BugAhaBuc's Blog Bits

Life, Death And All The Rest.

2009-03-22T17:14:00.002-05:00

I have delivered a baby in an elevator, watched him take his first breath in my hands.
I've held a cold, stiff infant and told the new parents that he was gone.
I've felt the sweat drip from my face, having done CPR, worked, prayed and then despite my best efforts have pronounced husbands, wives, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters dead.
I have found limp, lifeless people and have heard the grieving sounds of family turn to hopeful joy when I say, "We got a pulse back".
I've seen the murdered, mangled, torn, broken and I've seen successful suicides.
I've helped the hopeless, homeless and the insane.
The raped, abused, forgotten and the very much loved.
Rich, poor, middle class, educated, clueless, lazy and hard working....all are susceptible

If life is like a box of chocolates then the reality is that after awhile it melts, goes rancid or gets eaten by ants.

I think life is more like a roller coaster with steep climbs, thrilling, fast drops, twists, turns, ups, downs, that turn you upside down, make you laugh, cry, trill, scare, scream, puke and pee your pants.
This past week, within the same 15 minute window I brought a pulseless, breathless 77 year old man back to life as just 7 hours away a 44 year old fraternity brother breathed his last in the ICU.
There's birth, death and the in between.

It's the in between that determines the later on.

The choices we make, the things we do or don't do, the thoughts, judgments.

Romans 6:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

Paul wrote in the book of Timothy:
"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. - 1 Timothy 1:15"

I think Paul was actually speaking of me.

But Grace comes with these things.
None are good enough. Not the televangelists with the fancy suits, diamond rings and the fake hair.
Pontiffs, preachers, prostitutes, professors, politicians, policeman, pole dancers, paramedics....all sin..all will die.

All will stand before God.
None, not one earning their way to heaven.

"Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity," - 2 Timothy 1:9

No one is good enough.

James 2:10 " For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all."

So, no matter your demographic (I'll let you fill in the blank of separation or inclusion) is more worthy than the other.
All need Jesus to enter heaven.

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." - John 14:6

People point and say, "but what about all of those hypocrites?"
We've all been hypocrites at one time or another.
That's why there is forgiveness.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

You may agree or disagree.
It's your choice.
Free to, free not to.
Believe or don't.
But those choices are going to affect the later on.
And as I see too often in my job, we never know when that will come.

Inclán Inklings Of 08

2009-02-14T09:34:00.003-06:00

In Lieu of a Christmas Letter Each Year we send out a Year In Review type letter to friends and family. This is the letter we sent.

====================================================================

Psalm 65:11 “You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;
even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.”

What a full year 2008 was for the Inclán family. So much so that many pages could be filled and not do justice to what had transpired. So, please indulge the brief synopses for each Inclán:

Dayan~ Is loving his job at EMSA. Was promoted again and is now sporting shiny Captain’s bars on his uniform collar. Even though work is going well he continues to be in the process for a position in the Fire Department. Next Fire academy is in July. What a long wait. Dayan is also missing an organ after having a cholecystectomy.

Deanna~ Is also missing some organs: tonsils and turbinates. We are both much happier after that! Deanna has 3 schools, 5 therapy sessions for 3 kids each week that keep her busy. In all of it, she has managed to start exercising and is on the downward weight trend. J

Genesis~ Is in the 4^th Grade. She played her 1^st season of soccer. Had many soccer parents comment that they were amazed that she played so well and were all quite certain that she had at least two years of experience. She is still very talkative and social. She is very quick to celebrate for fellow classmates.

Shamar~ Is flourishing in school and is showing to be a talented artist in just about every capacity of art. She writes, sings, draws, orates and can juggle chain saws. Well, nor really chain saws, but by the next letter maybe! She remains the best cuddler around.

Corban~ Is loving Kindergarten! He and Moriah are in separate classes and that has been the best thing ever for them! He has lost both front teeth and another bottom one, which puts a huge strain on his speech!! We know that eventually he will have to attend therapy too, but in the meantime, we enjoy him….”weawy” (really).

Moriah & Asher~ Have finally found their forever family and it was made legal on Oct. 21^st!! We are so relived to have it over. We are still working on their name change in the medical system, but we have all the important documents! Moriah, also in Kindergarten, is doing well academically. She is making friends and continues to get her hair shorter and shorter, on her request! Asher is attending Early Head Start. The program is providing some great things for him and we see him flourishing there. We do look forward to him being at a school MUCH closer to home next year!

Grail~ Is a trooper! He has grown into a great little boy. Lost all his baby looks and has the emotions of a 4 year old who struggles to get his point across. So we do have some frustrating moments in our home! He will attend the same class next year but will go every day and in the afternoon. He is potty training and doing very well. We are looking at hearing aids for him and possible celiac disease. This means he would have to be gluten free. God is gracious and whatever comes up for any of us, He will provide for all our needs. He provides rest and strength and chocolate when necessary! *And He provides hot wings…can’t forget the bountiful provision of hot wings…(*added by Dayan)

Hope this finds you solidly in God’s will for your life and in His wonderful presence.

Blessings to all!

The Lord Taketh And The Lord Giveth

2008-11-01T14:07:00.001-05:00

The Lord Giveth

It was a long time coming but the day finally happened.
Oct 21st the adoptions were finalized!
Woo, hoo!
For those of you who missed it we have been in the process of trying to adopt my great niece and nephew.
Moriah and Asher were my niece’s kids.
Long story short.
It’s been a long, hair pulling frustrating process, but we now an official family of 8.
Every one of the kids are Ecstatic.
Deanana and I are happy to get the weight off the shoulders and be a family.
Thank you Jesus.

The Lord Taketh

Yesterday I had my gallbladder out.
I’ve been having increasingly worse and increasingly more frequent epigastic pain since 2002.
It was one thing when I only had to grit my teeth and bare through 24 h ours of pain every 6-8 weeks. When it became once and twice a week… No, not going to do it.
Three years ago in Omaha they ran every test under the sun and found nothing.
Since moving to Tulsa it’s when it’s gotten worse. (maybe it’s Tulsa)
I had a doctor down here who only wanted to have me take Prilosec even though I told him that after 6 years of trial that PPI and Histamine-2 blockers and such didn’t work. He insisted that they would.
I changed doctors. And voila, after a series of tests they found a diseased gallbladder.
Six scars across my torso will be worth the elimination of the agony.So, now I have two weeks off of work (I’m going stir crazy the day after surgery so let’s see how that goes)

A Black September

2008-09-09T02:57:00.003-05:00

Today marks a year of Sheyn's death.
I remember the joy in my heart when I was dialing his number to tell him I was going to take him to see his favorite football team play. Just the two of us having the quality brother time that he so deserved, but I had never given him.
How quickly that emotion changed.
Like driving your new sports car into a brick wall.
I have dreaded this day as it approached.
One year has not made it easier.
My heart is still heavy.
My eyes filled with tears.
I think of him often.
You never appreciate what you have until you lose it.
I miss him so much.

I saw the Eagles in concert Saturday.
Simply amazing.
Watching such Iconic musicians play right in front of me.
Glenn Fry, Don Henley, Timmothy B Shmit and Joe Walsh.
I thought of how much Sheyn loved music.
Watching Joe Walsh play the guitar I thought, "Wow, Sheyn would have really enjoyed seeing him play." I was having such a good time, but began weeping because you weren't there.
I wasn't able to call you and tell him about it.

Sheyn was more amazing than I ever really knew.
I am blown away by how many people still miss him so much.
People that just stop by my mom's house just to see Sheyn's mom.
Heck, there was even a memorial concert with several bands to raise money for his favorite charity in his memory.

Today sucks.

I miss you Sheyn.

O Captain my Captain!

2008-05-07T14:59:00.004-05:00

O Captain my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;

~Now, I hope that is the extent of what Whitman has for me as Captain, otherwise I'll be lying cold and dead on the deck. ;)

So, I've been at my job for 27 months and have promoted from Lieutenant to Captain in less than a year. Dang, I'm blown away and blessed.
I honestly did not expect it.
I've always tried to hope for the best, but expect the worst.
Kind of fatalistic maybe....

They know that I'm also testing for the Fire Department and have promoted me anyway.
It's flattering, but perplexing.
Maybe they are showing that they are clearing the path to promotion to Major soon and it's their way of trying to retain me. If so they have not said anything to that regard.

While EMSA has been very, good to me and I thoroughly enjoy my job , I have to move forward and see what God has planned for me.
I'll train and prepare for Fire, yet I will serve my new post faithfully and with every effort to honor the confidence my superiors have placed in me.
This is the direction I believe He has for me and will follow it until he says otherwise.
So, we'll see how it goes.

"Grail" Expectations

2008-02-17T21:10:00.004-06:00

The first time we saw Grail he was five months old. The birth family and adoption councilor were all oohs and aahs about how much he loved to snuggle in. Curious that they thought there was nothing wrong with the fact that a five month old could not lift his head. Most likely they blamed the Down Syndrome. Just like the glee they had in his lack of tongue control. “What do you expect, he has Down Syndrome” I made a vow to myself that I would expect more. No excuses, higher expectations. We saw right away that he was a people person. Grail loved to make eye contact. Loved to make interactive noises (His way of talking) to those in the room. Therapists told us that Grail’s awareness was a good sign. They hinted that his DS was on the “Milder” side. My resolve to have higher expectations for my son grew. I would have none of this sitting in the corner with his tongue hanging out. I envisioned my son with a job.
I just knew he’d be able to have a job busing tables or emptying the trashcans at the food court. I just knew that once he was old enough to leave home he’d be able to live in a group home with other DS adults and become pseudo-self sufficient.

As Grail grew he became much more physically active, strong and capable. He could run and climb. People in the nursery would call him, “That Fast kid”. I cultivated my expectant thoughts in the self-satisfied, if not sanctimonious recesses of my mind. Each milestone we celebrated as a little victory and every time pride welled within me as we saw how Grail grew into a strong, energy filled, and athletic little boy. Friends and family marveled at how obedient my son was. They remarked how amazing it was that a child of his age with DS could know what, “Get self control” meant. “Of course”, I would think smugly, “I have high expectations for my boy”.

Pride can be good, but pride when focused incorrectly, can be an ugly thing.

Welcome to Kansas City and the 2007 National Down Syndrome Congress Convention. Welcome to the slap in the face of my reality. Married DS couples? DS karate instructors? Oh my, DS associate degree holders who swim the English Channel!? My world was turned upside down. Cleaning tables? Taking out Trash? My “High expectations” that I held for my son seem pretty low if you ask me.

What I now realize is that it’s OK for me to have High expectations for Grail. My son may not earn an associates degree or run a marathon, but I need to cultivate and encourage his interests. While doing so I must support every goal that Grail sets and relish in every victory that Grail celebrates. Most importantly throughout whatever path Grail sets to follow I need to just enjoy my son.

An Empty Box For Christmas

2007-12-30T15:53:00.000-06:00

The tree is gilded

With tinsel and bells

But something is missing

My soul is not well

The presents are wrapped

With paper and flair

The empty seat a reminder

Of he who is not there

The cold of December

A deep winter chill

Tightens my heart

Still grieving and ill

The Wheel In The Sky Keeps On Turning.

2007-09-24T22:49:00.001-05:00

"Oh, the wheel in the sky keeps on turning Ooh,
I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow
Wheel in the sky keeps me yearning Ooh,
I don’t know, I don’t know
Oh, the wheel in the sky keeps on turning Ooh,
I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow"
-Journey

Every morning, the alarm clock rings
and it's time to get up and get on with a new day.
To continue on among the world of the living.
Each day it becomes a little easier.
Traction slips every once in a while.

Multiple things can be true at once.
I miss Sheyn.
It still hurts.
Still seems surreal.
His cell phone is disconnected but
I still don't have the heart to erase his number from my phone.
It seems so terminal.
Like a betrayal.
My little brother is gone,
but I know God's mercy was in it.

We had Sheyn for 23 years after having been diagnosed with a multiform high grade astrocytoma.
We were gifted with having him for that many years.

Even though his cancerous kidney was removed, the cancer had metastasized to stage 4 in his lungs.
His other kidney was failing.
Sheyn had a long, arduous battle ahead of him.
A battle that had a very poor prognosis.
No one wants to die slowly and painfully.
Sheyn was no different.

He died quickly, really.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sheyn died on the afternoon of Sunday September 9th.
His memorial service was Thursday the 13th.
(One month after his 36th Birthday)
His funeral was Friday the 14th of September.
There were between 250-300 people at his memorial service.
I knew Sheyn had friends.
I had no idea just how many and how many
loved him so much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sheyn was a regular face in the Omaha music scene.
He didn't play, didn't sing and didn’t write music or lyrics.
Sheyn supported his many friends who were the
"Stars of the hour"
They came to look for his smiling face in the crowd enjoying their music as they played.
Over and over again, the many bands members came up to us and told of us of their affections for Sheyn.
It was like a tape recorder.
"We loved Sheyn. He was the most kind, caring, loyal, supportive, gentle person I've ever known."
"Now his chair is going to be empty"

Rough looking tattooed hard ass heavy metal musicians
were weeping.
Mourning THEIR loss of Sheyn.
Lingering past the allotted time for the memorial service, reluctant to leave him.
Perhaps in hopes that he would rise from his casket in a "Gotcha" of some morose joke.
Maybe a vain attempt of not wanting to let him go.
Sheyn, now gone, was "The Star of the Hour"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My family said his final days were foretelling in hind site.
The last two weeks of his life he was feeling progressively worse,
but family and friends all said that, "He looked better than he has in years."
Many said that he "Absolutely Glowed"
Two days before he died my brother was so weak that he couldn't leave the house
and told my mother that he knew he didn't have much time left.
The day before he died, although he was feeling terrible.
My sister and my mother were struck by, "How beautiful he looked"
The morning of the day he died my sister said that
he walked by her and she thought, "He looked so beautiful it took my breath away
and I had to do a double take. He was so handsome I couldn't even speak"
He was dead just a few short hours later.
The hand of The Lord was upon him.
His presence so near as he prepared to receive him that
God's glory was shining upon Sheyn.
Family and friends saw this

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sheyn was a witness to many.
His friends said, "Sheyn told me all the time that Jesus was the only one worth trusting"

When we sorted through his things he had so many witnessing tracts.
Books on how to witness to other religions.
Books on prophecy.

The testimony of his humble, unassuming gentle witness
was evidenced by the vast variance
of people at both services.
Atheists, agnostics, Hindu, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, Protestants, Catholics...
All deeply grieving.
All deeply touched.
All brought together to hear the final testimony of his life.
To hear the Gospel's message of salvation proclaimed on Sheyn's behalf.
Many who would not voluntarily step into a church sat in a mortuary eagerly listening to the minister share why Sheyn was the way he was.
Because Sheyn, reflected Jesus, in everything he did more than anyone I ever knew.
Because of Sheyn's life, Sheyn's death was a mechanism to bring others into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day after his funeral.
My sister happened upon one of Sheyn's books.
A book of subject that was a particular fascination of Sheyn's.
A book on Biblical prophecy.
My sister said that she felt God tell her to turn to page 40.
Between pages 39 and 40 was our father's obituary.
She heard God say to her, "Sheyn is with your dad in heaven."
Because of long seeded hurt and bitterness towards our father, only God could have said this to her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stepping back from it all.
The pieces all fit.
The picture all forms a picture giving evidence that the timing
was within God's perfect design.
Sheyn is reveling in God's glory.
He's smiling down on us, having the time of his life in a perfect body.
He wouldn't want to return if given a chance.
Who would?
We can still hurt.
We can still grieve our loss of such a beautiful, wonderful man we all took for granted.
But we can still rejoice that in all of this, Jesus is glorified.
And Sheyn is pretty pleased with how all 36 years
and 27 days of his life turned out.

Time

2007-09-09T18:57:00.000-05:00

Just a few lyrics from Pink Floyd's "Time"

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off hand way....

...You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today
And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but its sinking
And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in the relative way, but you're older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines...
The time is gone, the song is over...

