I am so glad it’s the weekend…considering I worked both days of last weekend due to a project at work, I’ve been looking forward to just having this weekend.   Today was a really nice low key day as I took a coworker and his wife to Doukenie to help celebrate her birthday.  They’d never really been wine tasting, but they enjoyed it enough to become club members.  I joked with someone there that with as many people as I’ve been recruiting for their club lately, I should get something   We left Doukenie and stopped by the outlet mall in Leesburg.  Man, that’s just dangerous for me.  The Coach store has moved and is much BIGGER!  Once done shopping, we headed over to Clyde’s in Ashburn for dinner.  It turned out to be a very nice low key day.

I can officially practice my medic stuff in VA now.  And I’m looking forward to starting my internship with the County. It’s going to be a hell of a lot of time and effort, but will be very relieved when it’s done.

Right now, I’m watching the very first episode of SNL that was ever aired, and it’s kind of like watching ghosts.  It’s being aired obviously in remembrance of George Carlin…but just to watch so many people (John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Andy Kaufman, Jim Henson) that you know died long before they should have is kind of eery.

Tomorrow, I really would like to do _nothing_, but with the upcoming move, I really should work on packing.

Also, I’m kind of irritated with the fear mongering and panic on the TV news about "OH NOES THERE WILL BE BLOOD IN DC NOW THAT GUNS ARE ALLOWED!"  I actually don’t think the crime rate will notably change either way.

I am so incredibly exhausted but pretty much every moment of the last 2 days has been worth the exhaustion.

Saturday: I went to Doukenie with a couple of friends who were threatening to give up on VA wine after trying another place and they just were not impressed at all.  I took them as my guests on Saturday.  They liked it so much that one of them signed up for the club.  We hung out on the "club members" patio for probably about 3 hrs, partaking in the pig roast (soooo good!) and killing a couple of bottles.  We started to leave about 3, and just as we were leaving…other friends of mine pulled up.  Since the first set were just leaving and heading home, I kind of "ditched" them and stayed and hung out with the second set…and joining them for food later.  It really turned out to be such a wonderful day, even better than I imagined.  While I missed seeing other friends who were out at Breaux, this was still a very enjoyable day.

Sunday: ENGINE time.  I haven’t ridden a fire engine in probably 2 years, mostly because I thought it a waste of my time while pursuing my medic.  But now, I am trying to get engine time and start looking at how to be the EMS provider for an engine company.  It started out with 1 call, then get food, then do some housework, another call, then some training videos/discussion, then finish the housework…then hose testing in the parking lot (basically, this means testing/inspecting all the hose lengths for any leaks, ruptures or other issues), then reracking the hose.  Shortly after this, we got our last 2 calls back to back which were on I95….in opposite directions.   We finally got back to the station just in time for me to change and go into the bingo hall to work bingo.  I didn’t even have time to help them take the engine out of service, and put everything away, etc.  Today completely and totally kicked my ass though.  I was cursing that I didn’t take any workout clothing…I didn’t need to, I got a hell of an upper body and even lower body workout through the hose testing.

I’m going to go collapse in bed now…SLEEP!  (Oh, and tomorrow, I’m doing this type of thing again, but with the ambulance)

This week is going and beyond to be just insane.

Monday: Work then putting ambulance in service with my chief and one other person overnight.

Tuesday:  Work then headed out to dinner with some friends, then have to go to the firehouse to pick up the excursion for the next day.

Wednesday: ACLS (being held at Prince William Hospital in Manassas) then county fire association cookout and meeting.

Thursday: ACLS (same place), teleconference meeting with county’s Chief Training Officer, and take excursion back to the firehouse.

Friday: Work, then nothing right now…I almost hope it stays this way.

Saturday: Cajun Festival at Breaux Vineyards

Sunday: putting engine in service with my chief, then have to work bingo.

Monday: fire department membership meeting, and then potentially putting ambo in service after….

I can’t even think beyond then what’s going on.

Okay, so, as many know, I’ve been trying to pursue my EMT-Intermediate certification (think mini-medic).  Well, mostly due to work and the number of hours I’ve been putting in there, I haven’t been able to take the practical exam nor really spend any time practicing.  My dilemma was financial, time, as well as the fact that the NR-EMT will be getting rid of this particular certification.   Once they get rid of this certification, I will be forced to take a bridge class to EMT-P (Paramedic).   This course is a lot of money and even more time.  So…a huge part of me thought why bother?  (This wasn’t even taking into consideration the whole process of getting cleared as an ALS provider within the county)

Well, a good friend (Adam, one of the best medics I know) kind of talked some sense into me regarding this.  He pointed out that in Virginia, it will still be recognized by the state for much longer than NR-EMT recognizes it (which is ultimately what matters).  Also, he made the very valid point that our system will pay for the intermediates to go through the bridge to paramedic class.  This class will be MUCH easier to deal with, than to go for paramedic from the very beginning.

Also, the work/time issue has become MUCH less of an issue now as …my boss is now watching the clock for what time I come in, so I am now watching the clock in the afternoon as to what time I leave.  I have an alarm set on my treo that says "GTFO! Now!" set at 5pm.  While I dislike how this has come about, I think I’m liking other things this change has brought about.  (This change came about in a very demeaning/condescending and rather disrespectful email from my boss on Thursday).

This means I need to get my ass in gear though and practice practice practice.   I have 2 months left to test.  I’ve already emailed a few sites that test Memorial Day weekend to see if they still have space…so.  I would really like to get into a May test date as there are 11 skill stations and passing all 11 the first time is…not common.  As long as I don’t have more than 5 to retest, they may offer to let me retest that particular night, or I can register for JUST those stations at another test site.

Much of this means I also need to be a LOT less social for the next 2 months and use that time to ride and/or study.

I just found out that an ex-boyfriend of mine is moving back to the area.  We just talked for a while after not having spoken for several months.

I’m not sure yet exactly what to make of this. He’s a very close friend, so in many ways, I’m ecstatic about this.  We had a very long conversation regarding the things that had made us not speak for a while.  It was good.  Our friendship has always been strong and has gone through a lot in the 7 or 8 years that we’ve known each other.

Well, today is my birthday.

I had contemplated going to see family for the weekend, but have since nixed that idea, and I’ll be staying in town.
No, I have no freaking idea what I’m doing yet in "celebration" as I’m not always big on birthdays since I’m getting old

So anyway.  What to do tonight.

I did get one of the coolest gifts ever from my friend Nick last night when I went for Tuesday night wings at Shooter McGees in Alexandria.  It’s this tote that will hold 6 bottles of wine plus other stuff from Sur La Table (high end cooking store)