay in the ER, especially the smokes."
Jack: "I need them!"
Me: "No you don't, you're going to the hospital, not a party".
Jack: I'm not going to quit smoking just because I'm going to the hospital."
Me: (with a raised eyebrow to my partner)"You're smoking is the reason we're taking you to the hospital!"
Jack *cough cough cough* "You can't prove that!".
Me: "Touche. Now let's go"

I've learnt that a large part of my job is not being outsmarted by my patient.

Still lovin' this job.
*Edited to add: Jack did bring his smokes with him. When I tried to leave them behind he said I'd have to pry them from his cold dead hands. I don't think he appreciated my sarcasm when I replied with "you know, the last smoker who said that to me....."

Behind the scenes of "Trash the Dress"

2011-08-27T23:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the comments on my last "Trash the dress" post. To answer your questions: Yes, the dress is trashed - now. We further trashed the dress then these pictures (will post more pictures later). Yes, it was worth it. Yes, it was great fun. Yes, you MUST do it to your wedding / grad / ugly-bridesmaid-that-you'll-never-wear-again-no-matter-what-the-bride-told-you-when-she-made -you-buy-it dress.

What made it so much fun was the adventures firefighter and I got in to getting these pictures. Hiking up rocks. Falling down rocks. Flashing a group of strangers while jumping in a pool. Having some strange man also taking pictures from behind a tree. Sneaking on to a golf course only to get caught by the course Marshall (who was 70 years old and drove a really fast golf cart). Loosing my veil. Twice.

Good times *smile*

The tree didn't hold me. I landed in the water. On my a**.

That wasn't so much fun.

Trash the dress - part 1 (picture heavy)

2011-08-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

What better way to spend a day off then to get back in to your wedding dress ~~(and still fitting in it after 2 years)~~ (and fitting in it better after 2 years- take that Miss Priss from High School :-) and trashing your wedding dress?

2011-08-22T21:58:00.000-07:00

Dispatch: "Paramedic Unit Awesome, please respond to 123 Main St for female, difficulty walking".

We arrive on scene and find our patient sitting in her recliner, cool drink in hand.

Medic Awesome "What's the problem ma'am?"

Patient - screaming like we just cut off her arm "my leg! My leg! I can't move it!"

Medic Awesome "Oh dear.......what happened? Why can't you move your leg?"

Patient (still yelling as if we were trying to talk over a jet engine) "I stubbed my toe last week. Oh my god the pain!"

Medic Awesome "ok ma'am, we'll help you out. First off we need your health card to start this process. Can you get it for me?"

Patient (sniffling from the recent stream of pain induced tears) "ok".

She gets up and walks to her purse. On her leg. That she can't move on.

Medic Awesome: "it's a miracle!!"

Lesson: don't kid the kidder.

Picture this

2011-08-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

I'm catching up on some fire - related studying, and came across this slide.

The primary method employed by firefighters for moving around in areas of obscured visibility is by:

- duck walking
- cart wheels
- crawling
- leapfrogging

Please join me in the mental picture of a bunch of firefighters cart wheeling and leap frogging out of a burning building.

Hee hee hee hee........ leapfroggin'.

Gawd i hope I don't get that question wrong.

Fire vs. EMS

2011-08-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

(Saw this at a hall I worked at, which had done a school tour. I had to share.)

"Today I learnt - Today I saw"
- We saw a fire truck with letters on it
- We saw the hoses hanging
- We went inside a fire truck
- We learned 911
- They wear special clothes to keep the fire away
- We learned about smoke detectors
- We saw a firefighter slide down a pole
- We saw ladders
- We saw a movie
- We saw an ambulance go on a call
- They wash their trucks

Is it just me, or is there something that doesn't belong here?

They saw the fire truck (in the hall, sitting, waiting....) they went inside the fire truck (because it was is the hall, not on a call......) they saw their special clothes (because they were in the hall, waiting.....) they saw a firefighter slide down a pole (because he was in the hall, waiting for that call......) They saw a movie (cause that's what firefighters do; while they're waiting.....) They wash their trucks (cause they get dirty, from sitting in the hall waiting....)

I'm surprised the poster didn't mention that the firefighters made them lunch :-)

And then they saw an ambulance. And it went on a call. Go figure.

I love fire. I love EMS.

I love how busy EMS is.

I think one day I'll love how less-busy and different - busy fire is.

** posted in good fun **

2011-08-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

FF and I work slightly different shifts. Although there's always someone at home, we may not be home at the same time. When I get home from a long 12 hour day and its the middle of the night I want to sleep.

He knows this.

He has his own side of the bed. He has his own pillow (that I hate).

He knows this too.

For some reason he likes to sleep on my side of the bed when I'm not there. When I get home (and he knows I'm coming home) and find him on my side of the bed, there's hell to pay.

Me (standing at the edge of the bed on the verge of exhaustion dying to crawl in and fall off to dream land where I'm not being puked on or yelled at or demanded to bring some cold old lady more blankets): "Move over"

FF (who has been home for hours and is well rested and has been relaxing watching tv for hours) "Why?"

