A Medic and her Dogs

New blog address...

2008-12-03T12:41:00.001-05:00

Okay, I have started a new blog...Life in Tall Tree Subdivision. Check it out if you are interested.

Contemplating...

2008-12-03T12:19:00.002-05:00

Well, I have been thinking about restarting this blog...much has changed since I last posted on here...I got married, got a new dog, moved, and other things I am sure I will think of later. ;-) I am thinking of also using this as a forum to share some recipes I use...some good ole standbys and some new ones that I try. I know I always enjoy trying new recipes and have found some good ones on other's blogs...so I was thinking of posting some on here...we will see...

Right now I guess I need to go bundle up and hang the garland outside. :-p Brr...it is cold for SC!

Time comes and goes...

2007-07-11T12:44:00.000-04:00

So, I was able to post a few things from the beginning of my vacation...but once I got to MI, I did not really have computer access. :-) The rest of my visit went fine. I got to spend time with my parents and John's family at my aunt's cottage on Lake Wixom. (I had also taken Laura's 2 oldest girls with me.) Then we drove down to Brooklyn, MI for a Swaffer family reunion. It was nice to see many people I had not seen in about 5 years. Wow, I hadn't realized it had been so long.

Since returning home, I have pretty much been doing the normal...working, eating, sleeping. :-) Sparky had his yearly vet check up. He is pretty healthy physically I guess...but we are still working on some behavioral issues. Bless his heart! I love him dearly, but he really needs to work on a few things. I hope and pray he will get "better". He goes to the vet next week for a grooming...because they will have to sedate him to groom him. (Naughty little boy!)

I had an adventure "building" a bed this week. I bought a "loft bed", in an effort to create more space in my room. Well, Kendra helped me get it home from the store...and then I set to work "building" it. Yikes...there were ABSOLUTELY NO directions in the box! So, it was just me, the parts, a picture on the box and my brains. :-D All in all...I guess I did a pretty good job. The only thing I couldn't figure out was what washers went where...so they are still in the box. ;-) So far, the bed has not collapsed, so I take that as a good sign. :-)

June 27, 2007 Day 2 of my vacation

2007-06-27T23:35:00.000-04:00

Ahh…life as a kid is so fun! We have read about Julius the Gorilla, Harry the Horse, and all the things we saw "On Mulberry Street". We played matching cards and Chutes and Ladders. We painted with water and chased lightening bugs. We made homemade ice cream and ate it too. Aunt Lana gave lots of rides…horsey rides, piggyback rides and even airplane rides, wow! We have painted our toe nails and burped the baby. Cleaned up childhood "disasters" and all drove down to the Drive-Thru. Yeah, life as a kid is great…maybe when I "grow-up" that is what I will be. :-D

More photos on my Facebook page.

June 26, 2007

2007-06-26T22:49:00.000-04:00

Greetings from Ohio. I arrived at Laura’s early in the morning. We hadn’t told the kiddos, so they had a "surprise" waiting for them when they woke up this morning. :-) We spent the day in Newark, eating at Sonic, doing some shopping (what else do sister’s do when they get together?) :-D, playing miniature golf and stopping at Marble Slab. Allie lost one of her front teeth at Sonic, seems she has a knack for losing her teeth at restaurants. Carrie seems to have quite a knack for golf…being the first to score a hole-in-one. :-) I have posted some photos on my Facebook page. :-)

Link to Mylie's site

2007-06-17T15:02:00.000-04:00

Here is a link for a webpage we have done to keep everyone updated on Mylie's Progress. Thanks for all your prayers. She seems to be doing well overall.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/myliecheriewest

Please pray for my niece Mylie

2007-06-09T17:15:00.000-04:00

I would like to ask you all to remember my niece Mylie West, as well as my sister Laura and family in prayer in the coming weeks. Mylie is having open heart surgery on Tuesday, June 12, at Columbus Children’s Hospital to repair 2 holes in her heart. (For those who don’t know, she was born with Down’s syndrome. The doctors wanted to wait until she was at least 6 months old, but weren’t sure she would be able to go that long without having to have the surgery…we are grateful that she was able to wait until 6 months.)

A few specific ways you can pray include:

Mylie’s current health – the healthier she is, the better…and she is currently struggling with a respiratory infection that she can’t seem to shake…
Wisdom for her doctors
Safety and efficiency during the surgery
Rapid healing and no complications after the surgery
Peace and strength for Todd & Laura, as well as the rest of the family
Traveling safety, the hospital is 45 – 1 hour from where any of the family live
Todd’s job situation
God’s grace for the other kids, Carrie, Allie & Drew…as their lives will be “disrupted” too

Thanks so much, and I will try to keep you updated.

Check out my Slide Show!

2007-06-03T13:59:00.001-04:00

Not a whole lot to say...I guess. ;-)

2007-06-03T12:47:00.000-04:00

Well, I have not had a chance to blog in a while. I have been pretty busy lately, but it is mostly good...I think. ;-)

Let's see...some friends and I have made several trips for fun. We visited the Georgia Aquarium in ATL...spent a day at Six Flags near ATL...attended a Hot Air Balloon Festival in the county...and who knows what else. ;-)

I got a housemate around the middle of May. Kathy and I knew each other from college (worked together on DPS) and she graduated and needed a place to stay. Unfortunately we rarely see each other, because of our differing work scehdules.

Seems like there is more that has gone on, but I guess it is just the day to day stuff. ;-) Laundry, dishes, housework, blah, blah...

