So, for everybody from the internet who finds this via google, please stay away from Maya hosting. This blog has been repeatedly hacked and the problem is their systems are compromised. The hacker has direct db access which is how he’s creating admin users in wordpress with his desired password. I’ve been repeatedly contacted from other unfortunate Maya users and I even went so far as to contact the Maya admins sometime in early May and they haven’t fixed anything. So… save yourself a bunch of time and hassle and don’t use this company. This blog will be moved in short order.

aka “Paradise for Dogs.”

Never been there, but according to Ivy’s description, it sounds like Linus will have a blast. We’re heading out there now, and then afterwards going have some “Paradise for Courtney and Earl” which is better known as burgers and beers.

In an effort to better get to know some of the multiple ambulance companies here in our fine city on the bay (and for that matter, have them get to know me!), I’ve been doing a few ride alongs this week. And I just got back from the best one yet!

Man, these guys were awesome. The whole shift was really great- we ran 911 ALS all day, and the team I was with was just incredibly professional, compassionate, thorough in their assessments and great under pressure. It’s amazing to watch some of these guys on the calls. To a newbie like me, everything that you have to do at once when you get on scene can be a bit overwhelming, but observing these seasoned pros orchestrate everything to just calmy flow despite the panic all around of bystanders, rubbernecking traffic, families, dogs, delegating fireman to do things- it’s reminiscent of bearing witness a seasoned symphony conductor.

We had six calls, including a bicyclist hit by a car, seizures, a cardiac, and abdominal pain. Such a learning experience- the entire day, the two guys I was with were letting me help out, quizzing me on what my assessment was, and also teaching and instructing me on things I could do to dive in. They even let me run lead on the last call of the day (which was a BLS transfer)- agh so nerve-wracking! I practically passed out when they told me I was going to run lead, but think did an okay job. One thing is for certain: I need more practice at taking blood pressures in the back of a moving rig! The medic would palpate the bp reading while I would auscultate, and we NEVER came up with the same figure. Agggh, frustrating. I’m sure this will come with time, but man it is freaking tough to hear in the back of a moving rig!! So I think I am going to buy a stethoscope and sphygmomanometer online, and then recruit Earl and a friend to help me out by wildly driving around San Francisco like a maniac, blasting music, while I repeatedly take their vitals.

I am kind of bummed that the company I was with today isn’t hiring. They’re a small family company, although the word is they’ll be hiring in six months. The medic I was with today told me I did a great job and that he would be happy to hand my resume over for me and give a recommendation when they are recruiting. So that’s good news.

In the meantime, back to the job beat. Sorry for the lack of posts as of late, I’m up to my ears in applications, coverletters, and tracking down old references and recommendations. Hopefully I will have some good news on that front soon! Also, I have a ton of pictures to catch you up on and am aiming to get them up shortly.

Woot!

Picked er up yesterday. Now all my paperwork & certifications are D-O-N-E (that is, until I start phlebotomy tech training, and the continuing ed credits I need to recertify, and paramedic school… oy).
But, I’m done for now Time to get a job and get out there in the field.
Hurrah!

ps- isn’t this card pretty flimsy looking? It’s not even cardstock, just a cutout. I know you’re having budget cuts, San Francisco, but shesh.

One thing I miss about NYC? The indie movie theater at Lincoln Center. And my lazy afternoons with my friend Lauralea when we would go catch a matinee and then go get blotto on cocktails at Vince and Eddys afterwards. Lauralea and I going to continue that tradition when we’re little old ladies. We’re already planning on it.

In honor of my nerdlove’s 30th birthday today, here are
30 Things I Love about Earl!