Me (still tired): "because I'm exhausted and want to go to bed!"

FF: (still groggy from me waking him up from his beauty sleep): "Can't you sleep on the other side?"

Me (growing annoyed by this game): "No! Just roll over"

FF (still laying on MY side of the bed, comfy as can be): "Why can't you sleep on the other side?"

Me: "because that's my side. And my phone charger is on that side. Why do you sleep on my side?"

FF: "because I miss you and want to be close to you. Plus you can use my phone charger"

Me (more annoyed, and not convinced by his attempt to suck up) "No, I want my charger" (because at 3 in the morning this is really what I want to be discussing. And like it even matters?!)

FF (annoyed that I interrupted his sleep) "Fine. But I drooled on your pillow"

Me: "payback is a bitch"

A question for the firefighters out there

2011-08-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

I recently got asked "why do you want to be a firefighter?" After some thought in coming up with an answer other then the never ending desire to run into a burning building (because that makes you sound slightly crazy to anyone who's never done it, and we all know that's only part of the job); it got me wondering what part of being a firefighter (medical calls aside) really makes you smile? What part of this gig makes you realise you're part of a great career?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Hang on to your bright orange markers

2011-07-30T19:32:00.000-07:00

Hydrantgirl-itis: The irresistable urge to stop at a construction site and steal a pylon.

Yes, I collect pylons. I can't help it.

Don't hate me.

It's a disease.

If we ever meet I'll sit you down over a "soda" to discuss the many uses of pylons and justify my actions.

Hydrantgirl - aka Master Angler

2011-07-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's my fish - not my bait.

I'm sure glad I've been working out - I wasn't sure I'd be able to reel it in all on my own.

Size doesn't matter *sigh*

For the record, I can count the fish I've caught on one hand. Damn rights I'm counting this guy.

2011-07-23T03:47:00.000-07:00

this explains my ex ;-)

Lana Banana

2011-07-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

I love Lana

and Lana loves her kong.

So much so, it's a tad annoying.

No one is safe

And when you think you've found a place to get away from her....

She'll be there waiting for you

Good thing she's cute.

"Excuse me"

2011-07-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

while stopped at a red light ambulance unit awesome is called on for advance medical interventions.

random strange guy "can you check my pulse?"

partner feels for 2.4 seconds. "yup, you're good"

strange man: "can you look at my foot? "

thankfully the light turned before he had a chance to show us who-knows-what.

i love my job - no 2 days are ever the same.

Mike the camera hog

2011-07-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

Both my horses have very different personalities.

Although Bart is the comic of the group, he's never the first to come to the fence for attention. I usually have to use my zoom to catch him doing anything, and oats to get a halter on.

Mike on the other hand, I can't get him out from in front of the camera.

"I know you're trying to take a picture of Bart at the trough, but maybe I can sneak in too?"

"Maybe if I just walk in front of her, and stand in my oat pail........"

"Hey lady, look at me. I'm so cute"

Hey bud, get out of the way, this is about me right now.

Ok, fine. I'll just stand back here. You can still see me though.......

Canadian Goodie Winner

2011-07-08T21:39:00.000-07:00

Thank-you for all your entries to our give - away.

The winner is.....

Momma Fargo!!

Please e-mail me at hydrantgirl at yahoo dot com with your name and address and I'll get your goodies right out to you.

Thanks to everyone for playing along -we have another give-away coming up soon.

Bart the Fart

2011-07-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

They say that animals are like their owners, which I believe is true.

Bart has been known to be a tad impatient.

When he wants me to re-fill the water trough, he wants it done now.

"Excuse me Bart, will you give me a second to clean your trough out first?"

"No"

And if he's not tugging on the hose, he'll find something to drop in the water to get your attention (that's his feed pail I just gave his oats in to distract him from the hose).

But when the trough is full, he's full of fun and games.

Man, I love this horse.

Just never loose sight of your hammer when you're fixing fences - you'll never find it.

O Canada! Give away

2011-07-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

Since it's Canada Day

And I'm damn proud to be Canadian (most of the time....) losers

And because FF saved a cat last week

I'm having a give-away of Canadian goodies. Some yummy Canadian chocolates (which seem to be in high demand from my neighbours to the south) and some Canadian candies.

To enter: leave me a comment / send me an e-mail stating if you've ever been to Canada. If so - where? If not - why?

Entries accepted until July 7th.

Happy Canada Day to my canuck readers, and Happy 4th of July to the rest of ya'll.

Work work work work work work work. Rinse and repeat.

2011-06-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

Work has been busy, as always. Pregnant ladies going into labour at the swimming pool (Ummmm, driver..... she feels the urge to push. Can you drive faster?) Man attacked by his housecat Fluffy (and I mean REALLY attacked) Elderly man didn't understand his accountant son trying to explain his taxes and thought the confusion was a sign of a stroke. Nope, dude just isn't good at math. Fellow who felt dizzy and nauseous after drinking too many cheap beers (usually how I feel after drinking too much too. Like last night. You know it's a good time when you find nacho chips in your cutlery drawer the next morning and don't remember making nachos?!)

Our city of just over 600,000 people had 67 calls in under 2 hours yesterday (that's a lot). It makes the day go by fast :-)

Lots of calls = lots of experience, even the "BS" calls.

Working all of these shifts has kept my hours up, which means I'm now full time *enter happy dance here*. Up until now I worked a 0.76 position - 4 x 8 hour shifts; with 4 days off. In order to get full time hours, I had to pick up one additional shift - leaving me with 3 days off. Since I was casual, they liked to call us non-full-timers in (hours worked = seniority, something us casuals were all dying for as it determined when you got a full time position). Which meant I would usually pick up an additional shift on my tour off. Leaving me with 2 days off. My "normal" shift ended at 2:00 a.m. (pending no offload delays put us into overtime), and a 45 min drive home meant I was lucky to be in bed by 3:30. Late to bed = late to rise. Leaving me with 1 day off.

The point of this all? This is why I haven't had time to blog / see my friends / shower (kidding).

But that's all about to change. I'm now working 4 12 hour days (somewhat the same schedule as FF) with NO pressure to pick up extra shifts. 4 full days off....... what ever shall I do with myself?

Perhaps go back to the rural department and ride the ambulance there? I'm never one to sit still.

The red beast

2011-06-27T14:53:00.000-07:00

FF caught a good one yesterday - a local restaurant went up early in the day. Over 20 units total responded and fought for 15 hours.

(for my fire friends)

"Are you sure?"

2011-06-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

Dispatch: "Ambulance Unit Awesome, will you please respond with the bariatric unit to the airport, plane down at 18:30."
Unit Awesome: "Dispatch, where are we transporting this patient to?"
Dispatch: "Children's Hospital................"
Me to partner (knowing our city deems a bariatric patient anyone over 350 lbs): "wow, that's a big kid".

Unit Awesome arrives at the ariport and are greeted by the flight medic.

Flight Medic:" Grandpa is just going to carry him out."

Partner and I look quizingly at each other, wondering how big grand-papa is if he's carrying out a 350 lb+ child.

Grandpapa offloads with an 11 month old, healthy baby boy, much to our surprise. Turns out dispatch from the 'other province meant to call this a pediatric call. Not a bariatric.

Big difference folks. BIG.

We have a special ambulance with a power stretcher and a hydraulic lift for bariatric patients.

We have pedi-mates for pediatric patients (which doesn't fit on our special bariatric stretcher, nor is it carried in the bariatric unit)

Unit Awesome: Dispatch, can you please re-assign this call?

Just another day in paradise :-) (and that's a serious comment).

Edible shooter glasses

2011-06-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

I just discovered the greatest thing in the world.

Ever.

Beyond sliced bread.

Beyond Penicillin.

Beyond beer (hmmmmm, beer)

Beyond Baconaise (although it's pretty damn good - more on that for another day)

Nothing else can trump edible marshmallow shooter glasses.

Trust me. Look at this face - would I lie to you?

Step #1 - roast marshmallows over an open fire. Feel free to have your husband take very unflattering pictures of your side arm fat and fish belly white legs.

Step #2 - remove the crispy outer shell of the marshmallow. Pinch the bottom hole (where the marshmallow holdin' stick protruded). Fill with the liquor of your choice.

Here I'm filling (and over flowing and wasting, tisk tisk) caramel baileys. Kahlua is also yummy. As is paralysers.

Sour puss - not so good.

Step #4 - shove the entire thing (booze and shell) in your mouth. Enjoy!

A word of caution: no matter how hard you try (as you can see by my feeble expression below) it's very difficult NOT to get messy during this endeavor, so don't even try to stay clean.

A word of advice, these are addicting.

And for extra spice in your life, try the roasted coconut marshmallows.

A perfect way to spend my birthday.

Drinking alone..... *sigh*

(FF doesn't drink - he says he has enough on his hands taking care of me when I come up with these crazy ideas.)

hi

2011-06-14T23:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast time is going. It's been a few months since getting my full time medic position (and I'm still loving it). I'm working a lot - at least 2 extra shifts on my 4 off. It seems by the time I wake up from my night shift, grab a shower and a bite to eat it's time to head back to it.

My days off have been spent doing very random and un-blog-worthy things..........

Cleaning the yard and burning stuff

Ridin'. Lots.

Hiking

Learning my camera and enjoying the beautiful place I live.

Taking my dog camping, and watching her crazy antics (she's burying a hamburger bun I gave her).

Ok, so that was only once. But I really wanted to share that picture cause she's so damn cute.

And figuring out where I want to be in life.

Sometimes easier said then done eh?

A fantastic ride

2011-06-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

One perk of meeting people through all the fire and ems courses I've taken is meeting people who have fire and ems connections.

FF and I were in our cabin country and met up with one such connection. "MacGyver" was putting on a GSAR course for the police which included a fun ol' ride hanging from the belly of a 'copter.