The dogs are fine, crazy as ever. ;-) "Bless their hearts"! ;-)

:-D

2007-05-03T02:45:00.001-04:00

Hi. Things have been pretty much the same for me around here. The weather has gotten a lot warmer...having to run the AC. I think the dogs were thinking of mutiney the other day...it was 85 degrees inside and I was trying to hold off on turning on the AC. We had the fan on, so there was a breeze...but I did break down and turn on the AC. ;-)

Really not a lot new to report around here. Seems like I stay busy doing things, but not quite sure it is anything "newsy". :-)

Few thots...

2007-04-19T02:35:00.001-04:00

Well, just wanted to update a bit...not that I have much to update... :-)

Let's see...we have been having see-saw weather down here...but it is warming up again, for which I am glad. A lot of the azalias were frozen a few days ago. Some stuff is making a recovery. I heard rumors that the peach crop suffered, but I don't know for sure.

The dogs are fine. We went for a hike the other day...it was fun. I forgot that Sparky likes the water, so when I let them go to the creek for a drink...he jumped in...then he proceeded to decorate his back end with debris from along the trail, which stuck to his now soaking wet fur. Poor guy, kept trying to figure out what was following him! :-D Ha, ha! The next day he got a haircut...already scheduled and definitely needed. Shadow went for her yearly check up and seems to be still healthy. The doctor is always amazed at how much non-stop energy she is!

This weekend I am going to GA with Kendra. Kendra is participating in an adventure race called MedWAR. I am going to volunteer and also get a peek at what is involved so that maybe I can join a team next time. Lynetta was planning to come visit me this weekend, so she is going with us. It ought to be a lot of fun.

Work is going fine. Nothing really exciting to report. :-p

Well, my tummy is hungry, I have already eaten, and I really should get a nap. I have a lot to do tomorrow to get ready for the weekend!

A late update :-)

2007-04-06T01:09:00.001-04:00

Well, I thought I would take a few moments and update. :-P It has been a while...

Dogs are doing fine...they are pretty good friends now. Shadow had to go to the vet the other day and poor Sparky whined and acted very bewildered when she went back without him. :-D

Work is fine, trying to balance the need for OT with the need for time off. Mostly routine stuff lately. No new babies delivered or anything like that. :-)

My friend Nick is recovering from necrotizing fasciitis. I can only imagine how hard and frustrating it would be to be bed ridden for weeks! Wow! The docs seem pleased with his progress...though it is not fast enough in his eyes (understandably).

We have had incredibly spring/summer weather here the past few weeks. Last night the temps dipped down to the 40s. Boy are we spoiled... ;-p

I do wonder why redbuds are purple?

The weeds are growing rather well and unsolicited in my little "garden" area.

I actually have a holiday off from work. I am looking forward to going to church Easter Sunday...my friends and I haven't decided if we are going out to eat at Sticky Fingers or if we are going to grill out at Stewart's house?

Speaking of friend's and their houses...we watched Facing the Giants at Nate's house the other night. A pretty good movie...

Went to Carson's Steak House on Tuesday night...it was pretty good...it was sorta' last minute, so not many people were able to make it...but some did come. We ate without the others anyway. :-D

Working a 36 hr shift at one of (VERY) outlying QRVs!

Made some Lemon Poppyseed muffins from a mix yesterday...the mix came with a glaze to put on top...I don't think I like the glaze...it just becomes a very sticky, slimy mess everywhere! But I didn't know that and put it on all the muffins...that is what I get for following directions. :-P

:-D

My birthday

2007-03-04T23:54:00.001-05:00

Laura and family, Brian and family, and Lynetta managed to pull off a surprise 30+one birthday for me. I was not expecting it at all. It was fun. Thanks to them for everything! :-) Here are some photos. (Sorry it is rather delayed...but I had some problems getting the photos uploaded.)

It is me again...totally random compilation of thoughts

2007-02-21T21:39:00.000-05:00

Well, I thought I would try to update a little. I have been having trouble with coordinating my internet access. In order to get something actually posted, I do not promise any organization to my thoughts. :-D

I am currently at work. I have been working at different stations throughout the county the last while. I have a different "probie" partner than at Christmas time (which is probably the last time many of you all heard from me.) We have had the usual mix of actual emergencies and things people think might possibly be emergencies. Also, one of the medics from my shift was in a really bad wreck last week. It seems like she will be okay, but I know she would appreciate your prayers.

The dogs are doing well. Sparky had a few things he needed some help with, so he spent a week at boarding school. He seemed to do really well, and is behaving much better now. I need to spend more time working on his lessons with him, but he seems to be doing well when we do work on them. If for some reason you happen to visit us, or we see you...please help us out with his lessons. If you don't mind, I may hand you the leash and ask you to take him for a little walk...all you need to do is walk several feet away and then you can return. Also, if you don't mind, check to make sure it is okay to pet him...he has to learn to behave a certain way before he gets attention. But when it is okay, he really is an affectionate puppy. :-D He will just randomly come up to me and wait for me to pet him. :-) Awww...it is nice to be loved. :-D He and Shadow seem to be getting along really well. They seem to keep each other entertained when I am gone and occupied when I am busy doing things around the house. Fortunately they keep each other out of trouble, and have not conspired together against me yet. :-D

The weather here is somewhat confused. We fluctuate between 20's and 70's. This weekend is supposed to be fairly decent. That is nice. Lynetta plans to come to visit. Maybe we will get a chance to do some hiking with the dogs. I took both the dogs for a walk around the lake at the nearby state park the other day. Sparky learned a lot that day. Apparently he had never seen a large boulder in his walkway, or a large fallen/cut tree.

Well, to borrow my favorite Aussie's term...I am feeling a bit peckish, so will go in search of food.