1. If I was going to sum up Earl’s personality in four adjectives, they would “integrity, kindness, intelligence and quiet strength.” What’s amazing is that so many people who meet him always mention the “integrity” and “quiet strength” descriptors as well. They truly do shine through.
2. He reads advanced calculus on the beach, for fun.
3. Occasionally, he sings, and when he does it always surprises and delights me.
4. Devout loyalty to his friends and loved ones.
5. Extremely disciplined about working out.
6. That slightly crazy, oh so frumply hair.
7. Lover of animals
8. He’s great with my family- everyone from my nieces to aunts and uncles adores him.
9. Intelligence, intelligence, intelligence.  Did you know Earl has a patent?  It’s for something he developed at his company last year called “The Algorithm.”
10. He tries all the wacky food when I drag him on culinary adventures, although his absolute favorite foods remain apples and vanilla ice cream!
11. Loves sitting in coffeeshops reading- this is one our of favorite ways to spend a lazy afternoon.
12. He’s the biggest supporter of all my dreams.  He comes and reads and snoozes in the car while I trail run, came out to visit me twice when I was at EMT school, and encouraged me to pursue my  career change.
13. He believes in me. For example, it was his idea that I pursue med school.
14. Extremely hardworking- he works 13 hour days without complaint and also lately has been working weekends.
15. I don’t know what the trait would be called, but he’s very persistent and always stands up for things that are wrong. Earl is one of the only people I know who will take time out of his day to actually write his senators and congresspeople.  He also is that person who fights for the $2.48 rebate.
16. He always volunteers to brush Linus’ teeth and cut Linus’ nails!
17. That scent on the back of his neck.  I love to stick my nose in there, give him kisses and take a big inhale.
18. The size of his hands. Earl has enormous hands and they are great to hold.
19. His embrace.  He’s so tall that he completely envelopes me.
20. Little things he does to surprise me.  For example, when I was away at EMT school and my phone charger died, he ordered and sent me a new one without ever telling me.
21. The way he gets roped into helping EVERYONE move.  It’s SO funny.  I think it’s because he’s so big and tall, and also nice.  He says yes to everyone who asks!  Normally I then get roped into helping, too.
22. His best friends.   They say if you can tell a man by the company he keeps; Earl’s friends are smart, interesting, loyal and fun.
23. Nerd hot.  He’s got it.
24. How when i first met him, I took my laptop (with his pictures on it) into my neighbor’s apartment and showed them the photos “Check out this guy! Look how hot he is.   He’s 6′3 and gorgeous.   Do you really think a MATHEMATICIAN could really be this good looking?  I can’t believe it!”  My former neighbors tease me about this to this day.
25. The sheer quantity of food he eats never ceases to amaze me.   I’ve never seen a human being consume that much food.
26. He makes my body sing, and I still feel my heart race when we kiss.
27. Earl supported me through an enormous change in my life and unfailingly stayed at my side during many dark hours of self doubt.
28. No matter how pointless and mundane, he always manages to feign interest every morning (or sometimes halfway through the night) when I ramble on filling him in on the senseless dreams I’m having.
29. He’s fun to cook with, and he makes the perfect taste tester.
30. I love taking Linus for walks together- the crook of his arm is perfect to hold as we amble along arm in arm.

Here I am, minding my own business, watching Law and Order: Criminal Intent online (chung chung!), flopped out on the floor all tired-like because I just finished my pushup workout for the day. Have I told you about the pushup workouts I’ve been doing? My friend Rune and I started them last week, we’re both doing the program from 100pushups.com, today was the first day of week 2.

Anyways, I was happily sprawled doing out my best vegetable impression when allasudden -ZIP!- kitten on my tummy. Next thing I know, – SCHOOMP- corgi tucked right into my side.

T’was super cute. Luckily my phone was within stretching distance, although it was incredibly hard to get a good shot!  Rather difficult to extend one’s arm for  photo while being mindful to not disturb perched feline and snuggled up dog. Channeling Go-Go Gadget arm, I managed to snag these:

Q: For raspberry pancakes to happen, must there be a reason?
A: Nope!

Well, if you insist on a reason, I returned from my run on this lovely San Francisco Saturday morning and found Earl still in bed being sleepy and cute.  And, shouldn’t everyone that sleepy and cute be woken up with raspberry hazelnut pancakes? I concur.

Following yesterday’s grossness, we’ll lighten it up a bit on a lovely Friday afternoon:

Well, we’re officially getting a garbage can with a heavy lid on it for the bathroom.

Freaking dogs, man.

Hanging around tonight, I notice Linus isn’t in his usual spot by my side in our living room.  I go look for him (he was in his bed) and then- hey, what’s this?- notice that there’s bloody toilet paper strewn all over the bathroom.  Oooh boy.