When my brother was in the ICU after having just had his cancerous kidney taken out that he wanted to go see a Pittsburgh Steelers game before he died. (His cancer had metsed to his lungs)
I had rolled that idea around in my head, with every intention of taking my brother to a game this season.
I wanted it to be a surprise.
I had asked a couple of friends in Phoenix to hook me up with tickets.
They were in the process of scrounging them up, which, I have no doubt would have succeeded.
Today I sat down at the computer to check on airline and hotel prices.
Man, I found some very satisfactory prices.
With the "Reserve Tickets" button right in front of me I thought I'd call him and tell him the good news.
I kept trying to call him, but got no answer.
I tried my mom on her cell phone...went directly to voice mail...very unusual for her.
I tried several times on the home phone..nothing...
Then my sister called in a panic and said, "Sheyn is having a heart attack and the Ambulance is here"

WTF?
He's 36!
This is not happening!
They're mistaken!
No, it's true...

I know the cardiac arrest statistics.
I know the likely etiology of his cardiac arrest and that complicates things further...
Due to my vocation I know what the scene looked like....
I know that the prognosis is grim...but I also know that God is great and that Jehovah Raphah heals. I know that God holds time and life in His hands.

There, with the reservations window up,... my brother dies.
He was only 36.

Timing is everything, isn't it?
Is this cruel irony?
I never even got the chance to tell him.
How twisted.
Despite what the enemy tries to whisper in my ear, God is not cruel.
He is faithful.
God has a time for everything.

Ecclesiastes 3

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 4

2 And I declared that the dead,
who had already died,
are happier than the living,
who are still alive.

My brother was dying of cancer. Kidney cancer which metastasized to Lung Cancer.
Lung cancer, which is a particularly cruel form of cancer.
He had a slow and painful death to look forward to.
We all assumed he had time.
He was so fearful of dying slowly and painfully.
Well, God is merciful and loving so He took Sheyn quickly.

Now instead of wasting away he is now in a new, healed, whole glorified body.
He's with Grandma and Grandpa.
He's with my dad.
He's with our brothers who died as babies that none of us have ever met.
More importantly he's with Christ.
He is basking in the presence of the creator of the universe.

Even so,
I'm reeling grief, in the sudden loss of my brother.
My heart hurts for my mother and sister who had to witness his death.
I cannot even fathom what my brother in law is going through having been the one to have been doing CPR. It's physically, spiritually and emotionally exhausting. He tried hard and I imagine there are so many things going through his mind.

It's surreal.
It's hard to comprehend that he's dead.
Did he really know how much I loved him?
Does anyone really know how much we love them?
How many times did I have that little voice tell me to call him, text him, e-mail him...
I'm busy, I have time...
and yet...
he's gone.

Oh, I really don't know what to say.
I feel numb.
I feel like I've cried more than I knew I could, but the tears keep coming.
So many people are calling with their support, which brings the emotions up again.
Yet, in between phone calls I'm blogging
and crying
It's OK
It's somewhat cathartic.

I miss my little brother.

With My Brother Sheyn Joseph Inclán (Right) (8/13/71 to 9/9/06)

Yes, I Smoke..........

2007-09-04T14:11:00.000-05:00

I spent the Labor Day weekend smoking in the
back yard.
Three racks of spare ribs to be precise.
I use a different rub approach to beef, pork and poultry.

Raw

I think I have by proprietary rub(s) pretty much
perfected.

Rub

Racked

Smoking more than one rack of ribs, however, is still under practice.

Smoking

Ready

Once THAT is done, then I'm going to start working on a BBQ sauce of my own formulation.
In the meantime, I'm using the old standby K.C. Masterpiece Original and I though I'd try a new one too yesterday.
Budweiser Beechwood BBQ sauce. We really liked it. Just a subtle hint of beer, not too overpowering with a surprisingly nice texture.

Budweiser BBQ Sauce

The nice part about perfecting the art of BBQ is that you get to eat all of the trial and error.

My next try at BBQ, though, Is going to be a Pork Shoulder.
That way I can try my hat at the pulled pork thing.
My wife likes that the best, so let's see how that works.
Now, If I could only convince her to allow me to buy a Caja China.
$299 to $329 (Haven't checked Ebay)

Caja China

Then I could do a WHOLE pig or several roasts or shoulders at once.

Whole Pig.

In the meantime, I'll use my $50 garage sale smoker and love every morsel.
Man, I love BBQ!!!

35th National Down Syndrome Congress

2007-08-21T09:59:00.000-05:00

The first weekend of August my wife and I attended the our first National Down Syndrome Conference.
The 35th Annual National Down Syndrome Congress was held in Kansas City, MO.
It was awesome.
Aprox 2500 family Members/Advocates and Self Advocates attended.
Amazingly encouraging.
Well, it was nice to get away without the kids. Our 11th anniversary was the following weekend, so we kind of made it an anniversary getaway.
It was encouraging to see so many families and their loved ones with Down Syndrome all at one venue. They kept referring to each other as "Family", IE the Down Syndrome Family and it indeed felt like that.
Tulsa has a GREAT Down Syndrome support community D.S.A.T. (Down Syndrome Association of Tulsa), but seeing so many from so many areas of the country was a big boost.
I'd say the biggest thing I walked away with was that we sell our son too short.
We've always said that we expect a lot out of him. We believe that he has more potential than sitting in a corner with his tongue hanging out scribbling in a coloring book his whole life.
We've felt that he would be one who'd be out there cleaning tables at Taco Bell and such.
Screw THAT!
We've sold him short!
There are those with Down Syndrome with Associates Degrees!!
Those with Down Syndrome doing amazing things!
-Teaching Martial Arts-
-Theatrical Performance-
and more.
The Self Advocate that got me pumped the most was Karen Gaffney.
Stink'n AMAZING speaker. She was a better speaker than most "Normal" people I've seen speak. I'm not even exaggerating.

====

Karen Gaffney, self-advocate, long distance swimmer is about to cross Lake Tahoe.

The hard way.

On September 25, 2007, Karen will swim the 12 miles across Lake Tahoe, all to raise funds for the National Down Syndrome Congress.

Karen is best known for being the first person with Down syndrome to complete a relay swim across the English Channel. Now, to raise funds for the National Down Syndrome Congress, Karen will attempt to swim across Lake Tahoe!

The target date for the swim is Tuesday, September 25th, weather permitting. Karen will have Wednesday, the 26th and Thursday the 27th as back up days if she needs them.

Since her Channel Swim, Karen has kept up her string of “Firsts”. She has completed seven swims across San Francisco Bay while preparing for and competing in the “Escape From Alcatraz” relay triathlons that includes the 1.5 mile swim from Alcatraz to the St. Francis Yacht Club. She completed the “ Round the Rock”swim – round trip swim from Aquatic Park, to Alcatraz Island, around the Island and back to the park – about a 4 mile swim Karen completed in 2 hours and 15 minutes!

Karen regularly swims 2 miles a day, and she will step that up in preparation for her Tahoe swim. She will swim the length of Donner Lake, near Lake Tahoe, in a Masters swim event on August 11th, a 2.7 mile swim. She will make the attempt on Lake Tahoe after spending a couple of weeks swimming in the Tahoe area, getting acclimated to the elevation. Karen says “I want to show others that people like me can accomplish anything they put their heart to!”

=======

My little Self Advocate (Who will be 3 in October) will start school tomorrow.
A Special School here in Tulsa called The Little Light House.
It's as school totally supported by donations that has an international reputation and proven results. We are so excited to see his potential realized through the resources we have here in Tulsa.
Not to mention all of the little sibling therapists that love him and teach him each and every day.

We Pray this over our little Self Advocate:

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." -Philippians 1:6

6

2007-08-19T17:05:00.000-05:00

One step closer.
My great niece and nephew are now living with us.
We are that much closer to having 6 children.
The courts mandate that we have them in the home for 6 months before we can move toward adoption.
Every one is going through the adjustment period as could be expected.
We are all very excited to have the ball rolling in the right direction after so much uncertainty.
God is faithful and is moving at His own pace so we can only put our trust in Him.

The Good The Bad And The Ugly

2007-07-29T14:41:00.000-05:00

The Good
Well, my brother cancerous kidney was removed without much difficulty.
They had believed that it may have spread to his pancreas and spleen, but when they went in there were no metastacy to either of the other two organs. My brother is at home and healing well.
My brother is a bit of a professional groupie/roadie and is well known among many of Omaha's local bands. There are a few bands that have decided to have a benefit concert to raise money to pay for my brother's medical expenses. They are planning on holding it some time around his birthday the second or third week of August.

The Bad
The lungs, seem to have gotten the brunt of the cancer mets. They are putting him at stage four lung cancer. Also, his kidney levels are off. It doesn't seem that his sole kidney is picking up the slack for its missing mate. Not good.

The Ugly
As I've said before he went through chemo and radiation during his early teens, has seen our sister go through recent chemo and radiation. With those factors weighing in on his mind he is seriously considering not to undergo any of it.

New Tattoo

2007-07-01T15:31:00.000-05:00

OK, my wife wanted to get me a new tattoo for Father's day.
We got a baby sitter, went out on a date..Italian food, if you want to know.
Then we went to a highly recommended tattoo artist here in town.
Jose Sanchez AKA "The Ink father"
Well, he was in such high demand that the first opening he had was last night.
After two hours. It finally turned out as shown.
(It's on my right calf.)

Stay tuned.
I want at least two more.

Good News / Bad News

2007-06-18T17:02:00.000-05:00

There was a Daffy Duck cartoon where he says, "Ooooh, I hate not knowing what it is..."
My brother's Red Blood Cell elevation had the so called experts scratching their collective heads.
They deemed it Polycythemia Vera even though he didn't fit the demographic.
Well, if you can consider knowing the etiology of a problem good news, they found it.
My brother was told he has kidney cancer.
Some how we don't feel like celebrating.
How can it get worse?
It's Metastasized to his lungs and quite possibly pancreas and spleen.
So, now two of my siblings have some serious cancer going on.
July they are going to take my brother's kidney and then biopsy the lungs, spleen and pancreas.

Sux

It's Not Supposed To Happen

2007-05-15T13:42:00.000-05:00

He was only 37.
I Loved him.
We were really close....at one time anyway...
We were in each other's weddings...I was at the hospital when his first daughter was born.
Things don't always go as you hope.
Chris made some very bad decisions in life.
Decisions that cost his business, his marriage, his friendships.
Despite all of the betrayals and deceit though, I still loved the guy.
He had a special place in my heart.
Chris died on the morning of Friday, April 27th.
He had some health problems that seemed to get worse, like a stone picking up speed as rolls down hill.
He had been relegated to a wheel chair the last year...developed three staff infections... a lung infection which they were treating with antibiotics.
Thursday the 26th he began having difficulty breathing so went into the hospital.
That night he was put on a vent in the ICU.
The next morning he had a cardiac arrest and died.
Pulmonary Embolism, more than likely.
37 is young.
Heck, I'll be 40 this year and I feel young.
37 year olds aren't supposed to die like that.
Car crash maybe...accident at work...but not like that.
He was such a gifted man.
Talent, smart, funny (He enjoyed his own humor the most)..wasted.
He really did squander his talents because of demons he had so much trouble shaking.
So many bridges that carried so many friendships burned...
The faces at the funeral were grieving the loss of his life, yes, but more so I think, for the loss of what could have been with Chris.
I think there was healing in his death though.
People were forced to deal with issues.
His mother hadn't seen her granddaughters in years.
Chris' ex-wife attended...along with the girls.
There seemed to be much needed reconciliation between the two women.
Life renewed because of his death?
I certainly hope so.
The whole thing really made me think about the importance of restoring relationships.

2 Corinthians 5: 18-19
"Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation."

CRAP!

2007-05-04T20:56:00.000-05:00

My brother has received some bad news this week.
Back in December he suffered from idiopathic vertigo and syncope.
For days he was unable to get off of the floor of his apartment and lost many hours of work...the hospital was unable to explain what had happened...three different blood tests kept clotting so they decided to forgo further blood tests and equated it to a benign vestibular dysfunction....inexplicably, the symptoms went away.
Well, they reappeared again last week. Blood tests this time revealed an incredibly high Red Blood Cell count. He had a RBC count of 22!
The hematologist stated that it was the highest he's ever seen. My brother told the doctor, "This scares the heck out of me."
The hematologist leaned toward my brother and said, "This scares the heck out of me too."
The doctor told him that he has a disorder called Polycythemia Vera. Even considering the condition, the hematologist stated that my brother had the "Thickest blood" he had ever seen. They are really surprised that he is still alive.
One of the treatments for Polycythemia Vera is taking a unit of blood a week.
My brother is requiring the taking of two units a week.
So....needless to say, our family would really covet your prayers.
Thanks

Note: From The National Heart Lung And Blood Institute website.

What Is Polycythemia Vera?

Polycythemia vera (POL-e-si-THE-me-ah VE-ra), or PV, is a rare blood disease in which your body makes too many red blood cells. These extra red blood cells make your blood thicker than normal. The thickened blood flows more slowly through your small blood vessels and can form clots. These clots can cause heart attack and stroke.

Blood cells are formed in your bone marrow—the soft tissue inside bones. In addition to red blood cells, your blood contains two other types of cells: white blood cells to help fight infection and platelets to help your blood clot. If you have PV, your bone marrow produces too many red blood cells, but it also can make too many white blood cells and platelets.

Red blood cells also are called RBCs or erythrocytes (eh-RITH-ro-sites). Normal red blood cells look like doughnuts without holes in the center and have an average lifespan of 120 days. Red blood cells contain hemoglobin (HEE-muh-glow-bin), an iron-rich protein that gives blood its red color and carries oxygen to the body. Red blood cells also remove carbon dioxide, a waste product, from cells and carry it to the lungs to be exhaled.
Important General Information

PV is a rare, chronic disease that can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated. The cause of PV is not known. It develops slowly and may not produce symptoms for many years. Sometimes, your symptoms can be vague and nonspecific. Many people find out they have PV from blood tests done for other reasons. It is more common in adult males 60 years or older. It is very rare in people younger than 20 years.

With PV, thicker than normal blood slows down the flow of blood to all parts of your body. Clots can form more easily, which can block blood flow through arteries or veins. The slower flow of blood means your organs don’t receive enough oxygen. The shortage of oxygen can lead to angina, congestive heart failure, and gout. Slower blood flow also deprives your arms, legs, lungs, and eyes of the oxygen they need to perform normally. This can cause headaches, dizziness, itching, and problems with your vision, such as blurred or double vision.

PV may also cause you to develop stomach ulcers and kidney stones.

A small number of people with PV may develop myelofibrosis (MY-e-lo-fi-BRO-sis), a condition in which your bone marrow is replaced by fibrous (scar) tissue. The abnormal bone marrow cells may begin to grow out of control. This abnormal growth can lead to acute myelogenous (my-e-LOJ-e-nus) leukemia (AML), a disease that worsens very quickly. In AML, too many immature white blood cells are found in the blood and bone marrow.
Outlook

PV is a serious illness that can lead to death if it is not treated.

PV can be controlled with treatment, but no cure exists. If you think you or someone you know might have PV, it is important to talk to your doctor about it. Some people with PV need only minimal care. Others will need more intensive treatment. Treatment can control PV and lessen the risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke that can result from the disease.

Death By Caffeine

2007-04-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

I love energy drinks!
For the longest time I was a Red Bull fan.
I still like the flavor of Red Bull, but have developed a new favorite.
NOS.

Stink'n great [better flavor IMHO] and with more caffeine.

Red Bull has about 80mg of caffeine
or 9.64 mgs of caffeine per fluid ounce.

NOS has 250mg of caffeine or 15.63 mgs of caffeine per fluid ounce.

While looking for caffeine content in energy drinks I came upon a cool tool:

Death By Caffeine

Determine how much of your favorite energy drink it would take to kill you.

Though, this would be a rather unpleasant way to die.

Easter Brisket!

2007-04-08T19:18:00.000-05:00

In celebration of the Risen Savior I smoked a brisket for Easter.
Isn't that an Easter tradition here in Oklahoma?
My first Brisket.
It was most yummy.

And Now The Good News!

2007-04-03T11:38:00.000-05:00

Next week I get to go back to the day shift!
Though I prefer much of the elements at night better than days, It'll be nice to have normal times with the family.
just thought I'd share.

The More The Merrier

2007-04-03T11:21:00.000-05:00

Well, they finally began the termination process on my niece.
Don't really know how long it will take.
I don't foresee the likelihood of my niece and her loser boyfriend contesting it because they really don't show up for any mandated court appointments anyway, so that's good.
The State of Nebraska has decided that my wife and I would be the best choice for adoptive parents.
That means six kids!
Will prolly have to by a bigger van to tote them in.
Anyone want to donate to the adoptive child transportation fund? ;)
We are actually quite excited about it.
Our kids are elated and can't stop talking about it.
My great niece and nephew have been told about it and that we would be Mommy and Daddy and they are actually excited about it.
While we are looking forward to their arrivals, all of it is sad in the fact that my niece is a drug addict and my sister is dieing of cancer.
~sigh

Cancer Sucks!

2007-02-20T10:38:00.000-06:00

Well,
Allow me to share what's been going on with my family the last few months.
My sister (45) was told that she has two kinds of cancer.
She has been weak and anemic for years and her doctor had poo-poo'd it as her being a hypochondriac.
Many in my family have an autosomal neurological disorder which generates benign tumors randomly about the body so malignant tumors have a risk of being overlooked.
They thought some of her growths were these.
Not so much.
After finding a different doctor they found several tumors in her body.
On her heart, aorta, intestines...
One type mildly aggressive one Extremely aggressive.
The really aggressive one attacks the nervous system so can Mets rapidly.
Normally, they would address both types with treatment.
My sister is maybe 5 foot 100 pounds soaking wet with a pocket full of rocks, so they said attacking any of it too forcefully would kill her. -Great-
On top of that, her daughter (my niece) is a crack/meth/coke...addict and had her two kids removed from her.
My sister, is the fostering them...the state of Nebraska is reviewing whether or not my sister can care for them.
My sister is so weak now from chemo and radiation that she is crawling around the house.
Deanna and I have been trying for years to persuade the family to allow us to take the kids.
I mean as soon as she got pregnant with them we tried.
Now, they are like, "Hmm, maybe we should explore the option."
Ya think?!?!
We live in Oklahoma now so it complicates things quite a bit.
Cancer Sucks! (See link to the Right)

A Year Already?

2006-12-28T16:27:00.000-06:00

One year ago today my father died.
Amazing how fast a year can fly by.
Unbelievable how much it still hurts.
Most of my life my dad was a tyrant.
We feared him.
He was mean and abusive, but your daddy is your daddy and I loved him.
I still love him.
As much as I feared him, I was so very proud of him.
My dad was a Mexican immigrant who didn't speak English when he first came to the U.S.
He graduated from college with two law degrees and a Masters in business.
He was an Officer in the U.S. Army Special Forces.
When he retired he was personnel director for U.S. Southern Command Military Intelligence.
He was 6ft 2 inches over 200 lbs and built like an ox.
I always thought he was just this big, strong super soldier.
He was really a brilliant man.
Knew several languages and I could ask him about just about anything and he would know the answer.
When he died he was 130lbs and had such horrible rheumatoid arthritis that he could barley move without pain.
I would pick him up in my arms and move him around his bed and hospital room and he would look at me in marvel and comment how strong "I" was.
In his last days his mind started wandering, but still could grasp some complicated concepts.
He was in CHF and his heart began going out.
He was maxed out on Dobutamine and Dopamine and yet they could not keep his blood pressure above 90 systolic.
I was his medical power of attorney and was called when they said he didn't have much longer and we'd have to make the decision to take him off "life support".
My mother (from whom he was separated) and my younger brother and I flew out to him in Vegas to talk to him about the decision.
He agreed that he didn't want his remaining days to be in the ICU being tube fed and hooked to IV's.
The thing that was haunting us was his total rejection of Jesus his whole life.
Sure he was suffering, but ending his temporary suffering now and sending him to eternal torment...I shudder at the thought.
OK, I ramble.
I think I commented upon this a year ago.
To make a long story short, he made some what of a death bed commitment.
I'd held onto the belief that he'd give his life to the Lord some day and it came to fruition.
God is faithful.
All that to say, I didn't realize it'd be this hard.
I think of him often and miss him most days.
As it came closer to being one year of his death I began thinking of him more and more.
Yesterday and today I've been really weepy.
Of course, tonight I'm working through 'til morning.
More time to think about it.
Couldn't take my regular start the week nap this afternoon.
My mind was racing too much.
OK, no one is really interested in my whining.
Sorry. but I had to comment on it.
Dang I miss my daddy.

Ever Been Pulled Over By An Ambulance?

2006-11-27T09:07:00.001-06:00

Ever Been Pulled Over By An Ambulance?

OK,
The other morning at 0500 we get a call for a "Man down" in a vehicle.
This call is way, way out in the boonies, almost out of our coverage area.

We roll up and these to cats are zonked, dead to the world.
My partner and I start banging on the windows on both sides.

They wake up, roll down the windows and tell us they were tired and just needed a nap.
We smell no alcohol on or about their persons (Though we couldn't tell if their eyes were red from just being awakened or being baked out of their goreds) and we are, after all, only Paramedics so we can't detain them....they drive off....

We are heading the same way anyway so we followed behind them, though if they headed the other direction we more than likely wood have followed them that way too.

No sooner do they get out onto the highway, but they start weaving back and forth into both lanes AND shoulder.

We follow them for a couple of miles and decide that they are either going to kill themselves or someone else. We like running on good traumas like most Medics, but we would rather prevent them from happening in the first place.
So we decide to pull them over.

We flash the lights and I get on the PA,

"Pull over....Place your vehicle in park...turn the ignition off...take your keys out of the ignition...keep your hands where I can see them..."

My partner and I walk up on each side with our flashlights shining at them.
We start lecturing them until police arrive. They start making excuses that they were so tired, blah, blah, blah...(Hmmm...they were baked)

Cops responded rather quickly and were rolling with laughter when they showed up.
They patted us on the back and gave us Kudos for our first traffic stop.

Can you imagine....How embarrassing...

"Dude, we got stopped by an ambulance. We gotta swear we tell NO ONE."

Heartbreak

2006-11-07T13:26:00.001-06:00

I have never been much of a Ted Haggart fan.
Not that I really had anything against him, it's just that for years I attended a church that goes through flavor of the month phases.
Every once in a while everyone there thinks someone; some place or something is the greatest and go overboard with it.
If anyone knows me, they know that I tend to buck convention.
I don't think I'm a rebel or maverick I just don't like to go with the popular flow.
American society is a society of lemmings and the American church is no different within their micro culture.
Ted Haggart was one of those "things" my old church obsessed with.
Even though that's the case my heart is broken by recent events.
I know that so many people looked up to him and were unhinged by recent events.
Before we jump to rash conclusions, judgments or criticisms we need to look to scripture to get perspective on it.

Romans 3:22-24
..Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus..

James 2:10
"For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all."

1 John 1: 8-10
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we haven't sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

We can be disappointed. We can be feel grief or heartache, but we can't shake our heads or point our fingers in judgment. We can't say or even think that it will never happen to us.
As soon as we do, our pride sets us up.

Proverbs 18:12
"Before Destruction the heart of man is proud, but before honor is humility."

I don't know if anyone has had an opportunity to read the letter that Ted Haggart wrote to his congregation. I'll include the letter that Gayle, his wife wrote as well.

Ted's Letter:

To my New Life Church family:

I am so sorry. I am sorry for the disappointment, the betrayal, and the hurt. I am sorry for the horrible example I have set for you.

I have an overwhelming, all-consuming sadness in my heart for the pain that you and I and my family have experienced over the past few days. I am so sorry for the circumstances that have caused shame and embarrassment to all of you.

I asked that this note be read to you this morning so I could clarify my heart's condition to you. The last four days have been so difficult for me, my family and all of you, and I have further confused the situation with some of the things I've said during interviews with reporters who would catch me coming or going from my home. But I alone am responsible for the confusion caused by my inconsistent statements. The fact is, I am guilty of sexual immorality, and I take responsibility for the entire problem.

I am a deceiver and a liar. There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I've been warring against it all of my adult life.

For extended periods of time, I would enjoy victory and rejoice in freedom. Then, from time to time, the dirt that I thought was gone would resurface, and I would find myself thinking thoughts and experiencing desires that were contrary to everything I believe and teach.

Through the years, I've sought assistance in a variety of ways, with none of them proving to be effective in me. Then, because of pride, I began deceiving those I love the most because I didn't want to hurt or disappoint them.

The public person I was wasn't a lie; it was just incomplete. When I stopped communicating about my problems, the darkness increased and finally dominated me. As a result, I did things that were contrary to everything I believe.

The accusations that have been leveled against me are not all true, but enough of them are true that I have been appropriately and lovingly removed from ministry. Our church's overseers have required me to submit to the oversight of Dr. James Dobson, Pastor Jack Hayford, and Pastor Tommy Barnett. Those men will perform a thorough analysis of my mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical life. They will guide me through a program with the goal of healing and restoration for my life, my marriage, and my family.

I created this entire situation. The things that I did opened the door for additional allegations. But I am responsible; I alone need to be disciplined and corrected. An example must be set.

It is important that you know how much I love and appreciate my wife, Gayle. What I did should never reflect in a negative way on her relationship with me. She has been and continues to be incredible. The problem is not with her, my children or any of you. It was created 100 percent by me.

I have been permanently removed from the office of Senior Pastor of New Life Church. Until a new senior pastor is chosen, our Associate Senior Pastor Ross Parsley will assume all of the the responsibilities of the office. On the day he accepted this new role, he and his wife, Aimee, had a new baby boy. A new life in the midst of this circumstance - I consider the confluence of events to be prophetic. Please commit to join with Pastor Ross and the others in church leadership to make their service to you easy and without burden. They are fine leaders. You are blessed.

I appreciate your loving and forgiving nature, and I humbly ask you to do a few things.

1.) Please stay faithful to God through service and giving.

2.) Please forgive me. I am so embarrassed and ashamed. I caused this and I have no excuse. I am a sinner. I have fallen. I desperately need to be forgiven and healed.

3.) Please forgive my accuser. He is revealing the deception and sensuality that was in my life. Those sins, and others, need to be dealt with harshly. So, forgive him and, actually, thank God for him. I am trusting that his action will make me, my wife and family, and ultimately all of you, stronger. He didn't violate you; I did.

4.) Please stay faithful to each other. Perform your functions well. Encourage each other and rejoice in God's faithfulness. Our church body is a beautiful body, and like every family, our strength is tested and proven in the midst of adversity. Because of the negative publicity I've created with my foolishness, we can now demonstrate to the world how our sick and wounded can be healed, and how even disappointed and betrayed church bodies can prosper and rejoice.

Gayle and I need to be gone for a while. We will never return to a leadership role at New Life Church. In our hearts, we will always be members of this body. We love you as our family. I know this situation will put you to the test. I'm sorry I've created the test, but please rise to this challenge and demonstrate the incredible grace that is available to all of us.

Ted Haggard

Gayle's Letter:

Dear Women of New Life Church,

I am so sorry for the circumstances that have led me to write this letter to you today. I know your hearts are broken; mine is as well. Yet my hope rests steadfastly in the Lord who is forever faithful.

What I want you to know is that I love my husband, Ted Haggard, with all my heart. I am committed to him until death "do us part". We started this journey together and with the grace of God, we will finish together.

If I were standing before you today, I would not change one iota of what I have been teaching the women of our church. For those of you who have been concerned that my marriage was so perfect I could not possibly relate to the women who are facing great difficulties, know that this will never again be the case. My test has begun; watch me. I will try to prove myself faithful.

I love you all so much, especially you young women - you were my delight.

To all the church family of New Life Church - Ted and I are so proud of you. You are all we hoped you would be. In our minds, there is no greater church.

As you try to make sense of these past few days, know that Ted believes with all his heart and soul everything he has ever taught you, those things you are putting into practice. He is now the visible and public evidence that every man (woman and child) needs a Savior.

We are grateful for your prayers for our family.

I hold you forever in my heart.

Gayle Haggard

I've heard some people comment, "But how can we trust what he says now?"
True that once someone has wounded us trust is hard to earn back.
Wouldn't you want the benefit of the doubt if you'd been one to make a mistake?
When you and I make mistakes, even big ones, the world isn't usually shouting it from the rooftops. (Though one day all of our sins will be)
The enemy thinks that he scored a victory. What an opportunity to see what healing the Lord can do. We expect God's grace when it comes to our own transgressions, but we find it hard to extend that grace to others, especially when they are in leadership. We expect our leaders to be infallible. There is only one who is perfect. He is the one that is most grieved through this all, but He is the one who will be glorified in this when His people act with compassion, healing, mercy and forgiveness.

I have been moved by the song "Broken & Beautiful" by Mark Schultz and think that it's really appropriate for this time. JMHO.

Mark Schultz - Broken & Beautiful
From the album Broken & Beautiful

There’s a businessman, there’s a widowed wife
A smiling face with a shattered life
A teenage girl with a choice to make
It’s crowded here in church today

And the preacher says as the sermon ends
Please close your eyes, bow your heads
Is there anyone in need of prayer,
Oh Jesus wants to meet you here

Cause we all fall short, and we all have sinned
But when you let, God’s grace break in

(Chorus)
It’s Beautiful, Beautiful
Come as you are
Surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful

Well he’d never been to church before
But he came today as a last resort
His world was crashing in
And he was suffocating in his sin

But tears rolled down as hope rushed in
He closed his eyes, raised his hands
Worshipping the God who can
Bring him back to life again

(Chorus)
And it’s beautiful, beautiful
Come as you are
Surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful, beautiful
Come as you are
Surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful

Cause there’s nothing more beautiful at all
Than when His sons and daughters call, broken

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Come as you are
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Come as you are

(Chorus)
Broken and beautiful, beautiful
Come as you are
Surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful, beautiful
Come as you are
Surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful
Come as you are
Broken and beautiful, beautiful
Come as you are
Surrender your heart

Broken and beautiful
Broken and beautiful
Broken and beautiful
Beautiful

Remember, "There but for the grace of God, goes [I]"

John Bradford-Circa 1550

With No Disrespect.

2006-10-23T09:27:00.000-05:00

With No Disrespect.

I mean this with no disrespect, but if you are over 1oo lbs over weight lose it!

The last two cardiac arrests I worked the patients were well over 100 lbs over weight.

Tonight the patient was (according to the family) 425, if not more.....5ft 9inch.

No neck, impossible to get a tracheal tube in, took me two tries to get an interosseous line because over weight patients usuallyhave nothing for vascular access and trying to find the tibial land marks are difficult.

Being overweight not only causes health complications, but complications in how health care provider can treat you.
Let me tell you, cardiac arrests in the field suck enough...
-sigh

It's Official!

2006-10-13T08:53:00.000-05:00

It's Official!

We respond to quite a bit of roll your eyes moments when we respond to calls and find why people call 911.

The other night I had officially the most stupid reason anyone has ever called 911.

"You're going to hate me" Says the woman. "But, my husband left for work and left the ceiling fan on high and I asked him to turn it on low."

The woman has is wheel chair bound, mind you and she couldn't reach the ceiling fan cord, so I give her grace points for that. What not only took the grace points away, but took negative grace points away was the next comment.

"Look, my poor doggy is shivering."
Ah, Tulsa and their reasons for calling 911.

~

2000 Of Something

2006-10-11T21:12:00.000-05:00

Saw this quote today.
I absolutely loved this quote so I thought I'd post it.

I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2000 of something.
- Mitch Hedberg

Plagerism

2006-10-10T13:13:00.000-05:00

Well, It's not really plagerism because I'm giving him credit, but I'm posting another's stuff.
I am not much into eschatology.
The philosophy that I follow is more in the line of being obedient to what the Lord is telling me to do NOW than worring about what might happen in the future.

As I am very interested in global events and have a passion for Muslims I have been particularly enjoying the writtings from a site called Joel's Trumpet.
In light of Islam's influence on global events the writtings of George Otis (Circa 1990) in "The Last Of The Giants" Otis' prognostications and insight into Islam's influence on the last days are quite compelling.

Though not the eschatological topic I'm going to post a letter written by Joel Richardson.
Joel Richardson, as I mentioned his site Joel's Trumpet, wrote a letter to the President of Iran.
Unless the Lord makes a way I doubt that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ever really reads it, but it's none the less a great read.
Hope you enjoy it.

An Open Letter to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

September 6, 2006

Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran,

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Joel Richardson. Actually this is not my real name, but rather a pen name that I use when engaging in interfaith dialogue with Muslims—a labor of love which has occupied me for the past several years. The reason that I use this pen name is because I have been issued some very specific Islamic death threats after a Muslim that I was dialoguing with converted to Christianity. The e-mail that I received essentially threatened that my head would be cut off and that my family would be killed. Since those days, I have continued to dialogue with Muslims in a spirit of peace and love, although I now have chosen to use this pen name. As such, I ask for your forgiveness for not fully revealing myself to you. I would very much like to do so. Nevertheless, it is my sincere hope that if this letter should miraculously find its way into your hands that you would consider what this little American Christian of no account would like to express to you.

It was with a certain measure of amazement that I read the news that you would be visiting my country next week to address the United Nations General Assembly. Indeed you have surprised the world on more than one occasion over the past several months since your recent election as President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Many people all over the world have read your open letter to George W. Bush, the President of the United States and invited him to convert to Islam. Many of us also watched as you were interviewed by Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes. As for myself, I have been closely following your brief career as the President of Iran. I have watched as you have made some very bold and at times some very threatening statements. I have also closely followed your many open declarations about the soon emergence of your Messiah figure, Imam al-Mahdi. And of course, most have closely watched as your nation continues its apparent rush toward the acquiring of nuclear capabilities.

As a Christian and an American, I write to you not only to express some of my concerns, but also to ask you some questions—if you would allow me the privilege to do so.

I am greatly concerned of course for the future relationship between our two countries; the U.S. and Iran. I am most concerned of course for the future of my children—their safety and their well-being. But I am also greatly concerned for the millions of lives of common people that also may be at risk in these seemingly tense times—Iranian, Israeli, American and European—Muslim, Christian and Jewish.

Mr. President, in your letter to President Bush, you said this:

"I have no doubt that telling lies is reprehensible in any culture, and you do not like to be lied to."

Of course, while much of the world has never heard of the doctrines of Kithman or al-Taqiyya, as a Shi’a Muslim, you are most certainly aware of these terms, are you not? Certainly you are aware of the words of Imam Jafar Sadiq, the sixth Imam of Shi’a Islam who clearly disagrees with you about the reprehensibility of lying. In fact, he even states that Allah will dishonor anyone who tells the truth about certain elements of Islam:

"One who exposes something from our religion is like one who intentionally kills us."

"You belong to a religion that whosoever conceals it, Allah will honor him and whosoever reveals it, Allah will disgrace him."

I have also read from A Shi’a Enclopedia a specific definition of al-Taqiyya:

"The word ‘al-Taqiyya’ literally means: ‘Concealing or disguising one's beliefs, convictions, ideas, feelings, opinions, and/or strategies at a time of imminent danger, whether now or later in time, to save oneself from physical and/or mental injury.’ A one-word translation would be ‘Dissimulation’".

So Mr. President, my first question to you would be the following: Would I be wrong to believe the words of your Imam and the words of your scholars by understanding that Shi’a Muslims are commanded to purposefully hide what they truly believe in order to mislead others as to the true nature of their religion, their "beliefs, convictions, ideas, feelings, opinions, and/or strategies"? As a Christian I am immediately reminded of the words of Jesus who told his followers never to hide their religion:

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

Mr. President, to the vast majority of the people of the world, religion and deceit are simply not compatible concepts. Basic human intuition exposes such as completely contrary to the divine nature. God does not lie, nor does he ask his followers to lie or hide the truth. In short Mr. President, how could any religion that claims to emanate from God—who is pure light and truth—ever actually command and promote deception toward non-believers and outsiders?

And even more importantly, Mr. President; you are a Shi’a Muslim. In light of the doctrines of Kithman and al-Taqiyya, how can anyone not question the truthfulness of anything that you say to those of us outside of the Shi’a faith? How do the people and the leaders of the world not know that you are simply utilizing al-Taqiyya in an attempt to deceive us?

Mr. President, despite the fact that your nation essentially sits atop an endless supply of oil, how is it that you expect intelligent people to believe you when you claim that your only motivation to achieve nuclear capabilities is for energy? In light of the millions of lives that may potentially be at risk due to a potential nuclear exchange, wouldn’t the leaders of the world be utterly foolish to accept anything you say regarding your nuclear program? And wouldn’t their foolishness be multiplied by the fact that you regularly seem to make outlandish comments such as your recent statement at the "World without Zionism Conference":

"They say, ‘how could we have a world without America and Zionism?’ But you know well that this slogan and goal can be achieved and can definitely be realized."

Mr. President, certainly you must realize how such comments will be viewed by the rest of the world.

Mr. President, I would like to be as frank and as honest with you as I can. What thoughts come to your mind when you think about such men as Adolph Hitler, or Saddam Hussein? History has judged these men as both pawns of the devil and failures, but a far worse judgment awaits both of these men when they face their Creator. Surely you would not desire to be found in the company of such men on the Day of Judgment?

Mr. President, I read your invitation issued just today calling the people of the West to Islam. You also said that anyone who declines such an invitation would have a bad future. Mr. President, I would like to now also invite you to become a Christian—a follower of Jesus. I would also like to explain to you why I must decline your invitation to Islam and why you should accept my invitation.

Mr. President, if you would allow me, I would like to tell you a story. You are obviously a very influential Muslim leader. For the sake of this story, let us say that we have two other great and legendary Muslim leaders: Caliph Omar and also Salah' ad-Din (Saladin). These two men are among the most legendary and admired leaders throughout Muslim history. Now imagine if I claimed that both of these great leaders played with little girls' dolls. Initially any self-respecting Muslim would be infuriated at such an allegation. "Never!" it would be protested; "Far be it from Omar or Saladin that they should play with little girls' dolls! These are great men! It is not befitting that Omar or Saladin to say that they would play with dolls!"

Initially this might sound quite reasonable. But what if the story unfolded that both Omar and Saladin had a daughter? And what if we learned that these daughters were most pleased with their Daddy when he got down on the floor and played with them as they played with their little dolls? What if we learned that because of the father's great love for their daughters, that they humbled themselves and did this with their beautiful little daughters on a regular basis? Would these men be better leaders and better men for doing this or would they be less respectable men and poorer leaders? Surely, Mr. President, you would agree that this humble act would make them better men and greater leaders?

Now, what if we learned that Saladin played with his daughters while Omar absolutely refused to do so? What if Omar agreed with the statement above that he was far above ever doing such a thing? Which leader would then be a greater leader? Which would be more appealing? Omar or Saladin? Personally I would see Saladin as being a far better Daddy, a far better man, and thus a far better leader. I’m sure you would agree. As such Saladin would be a better and more admirable leader, while Omar would be a less qualified leader. Remember, Mr. President; true greatness does not need to be guarded. It does not need to be belabored in order to be authentic. True greatness is self-evident and self-preserving.

Your religion claims that God would never become a man, regardless of the reason.

"Far be it from God that He should have a son! It is not befitting of the Almighty that He should do such a thing!" Sura 19:35

But in this attempt to establish Allah as greater, he has simply become more distant. Is not Allah like Omar in the story above? The Christian belief of God, however, is that He is more like unto Saladin, the loving father in the story above. Because God is good in the purest sense, He desires to share Himself with us. He wants to reveal himself to us. He doesn’t merely want us to have abstract knowledge about Him—He wants us to actually know Him. Jesus revealed the man-befriending-God to us. Jesus said:

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him." John 14:6,7

Mr. President, your religion also refers to Jesus as "The Word of God". Let me ask you, can a person's words be separated from him? Or are a person's words invariably part of him? This is an analogy that God wanted us to understand when we think about the relationship of the Son to the Father. Both the terms, the Son and the Word, are very similar in the sense that each proceeds forth from the Father. The Son bears the very essence of the Father while the Word is the inner expression of a person. "Out of the heart, the mouth speaks." So again affirming both the Son's divinity as well as the fact that all things were created by Him, John the Apostle says that,

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men." John 1:1-4

When we compare the Islamic concept of God to the Christian concept on this point, the Christian concept is far more intellectually and emotionally appealing. The incarnation (God dwelling among men through the person of Jesus) as utterly astounding as it is, is also the most awe-inspiring and incredible idea that one could ever conceive. In fact it is Islam's denial of the incarnation that makes it so utterly unappealing. In Christian theology, God says to each individual, "I love you this much, and here is how I have proven it forever." God became a man and suffered in our place for our deliverance.

Mr. President, throughout history, the Christian Church has affirmed the following:

We believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hades.

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

According to this ancient Christian Creed, Mr. President, when you stand before the Judge of the Earth, His name will be Jesus Christ. On that day there will be no excuse for denying that He indeed has come, was crucified, buried and has risen from the dead. Of course, I’m quite sure that you do not accept this. But Mr. President, have you ever considered the fact that every one of Jesus' disciples, except possibly John, dedicated and eventually gave their very lives as martyrs while preaching the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus—the very Christian Gospel message? Mr. President, what logical answer is there as to why the disciples would give their lives for a complete lie? Unless the disciples were wholly confident of the fact that Jesus was crucified and resurrected, why would they dedicate the remainder of their lives preaching such a lie? Muslims deny the historicity of the crucifixion and resurrection, but they are unable to answer some of the basic questions that explain why the disciples—the very eyewitnesses—would have lived and died as if it were absolutely true. There are many theories among Muslim scholars as to what may have happened. But none can agree. For regarding the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Christ, in light of the abundant historical evidence attesting such, the Muslim scholars have only conjecture to follow (Surah 4:157-8). Among the various theories offered, some Muslim Scholars teach that God tricked or deceived the disciples.

Mr. President, did Allah deceive Jesus’ followers? Does this make any sense to you? If Jesus’ disciples were preaching a lie, then would you agree that Jesus was the biggest failure of all of the prophets? For if Jesus' true message was not carried on by a single one of his disciples, if after he ascended to heaven, all his disciples were deceived, then indeed, Jesus was the greatest failure of all prophets. Yet even Islam claims that Jesus is second only to Muhammad in terms of the greatest prophets.

Mr. President, the Islamic worldview, when compared to the simple facts of history, simply does not make sense. Jesus—the historical facts surrounding His life and the life of His disciples—is the thorn in the side of Islam, not its vindicator, as we would expect if indeed Islam were only a continuation of the religion that Jesus preached. Islam is not a continuation of the true religion that was declared by the true prophets of God, but something new altogether. Mr. President, I call on you to turn away from religious innovations and to turn to the Truth.

Mr. President, I have heard much of your repeated eschatological references to the soon emergence of Imam al-Mahdi, the one who you refer to as the "last repository, the promised one, that perfect and pure human being, the one that will fill this world with justice and peace." I have also studied the Islamic traditions about al-Mahdi in great depth. As you have stated to your people, "Today, we should define our economic, cultural and political policies based on the policy of Imam Mahdi’s return." I also noticed in your letter to President Bush that you accept the idea that Jesus will also return to the earth. Those of us who are familiar with Islamic eschatology understand that Muslims believe that Jesus will return as a subordinate to the Mahdi. We have seen the Islamic traditions that have spoken of the day when Imam Mahdi, with the assistance of Jesus will unite the Muslim Ummah, attack and defeat the Jewish nation and ultimately cause the entire world to submit to Islam. We have read the opinions of your scholars that the rule of your Imam will only be established with great bloodshed. In Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini’s work on the subject of Mahdism for instance: Al-Imam Al-Mahdi: The Just Leader of Humanity, we read of those who refuse to convert to Islam and submit to the Mahdi’s leadership over the earth:

This group will indisputably be opposed to justice and will never give up their stubborn antagonism against any power. Such people will do anything against the promised Mahdi to protect their vested interests. Moreover, they will do anything within their power to demoralize and combat those who support the Imam (Mahdi). To crush the negative influence of this group there is no other solution except warfare and bloodshed.

And again, we read that:

The Mahdi will offer the religion of Islam to the Jews and Christians; if they accept it they will be spared, otherwise they will be killed.

Mr. President, thinking people around the world will certainly ask; if Islam is such a true and wonderful religion, why then is it necessary to resort to jihad, force and bloodshed to spread among mankind? If God truly wanted Islam to spread, would he not simply cause it to do so through peaceful means? Or is he unable to do so Himself? In this, do we not see the difference between God and Satan. Does God not offer His truth to mankind according to their own choice and free will? Does not God’s ultimate judgment of each person hinge on their own response to His invitation? But historically it is always oppressive and tyrannical regimes that enforce their ideologies onto the people. Can you see how your religious worldview regarding the eventual triumph of Islam does not reflect the manner in which God offers His mercy to mankind? Can you see how your worldview and expectations of the coming new world under al-Mahdi instead reflect the pattern of other various failed regimes of the past, having been exposed by the very people that they once controlled as being destructive and oppressive to the human spirit? In appealing to all of mankind, Jesus Christ once said,

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28)

Again, if Islam were a true and naturally appealing religion to mankind, then why do we find such a radically different call to accept Islam from your prophet with the words:

"Warfare is ordained for you, though it is hateful unto you; but it may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knoweth, ye know not." Surah 2:216

Mr. President, why would anyone long for the day when all of mankind will openly be subjugated to a religion that openly calls for warfare despite mankind’s natural hatred for such? Should not the true religion be something which the very collective soul of mankind bears witness to and affirms rather than something which your Quran admits is "hateful" to mankind? You seem to be a very brave man; will you search your heart and ask the Lord if indeed he has truly called on his followers to carry out that which is hateful to mankind or if the above quoted verse from your prophet finds it’s inspiration not from God but instead from another source altogether? Will you consider harnessing your bravery and choose to turn toward the truth, which is found only in the freedom that Christ offers and not in Islamic Jihad and the forceful spread of totalitarian religious ideologies? Most importantly, Mr. President, will you reconsider the direction that you are presently leading the Iranian people? Will you choose to lead the Iranian people away from Islamic Jihad and instead to the One whose burden is light—the one who calls those who are weary and burdened and promises genuine rest for their souls? Or will you choose to continue following a dark path and continue to lead the Iranian people toward that which is not only "hateful" to them but also destructive to their lives and their souls? As a humble Christian and a citizens of the Eternal Kingdom of God, I appeal to you to change the path that you are presently leading the Iranian people down and instead to choose the righteous way (John 14:6), whatever the consequences may be. I appeal to you to leave behind the road of Jihad and of Islam and to become a follower of Jesus and a genuine peacemaker. For in doing so, Jesus said that you would be called a Child of God. (Matthew 5)

With Love in Christ,

Joel Richardson

Roaches

2006-09-19T15:19:00.000-05:00

I have never met anyone who likes cockroaches.
Not only do I NOT like them but they absolutely freak me out!

Whanna know what’s even freakier?

Do you?

Huh?

Do you?

C’mon... answer me...

I’ll just tell you.

We’ve all been to calls where there are cockroaches crawling all over a medical scene.

Going to a scene where you’re trying to gather history from a patient and there are hundreds of little crawlers on the floors and walls...and...on the garbage strewn about...and even on patient’s themselves.

Kind of distracting.

I’ve worked codes where everyone is trying to stand strategically so that passengers don’t hitch rides up your pant legs.

We have a guy in town that lives in one of the most roach infested domiciles that I’ve ever seen. This guy is always in his birthday suit ever time we arrive too which leads us to affectionately dub him “Naked Guy”.

We respond to “Naked Guy” at least once a week with a blood glucose level that plummets into the 20’s or teen’s.

His apartment neighbors have become attuned to the sound of him moaning and thrashing about when he’s in this state.

Each time his neighbors save his life by calling.

We all know this guy and know to take the bare minimum up to the apartment so that we don’t inadvertently carry out stowaways.

It’s just unnerving to try to start an IV and have crawlers skitter across the arm you’re trying to canulate.

I hate roaches.

New Fonts

2006-09-13T10:46:00.000-05:00

I’m playing around with fonts and thought I’d try this new one I downloaded.