Our new little "boy"

2007-02-15T19:22:00.001-05:00

January Christmas at Brian & Molly's

2007-02-15T19:05:00.000-05:00

Please visit this site...

2007-01-10T00:44:00.000-05:00

I recently have become familiar with a site that will print and send Thank you cards to our servicemen and women. Please take the time to visit Let's Say Thanks and send a note of encouragement to them!

What we did on Christmas Day

2007-01-01T12:29:00.000-05:00

By "Christmas Day" we had finished all our official "celebrations"...but we still enjoyed time together. Dad showed us around Keim Lumber's new addition/building. It is quite the showroom and I would think it would be impressive, even if you were not into building.

That evening John taught us a new game...In a Pickle. Considering how competative our family is...some of the logic was rather creative! Ha, ha...but we had fun nonetheless! :-)

Christmas Eve happenings

2007-01-01T11:48:00.000-05:00

After church we tried to get a photo of the cousins, decked out in their Sunday finery. We got several shots...though we are missing Andrew. :-(

Christmas Eve day was also Kaili's 3rd birthday. After church in the morning we had a nice dinner and birthday cake to help her celebrate...she also got to open more presents. :-D Sunday night Mom and Dad's church, Calvary Baptist in New Philadelphia had a candlelight service. We sang a lot of Christmas carols, that was nice.

December 23rd happenings

2007-01-01T11:12:00.000-05:00

I few into Columbus in the afternoon. Laura and Todd and family came to pick me up. I got to meet Mylie, the little cutie pie! Then we drove to Mom and Dad's in Sugarcreek. John and Maria and troops had arrived just before us. I still had to wrap all my presents. (I was grateful that I had left them all unwrapped for the journey...as once again my luggage was "randomly" chosen to be searched by security!) I still am not sure why I ALWAYS get searched...I guess I should try a little harder to avoid looking like your typical terrorist! Hmm...Maybe I should wear something on my head? Anyway, I was sequestered away in the guest room at mom and dad's house, trying to wrap the presents and my dear brothers are pounding on the door wanting to know if I am done yet, so they can unwrap them! Silly boys! Anyway, when I finished wrapping my gifts...we started unwrapping all of the presents. :-D

Andrew's 1 year birthday party!

2007-01-01T03:16:00.000-05:00

My nephew Andrew turned 1 year old on Nov. 15th and I got to go see him for his birthday party. We had a fun time and I enjoyed getting to see all of them. Andrew had his own birthday cake that Molly had created for him. When she gave it to him...he touched the frosting and then tried to pick up the plate...consequently the entire cake fell on the floor! ;-D Oh well...there was another entire cake that we could eat. :-)

My trick dog

2006-12-30T02:25:00.000-05:00

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

I am trying this format out for posting "video" to my blog. This is a video from the summer. I think it is funny and cute when Shadow walks on her back legs; that must be the "poodle" in her. :-D

Funny cartoon

2006-12-22T02:46:00.000-05:00

Steve Berry draws some pretty funny EMS cartoons...here is a holiday one that I found amusing. I won't post it on my site, d/t copyright issues...but I posted the link. :-)

My Christmas letter

2006-12-20T12:07:00.000-05:00

Greetings from South Carolina

I trust that each of you is doing very well. As usual, my life has stayed busy this year. In March I celebrated having Shadow for one year. She is a lot of fun and we enjoy being buddies. She tends to be a bit on the mischievous side, but really does want to please and tries so hard to obey most of the time. It is so cute…if she wants something and I haven’t given it to her, she will go through every one of her “commands” (sit, down, etc.) and just look at you wondering how you can ignore those mournful puppy eyes! Ha, ha! Okay, sometime I do give in. One of her more mischievous accomplishments this year was learning that she can jump onto the table! Yikes! I come back to the table and wondered what had happened to the blueberry muffins I had left in the center of the table…yep, she was lying there on the floor, looking as innocent as ever but I am sure I saw some blueberries on her teeth. I have since occasionally found her walking around on top of the table trying to see what is there. Silly girl! She does know she should not be there and generally waits until I go out of the room before making her move, but if I am quiet I can catch her still up there!

In April John and Maria came to visit, with their kiddos. We had a lot of fun, even went to Riverbanks Zoo. We got to see several of the feeding sessions for the animals, which was fun and educational.

In May two of my friends, Kendra and Holli, drove to Ohio with me for Brad’s graduation party. We made the trip up and back in one weekend. It was fast, but fun at the same time and I am really glad that I was able to be there.

I made a trip to Wisconsin in June for the funeral of my nephew, Jeremiah Enoch, who was still born to John and Maria. It was a sad time for us as a family, but we are comforted in knowing that God does not make any mistakes and look forward to meeting Jeremiah in heaven.

Laura and kids came to visit me in August. We had a lot of fun mostly hanging out in G'ville. The kids even came by where I work and got to have a tour of an ambulance.

Then my best friend, Tanya, came from Australia for 7 weeks! Yippee! We had so much fun being with each other again! I was able to swap several days at work with some people and we went to Washington, DC for almost a week. We had a lot of fun, saw a lot of things, and walked a TON! September 4th Tanya and I left on a 3 ½ week road trip across the southwest USA. We had an incredibly awesome time!!! We spent 4 days backpacking the Grand Canyon, several days in Sedona, AZ, stopped at Bryce Canyon in Utah, met up with a friend from Ohio, Jason Axt, at Arches National Park, and ended our trip with several days in Colorado Springs. By far the backpacking trip in the Canyon was my favorite…but we had a wonderful trip overall. You can check out our vacation blog at http://fairemaidens.blogspot.com/.
Near the end of October, John and Maria visited again. John & Maria were pretty busy with the kids from school (they were at the High School Festival) but the kids and I carved pumpkins, went shopping, and Maria came with us to the Children’s Garden.