Yep.  Linus, as far I could deduct, had gotten into the bathroom garbage can and eaten one (or several) of my used tampons.  EWWW!!!

So once I get passed the “agggh that is so disgusting!!!!” phase I’m thinking, gee- that’s probably really, REALLY bad for the poor little guy.  Especially because he’s on the smaller side for a dog.  He probably can’t pass those.  Especially since the design of tampons is to, you know… fill up with fluid and EXPAND.   And, block stuff.  So I’m figuring he probably needs to puke them up.  I feed him dinner on a hunch that it would help for him to have some other stuff in his tummy and then get in the phone with the Emergency Vet Hospital near our apartment.  The woman who answered the phone was super calming and helpful.  Apparently this is more common than one would realize!  So she tells me that I can bring him in, and they will induce vomiting for $300 or I can try and induce vomiting myself and she will talk me through it.  So I opt to have her talk me through it, figuring if that fails I can just bring him in afterwards.

The emergency vet has me feed Linus three teaspoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide.  I am a hydrogen peroxide aficionado (seriously love the stuff, I love putting it on cuts and also using it to clean out earwax buildup, it is so neat when you hear it bubble), so of course we have lots on hand.  I take Linus into the bathroom and down the hatch it goes.  He’s such a nut- freaking dog LIKED eating the hydrogen peroxide!  After each teaspoon he would actually try and LICK the spoon.  So in goes the hydrogen peroxide and then the vet has me wait 10 minutes and see what happens, with instructions to call them back after the 10 minutes.  These were an anxious few minutes, let me tell you!  Especially since Earl was at the gym and I had no way of getting ahold of him.  So I put buddy in his kennel, pulling out his soft comfy bed and just had him sitting in there.  Meanwhile I am watching him like a hawk and googling everything that can be found on the internet about inducing vomiting in dogs, dogs eating tampons, etc.  There is a surprising amount of stuff on the internet about dogs eating tampons- I guess it really is common!

Anyways about four angst-filled minutes in, and up comes some white sputum and one tampon!  Phew.  I have never been so relieved for my dog to puke up something disgusting before.  But now I was in a bit of a conundrum, because I wanted to clean it up, but I didn’t want to leave the bedroom to go GET the cleaning stuff, because who knows if our Dumb Little Shit would EAT the vomited tampon again!  I wouldn’t put that past him.  Also I was pretty sure he would puke some more, so I didn’t want to let him out of the kennel.  I decide to risk it and commanded him the sternest “SIT!!!! STAY!!!!” I could muster and ran to the kitchen to get a roll of paper towels, nature’s miracle and plastic bags.

Pukey tampon was fortunately left untouched, so I cleaned it up.  Right after I cleaned it up, out comes the rest of his dinner and also TWO more tampons.  AGGGH!  Linus is so gross.  And I feel like an awful dog owner for letting him get into that garbage in the bathroom. 

Anyways, I am just so happy he got everything out.  Also that I didn’t have to give him a lot of hydrogen peroxide to make him puke!  According to the vet I could have gone three cycles of hydrogen peroxide (9 teaspoons!).  Seems like a LOT.

My theory is buddy has a bit of a steel stomach from when he was living life on the lam back in West Virginia- who knows what the heck he was eating- and puking- in his attempt to survive.  He’s puked up food with us before- once when I was preparing a dinner party he ate an entire wax-coated block of ($15!! I was pissed) gourmet blue cheese, plastic wrap and all.  That came up and was an astounding scent sensation when it did.

I touched base with the vet again to let them know what happened, and now am instructed to give him food and water and keep an eye on him for the next two days.  You better believe I will be keeping an eye on him.  Guess who is learning the bathroom is OFF LIMITS from now on.  *sigh*  We brush his teeth in the bathroom every other day, and he also gets baths in there.  Not sure how that’s going to work out.  Ugh, dogs.

Poor buddy.  Glad he seems like he’s going to be okay.

And, um, poor me for having to clean up three pukey tampons.  Although I didn’t really mind.  I am just glad he’s doing okay.  To make myself feel better about what I had to deal with tonight, and also since Earl missed this stupendous adventure in dog ownership (!), I will share an enchanting photograph from tonight’s marvelous activities below: