I wish for all of you what I wish for myself: a Happy,Prosperous & Rewarding New Year to You & Yours!
'nuff said!

Hey!

I guess I knew that no one would want to read my blog and I was (mostly) right! But, I continue because I am gearing up for some new & exciting projects in the new year, one of which will involve this blog. I talk about my life here but leave many of the details out, to protect my and others privacy. That won't change (unless a Really juicy story comes out of it!) I deal with an Urban population at work & a suburban at home. The disparity is amazing as are the similarities. Players are Players, it doesn't matter if they are running the drug operation on the street or an educated professional, advising clients on how to avoid oversight, regulation or even paying (deserved) alimony & Child Support. The Attitude is the same, even if all the other details are different.

There are many New York(s), Theres the bright, sunny financial capital of the world the cultural Mecca, the tourist destination. There are others. There's the New York I work in, dirty, dangerous with Players, Hookers, Addicts & Dealers mingling with those who Don't make their living in the Aboveboard Economy and "regular" folks, trying to eake a living out of businesses and government that doesn't care and are caught up in the system. A Town without pity .

There's also the area I live in: suburban, mostly well off, very little crime but it too has it's secrets. Because of my work schedule (way too many hours) I don't get to spend as much time here as I'd like. I like living here. I have deer that regularly graze in my backyard, Wild Turkeys and a lot of Peace & Quiet! I am Very Lucky! I hope to put more of what I experience out there because I find it Interesting & I think so will you. Tell me what you think (if you want)

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I am going to wake up filled with Energy & ready to face the day.
" " " " I am going to have Tea & Granola for breakfast.
" " " " I am going to clean out the car, trunk & all and organize my stuff.
" " " " I am going to meet my mom for lunch, I will give her her Christmas gifts, compliment
her on her card & try not to lose my mind for the few hours we will spend together.
" " " " I will return the overdue library books, order more shift calendars for my fellow
employees, straighten out my closet & pay the bills.
" " " " I will sign up for volunteer ambulance shifts next month,call my teacher & arrange to
meet him in the next week, work out the amount of money I'll need for my next
project, pack up the Christmas stuff for next year.
" " " " I will find out about going to the motorcycle show this weekend to check out what's
new and drool at all the things I'd like.
" " " " I'm going to have a little "me" time.
" " " " I'm going to call my friends & maybe get together later, making sure I have their
gifts wrapped.
Sometimes I wish I had just stayed in bed reading.

Uh, What day is it again?

I got home @7:15 this morning, after dropping off Bagels & Cream Cheese to the local ER- we all get stuck & it's my tradition- & went to bed- my significant other came over & woke me 3 hours later-"let's open our presents together!" I believe I said something rude because she left and I awoke alone. I really need my sleep! I'm going to take a quick shower/shave and head back to work for another 16 hours of fun & frolic- Merry Christmas to those of you who get to celebrate it and Good Luck to all the folks like me who don't. ( Paramedics, Cops Firemen Doctors, Nurses etc...)

Line of the Day:

"I'm just fine. I'm more embarrassed then anything." the 85year old nun sitting on the floor said as we walked in the door of the convent.

" Sister, if I had a nickel for every time I heard That story. Party Animal!"-me

Quadruple Duty!

Today's To Do List:

Wake up at the ungodly hour of 5:45 (in the Rain) to get ready for:
A- Check the Bus out &
B- Sign out a radio so I can

Return to my house and get same ready for holiday party later today while being available for volunteer ambulance duty from 7-noon; return radio and head to work from 2-10p while I make sure that distribution of next years' shift calandars is proceeding apace.

need a nap.

The Price of Fame. . .

A fellow Blogger, Paperlilies is being noticed by the local media in her city (London) She is very excited about it as would most of us would probably be. I worry for her 'tho as I don't believe she is ready for all the Attention (wanted or no) that will come her way. Very few of us are. As a Civil Servant in my city (NY) I have seen what unwarranted attention can do to people- people I have known. I would spare her that pain but unfortunately, I can't. Perhaps everything Will go well, who is to say? But in my limited experience; that isn't the Norm. I wish her well & hope for the Best...

AAHH! Another Perfect Day!

I worked a double shift last night & went to bed this morning.I woke around 12:30pm, got dressed, went out to my car & discovered my rear tire was flat! FTW! I just bought it 2 months ago! I got my tiny compressor going, re-inflated and brought it to the tire store. It wasn't the tire. My rim has cracked! they patched it but told me to get another one Soon! I was late 2 hours but informed my boss so-no problems-. Tomorrow ( read later today) I'll have to make a Pilgrimage to Hunts Point Auto Parts in search of another matching alloy rim. I can't really complain, after all, these rims have lasted 150,000+ miles. Thank God it didn't just fail while driving!

Sometimes...

Sometimes it's Fun to be a paramedic. It allows you to go & do things you'd never be doing otherwise. Yesterday, I busted out the window of a car to get to the person, unconscious inside, I genuinely helped sereral older people retain their dignity,showed another few how the Game is played and other than coughing up a storm and not eating anything good, I enjoyed yesterday. I fell right asleep when my head hit the pillow.

I hope to always tell the truth-no matter how much it hurts...

In my job as well as my life, I am forced by both ethics & decency to tell the truth. You may be hoping against hope that our doing CPR and giving drugs to your loved one will do the trick and return them to the land of the living. It doesn't always work that way. There are many problems that cannot be fixed at all- even if it were to occur in a hospital with doctors standing right there. If possible, I try to prepare the family for that outcome. I wouldn't want it any other way myself. To my way of thinking, it is the Respect that all people are entitled to.