In November, Dad and mom came to visit their “southern” children, spending several days here with me and also visiting Lynetta at Ambassador and Brian, Molly & Andrew. Lots of us went to Brian and Molly’s for Thanksgiving and as usual enjoyed a time of feeding and fellowship. The day after Thanksgiving, Laura and Todd welcomed a new daughter into the world, Mylie Cherie West. Mylie was born with Down’s Syndrome. Initially we thought that she did not have many of the cardiac complications, but the week after she was born it was discovered that she does have 2 holes in her heart and will need open heart surgery sometime in the first year of her life. Though I have only seen photos, she is a beautiful little bundle and I can’t wait to meet her in person!

I continue to work for GCEMS. I really enjoy what I do at work, and I enjoy the people I work with. In October I had the privilege of getting promoted to an FTO (Field Training Officer) position. My current probationary employee is brand new to everything (EMS and the state) so it has been a fun challenge to help him learn.

Lana

My baby's Christmas pictures

2006-12-17T23:26:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos of my darling puppy, Shadow!

(I figured out a different way to add photos to my blog...and I think it is a lot easier! Let me know what you all think.)

Flag Football!

2006-12-17T23:15:00.000-05:00

Saturday several of us from work played flag football. It was supposed to be B shift vs. D shift...but considering only one person from B shift showed up (way to go Wendy!!! you can hang out with us D shifters any time you want...) we just split up the people who came and played anyway! :-D We had a lot of fun...but I know all of us are grateful for Advil! ;-)

Slideshow of my newest niece Mylie

2006-12-17T00:27:00.000-05:00

Laura created this slide show... I hope to get more photos when I go visit for Christmas. :-)

So funny!

2006-12-13T15:05:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know I need to update personally...but I found this very funny commentary on gift wrapping and thought I would post it. :-D

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

This is the time of year when we think back to the very first Christmas, when the Three Wise Men; Gaspar, Balthazar and Herb, went to see the baby Jesus and, according to the Book of Matthew, "presented unto Him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh."

These are simple words, but if we analyze them carefully, we discover an important, yet often overlooked, theological fact: There is no mention of wrapping paper.

If there had been wrapping paper, Matthew would have said so: "And lo, the gifts were inside 600 square cubits of paper. And the paper was festooned with pictures of Frosty the Snowman. And Joseph was going to throweth it away, but Mary saideth unto him, she saideth, 'Holdeth it! That is nice paper! Saveth it for next year!' And Joseph did rolleth his eyeballs. And the baby Jesus was more interested in the paper than the frankincense."

But these words do not appear in the Bible, which means that the very first Christmas gifts were NOT wrapped. This is because the people giving those gifts had two important characteristics:

1. They were wise.
2. They were men.

Men are not big gift wrappers. Men do not understand the point of putting paper on a gift just so somebody else can tear it off. This is not just my opinion: This is a scientific fact based on a statistical survey of two guys I know.

One is Russ, who said the only time he ever wraps a gift is "if it's such a poor gift that I don't want to be there when the person opens it."

The other is Leo, who told me he does wrap gifts, but as a matter of principle never takes more than 15 seconds per gift.

"No one ever had to wonder which presents daddy wrapped at Christmas," Gene said. "They were the ones that looked like enormous spitballs."

I also wrap gifts, but because of some defect in my motor skills, I can never completely wrap them. I can take a gift the size of a deck of cards and put it the exact center of a piece of wrapping paper the size of a regulation volleyball court, but when I am done folding and taping, you can still see a sector of the gift peeking out. (Sometimes I camouflage this sector with a marking pen.)

If I had been an ancient Egyptian in the field of mummies, the lower half of the Pharaoh's body would be covered only by Scotch tape.

On the other hand, if you give my wife a 12-inch square of wrapping paper, she can wrap a C-130 cargo plane. My wife, like many women, actually likes wrapping things. If she gives you a gift that requires batteries, she wraps the batteries separately, which to me is very close to being a symptom of mental illness. If it were possible, my wife would wrap each individual volt.

My point is that gift-wrapping is one of those skills like having babies that come more naturally to women than to men. That is why today I am presenting:

GIFT-WRAPPING TIPS FOR MEN:
* Whenever possible, buy gifts that are already wrapped. If, when the recipient opens the gift, neither one of you recognizes it, you can claim that it's myrrh.

* The editors of Woman's Day magazine recently ran an item on how to make your own wrapping paper by printing a design on it with an apple sliced in half horizontally and dipped in a mixture of food coloring and liquid starch. They must be smoking crack.

* If you're giving a hard-to-wrap gift, skip the wrapping paper! Just put it inside a bag and stick one of those little adhesive bows on it. This creates a festive visual effect that is sure to delight the lucky recipient on Christmas morning:

YOUR WIFE: Why is there a Hefty trash bag under the tree?
YOU: It's a gift! See? It has a bow!
YOUR WIFE (peering into the trash bag): It's a leaf blower.
YOU: Gas-powered! Five horsepower!
YOUR WIFE: I want a divorce.
YOU: I also got you some myrrh.
In conclusion, remember that the important thing is not what you give, or how you wrap it. The important thing, during this very special time of year, is that you save the receipt.

Dreaming of a White Christmas for you!

2006-12-03T17:46:00.000-05:00

Click here for my Christmas wish to you. :-)

My new niece

2006-11-27T19:12:00.000-05:00

I have a new niece! Mylie Cherie West was born on Friday, November 24. She weighed 8 lbs. 6 oz. and was 19 inches long. Laura and Todd say she has long hair and is a little "butterball"! :-) I can't wait to see pictures and pass them on to you all! :-D

A few photos of my cute puppy!