Used for rescuing patients / victims / lost souls from a variety of terrain including heavy forest or a body of water; this team gave a new meaning to working together. All communication was done by hand signals between the man at the back of the basket and the spotter in the air.

Getting to fly through the skies was quite possibly the funnest thing I've ever done.

My booty

2011-05-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

made the national news......

sweeeeeeeet

The tale of 2 chairs (aka a slow day of blogging)

2011-05-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was 2 chairs.

They rocked.

They rolled.

They were kindof comfy.

These chairs had been with their owner through thick and thin.

Sadly, these chairs had seen better days. There were scars from an attack by a St. Bernard puppy.

Paint was peeling

And no matter what their owner tried, they still leaned to one side (she's no Mike Holmes)

These chairs were starting to show their age, and their very responsible owner feared someone might hurt themselves if these chairs ever gave way.

One day these chairs overheard their owner saying it was time for them to go. She'd had enough of trying to fix them just to have them fall apart again.

Poor sad chairs.....

Because their owner is also a fire bug she decided the best way to retire them would be to burn them (and take pictures to blog about. She's weird that way.)

Screams could be heard across the countryside as the chairs were left to burn alive.

"Noooooooo!!!!!"

Paint bubbled. Wood crackled. Flames arouse from the ashes of the ground (from the previous bonfire)

And just as fast as they had come in to the world (and been assembled. and screwed together again and again. and painted to try and cover up their flaws. and moved 4 times) their life was over.

Gone forever.

Only to be replaced to 2 quality "made in China" plastic versions. Sure, they don't rock, but they also don't require screws to hold them together.

And that folks, is how I spent my 4 days off. :-)

It should also be noted that after a glass (bottle) of wine my first wedding dress *may* have met the same fate.

It's very therapeutic. You should try it one day.

My new motto

2011-05-13T18:31:00.000-07:00

Bah! humbug.....

2011-05-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

I hate mothers day....

I love my mother to bits, but I hate mother's day - the over priced flowers, the sappy cards and the pressure to express your endless gratitude of 365 days all wrapped into one day.

Mother's day is a painful day that reminds us infertiles that we will never get to celebrate with the rest of you momma's; just like the painful reminder that we'll never experience the excitement of your child waking up Christmas morning. Or the excitement of the tooth fairy. Hell, even back to school supplies is a painful reminder that I'll never know the excitement of taking their "first day of school" picture. But Mother's Day is by far, the worst.

Don't get me me wrong - I love where I am right now. I love my life, and I love what FF has brought to my life. FF doesn't mind that I have messed up innards and I can't have babies. We compliment each other in our future goals, including sans kids. That doesn't mean I don't feel the pain. Wish I could see him be the fantastic father I know he'd be.

I've tried fertility drugs. I tried adopting. I tried fostering. Been there, done that, have the failed marriage to show for it. Don't wanna go back.

I love my life. I love FF. I love my life with FF. I hate Mother's Day.

Top 10 list

2011-05-07T01:22:00.000-07:00

Top 10 things I've learnt from my my job this week:

- helmets are very important when riding a horse. 2 patients in 2 days with cracked skid lids from spooky horsies. I wear one when I ride my bike, quad and snowmobile - all things I ride that I have 99% control over. Why don't I wear one when I ride my horse?

- motorcycles aren't cool if you fall off. This lesson has also ended my dream of owning a bike as I feel that my face looks better with skin on it. Guess I'll have to figure out another way to express my inner badass.

- CPR is exhausting

- I need to find new pit stick. "strong enough for a man" my ass.

- signing a donor card is very important. VERY important. go sign yours now

- texting and driving ain't cool, especially if you end up face first in a concrete wall.

- drinking and driving ain't cool, especially if you end up face first in a concrete wall.

- a parked semi will move if you drive into it fast enough.

- people get very mad if the person in front of them stops for the lights and sirens of an ambulance but they don't. Yup, I caused my first accident this week. Proud of me?

- the police come very fast if your partner pushes the magic orange panic button on your radio. VERY fast. and lots of them. All buffed up and carrying guns and ready to save the day. even if you don't need them.

Did I mention I love my job?

My addictions

2011-05-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

I admit, I have a few addictions. Real Housewives of anywhere.

Rum and Coke after a long day at work (such as today)

My Blackberry Torch (pfffft, apple i phone shmapple crap phone)

My linen cabinet neatly arranged with perfectly folded towels organized by color and stacked by size (don't judge me).

Coronation Street. I know your grandma probably loves it too, that doesn't make me feel any better that I go through withdrawal when I don't know what Sally and Fizz and Carla are up to at Underworld. And no, I didn't watch Billy Bob and Princess Katie get married.

Dog the Bounty Hunter (don't judge me).

Almost any realty show - will they cut enough wood / catch enough fish / drill enough oil to cover the bottom line? And most of the time I can't understand what they're saying "Now fuzz what yous doin' up them there? Come up there an' grabs a couples them twitches of them good stuffs". Huh? Still doesn't stop me from watching though.

