Thursday, June 30, 2005

Remember Johnnie Cougar?

When I went to Indiana University, a new singer had started his career...Johnnie Cougar...Johnnie Cougar Mellencamp...I bring this up because after the trauma symposium my wife and I are going to tomorrow, we're going to the Johnnie Mellencamp concert at the Tweeder Center in Chicago. Hopefully we sleep all night at the station and the opressive heat will be over also!!

I'll update in a few....

Monday, June 27, 2005

Working off duty too...

...So my niece pounds on our door at midnight saying a friend they were following crashed his motorcycle about 200 feet down the road. My wife and I went to him where he was sitting in the road complaining about a sore ankle. He had a small cut to his heel and that was it! He was really lucky...while driving about 70 MPH down a country road on a large Harley Davidson, this guy hits (and kills) a deer that ran out in front of him, loses control (duh) and crashes in the ditch about 200 feet away from the collision..and has a small cut to his foot...It never stops amazing me on how people do and don't get hurt in various accidents.

And now, in the sweltering heat, I'm getting paid to do the same thing!!! LOL

Saturday, June 25, 2005

A Murder in Crown Point

Well the papers (Post Tribune and The Times) confirm it...first murder since 1998 in this normally quiet town.

Other then that, a few more calls including a lady that just needed to be lifted off the floor at about midnight.

...and a police radio dispatch of "someone attempting to screw one of the bulldogs on the square". Here's the actual dogs.

Friday, June 24, 2005

An Extremely Warm Day

Working another 24 with heat index over 100..and have already had a DOA that is a "possible crime scene"...we'll see what happens.. Otherwise we try to stay cool and hope we only have fires in air conditioned places...LOL

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

An even dozen...

Ended up with 12 calls..including a 91 year old lady that fell 2 days earlier in her extremely small bathroom. It was very difficult to get this 190 lb lady up and out but we did it somehow. And she wasn't hurt from the fall...but had some pretty bad wounds from laying on her leg for 2 day as you could imagine.

And, business-wise, I go to help 1 of the people in our team get a new person started tonight...just showing them the site, seeing if they have any questions, etc. This is always a lot of fun for all of us as we get to know the people better and let them know they can call on us or the rest of our support team anytime they need anything...

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Not even Half over...

Eight...maybe ten calls so far!!??!! Power outage that led to an elevator rescue, loaning a generator to a bed-ridden person, carbon monoxide check, several medical calls, twisted ankle...can't wait for round 2 (the second half of the shift.. about 16 hours left)...)

Sunday, June 19, 2005

It's Morning...

I think I'll stop blogging at work..we seem to always have calls at night when I do (we emergency medical folk are a superstitious lot..eg "Don't say it's 'quiet'..we're sure to be busy then!!)! Anyway we've had 4 calls after midnight with our rig handling 2. The last was someone passed out on a corner after a night of drinking, as the patient said, "lots" of alcohol. But we did get to use a word out of the movie Hitch to this patient...."Ok, Pumpkin, get up and get on the cot". He moaned something, tried to get up, and then was lifted to the cot.

And today we have a cookout for Father's day..and I could use a few Coronas to unwind....and I will (drink Coronas and unwind). I'm not a big drinker but when I know I don't have to drive anywhere, I do occasionally take advantage of that....LOL.

Friday, June 17, 2005

An Extra Shift

They were short and the secretary, Deb (who will do anything for you), asked if I could work the last 14 hours yesterday...so I did. I don't mind doing that every once in a while but since the business, I don't have to or want to...work any extras anywhere. When the business got more successful, I stopped working my five extra jobs at various ambulance services. So I work extra when the department needs me to and that's about it.

The shift itself was pretty quiet...1 call in the early evening and that was it...a lady with cancer...I guess there is a reason for everything.... even suffering like this....................

Tommorrow is my regular shift and the 11th Annual Pancake breakfast...if you're close...come on down (go to Crown Point Fire Rescue site for more information) or email or call me...don't worry, I won't try to sell you anything....except a pancake or two................he,he,he...

Thursday, June 16, 2005

I Love Gadgets...

Here I am, posting from the kitchen of the fire station, wirelessly. I just got my laptop back from my step-daughter's trip to Sweden and this is my first day back at work with it. I know I'm kinda strange but I've always said for gifts, as long as it's battery operated, digital, or wireless, you can't go wrong!

We had 12 calls this shift but nothing overtaxing. A few accidents, a chest pain and a few trouble breathings...a pretty typical day and no one very serious.

And as far as the business, 1 of our team members, who works her butt off, just signed up 2 more people with a potential of 4 more. She loves the business and really wants to succeed. She, like myself, have no other alternative for retirement. I have a pension but it will pay me 60% of what I have a hard time living on now. And if I don't want to hand out carts at my local supercenter when I'm 60, my business is my only alternative, as it is for a lot of people. Do you have enough money when you retire to live as you do now?

...And why have I been ending my posts with questions recently????

Sunday, June 05, 2005

A few new business tips...

Well I got our support team to Iowa and we learned a few new strategies for the business that will make this grow even quicker...That is another part of the business I love..no matter how well things are going, our team is always looking for ways to improve....

A nice thunder storm just went through... I love weather and storms, etc..who knows why. And the best weather site around is Wunderground. I watch with 20 minute increments where and when the storm was going to hit! It's free unless you want to pay $5 a year to remove ads.

And no work updates since I'm on vacation..back to O'hare tomorrow to pick up my step-daughter who is getting back from studying abroad in Sweden... More later..

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

What time is it and why am I blogging...

It's sometime in the AM and I just finished my report on our lethargic lady....drugs???...OD???...Stroke???....I don't know but other then being lethargic, everything was good with her...if you call lethargic ok....

And... I took my wife, Crystal, to the airport so she could go to her ER conference in California. And while on the plane, someone was having chest pain so she went to help but could not open "the box" with first line drugs in it because she wasn't an MD. Eventually an MD showed, the box was opened, IV's were started, nitro was given, and the gentleman got better. And for her efforts, American Airlines upgraded her on her flight back to 1st class!! So it's true that your good efforts come back to you 100 fold...........