2006-11-18T04:05:00.000-05:00

She really is a Sweetie!

Well, I was trying to get a side profile of her, but she stuck out her tongue when I took the photo. :-)

Awww....what a sweet little face! :-)

Pretending to be a yuppie...

2006-11-15T12:11:00.000-05:00

Well, I am sitting here in Panera Bread, sipping my designer coffee and blogging...wow! what a yuppie! Ha, ha. Actually I had to take Shadow to be groomed today, and with several hours before she would be ready to pick up I decided to run some errands. Those were quickly exhausted, as I didn't really need to go shopping for anything for myself right now...and the family's Christmas lists are at home. (Yeah, good foresight would have brought them with me. Though I must admit, I didn't expect it to be afternoon before I could pick Shadow up.)

--wow, the lunch crowd is descending on the place! I am not used to such large groups of people, working nights accustoms one to solitude. --

Let's see...I have a lot to update on I am sure...

Near the end of October Lynetta came to visit me over her fall break. We had fun and enjoyed each other's company.

I passed this cotton field on the way to get her.

On the way home we say this cute bale of hay.

Well, the lunch crowd is crowding, so i better go for now. :-)

Best Friends

2006-10-24T07:59:00.000-04:00

A few pictures of Tanya and I.

Given our recent western trip...would couldn't resist this fun background. :-)

Biscuits and other things

2006-10-23T20:11:00.000-04:00

Well, this morning I tried something new...being a southerner by birth, I love biscuits...yet finding a way to enjoy these tasty treats is somewhat difficult as a single person. If I make a batch of biscuits, most of them go bad before I can eat them...besides...stale biscuits are rather tastless no matter how much molasses you put on them! Anyway, I found Pillsbury's Perfect Portions in the refrigerated section of Wal-Mart last night and decided to give them a try. (Now I also do NOT like canned biscuits, so you can see my quandary...) So these biscuits are packaged by twos and actually looks slightly more like biscuits than the canned ones do. I baked two of them, and have to admit they were not that bad...I think I will actually buy them again. They were a little on the "empty air" side texture wise, but taste wise weren't too bad!

I had several errands to run today, including mailing multiple packages from the Post Office. I decided to go to a different Post Office than I normally do, and was pleasantly surprised at the lack of line. So, I got my packages all mailed in short order. From there I headed to Wal-Mart (a different one than last night!) and picked up the photos Tanya and I had made the last week she was here. They didn't turn out too badly. Maybe I can get some scanned and posted in the next few days.

After my errands I tried to take a nap, since I have to work tonight. But of course I couldn't fall asleep very well. Shadow on the other hand has adapted to my lifestyle very well...too well I think at times. :-) She was sound asleep and snoring within minutes. :-) Ha, ha...that kept me awake for a while...then she must have been having a nightmare because she started snorting, and growling and whimpering...poor baby! It really is humorous!

I recently found a place where I think I can upload videos, so will try to get some of her uploaded. :-)

Well, I believe I will meander over to Post 9. We are meeting for supper and I need to pick up some supplies from their truck.

Lynetta comes tomorrow...should be fun.

Beautiful Fall

2006-10-22T00:05:00.000-04:00

Well, it is definitely fall down here. The air is cool and crisp...well most days it is. :-) It was rather muggy the other day, but today was cooler. Tomorrow I am plan to meet a friend a little further north for church and am hoping that the leaves will be lovely on my drive. Maybe I will get some photos. :-)

I worked last night, so slept quite a bit of the day. Then I have just been doing stuff around the house. Nothing spectacular.

Lynetta is planning to come visit next week on her fall break. I am excited about that! Hopefully we will get some hiking and such in. Then the next week I think John and his family are coming for a visit. That is exciting too! I love it when people come to see me! :-) So does Shadow...though she thinks that they are coming to see her. I don't have the heart to burst her bubble and tell her that they are really coming to see me. :-)

It is hard to believe that October is almost over...wow!

A few photos from the last day Tanya was here...

Tanya and I the day she had to leave...

This is how we feel about INS making her leave...

And this is how best friends feel having to be separated by 30 hours travel time...

I have returned...well sorta'

2006-10-16T23:06:00.000-04:00

Vacation was wonderful! And in spite of determining to "slow down" I feel like I have been running around like crazy since returning. I guess it has been a slightly different "running", as I have not spent nearly as much time at work, and have made time for some other things in life. :-) But, as I am sure everyone has noticed...those other things have not included blogging...up to this point. :-)

Shadow was very glad to see me again and has been more "cuddly" since I returned. :-) I don't mind that one bit, as I missed her tremendously! Currently she is napping at my feet here...you know, sometimes I think she is about the laziest dog...sleeps while I am at work and sleeps when I get home. :-)

Trying to think what I should update people on...

Well, it is getting colder here...actually turned the heat on the last few days...we had a hard frost the other morning...I had already pulled up my (very overgrown) tomato plants. :-) I hear that the north and midwest have gotten snow...when is it our turn? :-D I would love to see this place get 18" of snow! :-D That would be a riot...actually literally too. :-) Anyway, it would be entertaining...

Tanya was returned safely but sadly to AUS. Maybe someday we can figure out a way for her to stay.

I went to see Lynetta last week. We spent several hours together. That was nice, as I hadn't seen her since she came back to school.