The opposites of squats. Get it? Cause I hate squats?

And since our trip to the Dominican..... Scuba diving.

While in the Dominican FF and I completed our scuba certification.
Because who actually goes to an all-inclusive resort in the middle of a Canadian winter and sits and relaxes while enjoying free drinks on a white sandy beach? Not when you can spend your 10 days in paradise with your nose in a book studying decompression limits and regulator pressure limits.

All well worth it for the diving we did - ship wrecks, caves and tunnels. And we got endless pictures of ourselves in tight wet suits.

Because nothin' will send you back to the gym like seeing your ass in spandex after 2 weeks of free beer.

What's your addiction?

And if you don't want to tell me, you can always tell me what your "friend's" addiction is. Because we all have "that friend" that we blame things on / buy embarrassing purchases for / throw under the bus when we're too embarrassed to admit something ourselves.

What a good friend to take all that blame.

P.S. I have nothing against the Apple Iphone, it just seemed like the right thing to say.

My job

2011-04-29T23:02:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that it's fantastic? I love that every call is out and about doing something different - a nice change from 12 years at a desk.

I love the shift work - today I had a Dr's appointment, got my vision tested, dropped off pants for hemming, went to the gym, went for a horsie ride and went for coffee with my cousin all before supper. It's a great change from the 9-5.

That being said, now that I work 4 nights in a row I have to find new friends who also have days off; my social life is suffering since my peeps are at work during the day while I'm looking for someone to gallivant with.

Everyone I work with is fantastic - supportive, friendly and of course fun with all the practical jokes. Much thanks to everyone for the e-mails and comments; I've got some great ideas for payback. I do miss my Water and Waste buds somethin' fierce though.

The ambulance I'm on assists with a lot of the critical care transfers between hospitals. Just today we transported a patient with a subdural hematoma (bleed), a cardiac patient who flew in from way-up-north that qualified for the STEMI program, and young girl who had attempted suicide by consuming mass amounts of her mom's antidepressants. These calls are a fantastic way for me to learn - the patients usually come with all sorts of diseases and syndromes that have been diagnosed and documented and ready for me to research; if the patient is uber-critical we will have a doctor or flight nurse whom I can drill about anything medical; and the receiving facility is always willing to let us sit in on a angioplasty or re-setting an open fracture.

That being said, I also love the emergency calls - the mystery of each patient and the mystery of how to get out of the residential streets and back to the hospital is fun.

In our city the fire department assists many of the medical calls that the ambulances are dispatched too. I love this job but my heart still skips a beat seeing that big red truck. What to do, what to do.....

Life is good

2011-04-27T22:48:00.000-07:00

2008 3 horse slant load gooseneck.

Dressing room with oversized short wall (that means it's big).

It's shiny.

It's pretty.

It's mine.

:-)

Practical jokes

2011-04-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

As always, you guys have great replies to my posts; and my last post was no exception. You threw out some hints on how to get back at my firehall peeps, and I have a feeling there are a lot more ideas out there.

So please share your practical jokes. Don't hold back :-)

My hall

2011-04-20T23:42:00.000-07:00

It's like big brother watching over us.

Job is fantastic - I'm learning so much and have been a part of so many cool things. the human body continues to amaze me and my peers have been fantastic about pulling me in those "wow, I've never seen that before" calls.

I definitely made the right career move. I'm not sure how long I'll be on the ambulance and when I'll be given the opportunity to apply for fire but I'm loving every minute of my time here. My heart is still with fire but EMS has a strong second. Being a firefighter paramedic would give me the best of both worlds.

Everyone at the hall is fantastic, and I've only been subject to a few practical jokes as the rookie - hand sanitizer on the door handle. The radio. The oxygen tank. Might need some help from ya'll coming up with a way to pay them back - all in good fun of course.

I'm curious....

2011-04-13T18:39:00.001-07:00

After Stacie commented that her husband was called out for a yeast infection, I got thinking about the most frivolous calls I've been to in my very short career. It then got me wondering what's the most ridiculous call you've been on that just makes you shake your head at the waste of resources? (or your spouse / partner / friend has been on?) I'd love to hear.

We'll start -

FF: We got called to move a fridge out of a guy's basement. What did we do? We moved the fridge. We're nice guys, and clearly an emergency (enter sarcasm). I'm not sure how that one made it through 911 dispatch.

Hydrantgirl: It's a toss-up between the university student who dropped a weight on his baby toe at the school gym while working out with his girlfriend. The weight? 5 lbs. In a close second would be the woman was mad her husband moved the stove to clean behind it. I'd be thrilled if someone cleaned behind my fridge; although what you find back there might be reason to call 911.

What about the funniest?

FF: went to a hanging where a dude got caught with his girlfriend by his wife. Tried to hang himself with a 10' piece of rope. Trouble was the drop from the chair was only 3'. Funny seeing a man cry to try and get his way out of trouble.