I think It’s pretty cool.

Well, I actually downloaded five of them and am really enjoying them

They kind of look similar don’t they?

Well, maybe not.

The Face Of A Spoiled Dog

2006-09-05T13:23:00.000-05:00

The Face Of A Spoiled Dog

Flip-Flop

2006-09-05T10:23:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling my age.
I used to be able to flip-flop from nights to days and such w/o problems.
Now, I'm tired all the time.
My hair is turning gray by the day because of it all.
I've always admired the salt and pepper look and have coveted the dashing all silver haired dudes, but man, I'm only 38. I'm too young for that yet.
Will not do the hair dye though.
I don't really respect guys who dye their hair to cover gray.

==

Kids are in school.
They love it.
Do you remember the days when you dreaded the looooong weekend because you wouldn't get to see your teacher or friends for two whole days?
Well, that's my kids now.
I mean, I like school.
I want to go back part time and continue with my never-ending quest for becoming as educated as possible, but I like my weekends.
I like sleeping on those days, really.
(See Flip-Flop reference)

==

I'm still amazed by the fact that I live in Tulsa.
I drive home on the "B.A." or Hwy 51 and think, Wow; I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma....
This is home, don't get me wrong, I feel like we belong here, it Some times just feels surreal.
Aside from wishing I could see my mom more and not getting as much Husker info that I so covet, I really don't miss Omaha so much.
I really have no idea when the next time I'll go up.
I know the family is going up next month, but I have no plans of returning anytime soon.
Christmas, maybe?
I would love to have an opportunity for some good pizza.
It all sucks down here.
Need some Don Carmelo's, Valentino's or Godfather's.
Oh,
And the BBQ.
It's "ok", nothing to write home about, but It's passable...
BUT
They do BBQ Bologna!
Seriously.
You go to a BBQ joint and they have BBQ bologna on the menu.
I ask, "What do you mean by bologna?"
They're like..."It's bologna. You like bologna don't you? If you like bologna, you'll like this."
I was aghast and said, "Bologna, you mean like the cheap lunch meat you get in the lunch meat section."
Incredulously, the reply has been, "It's SMOKED"
Oh, thaaaat makes a difference.
It's feak'n Ghetto LUNCH MEAT for crying out loud!
Holy Cow!
If I want BBQ bologna I'll by some in the store for ninety-nine cents and squirt K.C. Masterpiece on it!
And these people are serious about their BBQ bologna too.
Every one of these Okie's are nuts about it.
What the heck?
(Bug shakes his head)

Am I ranting?

Well, I must admit that as far as cuisine here they have good...um...good...can't really think of anything good to eat down here.
Taco Bell
Yeah, they have Taco Bell down here...a few any way...they are into Taco Tasteless..er Taco Bueno.
Not good either.
Back Yard Burgers is good.
Um, that's about it.
My taste buds are feeling anemic just thinking about native Tulsa food...
I need to go suck on a bottle of Frank's Hot sauce.

How Angry Is Your City?

2006-08-24T09:34:00.000-05:00

From "Men's Health" article.

Does your city's rank rankle you? We kind of figured it would.

(From most to least angry cities) - Top 100 angry U.S. cities.

1.	Orlando, FL	26.	Denver, CO	51.	Newark, NJ	76.	Hartford, CT
2.	St. Petersburg, FL	27.	Philadelphia, PA	52.	Las Vegas, NV	77.	Minneapolis, MN
3.	Detroit, MI	28.	Baton Rouge, LA	53.	Columbus, OH	78.	Boise, ID
4.	Baltimore, MD	29.	Fort Worth, TX	54.	St. Paul, MN	79.	Anaheim, CA
5.	Nashville, TN	30.	Phoenix, AZ	55.	Charleston, WV	80.	Norfolk, VA
6.	Wilmington, DE	31.	Lubbock, TX	56.	Kansas City, MO	81.	Austin, TX
7.	Miami, FL	32.	Cleveland, OH	57.	New York, NY	82.	Fremont, CA
8.	Memphis, TN	33.	Greensboro, NC	58.	Oklahoma, OK	83.	Fresno, CA
9.	Jacksonville, FL	34.	Cincinnati, OH	59.	Toledo, OH	84.	Anchorage, AK
10.	St. Louis, MO	35.	Arlington, TX	60.	San Antonio, TX	85.	Cheyenne, WY
11.	Chicago, IL	36.	Los Angeles, CA	61.	Riverside, CA	86.	Rochester, NY
12.	Tampa, FL	37.	Buffalo, NY	62.	Modesto, CA	87.	Madison, WI
13.	Jackson, MS	38.	Grand Rapids, MI	63.	Louisville, KY	88.	Salt Lake City, UT
14.	Albuquerque, NM	39.	Boston, MA	64.	Honolulu, HI	89.	Omaha, NE
15.	Charlotte, NC	40.	Columbia, SC	65.	Richmond, VA	90.	Pittsburgh, PA
16.	Dallas, TX	41.	Tulsa, OK	66.	San Francisco, CA	91.	Colorado Springs, CO
17.	Houston, TX	42.	Aurora, CO	67.	Bakersfield, CA	92.	El Paso, TX
18.	Tucson, AZ	43.	Seattle, WA	68.	Spokane, WA	93.	Sioux Falls, SD
19.	Indianapolis, IN	44.	Sacramento, CA	69.	Milwaukee, WI	94.	Des Moines, IA
20.	Wichita, KS	45.	San Diego, CA	70.	Jersey City, NJ	95.	Burlington, VT
21.	Birmingham, AL	46.	Montgomery, AL	71.	Lexington, KY	96.	Portland, OR
22.	Providence, RI	47.	Raleigh, NC	72.	Little Rock, AR	97.	Corpus Christi, TX
23.	Durham, NC	48.	Yonkers, NY	73.	Lincoln, NE	98.	Fargo, ND
24.	Atlanta, GA	49.	Oakland, CA	74.	Billings, MT	99.	Bangor, ME
25.	Washington, DC	50.	Fort Wayne, IN	75.	San Jose, CA	100.	Manchester, NH

Holy Cow, Sunny Floriday doesn't have that much of a "Sunny" disposition, does it?

Remember When?

2006-08-23T10:45:00.001-05:00

You remember when you were excited about going to school?
I mean when you were sad that it was the weekend because you were going to miss your teacher and your friends?
My kids started school last week and were practicaly coming out of thier skins the days before school started. They were lamenting the weekend because it was too long until they could go back to class.
It's actually pretty exciting seeing the joy they have.
I wonder when it begins to change?
What are the predicating factors in that change?
All I know is that we need to foster that joy as long as possible.

Strange Place

2006-08-09T08:44:00.000-05:00

Tulsa is a strange place.
I've been to several churches for worship and left speechless by the placid nature of worship.
Every experience I've had here (I've only been in four different denominational worship settings) the people would rather sit and listen, rather than enter in to the full presence of the Lord.
Maybe I'm being too judgemental, maybe they are worshiping fully planted in their seats.
You find a few people who are willing to break the norm and stand and lift their hands, but it's a rare few of us who do.
Saw

Aaron Shust

last night. Dude is awesome. I like his CD, but he's way better in person. Seemed very humble. His trio made it appearant that they were not there to entertain, but to glorify the Lord. Was disappointed at how people wanted to just sit there. It seemed that there were some youth groups who really wanted to let lose, but the adults were a bunch of bumps on logs.
The Kat couldn't have painted it any more plainly that he was there for Jesus' glory, but the peopel were even screaming for an encore...not appropriate people....not that kind of "concert".
-Sigh-

The Office Linebacker

2006-07-26T17:51:00.000-05:00

At Least He Was Camouflaged

2006-07-22T05:07:00.000-05:00

Last night we picked up this very interesting kat.
Dude was butt nekked, heavily, I mean, totally, absolutely covered in cement mix powder and sitting smack dab on top of a fire hydrant, gyrating and wiggling back and forth like he was trying to get somewhere in a hurry.

When asked what he was doing dude said, "It's the only action I'm going to get tonight."

When told he couldn't be sitting out in public naked, he replied, "It's hot out, man....can't a guy just get nekked when it's hot out?"

When told that he couldn't He looked defeated, held up his arms and said, "I put on camouflage."

Kat provided some other really interesting nuggets like:

"Dogs, they like to wear thems some Jordans, but if you wantto get with the ladies you gots to wear the Shaqs."

and

"H...H....H...H...H....H...to the bat cave."

and

"Feed me in my mouth....Feed med in my mouth!"

and

"9....9.999...0h...9....9...9999....big glass of ice water."

The police officers on scene were almost rolling on the ground they were laughing so hard.
I have to admit, it was all very amusing.

Dude prattled on in rapid fire fashion all the way to the hospital and in the ED too about a variety of subjects all with questionable voracity.
The hospital staff also got a pretty good kick out of it.

I'm only a Paramedic, but I would venture to guess the guy needs a little psychological assistance.

Hey, but At Least He Was Camouflaged.

Proud

2006-07-20T12:40:00.001-05:00

Our church is hosting The New Wineskins Convocation.
New Wineskins is an organization made up of Presbyterian pastors and leadership who are wanting to stand for righteousness within the Biblical break of the Greater Presbyterian church.
The Greater Presbyterian Church is really turning its back on Jesus and the foundations of Christianity.

I'm quite proud of the position our pastors have placed themselves in which leaves them vulnerable to the backlash the Greater Presbytery. Humble men of God. I'm blessed to be of thier congregants.Michael Card

I went to the opening service of the Convocation and was absolutey floored by coming face to face with Michael Card. I learned that Micheal Card would be leading worship throughout the Convocation and would be doing some leading.
Dude is a legend! Powerful music!
I'll tell you what, I was not disappointed. Man, he is humble too. I don't think anyone told him who he is. Dude, do you have any idea who you are?! You're MICHAEL CARD!
It was quite awesome. The whole deal, I mean. I'm pretty sad that I have to work throughout The rest of it.
God is going to be doing some big things. Dont' know exactly what it will look like, but the "Church" will not be the same and the world is watching.

Nights

2006-07-18T14:13:00.000-05:00

The first full week on nights is done.
It will take some getting used to.
I had done it before, but not with four kids.
Sleeping during the day with four kids just being themselves is difficult even with ear plugs.
So, I'm tired most of the night.
Thank the Lord for QT and the slew of energy drinks they have there.
For those of you who have not exprienced the joys of a

Quick Trip

, pray and pettition that they come to you area. They are a convenience store based here in Oklahoma and definitely break the mold of what you expect in a convenience store. You will never go back to anywhere else.
Seriously. They rock. We had them in Omaha, little did I know they were more numerous than Starbuck's in NYC, down here.
My first partner left me for another man. :(

Here I am with my first fulltime partner.
Yes, the one who left me.

Well, she's an EMT and in Paramedic school. They guys she is partnered with now has the nickname Yoda because he is the Paramedic master.
Really, they guy would walk on water if the job required it, so I really don't blame her.
I have a new partner now who is pretty green, but is a frig'n hard worker.
Great guy. Makes the lousy shift much more easy to bare.
Call me shallow.....waiting........(You're shallow)...but I'm super stressed about missing football season working Saturday and Sunday nights and not being able to see any of the games.
I think my new partner and I will try to renegotiate soon.

They're Coming!!

2006-07-18T13:15:00.000-05:00

I'm excited for this upcoming football season.
Especially the game against USC.
Dang, If my schedule stays the same I will be sleeping through EVERY football game!
Anyway...

Apple Cider Vinegar

2006-07-12T10:13:00.000-05:00

I have recently been enjoying the befefits of Apple Cider Vinegar.
Been drinking a table sppon of Apple Cider Vinegar with an equal amount of honey mixed into 8oz of H2O.
Drinking one of these delicious, nutritious, refreshing glasess before every meal.
I initialy heard that it helps reduce cholesterol. Then I heard that it's good for GERD of all things.
The more I looked into this Apple Cider Vinegar thing, the more benefits I learned that it has.
Mmmmm, tasty goodness.
It actually, has been helping my heartburn for which I'd previously been takint The Little Purple Pill for the last 8 years.
We'll see on my next check up what it does for my6 cholesterol.
The unfiltered type like Braggs tastes much better than the cheaper filtered stuff.
But, of course it's more expensive.
I have Apple Cider Vinegar pills that I take while at work. Not sure if it helps so much as the "Cocktail" that I mix, but we'll see.
Why am I writting about this?
'Cuz I haven't had too much exciting going on and had to write something.
=
=
=
Oh, Miss America Moved in across the street.
Seriously.
Just this last weekend.
-Strange-

Working On The Night Shift

2006-06-27T11:07:00.000-05:00

So, for an equitable and fair way of decding who works what shift, every six months my company has "Shift Bids".
Shift Bids are based upon seniority. Every month you work for the company you get a point.
So, I've been here for Six months and I get 6 whopping points!
That means I get the choice of the very best of the bottom of what's left.
19:30 to 07:30 Thurdays -through- Sundays.
So, six months of this.
At least I have a good partner.

Nights.
It's dark at night.

He Did It His Way

2006-06-18T15:05:00.000-05:00

-Father's day-
Maybe it's appropriate that I post this topic today...
Maybe not, but here goes.

Last Monday, June 12th we finally burried my father.
I think that I had written before, that my father died December 28th of 2005.
He wanted to be cremated. Which he was, but my mother really didn't want him burried in Nevada. So, she had his ashes sent to Omaha, Ne. Where they have sat, in her room....since then.

We wanted some time after the kids are our of shcool and during a time that I wouldn't have to take any vacation time (I just started a new job so I have none accrued) so Monday was the day.

My dad was a unique guy. You really couldn't peg him into any specific hole, because when you did, you'd fine he didn't fit.
So it was appropriate that he would have a unique post mortem request.

Dad wanted to be cremated...not too unusual...and burried in a Music box that played the tune "I did It My Way" by Frank Sinatra....a bit more unusual. So we did.

--
And now, the end is here
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I traveled each and ev'ry highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way

I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way,
"Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way"

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows and did it my way!

[instrumental]

Yes, it was my way
--

Happy Father's day Dad.
I love you.

Omaha

2006-06-05T15:47:00.001-05:00

This was just sent to me.
It's about my home town -- my home town...which I will visit soon....

Omaha

Um...click on the name of my home town.
It's the blue tinted capital of Nebraska.
Not that "It's" blue tinted, the city, I mean, the word above is.
You will find it amusing, I'm sure.

Who's Who?

2006-05-29T16:09:00.000-05:00

Here I am with Chief. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE involved in EMS in some capacity, whether it be at EMSA, among Fire Fighters or even in many of the hospital Emergency Departments think I look like our Chief. People do double takes. I think they're all smoking crack down here in Tulsa, but...you be the judge.

In My Uniform

2006-05-29T16:07:00.000-05:00

Here I am in my uniform. No steth, or Radio on my shoulder like I do while on duty. What a mug, eh?

Only In Oklahoma

2006-05-29T10:58:00.000-05:00

Saturday night
I'm getting off of work late.
It's about 1:30 AM, maybe a little later,
The streets are busy, but hey, it's Saturday night...
McDonald's drive-through line is long---"post bar munchies", maybe.
Low, and behold, just tooling down the side walk
An old guy, maybe in his late 70's early 80's...
Wearing a suit...and one of those old man hats they wear with suits...
cruising down the side walk on a riding lawn mower...
Only in Oklahoma...

Never Satisfied

2006-05-16T17:03:00.000-05:00

Ok,
Maybe I'm never satisfied, but I need to keep learning.
Next week, I'm taking an ACLS instructors course. Advanced Cardiac Life Support.
Would love to start teaching in the Academy or any where else, for that matter.
Also, today I got information for completing my R.N. via correspondence.
I have a ton of credits already, so It make it much quicker, but It's more in the vein of a Paramedic to R.N. It's an at your own pace kind of thing, so it won't be interrupting the family and work so much. I'm excited about it.
If I could stay full time with EMSA as a Paramedic and enjoy the benifits they have, then work as an agency Nurse 3-4 times a month...well, let's just say I would probably make more as a Nurse part time as a full time Paramedic.
Nice, eh?
Plus, I still want to get on Life Flight or any other flight medic service.
Need to evaluate the cost of the school though. Not too bad in context, but sometimes context doesn't meet budget.

Instability

2006-05-08T16:28:00.000-05:00

The only thing you can expect in the world of EMS is the unexpected.
Not only does that apply to call to call, but for me, it applies to whom my daily partner is going to be.
-Clarify-
My regular partner has been hurt the past two weeks.
And
For the next couple of weeks or so (However long it takes for her to get healed)
I have been having a different partner every single day.
It's like having Sibil for a partner.

Excuse Me Sir, Does Your Dog Bite?

2006-05-07T15:58:00.000-05:00

-Excuse me Sir, does your dog bite?
=No, my dog doesn't bite.
+GrrrrCHOMP!
-Yeow! Hey, I thought you said your dog didn't bite!
=He doesn't, that's not my dog.

Oldie, but a goodie.
Speaking of dogs...
Just bought the family a Boston Terrier. (Named her Maggie)
Got her from a pet store in Owasso, OK that also does animal rescue.
Maggie is a pure breed, but the whole litter had mange and the breeder was going to destroy them.
The pet store took them and treated them and sold them.
She just got fixed this week and is still flakey and crusty and is shedding like there is no tomorrow. She's so pathetic she's cute.
The kids are quite excited about her. Actually, LaDeeBug is much more excited, I think.
Will post a pic of her when we get some.
OK, I better go cook some Calzones. We have some friends from Omaha staying with us and I think they expect to be fed.

Driving Along Just Minding Our Own Business.

2006-04-19T09:11:00.000-05:00

OK, this is late because I had the in-laws in town over the weekend and couldn't get to the computer. So, let's talk about Friday.

The day started out normally enough.
We received 5 post assignments within 10 minutes...
Were dispatched to a prank call...

The first patient we made contact with was having some freaky hepatic encephalopathy action going on and was alret and oriented but very combatant and doing some crazy stuff. Had to call one of my captains in and two cops...dude ended up really, really pleasant and conversant on the way to the hospital before having another seizure on me...ah, medicine.

So, we were like crazy busy all the rest of the day.
It was Motor Vehichle Accident Central. Call after call after call.

Later in the evening...about 21:30 (9:30PM) we get sent to a post in a neighboring town. It takes a while to get there...a bit of a strech on the interstate without much lights (You've driven on stretches like that)

So...we're driving along just minding our own business.
Suddenly, my partner swerves to barley miss a guy walking down the middle of the right lane of the interstate.

I have NEVER seen my partner so angry.
She pulls over onto the shoulder and starts to unfasten her seatbelt.

I start to get this really bad feeling and I say to her,
"Don't do it, he's crazy"
She opens the door
"Don't do it, he's going to charger you"

She get's out of the door, yelling at him words I shall not repeat on this family oriented site..
I think to my self, "I'm going to get killed because of my partner." and get out my side of the road.

Sure enough (I must have the gift of prophecy) he begins running at my partner screaming and waving his arms in the air. "Greeeeaaaaugh....Roaaaaeerragh"

So, the brashness that filled her spirits a moment ago jumps aboard one of the passing cars and hitches a ride to Oklahoma City...my partner promptly jumps aross the gully and away from the fine young gentleman with long billowing hair doing his best "Wild Kingdom" impersonations to alter course to follow her, gain his attention on me and change course once again to the Paramedic who foresaw all of this coming as soon as my parter started to slow the vehicle some moments earlier..

I reach in vain for my missing flash light...(Dang, in the truck)...key my mic and tell dispatch to stand by...("Unit -19 repeat?")..."Unit-19, Stand by"... ("Unit -19 are you in need of assistance?") I crouch down like a kung foo fighter...I start planning to do a leg sweep at the precise moment my advancing new found buddy gets close enough to me...when our sojourner miscalculates the slope ratio x his velocity x traction of his footing and encounters the gravitational pull of the earth...falls...and rolls into the ditch.

My partner leaps back over and starts making her way back to the Ambulance as I watch the undeterred animal impersonator literally crawl his way back up to the side of the highway..."Raaarh....GRrrrrreeeaaaaargh....meeerreeeearh!"

Just as he reaches begins to reach the top where it begins to level my partner shouts, "Put your knee in his back..put your knee in his back so he can't get up."

Sounds like an idea.

So, I put my knee into his back and hold down his arms.

-I hear my partner tell dispatch where we are.-

The man beneath me starts shouting, "Eeeeaaaauugh! She thinks I'm cazy!"

I shout back, "You're running down a dark highway, what else is she going to think?"

He makes a completely logical retort, "Aaaagh, I'm trying to get my life back together!"

-naturally-

I start patting him down and make it just to past his back pockets...
Just then..two cops run up, just as four more Tula Police cruisers and two Tulsa County Sheriff cars pull up.

(Holy SMOKIES! It wasn't EVEN two minutes from when I first keyed dispatch)

-Very impressive-

They ask me to back off of him, which I am all to willing to oblige...still marveling at thier response time.

They pick him up and promptly escort my new found buddy to jail.

One of the police officers (and a very, very giant of a police officer at that) turns to me, pokes me in the chest and asks, "You don't wear a vest?"

I say, "I'm thinking about ordering one."

He nods approvingly and says, "Good. Do it." and walks back to his cruiser.

Even if I wasn't planning on it and I am, I would not want a big, big man like that to come back to me later and ask where it is.

So, the rest of the night was still pretty busy, but not nearly as exciting as the first ten hours.

Death Sucks

2006-04-11T09:47:00.000-05:00

I had come to the conclusion a few years ago as a Critical Care Tech (Fancy word for nurses aid in the Critical Care Unit) that no matter how it comes, death sucks.
Now, as a Paramedic, the enitre responsibility of the welfare of my patients rest completely on my shoulders.
Every little thing I do or don't do can effect the outcome.
The other day I had the first patient die on my watch.
As soon as I saw him/her, I knew he/she was too far gone, but there was enough that he/she had to be worked. He/she deserved to be worked. His/Her loved ones who were watching deserved for us to work him/her...yet, I knew what the eventual outcome would be...and death won out.
The ER Doc told me "Good Job and said that I "did everything correctly", but I have run the scene over and over again in my mind.
Could I have done this more quickly, and why didn't I think of that...
Found out later that the patient was engaging in activities which expidited the demise, and there was no way of my knowing... but I still feel responsible.
I felt like puking the rest of the night.
Death sucks.
I hate it.
Having to comfort the loved ones....seeing the empty shell of a person that once was...stomach is still in knots...I know I'll have to deal with it again some day and if it doesn't come in ten years, though it will more than likely come much sooner, it'll be too soon.

Death Sucks.
~

El Luchador!

2006-04-06T19:09:00.000-05:00

Deseo ser un luchador... el honor, la gloria, la fama.
Para estar el héroe de cada hombre, niño de la mujer y sur houseplant de la Río Grande. Aye, ser un luchador... el luchador... el luchador...

Roller Coaster

2006-04-06T12:22:00.000-05:00

Finally, my regularlly scheduled...er...um...schedule starts tomorrow.
I have a regular partner and shift, but have only been doing that two days a week.
The other two days have been a combination of early mornings and overnights. The O'l body clock doesn't have as well greased gears as it once did and I've had a hard time adjusting to the time changes and lack of sleep.
I'm still really digg'n the job.
Haven't had such exciting calls as my first week, but still some fun stuff and even the not so fun stuff that still give me an opportunity to make a difference in people's lives.
==
Hmmm...just got a page to take a patient accross the state. Special pay involved.
Need to check with the wife first....
Nah, tempting, but there is still so much I need to do that my schedule hasn't allowed me the opportunity to do it.
==
My toe is feeling better.
Still a bit sore, still misshapen and still swollen, but no more limp.
==
The house is coming together nicely.
My wife went out and bought a Chaise. So we have a Chaise and a rocking chair in the living room. Maybe a couple extra bonus shifts and I'll be able to buy her a sofa.
==
OK, Need to get ready to take my pre-schooler to school.
I'm sure I'll be back later today for more drivle.

Gimp With A Limp

2006-03-31T09:10:00.000-06:00

The foot's feeling better but I limp from around the scenes and through the hospital corridors.
What a secure feeling when I'm lifting a patient or a stretcher...."No worries Ma'm, I've only dropped two patients today, I'm sure I won't drop your husband." :)
Man, I can't wait until I get my regular schedule. These alternating nights-days-evenings are killing me.
One more week and it'll all be stable again. (Am I moaning?)
Had a scene the other day where the injured parties were being less than ideal citizens of Tulsa leading up to their injuries. So, I had to call a detective the next day and will more than likely be called in to talk to him again....Hmmmmm....I wonder if this will be my first Subpoena?

[Note: I’m listening to a few songs from a buddy of mine’s new CD. You can hear a few of his songs on his Blog. Look down to the right of your screen on my links for more Sean Keith.] Good Stuff. I need to buy a couple of CD’s and make sure Tulsa knows this dude.

OK, better get to putting my Futon together for the TV/Playroom.
-peace-

I Broke My Toe In Mexico

2006-03-28T09:06:00.000-06:00

I broke my toe in Mexico.
Well, I did, but THAT was nine years ago.
Last night I broke my toe in Oklahoma.
It just doesn't have the same ring to it as...I broke my toe in Mexico.
I broke my toe in Oklahoma.
Nope, I broke my toe in Mexico sounds much better.
"Oklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plaines" is the begining of the Oklahoma State song. So, I think maybe I broke my toe where the wind does blow...
...nah...

So, I broke my toe last night.
Different toe than the Mexico Toe
Different foot at that.
We were getting the kids to bed, the Baby Gate wasn't on the top of the stairs like it should be and my crawler went straight for it...like the true every day hero that I am...I dived for him and while flying through the air (hero's fly, you know) my foot didn't want to fly with thre rest of my and desperately tried to stop itself by wedging hard against the corner of the wall.
(Externally rotated)

I'm a gimp.
We'll see about faking my way through work and not limping despite the pain.
Heros work through pain, you know.

"I" "O", "I" "O", It's Through The Bone We Go...

2006-03-27T15:17:00.000-06:00

Had an inservice today at work. (After working all night on only 90 mins of sleep)-----Bonus shift, but we'll go into that later.---

We had an inservice on a new Intraosseous decice. Called the EZ-IO™. It's a pretty cool little device.

What's an intraosseious device?
Itra-(Into)
Osseious-(Bone)

It's a device for drilling into the bone to start an IV when all other routes have failed and you have a critical patient in need of life saving fluids or drugs.
This new device is really, really cool.

What we have had to do in the past is take this HUGE needle, and jam it into the Tibia and twist, and push and twist and grind it into place.
More specifically, Tibia. In the Medial aspect (toward the middle) from the Tibial Tuberosity, on the flat anterior (front) aspect of the bone.
It was pretty brutal.

This is a nice, quick and neat procedure done with an high speed drill instead of brute force. Makes this cool, high-pitched whirrr, like the dentist office drill.
You don't really feel a lot of resistance as it burrs through the flesh and into the bone until you make your way into the Spongiform.

It's so easy that you need to be careful with really small children and infants because if you're not paying close enough attention, you can go right through the other side and into your hand. But, it's much less traumatic on the limb than the previous method.

The training Video had these Orthopedic docs drilling these into each other.
They were wide awake, with no analgesics (Pain Meds) on board.
These cats were laughing and smiling....I'm oh, so glad that we did not have that option, because I would have been obligated to be the first to volunteer and I would not have enjoyed it as much as the docs...shooot, I don't get paid a billionth of a percent of what they make in thier inservice to have that done to me.

Oh, and the Tibia Infusion is almost as quick as an IV infusion.

Man, what more can you ask for in a job?
Driving at high speeds with lights and sirens, blood...guts....smashed vehicles...and NOW using power tools on people.

Have I ever said that I love my job?

I Now Pronounce You...

2006-03-23T23:23:00.000-06:00

Today I had my first official pronouncement.
The Patient's wife was there, Tulsa Fire Department was there, police showed up just a few minutes later.
The patient was obviously dead.
More than likely it was a heart attack.
Not to go into detail, because for those of you who are a bit squeamish, those specifics may be difficult, but it was quite apparent.
We try to rationalize in times of grief.
Although I'm quite certain she knew better...the wife asked if we could still revive him.
It had been too long. Hours too long.
I had "Declared" a patient dead during my student internship back in Omaha, but it wasn't official and that patient had been far too gone for help weeks ago.
I think I had mentioned something via bugblog a while ago.
This was the first time it counted.
The first time I'll more than likely have to be taken aside to have my report reviewed with me.
This was my first time trying to comfort a grieving family as they try to cope with understanding that their loved one was gone. That there was nothing I could do, nothing ANYONE could do to help their loved one.
Knew it was going to come sometime.
Just like you're never ready when a loved one dies.
You're never ready when YOU have to tell someone else that THIER loved one had died.
Today was the day.
Just like my first day with EMSA and how memorable that day was.
I'll always remember this one.
Wish it was a different first that I could add to the memory list.

The Vehicle

2006-03-22T21:45:00.000-06:00

Just Thought I'd post a pic of what I work in everyday.

First Week Down

2006-03-20T19:24:00.000-06:00

Ok, so, the first week is down.
A lot of worrying over nothing, really.
It was good. Uneventful actually.
Well, that's not entirely accurate.
Last night of my shift. (That would have been Saturday)
I was with a fresh EMT-Fresh being a newbie like me right out of the Academy-
A new EMT and a New Medic...not a great combination, especially for navigation.
To make a long story short, we got lost on getting to a call.
In our defense it was downtown and even seasoned vets have difficulty down town and it was a very strange address. To make matters worse, my EMT got lost getting to the hospital.
Of course, I was in the back taking care of the patient, who luckily, was really not needing an ambulance anyway.
Dispatch contacted us about it, which of course, was broadcast to every unit on the street.
Not a good night for the ego.
My schedule really won't be the stable one that I bid on until the middle of April.
In the meantime I'm on a pretty erratic schedule. It's mostly the one I want, but some really early mornings and some over nights too. -sigh-
Digging the job still. Have'n lots of fun...nothing too exciting yet though, but that's good because I'm still feeling my way around.
Tomorrow will be my first overnight.
Will definitely be taking a thermos of coffee.
And my insulated Starbuck's mug.
And be taking a nap tomorrow afternoon before work.

Nerves

2006-03-15T10:17:00.000-06:00

-Big Sigh-
Today is the first day I work without an FTO.
I meet my new partner and then off we go...
Man, am I nervous.
Almost sick.
Being the "One In Charge" and having everything fall on my shoulders...
I know one of the Majors said that he didn't eat for a week his first week out, so I guess this is natural.
I HOPE this is natural.
Ok, better get going.
My watch died yesterday and I need to stop at Sears on my way there to pick one up.
Will let you know what happens.

Phamily Photo

2006-03-13T16:04:00.000-06:00

When my sister-inlaw was here from China, she had a bunch of photos taken of the entire family.Here is one of the immediate family that I thought was blog worthy

Home Sweet Home

2006-03-13T09:08:00.000-06:00

Friday we closed on the house.
Despite a week prior to closing, we did could not get the mortgage company to give us a definitive amount that we needed to bring to the table at closing. (Surprise)
You know they do that on purpose because they know they have you between a rock and a hard place and you have to come up with the amount they say.
It wasn't as much as it could have been...I forced them to give me a guess, and once at the table it was about $300 less, so we got a "refund" check.
Anyway, enough of the sour grapes...
WE ARE MOVED IN!!!
Still living out of boxes and we need to go shopping for some furniture, but it's nice to finally be with the family. The kids are really excited about the house too.
My oldest started her new school today. She's so excited too. Nothing shy about that girl.
I prayed for her before she left for school and she asked me if she could tell her teacher about Jesus and if she could go to the principel's office and tell her about Jesus too, just in case they don't know Jesus. My, do we have a budding evangilist. Bless her little heart.
Oh, wow....
I finished my mandatory orientation rides last Weds.
No matter your experience level, all Paramedics & EMT's have to do eight orientation rides with an FTO (Field Training Officer). My FTO said that clinically, I was ready to clear in four rides, which surprised him because of my exprience level. I had to do ten rides just because of my maping skills of Tulsa. Heck, I expected more than that because I'm so new to town.
So, I finished last Weds and my new shift doesn't begin until THIS Weds.
That' six days off in a row right when we are getting settled into a new house. How awesome is the Lord with that?
My new shift is Weds-Thurs-Fri-Sat from noon to midnight. Great shift!
I have not met my EMT partner yet, but I hear she's a pretty good hand.
Man, I'm excited! Nervous as all get out though. Being the one in charge makes me sick to my stomach. I was talking to one of the education directors and he said he didn't eat for a week when he first started on the streets, so I guess that's normal.
Ok, my wife just said that we have some friends coming over to see the house so I assume I should shower.
will update later.
-bug

I Can See The Finish Line

2006-03-03T10:57:00.000-06:00

See how excited I am?
One week from today we move into the new house!!!

Can I Say It Again? I Love This Job!!!!!!!!!!

2006-02-23T18:37:00.000-06:00

Wow, what a great start to my new job.
On my first day, right out of the gate I had a cardiac mega code.
For those of you who don't know what that is a cardiac mega code is what you see on TV, where you stick a breathing tube in and push IV drugs and do all the shocking and external pacing and it's fast and furious and you race down the street lights and sirens going....AWESOME!

Third call-first day....Man vs. Train.

Legs on the outside of the tracks...
Man on the inside of the tracks...
Pieces of meat every where...
Was bearly breathing when we first got to him, but after a few ventilations he was talking to us.
Knew he was hit by a train too. AMAZING!!!
Second day I had some great rollover accidents...and a guy who was shot in the face and leg.
Man, we run and run all day long. We barely have time to get out of the E.R. when we are on another call.
Can I Say It Again? I Love This Job!!!!!!!!!!

Crippling Snow Storm!

2006-02-18T11:47:00.000-06:00

What a horrible crippling snow storm.
Tulsa is shut down because of the perilous driving conditions.
The news keeps giving weather updates telling everyone to stay home and if they have to go out to drive slowly and carefully. They advise people to carry extra coats with them and to have blankets in the car just in case they break down.
I'm afraid to go out....it's like 23 degrees and there is an inch of snow on the ground...
What Kind of Frozen Tundra have I brought my family to?

.

.

I hope you all realize that this post is dripping with mocking sarcasm.

I Love This Place!!!

2006-02-16T09:55:00.000-06:00

I was not expecting to see my family until they moved down here.
(See the feeling sorry for myself post)
Well, last night some friends asked me to come to dinner.
My family was there as as surprise.
What's even cooler, my emplolyer, knew about them coming as a surprise and footed the bill.
I stink'n love this place!!!

Oh

2006-02-15T12:13:00.000-06:00

I graduate from the Academy tomorrow.
Have two days off then start my four 12 hour shifts on Sunday.
Didn't want to work on a Sunday. I'm liking the being able to go to church, finally.
Hopefully, when I'm done with my oreintation rides I'll get a good shift to bid on.
I may have to buy a disposable camera so that some one can take pictures so my family can see some of the ceremony.

Valentine's Day

2006-02-15T11:45:00.000-06:00

Can I just say that Valentine's Day sucks when you are alone?
Killed a bit of the lonliness shoping at Target, though.
That way my mind was on looking for the cheapest NSAID rather than going back to an empty quarters.
Ok, just wanted to solicit some sympathy.
I'm done.

Score!!!!

2006-02-13T13:22:00.000-06:00

Finally found a house.
4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath.
2036 sqft
There is another room that's listed as a game room, but is the biggest "bedroom" in the house which we will use as a guestroom.

The agreed on the offer and I am very happy with it.
We don't close until the 10th of March and that will be when the family will come down.
Wow, what a weight off the shoulders.
Now I can FULLY concentrate on my job.
Man, I'm happy!
Great location too.
Fast access to the interstate, best school district in Oklahoma.
Can't wait for the family to come down and see it!

House Hunting

2006-02-08T13:04:00.000-06:00

Oh, my.
Hunting for a house sucks.
We are kind of limited too.
I HAVE to be in the Tulsa city limits because of a contract agreement, but I want to have Jenk's or Union school districts here in Tulsa. (Tulsa Schools are some of the worst in the nation)
I have been outbid on 4 houses.
Heck the last one was listed at $107K, I bid $125K and it sold for $135K. What kind of a deal is THAT????
At least the family isn't moving down until March 8th.
I have a bit more time to find one.

Finished the driving course yesterday. That was fun, zipping around the course in an ambulance going lights and sirens.

Now comes the map portion of the academy. Can you say confusing? Man, Tulsa is way screwed up with the way everything is named. At least I'll be the ranking one in the ambulance and I'll let the other guy/gal drive while I sit and get to know the city better.

I think I have a good chance of being the top of my class so I can make the bid for the shift I want. That will rock if it happens.

Update

2006-02-02T11:52:00.000-06:00

Still in the academy.
No home, no family down here, no computer.
Living in an abandoned (backup) Fire Station.
Tulsa is a nice place, traffic sucks, but the people are great
Only 3.2 Beer. :(

T Minus...And Counting

2006-01-08T13:00:00.000-06:00

Today is the day.
We have the infant dedication for our new son at 15:00
I leave directly after for Tulsa and begin my academy training Monday at 08:00.
I'm kind of in a funk.
Going to miss my family.
I'm sure I'll miss Omaha, but need to be in the think of it before I decide that.
Nervous about the job too.
Don't want to make the move and somehow fail at this.
Crazy. We felt all along that this is totally what we are supposed to be doing and now that it's happening the doubts come.
I know it'll all be good.
This is crazy because I am not one to ever get nervous.
I only really got nervous before competing (back in the sports days)
Maybe this is a good thing because I was quite an athlete in my time. (before the weight) ;)
-sigh-
Better finish packing.

It's Final!

2006-01-07T08:37:00.000-06:00

The adoption is now final
We went to court Thursday and finalized it all.
We had a 3:30 appointment and they called at 1:30 and said you have to make it at 2:30 or we will push it out two weeks.
Gaaaah!
We scurried to have it all done.
Not as many people showed up to the court, obviously, but we got it completed and my baby boy is now mine.
The judge was really cool. Just chatted, and asked questions and goofed around. Our lawyer was agape, he'd never seen a judge have that much fun, even during an adoption which they tend to really like.
LaDeeBug felt like calling up the birth family and taunting them, but I told her that would not be a good idea.
She relented.
====
Scurry, scurry, scurry.
I leave tomorrow.
I'm taking my eldest to the Chronicals Of Narnia today. Then Church.
We have infant dedication tomorrow then I leave directly after.
Holy crow, this has come so fast.

Thus Comes The Dawn...

2006-01-02T13:44:00.000-06:00

So, now dawns a new day, a new month, a new year....a new begining.
2005 was such a full year.

School took up most of the time, but it was maked by the blessing of having a beautiful foster daughter for a season, then came our new son (who we will officially adopt on Thursday), the job search, the new job offer and my dad's death.
What does 2006 have in store for us? We are excited to see it.
We will be looking to buy a new home in the new city where we are moving to for the new job.
New, new, new, new

"Behold the old has past the new has come."

Let me back up and make another comment regarding my dad.
First let me say, that I loved my father. Loved him very, very much. But....and it's a big but...
For the majority of his time here on earth, he was not a nice man. He was violent and abusive in every aspect of the term, but he was my father and there were many things I have learned from him both following his example and learning from his err.

Many people had been praying for him. Many people had shared the plan of salvation with him, which he time and again rejected. His eternity was something I had always held my concern.

I was in a conference with the hospice nurse, while my dad was still in the hospital and my mother and brother were at my dad's bedside. During a rare moment of lucid thought, he turned to my mother and said, "I miss your parents. I really loved them"
My mother said, "Well, there's a way you can see them, you know."
My dad said, "Really? That'd really be great."
She then laid out the plan of forgiveness, redemption and salvation for him. Which he thought sounded. "..like a great idea."

Now, I don't believe in coincidence. I believe in God's perfect timing. I believe in God's open doors and His desire that all men are saved. II Peter 3:9 "...not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." I believe that God's saving grace was manifest that day and that my dad was forever in His great grip.

My dad continued to live for a few more days. I got the call while I was finalizing things for my new job in Tulsa. That was the 28th.

On the 30th. After a couple of days of work I sat down at my desk and went through the pages of the day by day calander my sister gave me for Christmas last year. I had been a bit distracted and hadn't really looked at it for a few days, so it was nice to review some bits of scripture.

The verse for the 28th, again, the day my dad died was Luke 2:29-31 :"Now lettest thou thy servant depart, Lord, According to thy word, in peace;For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples;"

Again, I don't believe in coincidence. All things have a purpose. I thank God, that my dad finally fell into his purpose. I believe God used the converation regarding my mother's parents to usher him into the kingdom of God. I also am firmly convinced that my grandparents met him as he entered the presence of the most Holy.

Trouble Is...

2005-12-28T14:31:00.000-06:00

Trouble is, when you hit the ground running, you're liable to crash into something...
Well, flew to Vegas, last Wednesday made the decision to take dad off of life support.
He was actually semi-lucid enough to understand the ramifications of it all. He didn't see the point of living with no quality of life.
Friday he went to hospice..we spent 12 hours a day at his bedside, mostly watching him sleep.
We tried to wake him up on Sunday (Christmas) before we left, but he wouldn't wake, just groggilly said OK when we said we were going.
Dad died this morning.
I'm still so worn out from it all...worked the next morning at 05:00 and then drove the following day to Tulsa to finalize some stuff for my new job.
The hospice called me while I was getting my pre-hire physical.
I just want to curl up in a ball and collapse, you know?
I don't think I can get out there for any of the "sevices" if you want to call it that.
He didn't want a funeral, wanted to be cremated.
We arranged for the cremation, he's going to be burried at the veteran's cemetary in Boulder City, NV.
Why does this all make me feel guilty?
This all just sucks.

So Begins The End

2005-12-21T11:23:00.000-06:00

I knew this day would come, I just didn't expect it to happen so soon. (Though, anytime is too soon)
When my dad had to have a quadurple bi-pass a couple of years ago I flew out to Vegas and was made medical power of attorney before the procedure.
Since then, we've had a few scares, but now it's looking like the end.
Dad is in the hospital, had to have a G-Tube put in because he failed three swallow studies and was aspirating all his oral intake. He told me that he saw no reason for living since he couldn't walk or drive and now he can't eat.
Well, I think he is chosing to go. They are increasing his dopamine and dobutamine and still his heart is failing. He's becoming increasingly disoriented.
They want to move him to hospice and make him a catagory 3, which means they want to take him off of what life support he's on.
Now, I have to fly out to Vegas and make that decision.
I'm going to lose my daddy for Christmas.

Do You Hear That?

2005-12-20T10:50:00.000-06:00

Can you hear it? I'm sure if you hold your ear close enough to the monitor you can hear my stomach grumbling.
As the move comes closer, I'm craving all the traditional Omaha fravorites before I go.
Like McDonalds and Wendy's...
Seriously. I am having some serious jonesing for Valentino's and I haven't even left yet.
I think it's in anticipation for not haveing free access to it any time I want.
There goes my stomach again.
So, I think I may pick up one of thier lunches on my way to work.
Funny, it's all Pizza I want before I go.
Valentino's
Don Carmelo's
Godfathers.
Not so much Runzas, like so many do, but I just may just to say that I did.

The Morning After

2005-12-16T09:01:00.000-06:00

No surprise U2 tickets.
No surprise party.
No surprise anything for that matter.
Why am I still wearing the duty cap I put on to take my daughter to school?
Wife got a baby sitter.
We went to Chipotle Grill.
They have some pretty good stuff for semi-fast food. If you have never been there, it's a step up fom Taco Bell, but much more expensive.
Like it a ton, but you just can't beat the bean for you buck with Taco Bell.
The rest of the night was spent just walking the mall and talking "uninterrupted" with the wife.
Nice, relaxing night.

-until-

Got a call from a nurse in Vegas when I got home. Dad is in the hospital again after being found on the floor of his retirement home. Can't swallow anymore and has to have a G-Button put in.
Is on two different type of Inotropes, because of CHF. I think my dad is just wearing down, I don't think he realizes that with the G-button he won't be able to go back to the retirement center and will have to go to a nursing home. It's hard to process a parent getting too old, you know? It's hard to grasp the reality that they are not long for this world. I can only pray that he comes to a point of contrition before he goes. Not looking forward to "The Call", but I know it's more than likely going to come soon.

Today Is...

2005-12-15T12:54:00.000-06:00

Today is my birthday...nah, nah, nah, nah, nah...
It's my birthday too, yeah...nah, nah, nah, nah, nah...
I'm self graciating...nah, nah, nah, nah, nah...
I'm drinking coffee...nah, nah, nah, nah, nah...
It's Starbucks' Christmas blend...nah, nah, nah, nah, nah...
This is getting to be over kill...nah, nah, nah, nah, nah...
So, stop reading if you don't like it...nah, nah, nah, nah, nah...
You must really have no life, yeah...nah, nah, nah, nah, nah...
If you're still reading this crap...nah, nah, nah, nah, nah...
ok, I'm boring myslef too....nah, nah, nah, nah, nah...
So, I'm going to stop now...nah, nah, nah, nah, nah...
no, seriously...I really am...

Christmas Shopping.

2005-12-13T15:10:00.000-06:00

Holy, cow. The wife is so hard to shop for.
Well, lack of cash kind of makes it more difficult, but sheesh.
She really doesn't want anything except practical stuff and the only thing I know she really needs is a practical thing, but HOLY CROW, can you say even the cheap stuff is expensive. I got what I know she needs, but hasn't mentioned needing and only SOME of the stuff she asked for and I already know I've spent over 3x what she is willing to spend on me (not jealous, just know she's not going to be happy with the amount I spent)
[Iced Grande Caramel Macchiato]

I still need to go out for more.
Grrr.

and

What the heck are the stores doing being so busy on a weekday morning anyway?
Don't people have jobs or something?

I did go to the mall kiosque (sp?) and got my Starbuck's regular: Quad, Iced Venti, six pump vanilla Caramel Macchiato.
Found a mall gift card with a couple of bucks on it, used my partner discount and it all only cost me $0.99

I did have the opportunity of putting a saucy note on a buddy's windshield when I saw his car.
:snicker: Can't wait to ask him how his day went today.

It's That Time Of Year Again.

2005-12-13T01:46:00.000-06:00

Make A Flake

Not to mention that I have insomnia.

Did I make this Html work?

Sleepless In Omaha

2005-12-12T23:57:00.000-06:00

Yeah, the title is cliche, but it's my blog, so come up with your own clever title on your own blog.
I hate this insomnia thing. Usually, I can go down to the couch and I'll sleep after a bit, but my mind is going a billion miles per hour.
I'm not one to get nervous or worry, but I can't stop thinking about Tulsa and the new job.
A ton to think about, you know?
Moving my entire family, only after being away from them for six weeks. (boo, hoo, soldiers are in Iraq for a year away from thier families)
Not making nearly what I was expecting. (And you're making more now?)
With an EMT-B partner, it's all on me. (So you went to Paramedic school so someone else can make all the decisions?)
blah, blah, blah..it goes on and on in my head.

Tulsa Bound

2005-12-07T09:38:00.000-06:00

Tulsa Bound!

I have no idea what kind of song may go with that.  I was kind of digg’n on the Little Rock song, but I’m sure I would have gotten rather tired of it pretty quickly.
There are enough country singers in Tulsa that there HAS to be a catchy song about Tulsa that I’m not ware of.  If anyone knows of one, let me know.
But, I digress.
EMSA called me yesterday and apologized for not sending an offer letter and offered me over the phone.
I accepted, well, at least I’ll sign the paper when they finally do send it to me.
The pay is much less than I had hoped, but I firmly believe this is the job I am supposed to take.
The academy begins January 9th.  (My son’s church dedication is the afternoon on the 8th, so I’m going to have to break the speed limit driving down to Tulsa.)  Ok, academy is 6 weeks long and pretty intense, they say.  The family will move down after the academy is done.  Much less stress and distraction with that arrangement not to mention that my oldest will be done with her semester in mid-January.
It’s so stink’n cold up here that I’m looking forward to any incremental temperature increase this winter, no matter how small it may be.  Ask me this summer how I feel about the winter when my dashboard is melting.
Now, I have to break the news to my mother.  She’s going to be majorly bummed that I am moving her favorite grandchildren away from her.