I have been thinking about looking for a house. Accidently found one online that I really liked...but couldn't find it when I went to drive by. One of the guys at work does some real estate...so I asked him to check into it for me. :-)

Journeys of the Faire Maidens

2006-09-06T08:51:00.000-04:00

Hello from Oklahoma City, OK. Tanya and I have started off on our multiweek vacation. Yippee!!! I will not be updating this site regulalry during the next few weeks, instead you may follow our status via Journeys of the Faire Maidens.

Yes, I know I need to update!

2006-09-04T05:03:00.000-04:00

Well, Tanya and I had a splendid time in DC...and I have pretty much been working non-stop since then. However, whenever I get off the truck this morning...I will be free for 3.5 weeks vacation! Yippee!!! We are planning to leave today, once we finish getting everything packed. (It was hard for me to pack, since I was at work most of the time.) :-) Anyway, we have photos from DC to upload and things to say as updates to our blog...but maybe we can get that done on our trip. ;-) See ya out west!

Wow! I was scolded!

2006-08-19T15:02:00.000-04:00

Hmmm...so Tanya decides to scold me for not updating! Goodness, what is this world coming to????? :-p

I have been busy with a lot of fun stuff lately. This post will probably be "brief and to the point" but hopefully it will suffice to satisfy the curious. :-)

Tanya arrives in the states in 2 day! Yippee!!!! I pick her up from the airport around midnight on Monday. Then we have an incredibly packed 40 some days together! :-D I have been working on planning an open house for her on September 2. If you have not gotten the information on it PLEASE email me and I will get you the info! (I tried my best to think of everyone and begged everyone I remembered to add names, but am sure we have missed someone important!!!)

I just cut my finger on some random sharp object...I know you all are worried...but never fear, I think I have the bleeding staunched.

What else...my 2 sisters, Laura and Lynetta, plus Laura's 3 kids came for a visit this week. They were bringing Lynetta back to school in NC, so they were able to stop by here for a visit. Laura and kids are coming back tomorrow for a few more days. We had a good time visiting, seeing things around town and doing the "sister" thing. We found some cool shirts at Mast General Store and had to get "appropriate" ones. :-)

Well, I tried to post a photo, but it is not working right now...

anyway, I have more to post but need to go get ready for work. :-)

Beware of "Julie"!

2006-08-11T21:24:00.000-04:00

Okay, time for another post. Let's see...

Kendra and I went for a walk/mild "hike" today at Paris Mountain. I took Shadow and she brought her housemate's dog, Bailey. It was the first time they had met, so the first few minutes were full of "doggie get to know you stuff". But once we started walking they both calmed down and behaved pretty well. We took a nice stroll around Lake Placid, I believe that is the name. Shadow is still afraid of water...gets it from me, I guess. :-) Bailey on the other hand! Well, let's just say that Kendra took Bailey to the edge to get a drink and Bailey decided that it looked too inviting, waded right in and promptly lay down. Ha, ha! It was too funny, we couldn't help but laugh...and attempt to run away when she got out and needed to shake. :-P

One reason we went for the walk was that I am trying to break in my new hiking boots. The Lord provided a way for me to get some Vasque hiking boots at a greatly reduced price, for which I am very grateful. So, I am attempting to wear them just about every day so that they will be comfortably broken in when we go hiking next month.

Speaking of that...Tanya arrives in 10 days! Yippee!!!! I am really looking forward to that! We are still trying to make our plans, but they seem to be coming together.

My two sisters, Laura and Lynetta, are coming for a short visit soon too. I am looking forward to seeing them too. Hopefully we will be able to spend a few days together.

I had to visit the "torturer" yesterday. Usually my dentist appointments are not that bad but yesterday! Whew! Some girl named Julie was the "hygenist"...not sure why she was such a mean person, but you would have thought she was working on some unfeeling, senseless machinery. First, she didn't even really tell me what she was doing. Occasionally she would mutter some comment about "yearly x-rays" and then next thing I know she plops the huge lead apron down on me and walks away. I don't know if I am more sensitive to this stuff b/c I work in healthcare...but TALK TO YOUR PATIENTS!!!! Goodness! Let them know what is going on! So a few minutes later...okay probably only a few seconds...my back is hurting since the apron is not even on straight and is causing me to slide down and bend in half in the chair. Anyway, she eventually comes back in and is wanting me to put some strange contraption thing in my mouth. Well, I decided if she wasn't going to talk to me voluntarily, I would ask her what was going on. Then she tells me that it is time for my yearly x-rays...not sure why, but at least she sorta' told me what she was doing. Well, apparently she is oblivious to any pain she inflicts on me. Now I know my mouth is sensitive, probably one reason I don't particularly enjoy ice cream. Well, after shoving the x-ray thing in my mouth she proceeds to clean my teeth. Yikes! you would have thought she was scraping corrosion off a battery connection...yeah, sorry for the weird analogy, but couldn't think of anything else at the moment. So anyway, I am grimacing in pain, shrinking back in the chair and she is like..."are you okay?". Yes, I am perfectly fine! I normally wear this look when I am enjoying something...okay, so then she stabs me in the gum with one of her varied sharp instruments of cruelty. Naturally my face of agony becomes more agonized. To her credit, she actually stops for a second and wants to know if I am okay. At this point, I am through being "nice" and inform her that she just stabbed me. To which she replies something to the effect of "hmm..must have been the edge of this (holding up the metal weapon). Next she says...and I quote..."I hope it didn't hurt." and proceeds to dive back into her work, muttering "I am just trying to hurry for you." Now, I have a few problems with the last scenario. #1 If someone just appeared in so much pain and agony that you stopped and asked them if they are okay; and if said person informed you that you just stabbed them in a mucus membrane (known for being sensitive) and you agree that a sharp metal object was probably the culprit...WHY would you calmly state "I hope it didn't hurt." ?!?!?! #2 Where did she come up with the idea of "hurrying" for me?!?! I never requested that she hurry. I did not have to be somewhere right away. Earlier when she asked if I had to go into work that afternoon, I told her I didn't have to go in until the night. So why did she think she was doing me a favor by "hurrying"?!?! Apparently she thought the whole matter was funny, because after she finished she asked me how my teeth felt. "Uhm fine, like teeth I guess." was my reply. (What was I supposed to say...well actually maam, my left side 2nd molar itches, can you take care of that for me?) Anyway, she just snortled at my answer and said, "well, I can clean them again for you." To which I politely informed her that was not necessary. So beware of "hygenists" named Julie!