Hydrantgirl: See previous post :-)

Heather: an OPA is an oropharyngeal airway. It's used in unconscious patients to keep their tongue from blocking their airway. Key word is unconscious. Without a gag reflex. Or someone who can handle a long plastic tube shoved down their throat. This patient we saw had full intents of inserting it on herself. I never got the chance to ask her if she'd tried it before.

Jen: think worse - as in eating his insides up. It wasn't pretty.

If I was an anonymous blogger.......

2011-04-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

I would share lots of stories with you - like the time we went to a call and it went from an assault to a strip tease in 0.2 seconds - to a very loud version of "We Speak No Americano".

Or the time we transported a woman who carried her own OPA - just in case she needed it (and was planning to insert it herself).

Or the time a woman had a seizure in front of us yet was still able to answer where her health card was located in her purse.

Or the dude who drank Drain-o.

Or the job that I really want and am going to apply for but am pretty sure I won't be considered for.

But I'm not anonymous, so I can't tell you those stories.

You'll have to use your imagination.

Ropes and Yoga

2011-04-10T17:54:00.001-07:00

I spent the weekend in the rope rescue practices course this weekend.

Finally.

I've been trying to take this course for over 2 years - cancelled because they couldn't find an instructor. Not enough people enrolled. The building burnt down. This year - our province is in a state of emergency because of the widespread flooding and they might need the instructors and equipment to save people trapped due to high rising water levels. *sheesh*

Thankfully for me, the flood held off long enough for me to get 3 days of rope, knot and system instruction. Thankfully for the rest of the world there is one more well trained fire / medic ready to haul someone up over or down to safety.

It was a great weekend - I learnt a lot and got a great refresher on the basics I learnt in fire camp. That being said, I'm sore. I'm not used to standing on concrete (and have a new respect for those who do it for a living); and because of a hockey tournament in town the hotel hot tub was filled with pubescent boys who's idea of relaxing was doing canon balls from the patio tables. Don't ask me where their parents were - I asked myself that same question at 3:30 in the morning when they were running up and down the hallway banging on random doors.

I wish I had a picture to share with you of me rockin' a helmet and harness, but my phone decided to kick the can on the 3 hour drive to the course (driving alone, because FF couldn't get the time off work) (getting an idea of how my weekend started and the fantastic mood I wasn't in?)

So what better way to loosen up some tight muscles then yoga?

My great friend Sagan over at Living Healthy in the Real World sent me 2 Passports to Prana - a fantastic pass that offers you easy access to some of the best yoga studios. This passport allows you access to one class to each yoga studio in the town you register it for. How cool is that? Especially for a yoga-virgin like me.

Interested? Head on over to www.passporttoprana.com and check it out. I'll be sure to keep you posted on the classes I try and the misadventures I'm sure to get in to.

Punta Cana

2011-04-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

FF and I went on a 2 week vacation to Punta Cana (hence my MIA from blogging, my slacking in sending off prizes (sorry!) and delay in replying to all comments and e-mails).

It was a fantastic (and much needed) holiday. FF's sister got hitched so we were surrounded by great friends and family. We kept ourselves busy with snorkeling

Going out for fancy meals (any other fire wives find it hard to get their hubby's out when "I can get a great steak at the fire hall for 2 bucks!"

Going on Segway tours (I know I look like a tool, but it really was a lot of fun). Swimming with the sharks

And generally goofing off.

Weather was fantastic.

And we had our own private pool in the resort.

As much as I love going away, I love coming home. Back to work, back to the critters, and back to my own bed.

Tragic

2011-04-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to comment on either side of this story - why was the fellow laying in the street in the middle of the night? Why didn't the truck see him (although I know the answer to that). It's just terrible for all involved. Man killed by fire truck.

Final PCP class

2011-03-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

Final PCP class today - a few final scenarios, but this time much more light-hearted then the past 3 weeks of testing.
Great group of peeps; am looking looking forward to hittin' the streets with them.
I was even fortunate for FF to "have drill" at the training tower while the grad was on, and changed over my epaulette from "recruit" to " paramedic" - part of the tradition in the department.

Off to the streets bright and early tomorrow morning. As our training officer says "we take them from cradle to grave"...... not really the wise words I was looking for as I spread my wings to fly in this big ol' scary city, but it's true.

(and yes, I did it again - hit publish before I was done typing. Damn)

A cute idea...

2011-03-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

Overthinking Mama has put together a Travelling Notebook - go check out her site and feel free to add your name to the lucky list of recipients. I can't wait to add my part to it.

A text from FF

2011-03-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

"Going to catch a good one"
Anyone involved in the fire service, or knows someone who is (fire wife, or otherwise) knows what this means. And damn, it was a good one.

One day folks, one day...... :-)

A quiet Thursday night

2011-03-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting on the couch, chillaxin', drinking some wine, eatin' some cherry blasters and watching American Idol with Lana Banana (what can I say, she loves Lauren). I am NOT studying.