Again With The Waiting...

2005-12-02T13:43:00.000-06:00

It's been non-stop Starbuck's since I've returned from Tulsa.
I think the interview went rather well.
It was sincerely the most enjoyable interview I've ever had.
Very relaxed. Nice, nice people.
The salary the quoted me was much, much lower than I had anticipated or hoped for.
Grrr....I don't know how long Little Rock will be before they even contact me for an interview/testing phase, so I may be inclined to accept the Tulsa job if they offer it to me.
I was hoping for an offer letter today, but they DID say that I should hear from them by letter no latter than Tuesday.
When I have had corporate jobs, I have negotiated for a higher salary, but I am not too sure I feel comfortable negotiating with this kind of job. It is an hourly pay kind of job. It's only 3 x 12 hour shifts a week, so there is ample opportunity for extra shifts at overtime so it COULD possibly work out better. I have felt more secure negotiating in the past because I have been in more stable, better paying jobs that I could use as a platform, but I am barely making ends meet at Starbuck's.
I dunno, time will tell. Got to trust that God has it all in control. I tend to try to make things happen on my own.
-

Almost Died Last Night!!!!

2005-11-28T17:59:00.000-06:00

Dang! Can you say white knuckle driving?
Drove to Little Rock last night.
60mph winds, drving rain and tornados the whole way. 9 1/2 hours.
You should have seen all the buildings blown down along the way.
Crazy too, they drive like 90 and above through AR and OK. Seriously. I was driving 80+ just so that I wouldn't get run off the road (Inthe weather mentioned) and people were still tail gating me andpassing me. Went by a pretty big car accident on the way into Tulsa, the ambulances were just leaving when I went buy. I guess some wood from a lumber yard got blown into the interstate, struck a mini-van and knocked it over. Killed one guy, the other guy was in critical condition last I heard. Yet, they still drove on like loons.
Went to MEMS of Little Rock for an Paramedic position.
It was rather anticlimactic.
Filled out an application, handed her my resume packet and she looked at it and said, "We'll call you for testing and interviews." She looked at the Resume, saw the color copies of all my certifications and said, "Ooooh, that's nice...what a great idea." paused and said, "You're already a Paramedic, that's good." What the heck? Of course I'm "Already a Paramedic". It's not an OJT thing....I know there is a reason I was suppose to drive there and apply. I need to trust God that he's going to make things work out.
-sigh.
Now I'm in Tulsa for my intervew tomorrow.
Man, I'm tired.
Didn't sleepwell last night.
I'm nervous as all get out, Panel interview in the morning, so I probably won't sleep well tonight.
^

Maybe We Could Be On A Roll In Little Rock?

2005-11-21T07:33:00.000-06:00

So, I was thinking. Since I'll be going down to Tulsa next week...I could just swing by Little Rock a day early and submit a resume with this EMS company down there. They ONLY take resmues in person. No online, no mail...in person. It's woth a shot. Plus it would give me an excuse to sing the Collin Raye song...

"I think I'm on a roll here in Little Rock.
I'm solid as a stone, baby, wait and see.
I've got just one small problem here in Little Rock,
without you, baby I'm not me.

Without you, baby I'm not me...

I think I'm on a roll here in Little Rock."

I've never been to Little Rock and have always liked that song.

Move Along

2005-11-18T09:42:00.000-06:00

Nothing to see here. Move along, move along.
Ho hum couple of days. Nothing really exciting.
'cept, we traded in the Air Craft Carrier (15-Passenger) Goliath for a Dodge Caravan.
That's about exciting, isn't it?
No, seriously. It's nice to have a vehicle that doesn't scream. "Immigration and Naturalization Service, we're here to deport you!!" Especially in our neighborhood.
You should see the people run.
Though, that does make for a cheap Friday night date with the Mrs.

Is It For Breakfast?

2005-11-16T09:33:00.000-06:00

Mmmm......Last night my wife made some pretty tastey home made vegetable soup. It had nice "hearty" (whatever that means, but it sounds appropriate) chunks of vegetalbes. I was thinking, this is really nice, but it needs just one more thing...some sort of sausage. So, I decided to go out and get a movie (I had yet to see Star Wars Episode III-Revenge Of The Sith) and rented it.

The video store is next to a discount super market so I decided to peruse the meat counter.
Low and behold what do I see? But a Hillshire Farm Hot Smoked Sausage looking at me. We love the Hillshire Farm Polska Keilbasa, but I had never seen this.

To make a long story not at all much shorter, but for the lack of a better segway, this morning I was chopping up the Hot Smoked Sausage to put in the soup and saw that I had more than what the soup really needed. Since my two middle children had eaten my Malt O'Meal I heated up about an inch of the alluring link. HOLY CROW! That stuff is awesome!!! I would highly advise anyone who has even a bit of a palate to try that. If they don't have it at the store you frequent change stores immediately because your store meat manager is a moron.

I think I just may have to make a store run after the Mrs. gets back and do some of this for lunch. Maybe with some nice boxed AuGratin potatos.

I had a rooomate once with whom I used to cook Hillshire Farm Polska Keilbasa and Boxed AuGratin Potatos and Broccoli a lot with. When you're a couple of bachelors that's good home cook'n.

.
.
Oh, by the way, I neither work for nor represent Hillshire Farm in any way. I just think saying the entire name is fun.
.

Tulsa Trip

2005-11-15T11:22:00.000-06:00

Well, it looks like I'm Tulsa bound.

Finally got in touch with EMSA, seems thier recruiting coordinator is overly taxed and is not in his office much. Imagine, a guy involved with EMS overly taxed. But, I want to get involved with this stuff in the worst way.

It's nice having friends down in the Tulsa area.
I have options to chose from in where I can stay, though, I'm looking forward to staying with a family who are pretty much our best family friends. We love these guys and only can pray they stay a long time. They miss Nebraska a ton. Maybe it'll be easier for them when we move down there.

EMSA: Panel interview on the 29th and thier 4 week Academy begins January 9th.
I think I can manage staying at Starbuck's for a little while longer, just need to pick up as many hours at other stores as I can.

Being in Big 12 Country will be still be cool. I couldn't imagine living in Big 10, SEC or ACC country. Like the history in OK.

Man, am I ready for a change.

Dang, I'm late for work!!!!!!!!!!!!.

How Long?

2005-11-15T09:13:00.000-06:00

Dang, how long must it take to get in touch with Tulsa?
It's like phone tag, but they're in slow motion.

I always tell my brother, "Employers are never in as much of a hurry to hire you as you are to be hired.", but It's hard to take ones own advice.

I really need to start looking for another job. $8.50 and hour plus tips at Starbuck's isn't enough to support a family. Paramedics for private ambulance companies here in Omaha only make $9.00 an hour so it's not much better.

Maybe I can look at Creighton Medical Center and get a job as an ICU tech or something.
It's getting rather frustrating. I looked at Little Rock, AR, but you have to go down there and apply in person. That's a bit of a jaunt to fill out an application that may or may not happen.

Today is the first snow of the year and everyone is driving like morons. It's amazing how the time between snow falls erases any type of winter weather driving skills. The kids were so happy that it was going to snow that they had us get out thier "Heavy Coats" out the night before so they'd have them ready.

I'm dreading my Noon to 4 shift at Starbuck's today. (What a worthless shift) It's going to be freagg'n busy with people coming in for winter drinks. What amazes me is that no matter how cold it is out, there is always some one and her friend (usually a women and no I'm not a mysoganist,) who order two different kinds of Frappuccinos during a stink'n rush.

Ok, I'm being bad father by ignoring my kids while the spouse is gone.
.
Anyone know of a 911 base ambulance service that is hiring, pop me a message, will ya?
.

Bilateral Pedal Paresthesia Neuropathy

2005-11-13T19:11:00.000-06:00

Bot of my feet have fallen asleep. I hate that. I think I'm getting old. My feet sometimes even ache after when I try to walk after sitting or laying down for a long time. Goes away after a few seconds, but it's still quite discomforting.

Speaking of discomforting. This season's football is going to be the death of me. Seriously, can someone please bolus me with some verapamil? I think I'm going to have a heart attack watching both my Huskers and my Buccaneers play. Both of those teams have won their last games by come from behind wins in the last seconds and have held off the opponents as the seconds wane.
I don't know how much more of this I can take. At least my Huskers have salvaged the season and have won a bowl bid. Maybe the Callahan haters will stop whining for some changes....like the last couple of years haven't been changes enough. Brainiacs. [insert :rolleyes:]

Today our youngest turned one. We haven't didn't have a party for him because we were hoping for a doppio celebration with the adoption being finalized, but the complete loser of an adoption counsilor screwed that opportunity for us.

We had quite a cultural masala today.
Neighbors are from Bangaladesh. Thier daughter turned 12 today. That's a big day in thier culture. Kind of her coming of age celebration. It was held at a Chinese Buffet.
So, you have a (mostly) Mexican family, with a nearly albino son, at a Chinese Buffet celebrating the birthday of a Muslim Bangali girl who had invited some of her African-American classmates as well. It was pretty cool. Everyone was dressed to the nines (except for the Americans) and they were playing some AWESOME Bangladesh music (Sounds Like Indian music, but I'm dumb). I was digging it pretty well. Unfortunately, the gir doesn't like my kids, but the parents love my family and we really love the parents, so there you go.

Hey, my feet are no longer asleep....Oh, sorry I slipped for a moment...I am no longer experiencing bilateral pedal paresthesia neuropathy.

I am still full from the buffet of 5 hours ago, but am intending on popping some microwave popcorn with my wife after the kids go to sleep and washing it down with some Eggnog.

Maybe I should go to the BP (Beyond Petroleum, my foot) and buy some Captains to go along with my Blue Bunny EggNog. That might take away this caffine headache that Starbuck's has so cursed me with. I should no better than to add a shot to my Iced Vente 6 pump vanilla quad Caramel Macchiato.
,

Paper Thin

2005-11-13T05:37:00.000-06:00

Man, the walls of these towne homes are paper thin. You can hear the neighbors like they're sitting in your living room.
I knew I was a pathetic drunk when I was in my college days back in the 80's, but these guys take the cake. (must be rum cake) I'm getting up at 5:00am to go to work and they're just getting home. Loud, boisterous and stupid! Talking at 30o decibles about absolutely stupid stuff.
The one roomate has lost his lisence to DWI and has to have everyone pick him up.
It's pretty sad really.

Baby's Doing Fine

2005-11-11T01:57:00.000-06:00

Things are goood. Surgery went really well.
G-Tube is out. Fistula closed. All bandaged up and packaged nicely.
Kids are amazing. He wakes up from surgery and just starts playing like nothing is unusual.
I actually think he's in a better mood than he has been in months, his G-Button site must have really been killing him more than we thought.
All the nurses loved him. What's not to love?
Oh, yeah...and he's home now eating like a machine.
Got his one year photos back today. He's so stink'n cute!!!

More and More Drama

2005-11-09T01:29:00.000-06:00

Holy stink'n crow.
When it rains it pours.
Maybe there should be a law for drama limits in a week or something.

As you guys know, our adoptive baby boy has a G-Button (Tummy tube feeding valve thingy) because when we got him he was in failure to thrive. He was only taking 1/2 once by mouth the rest by G-button. Well, we haven't used it in 10 weeks for nutrition and for about 8 weeks for medication. He is taking 100% of his intake by mouth.
Well, the last 4 weeks his G-button has been really red and leaky. We called and they said, that's normal. We said, we know it's not normal. They said, you have a Dr appointment in 6 weeks let's look at it then.
The last two weeks th G-button has been WAY LEAKY, like 3-4 ounces leaky after each feeding.

The last week, it's been literally squirting out stomach acid. We've caled and called and they said, "Well, it needs to stay in for 6 months after last use anyway just in case he catches a cold." WTF??? "Yeah, in case he catches a cold and needs fluid." WTF do you do normally with kids who get really sick during the cold season. Worst case, send them to the ER and put in an IV. Just because the kid has Down, we have to leave it in?

Any way, finally we called enough times in the last few days to get thier attention and they said, "We'll take it out and put a new one that fits better in, it must just need to be replaced."
Mrs. Bug takes him to the office, it's only a nurse who looks at it, she lifts up his shirt and says, "Um, we need to have the Doc look at this in-between his surgeries." The doc is pissed off that he has to be called to the whiney parents, storms in, looks at it and says. "Oh, that's not right. No F'n duh, you freak'n asss hole.

[side note: Mrs.Bug has worked with him in surgery and knows hes one of the biggest asses in surgery she's ever worked with]

Anyway Mrs. Bug tells him the whole story of how he was when we got him and where he is now......factors into his decison that........
The site not only is really erroded and infected, but also quite herniated. The pulled the tube[spewed mucousa, food, and acid all over the doc] now his is in the hospital, they're doing surgery on Wednesday to fix the herniation and they decided not to replace the G-button.
Bastards, we could have saved them the trouble a few weeks ago when we asked them to pull it out then and he wouldn't have to have all this surgery.

We are not these, "Well, we're medical people and you better listen to us pain in the butts, but WE'RE MEDICAL PEOPLE AND YOU BETTER LISTEN TO US!!!!
You would not believe how nice everyone was being to us tonight. I just left the hospital and Mrs. Bug and I did the pass the baton of staying in the room. Next couple of days are gonna suck.

By the way, I may be driving down to Tulsa for an interview next week. Will solidify things tomorrow (Wednesday)

Cops Called.

2005-11-08T10:37:00.000-06:00

We called the cops on one of our neighbors today.
They send their 2 year old, 4 year old and 8 year old out to play with NO supervision all the time. I mean ALL the time. We NEVER see the parents.

Well, today a neighbor lady knocks on our door at 8:00 am. She's holding a the two year old who is only wearing Pampers and little t-shirt.
The lady asked, "This little guy was just wandering around. Do you know where he belongs?"

So I take the guy over to his apartment where only the screen door is closed.
I knock...wait...knock harder....wait...ring the bell and knock....wait.....nothing.
So I stick him inside. [Repeat the previous three times]

So, We call the cops. I was just going to call CPS, but the wife wanted the cops called because the parents might be dead or sick or something.

Cops come and knock and ring and call in through the door. Get no response. So the cops go inside. Turns out that the mom was just sleeping upstairs. She said her son must not have locked the screen door when he left for school. They said that they filed a report and the next time it happens the mom will be arrested. Mrs. Bug is worried that we pissed off the neighbors, but I could care less. Better a pissed off neighbor than a dead kid.
.

Casting Out A Net

2005-11-07T13:46:00.000-06:00

Well, can't sit around licking my wounds. Just started applying for other jobs.
Looking at Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
Gonna look elswhere too.
If I want more fish, need to cast out a bigger net.

Hey, At Leat I'm Lisenced..

2005-11-04T16:16:00.000-06:00

For what it's worth, I'm lisenced.
I submitted my request on Monday, and got it today.
Never knew the State could be so quick and efficient.

How Many Ways To Fail?

2005-11-02T19:51:00.000-06:00

Well, here's yet another opportunity to spiral down the rejection cycle into the depths of hopelessness and anguish.

Just got a cheerful call from the hiring director for Johnson County MED-ACT who let me know that not only did I not pass the test, but did so in an absolutely abysmal capacity. How the heck could I have scored a 66%?????? Sixty-Six freak’n percent!

I just passed the National Registry, how the heck, could I fail this so miserably?

What the heck should I do now? I knew that I was going to have to re-orientate my focus and gear toward staying until January, but now I have ABSOLUTELY NO LEADS!!

Back to the freak’n drawing board.

I feel like looking everywhere in the world for a job just so I don’t have to face the humiliating questions like, “So, when are you going to be a paramedic?”

Hmmmm….”C’mere, let me rip out your throat and then try to save you!!!”

AAAAAAGH! I want to start breaking things!!

I am so pissed, disappointed, sad.

I just want to curl up in a ball in the closet and cry.

How much more humiliating can this all get?

-Oh, great, ask a question like that and you’re bound to find out in a way you don’t want.