The Paramedic

Dave has been busy. Thus, I take it upon myself to update you on our doings.
After returning last month from a two week long camping trip (details to come), Dave started a rigorous schedule at a local hospital as part of the paramedic course he is invloved in. His shift is 7pm -7am, week nights. He comes home and tells me the latest adventure every morning (or rather every afternoon upon waking). These include but are not limited to:

· Drunken men getting tazed repeatedly while still being violent with their care giver. Until the police officer threatened to taz the family jewels.
· Parents discovered having “alone time” in the hospital bed next to their sick 12 year old daughter. Followed with indignation and nasty threats at being thrown out of the hospital.
· A man insisting he was well then collapsed in front of Dave in the parking lot as said man was on the way to his car.
· Insane nurses giving sedated patients a “make over” and chopping off an eye brow in the process.
· Insane nurses singing choreographed songs about poop.

Whenever additional help is needed in a “situation” there is a page on the PA system for "DR. Strong report to room ###." At such times every available staff member in the hospital comes to provide support, muscle, intimidation by numbers, additional security and the like. Such was the case with the belligerent parents stated in bullet #2.

Somewhere in all of this Dave has been getting signed off on necessary tasks and duties to achieve his Intermediate Paramedic license. Putting in many hours at the ICU, Labor and Delivery, and the ER. Good job, Honey!

Next comes ambulance ride alongs. Those should provide additional adventures as well. We’ll keep you posted.

College Man.

For the first time since 2000 I am a full-time student!

(Not including two very breif and unsuccessful attempts in '03)

Part of my re-enlistment was an agreement to take a semester off to do school full-time. I still have to go in to work first thing in the morning to do PT and the morning meeting. But after that I am released to prusue my education. What a deal eh? Ok Army, You don't suck so bad anymore. Just remember what I said about the singing and the Santa Clause speaches.

So getting enrolled was a great pain. Registration started on Jan 12th. Tuition was due the 14th, and classes started the 15th. Not much time to work with I thought. My boss, who had to sign off on everything, didnt get back into the country until the 16th. So we were really cutting it close. But so far everything has worked out. I got into the classes I wanted, and I have all day tuesday and thursday off. That's really nice because the school is in Nashville and it's an hour drive to campus. And I have time to go into work now and then to fly and stay current on my work-stuff.

I'm in the Animal Science: Pre-Veterinary program and my classes are American History 2, Algebra 1, Anatomy and Physiology of Domesticated Animals, Plant Science and Poultry Science. Yep, I said poultry. It's required, that's all I'll say for now about that one.

I haven't mentioned yet, I'm going to Tennessee State University. A fun fact about the school- TSU is traditionally an all-black school. It's still a mostly all-black school. Actually it's more like a mostly all-black girls school. All my classes are between 75%-90% female. I guess all the guys are home playing Madden and Grand Theft Auto 4.

Go Tigers! Also, the video Valli made of the bike works now, If you want to check that out.