Today was our last 2 tests for the recruit class, and the end is near. We have a facility tour, precepting workshop and grad left. Then...... *cue scary music* ....... we are given an ambulance and sent out to the streets.

Ok, not quite that dramatic, but just as exciting for me and my peeps. I'm done studying (for now, until I take Rescue Practices in a month) and I'm done waking up stupid early.

My shift for the first 2 months is 18:00 - 04:00 (peak truck) 4 on 4 off. I'm looking forward to getting out of the classroom and getting out on the truck - it still hasn't all sunk in that this is my new job while I'm sitting at a desk reviewing protocols.

Today is St. Patrick's day, and the day that my Papa celebrated his birthday. I had a geriatric call last weekend (which ended ok) and then had a lapse into lala land next to a nice ol' man in the deli aisle. This job has really taught me to appreciate life and really made me miss my grandparents.

That's all I've got - off to fill my wine glass, see who gets booted off Idol and head to bed.

Reason # 281

2011-03-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

Why I don't let Lana lick my face......

To her, a frozen road apple is just another toy.

Gross eh?

I know, I think so too. The life of a farm dog......

I'm still here

2011-03-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

Barely. Thanks to everyone for their concerns and sweet e-mails. I'm fine, just a little swamped.

Class has morphed into a life of it's own - I had no idea we would be writing this many exams or the emphasis put on our success. The marks from one exam determines your reg number so I'm back to studying every night to ensure I kick a**.

FF has been working like a crazy person - between our schedules we have seen each other twice in the past 3 weeks. We will see each other when we work together this weekend, then again in July, if I'm lucky (kidding). I'm sure many of you can appreciate this type of schedule and how it sometimes feels like you're single again. I do appreciate his hard work as my horse trailer fund has grown from a 2 horse bumper pull to a 3 horse slant load gooseneck. If he keeps it up I just might get me some living quarters!!

In between not seeing him, having a horse injure himself and trying to study, our well pump went. Nothing like being stressed out, alone and without water for 4 days. Not fun. And I made sure he knew that (what fun is it to keep all the frustration in to yourself? I'm a giving person and like to share). I guess I got the message through because I came home to flowers, donuts, beer and water. Gotta love it. (although in his defence it took so long because we had to wait for parts, so by no fault of his own that I had to shower at my mom's house).

A week and a half left of class and the remaining (with the exception of an ECG test tomorrow and pharmacology next week) is driving, tours and talks from "other professionals" (police, dispatch, cardiologists, etc). Much easier then protocol exams. We have a grad planned, and I'm hoping FF can book off his truck for it, and be the one to give me my epaulettes. Knowing my luck he'll get a call in the middle and leave me standing with the head booba.

So I'm here, but sparse. I'm in class and working on the ambulance and coaching figure skating and somewhat loosing my mind. I apologise for not replying to e-mails and comments, or taking the time to check out all ya'lls blogs. I plan a big catch-up soon, including mailing out some prizes.

p.s. kidding about the living quarters in the horse trailer as it's not very practical for my use. As much as I'd like to not have to use the porta potty at a rodeo, I don't think I can justify some of the ones we've looked at with pop-outs, air conditioning and a fire place.

Baconnaise

2011-03-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

Any of my american friends know where we can get this?
http://baconnaise.com/

If so, can I send you money in exchange for some yummy bacon - mayo goodness!

Email me if you can help us out. :-)

Winners

2011-03-05T09:10:00.000-08:00

I'm done week 1 of my new-job-training and my brain is fried. Who knew going back to school for just 5 days could make me this tired? Could be the mass amount of protocols, guidelines and procedures they've crammed in to my pea brain, or the fact that I've had to blow the cobwebs off my brain after vowing I was done school forever. It's very exciting, and feel very fortunate to be in the same hiring as 11 great medics.

2 1/2 weeks, 6 exams and 3 protocol tests to go.

And to celebrate my completion of week 1, here are the lucky winners of the Black Helmet give-away:

Tanya: Ladies Love Fire blue t-shirt

Lisa: Ladies Fight Fight fire shirt

Robert: Men's Aggressive Attack shirt

Fireman2010: Blue Crest polo shirt

Susan (who e-mailed me the entry, from the hotmail address): men's workout shirt

Firefighter/Paramedic: decals

Silly Safety Girl: decals

Beebewitz: decals

Mikeybear55: hat

Congrats to the winners! Please e-mail me your mailing address so I can ship out your goodies. I know ya'll will love them as much as FF and I, and be just as impressed with the quality of this clothing.

And stay tuned for we'll have another give-away soon.

2011-02-28T17:41:00.000-08:00

Taking over the world, one blue shirt at a time.

Black Helmet give-away

2011-02-26T08:26:00.000-08:00

Our union didn`t go on strike, so I got to spend another day with my water and waste peeps. It`s been a great 11 years, and I`m really going to miss them. They gave me a great going- away party last night, and my head is paying for it this morning. And because good luck likes company, FF and I have been fortunate to receive some pretty generous goodies from the folks over at Black Helmet.