Which brings me to my next point. Would you tell someone the Hard truth if you had to? Even if Everyone else thought ill of you for it? It's not easy to be the bad guy. Many folks I know will dance around the question or change the subject; or even tell someone what they (think) they want to hear. I keep thinking of the lyric:"you've got to be Cruel to be Kind, in the right measure" I Never want to be Cruel-only Honest.

More about the EDP-Emotionally Disturbed Person

The EMS system I work in is soon to change the Protocol, allowing for the use of Chemical Restraints by Paramedics in EDP's I'm of two minds about this. On the Whole, I don't have a problem giving someone something to calm them down- It has been used regularly by the Medical & Psychiatric community. My particular issue(s) revolve around how the inevitable death of such a patient will be handled. Notice I said inevitable.

Since there are Many reasons why someone might act out, correct & effective dosing is largely a Crapshoot. People can have a psychotic break, believe their life is in Danger, be Overdosed on more than one drug or other substance, be suicidal/homicidal etc... That's not counting the many Medical reasons such as Low Blood Sugar (diabetes), tumors (remember the Texas tower?) trauma and Hypoxia-all of which can cause aberrant behavior. I have been tossed around the back of an Ambulance by a guy who was 5' tall and about 110 pounds. (I'm not a small guy) I know and have been present when someone was given something to calm them down and went into Cardiac Arrest almost immediately. (They didn't make it)

If the standard Q &A format is used and the Medic(s) in Question have consulted a Control Physician prior to dosing, then there won't be a problem. But I also know how such an incident will play out in the Media if such an incident happened. One has only to look at the coverage of Police EDP incidents to see that Politics will get in the way & I for one don't want to see myself or anyone else get Fried by the System for doing the Right Thing. There will be a Real Effort to hold someone accountable.

I Regret Nothing.

Enjoy Life as much as you can for as long as you can. For No One is Guarantied Tomorrow, We all grow up thinking we have all the time in the World. But this is Not the truth. It is Madness to do the same thing over & over again and expect different results. Pay the Future it's just Due but Live Now!

Who would Jesus Shoot?

Imagine: You get up on a Sunday morning, get nicely dressed and go to your favorite Huge church to hear the words of the Prince of Peace spoken by a minister who moves you. There is some sort of commotion, you hear a great BOOM! and the next thing you know you're lying on the floor with a bullet in your chest, fired by the Rent-a-Cop who watches the donation box, who shot at someone else & hit you. Is this the Message Jesus spent his life preaching about? I think this also applies to Muslims who are caught in between Radical Islamists and the message of Peace and Salvation that the Prophet preached. Whose side is God on anyway?

Anyone who Believes that they are doing God's work by Killing, Torturing and Maiming others clearly doesn't have a clue about what God wants, as expressed by nearly every Prophet & religion. These are Sick, Damaged & Warped individuals who cannot live with others. That we collectively cannot seem to have the Will to demand the Capture and Imprisonment of these "people" says Volumes about just how far we all are from Grace. I Pray for the Enlightenment of the Soul for Everyone.P.S. read Paperlilies misslilies.blogspot.com

Excuse me whilst I die from exhaustion.



Yes, It's Official: I'm an Idiot. I just managed to work both of my days off & while the 25 hours OT will come in Handy, I still have the Dreaded cough from 2 weeks ago! I'm on Anti-biotics and am hoping this, too shall pass. I have been running myself ragged to max out my salery for some unknown reason. I hope you are not doing the same thing; it's No Good!



I did manage to have a bit of fun at my partners' expense. A patient was hitting on her, telling her she looked real good & how does she do it. She was polite but I said in a low voice: "it's the Blood." "What?" "It's the Blood of the Young Virgin boys she mixes with her Bustello in the morning- I think she will live Forever." "You can't mean that!" " Sir, I'm her partner, I know all about the little bottle of Blood she carries with her & mixes in her coffee- I've got no problem with it 'cause I'm not a Virgin." She stood there with her mouth open, agast. Who says you can't have Fun at work? I'm going to Bed now. Later.

Why Mental Illness Treatment and Monitoring Matters...

I'm hearing about the shooting incident in Oklahoma involving a mentally unbalanced young man who had been thrown out of his home, fired from his job (Mc Donalds!) had his girlfriend break up with him who then stole his step fathers' AK47 & went on a killing spree in a mall, killing 8 & wounding 5 before turning the gun on himself. He left a note claiming to be sorry but ended it by saying "Now I will be Famous."

The Outer picture is of someone who Snapped (a la Michael Douglas in Falling Down) The Truth is Both Darker and more troubling. The Obvious signs that he was De Compensating were missed by everyone around him; folks who should have been Alert to the fact that he was Unable or Unwilling to help himself in even the most Basic ways. This was or should have been easily recognizable, given his history of Treatment for Suicidal ideation. Where were the folks who should have been looking out for this?

The whole area of treatment of the Mentally Ill is rife with stories of "be on the lookout for..." There has to be a better way to monitor those at risk, in order to Protect the Public And the Patient as well as not violate their Rights to Privacy. Be sure to look at the Investigation that will surely follow this Tragedy. It will be Enlightening (I Know I used Capital letters a Lot in this for Emphasis-men tend to do this more than women but I think it's Appropriate given the subject matter)

Another Moment

This morning I woke up to it snowing outside my window! Not much is coming down, kinda dreamily falling so it's way cool. I went into the bathroom to perform my morning abultions and when I walked into my kitchen/dining room I saw a starling perched on top of one of the chairs. I have No idea how it got in! All the doors & windows are closed and the only way in is through the kicthen vent, which I would not have thought a bird would go. He? & I stared at each other for a few seconds, neither of us moving then he flew around the room into the study. I opened a window and moved away. He flew back in and after several flights around the room, found the open window and flew out! WOW!

I wonder, maybe something is being said to me. I wonder if I should get a bird for a pet? I don't know anything about them. Still Coughing