Enough about that. Actually, I can't really think of anything else to post at the moment. I suppose my brain is trying to fall asleep. :-)

Talked to Mom and Brian today. I was hoping to go see Brian and Molly tomorrow...but I guess Brian works most of the day, and Molly is flying in from WI. I hope she doesn't have too much problem with delays and such. She has Andrew too, so maybe they will be more understanding? Who knows? :-D

What I am doing...

2006-08-03T01:39:00.000-04:00

Let's see...work is work...I enjoy what I do. I got to work with my friend Kendra last night. That was actually the first time we had ever worked together. It was nice and refreshing to work with another Christian. :-) We even got some rest...only having 2 transports.

I heard back from my job interview with MedTrans. I was not offered the position this time...but was told I had done well. There are a few classes/certifications that really would have helped me. I was already signed up for one...and am looking to find the other one. :-) Maybe next time. :-)

My tomato plant is doing very well...since I manually (okay, with scissors) removed the fat green tomato plant eating worms. NASTY!!! I think about 8 tomatoes ripened all at once...wow! But they are tasty! Much better than the fake ones in the store. :-D

This past weekend I took a Swiftwater rescue class as part of my cross training in technical rescue. While it was not "my cup of tea" I survived fine...and there was some pretty scenery. :-)

I am excited to be expecting company in a few weeks. Laura may bring Lynetta down to ABC and come see me. Then Lynetta may come see me before school starts. Plus Tanya is arriving Aug. 21 for a "holiday". :-) We have packed those 44 days FULL! but should have lots of fun. We are tentatively planning a weekend trip to Williamsburg/D.C. area and then a 3 week road trip out west. This includes a 4 day hike/camp IN the Grand Canyon. We are really excited about that! :-D When we get our plans/itinerary finalized I will let you all know the details. ;-)

Tonight we had a really good sermon at church. After much prayer and thought I have just started visiting Hampton Park Baptist Church. Pastor Conley preached from James 4 tonight, about not committing "adultery" with the world. It was a very good sermon and spoke to my heart.

Next weekend, August 11-13, Holli, Kendra, Stephanie and I plan to attend the Midwest Singles' Conference in Schaumburg, IL. I happened to stumble across the information about it when I was searching something on the internet. It looks like something we have been looking for, so we are going to try it out. I don't personally know all of the speakers, but it promises to be a refreshing time and we are looking forward to it.

Yep, I am still alive. :-)

2006-08-01T09:39:00.000-04:00

Well, it has been a very busy few weeks! I really should be sleeping right now, as I worked last night and have to work again tonight...but I feel bad, as I have not updated in forever...

So I will write a quick update and maybe publish more later. :-)

The aeromedical service here in Greenville, MedTrans, was recently hiring. While I did not get the job, I did get an interview this time...which was "farther" than I got last time I applied. :-D I will admit I was disappointed because I did really want the job, but I am confident that the person (a co-worker) who did get the job will do a good job.

I have been learning to swim, since I had never learned up to this point. It has been an interesting, but good experience. It has given me a new compassion for my patients with "irrational" fears.

Then I just completed a Swift Water Rescue class. Wow! that was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my entire life! I survived, obviously...not that I really thought I would die literally, after all I was being instructed by very competent rescuers...but I will admit it was hard to "emotionally" trust some strangers and ignore some very real fears based on previous experiences I have had in the water. At the end of 3 days I was exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally! I do thank the Lord for helping me endure it all. I know that He is the only reason I was able to finish...

I just completed working a 24 hours shift. There is SO much OT available right now...which is good for me, as I am trying to prepare for an extended vacation in September. My best friend, Tanya, is coming to visit from AUS for about a month and a half and we are planning an extended road trip out west. We will even be hiking/camping in the Grand Canyon for 4 days. I finalized those reservations the other day and we are really looking forward to it! :-D I hope to have a laptop with wireless by then...and will try to keep my blog relatively updated on our journey. :-)

Well, I need to go take my antihistamines, as I am having problems breathing. :-D

The rest of the 4th photos...

2006-07-09T16:09:00.000-04:00

Holli, Christine, Lynette and Sarah

I had to try out Nate's new hat...if you look closely you can see my sweet little puppy! I suppose I should wear a light colored shirt and then her black fur would show up better. :-)

Actually, it was Holli's idea

Rick brought his BB gun

Of course there was plenty of food...the main reason we were there, right? :-)

Stewart said I had to post this photo; I guess since he went through the effort of procuring it.