Up until yesterday I had only heard of this company and the hand drawn and unique designs on their clothing; I had no idea how fantastic these designs really are.
As FF said, `finally, some different fire clothing!`.

From the designs to the material used to the cut of the clothing, this line is fantastic. Every aspect is designed by firefighters and it really shows - I`m comfortable that the quality will hold up to my ff`s wear and tear he puts his clothing through.

And because we love ya`ll, we are going to share some of these goodies.

Leave a comment or send us an e-mail and we will enter you to win one of the following:

A flexfit hat (size L XL) with a really cool skull logo.

A sleeveless workout shirt size men`s XXL) very nice material that`ll wick away sweat.

A ladies Love Fire t-shirt, size XXL (these shirts are cut a bit on the small size) in a cool baby blue.

Ladies Fight Fire t-shirt, also an XXL - love the rose and wings on this shirt.
Men`s XXL Aggressive Attack t-shirt - how cool is that skull!
A crest polo shirt in a very nice steel blue color will bring out the color in the eyes of any fellow :-)

We also have a few decals of 2 different designs - the skull and helmet on the baseball hat, and the Phoenix on the Overhaul shirt. They`re very cool, and I`ve already fancied up my quad and snowmobile helmet with mine.

Good luck to all our readers - draws ends Saturday March 5th

P.S. I`m not sure what`s going on with blogger- it`s not letting me change the size of the font, so I apologize for the mish-mash of sizes posted.

So long cubicle....

2011-02-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is supposed to be my last day at Sh*ts and Drips (Water and Waste). As it turns out our union has just voted to mandate a strike, so depending on the bargaining agreements today, I *may* have the day off tomorrow.

I feel for my peeps here, but our union was a large reason for me leaving this job - seeing first hand how FF's union fights (and fights hard) for their members while ours just doesn't.... So in fact today might be my last day.

eeeeek!!

I signed my letter of resignation, and saw that have been here for 11 years 9 months and 29 days. Or 4,314 days.
That's a hell of a long time to spend in a cubicle.

That's a hell of a lot of building permits I've approved. And I've cherished every single one of them as if they were my own (not).

I'm going to miss this place. My peeps. My cubicle. The cubicle farm I live in. The weird guy who collects his spit (serious).

I'm not going to miss some people and their mistakes, but that's another story.
WTF is a foof?

I'm ready to move on.

To my co-workers reading this: I'm going to miss ya'll. Hope I never have to see you when I'm at work.

To my readers: Stay tuned- we have another give-away coming soon!

Edited to add: I'm at work today - they're still in arbitration so we didn't go on strike.

Winter horses

2011-02-21T20:20:00.000-08:00

I love these guys.

2011-02-20T08:34:00.000-08:00

I had to use one of these yesterday, and it sucked.

(Infant bag valve mask - used to provide positive pressure ventilation, in this case during resuscitation efforts)

It really sucked.

I'm so happy that I have FF to help me after I have one of these calls. He may come across as a lot of things with this sense of humour and goofy-ness, but when I need him he always knows the right things to say.

A story to share.

2011-02-17T12:03:00.001-08:00

Have I ever mentioned that I'm a klutz? As in "tripping on my own feet, breaking my thumb on my wedding night, walking around with a gob of jam hanging from the underside of my boob" kindof klutz? (what can I say, it's a place that I can't see)

I would like to share a story of klutzy-ness with you. To set the stage I will share 2 pictures, taken approximately 1 minute apart. Please take a moment and notice the crowd in the stands, our positioning in each picture and how cute I am (just kidding).

Notice how I am on the driver's side in the first picture yet on the passenger's side in the second?

Gather 'round and let me tell you the story.

It was a beautiful day at the races. I was stationed with Bob and Builder, and intently watching the cars go round and round - ready to jump in at a moment's notice to provide life saving support (or sifting through my bag looking for chap stick).

Suddenly, we hear the distinct sound of tires squealing (on mud?) glass breaking (kidding, there isn't glass in race cars) and metal crunching together (this is true). I knew I had a bad wreck on my hands. Although you can't tell from this picture, I really am concerned about the incident, and am mentally preparing for the carnage I was about to see. And still trying to find my damn chap stick.

Bob the Builder jumps down from the truck, and I stop fumbling through my bag. Knowing he has to drive (silly protocols) I run to the passenger side. He, on the passenger side of the truck, runs to the driver's side.

Cars flip.

The crowd gasps.

There is a threat for the world to end.

We are like poetry in motion.

Like the trained athletes we are, we run at Mach II speed.

Then, like a bad Chinese Fire Drill, it all goes bad.

I take the inside lane to the left while Bob the Building veers to the right.

In front of a full crowed, we run smack into each other.

And I do mean SMACK.

Not letting my life threatening injuries (bruised pride) take me down, I jump back up and assume my position in the fire truck (the pick-up with extinguishers).

The crowd applauds, FF laughs and we saved a life.

Or, we drove 200' and see the smashed up cars resume their position in the race and went back to the middle and continued to look for my chap stick.

The End.