Oh well

2006-07-08T03:25:00.000-04:00

Well, I was going to post the rest of the photos from the cookout at Nate's on the 4th...but since the photos are on my home computer and I am currently at work, I suppose that will not work out tonight. :-) Anyway, I am sitting here trying to ignore the gnawing hungry feeling in my stomach! It just won't go away! and we already ate once tonight! I tried drinking water...that didn't help...I tried eating a package of fruit chewys...that didn't help. Now my stomach is talking to me! Aughhhh! I might have to go find something to eat! Yum, yum, chomp, chomp! aha...Popcorn! good thing I keep stuff stashed away in my bookbag and car! ;-) Hang on while I go pop this stuff. :-D

Aha! much better...Orville Redenbacher's Extra Buttery clog your arteries goodness! Bring it on! :-)

Okay, now that my mind can think straight again...lets see. Oh yeah, I am at work...actually working my "assigned" station tonight. Impressive, I know! :-) We have had a decent night so far. Benign calls & cancellations. My partner was complaining because we will have to write up paperwork on each of these calls, but I said "hey! I will write up false calls & cancelled calls all night! no problem!" :-)

Well, I am almost at the bottom of the popcorn bowl. I may try to catch a nap...if dispatch will kindly cooperate. :-)

Whitney music box

2006-07-07T14:25:00.000-04:00

I came across this interesting site. Funny how something so simple can be so mesmerizing! :-)

More from Ohio trip

2006-07-07T01:56:00.000-04:00

Well this blog seems to only allow me to post a few photos before it goes "beserk"...so let me try more from the Ohio trip...

Check out these gorgeous galavanting gals!

But never fear for these fair maidens safety...when we travel, we always take "the Dot". He will protect us against all foe!

We stopped at Tamarack on the way back, which has some....

...beauty...

...intrigue...

...and downright strange displays!

Okay, trying to add some more photos from Ohio

2006-07-07T01:24:00.000-04:00

My sister Laura and I

My two Ohio nieces (Carrie & Allie) & I

Holli, Kendra and myself

4th cookout

2006-07-05T23:54:00.000-04:00

We had a lovely time at Nate's house for out cookout. I will try to post some photos...

Nate's mom, Christine, Holli & Rick

Playing horse shoes

Nate's dad handled the cooking for us. Thanks!

Photos I could not upload last night

2006-07-03T01:44:00.001-04:00

Me and my "little" brother, Brad

Me and my "little" sister, Lynetta

My adorable nephew, Drew

Lana, Holli and Kendra @ Kendra's house

Okay, I will just try to post something current. :-)

2006-07-01T23:30:00.000-04:00

Well, it seems I shall never "catch up", so I will just post something relatively current...and you can "make up" whatever you want for the past few weeks. :-) How's that? :-)

Today I worked a bit of OT in S'ville. Lovely town...actually, I think all of our calls were in FI, which it was nice to see those first responders again...though there were several new guys I didn't know...nice to meet you Ed. We did have one last call in M...actually a "decent" electrocution, as electrocutions go. :-)(Don't worry...for those of you concerned, sympathetic souls...everyone lived!) So after that hard day at work (plus the extra OT for staying to write my reports...one good thing about paperwork...tends to generate OT.) I arrived home to my waiting and very energetic munchkin! Wow! She must have a stash of energy bars somewhere... :-)

Right now she is taking a slight break and "resting" on my lap as I type...that will probably only last a few more minutes, as she doesn't need long to recoup between "energy bursts". :-) We still have not heard anything about little Scruffy...we may try to go check on him Monday. Of course Shadow still needs her haircut, as the new groomer I was going to try out has been on vacation. I really like her "fluffy" (BTW Darren and Scott...you missed it when the "little rat with a 'fro" stopped by HQ. She was hungry for some rude people to eat!) but it is hard to keep combed as much as she wiggles. Plus she is generally hot, so doesn't like this heat. :-)

Yesterday I spent most of the day on our ORE for USAR training. We had a "building hit by a tornado" with possible trapped victims. It was a joint exercise with COBRA and BSFD. However, most of them left around 1800...leaving just us "crazy" ones from RRT-1 out there finishing our exercise. All in all it was a very good experience. I thought it was good to have to put all training together in a scenario. Of course it was an exhausting exercise...we were on scene for close to 12 hours. Whew! and it was warm outside. We tried our best to stay hydrated...and were pretty successful I guess. I didn't have to treat anyone, so that was a good thing. :-)

Well, Shadow is deciding that the keyboard is about the most comfortable place to rest her weary head...well, now it is the floor where she can chew on her "buddy"...poor little guy...I don't know what is so tasty about his arm, but obviously something is. :-)

Let's see what else. Monday night Holli and I went to a Bible study at some friend's of Kendra's house. It was nice...I have been once before and Holli several times. I think we are going to study Romans 6 next time...That sounds good.

Tuesday night several of us went over to Kendra's to have homemade ice cream and watch Princess Bride. That's a good movie! :-) Has virtues of a chick flick and enough fighting to hopefully satisfy the bruteness of male ego. :-) Plus it has a lot of quotable lines!

This coming Tuesday, July 4th we are planning a cookout at Nate's house. That should be fun. I am hoping we have enough people to play volleyball...but I am beginning to think I am about the only person down here who likes to play. :-( Oh well!

My tomato plants seem to be doing very well...and in actuality they are sprawling over onto the sidewalk. I have them in cages, but apparently they grow much "taller" than the cages! So I am not sure how to keep them upright. Anyway, it wouldn't be so bad if my neighbors didn't have to share the same sidewalk. :-) Oops! Oh well...I may try to figure out a way to get the tomatoes to hang from the gutter? The bugs seem to be pretty prolific around here...as well as blue tailed salamanders. Actually they are kinda' cute, especially the baby ones...and I've discovered that they are the kind whose tail will grow back if it gets broken off. (I remember learning about that as a kid.)

Well, I will download what pics are on my camera and see if there are any to post here tonight. :-)

...Well, the pictures just aren't happening right now, so I will post without them. :-)

Things you might not know about women. ...I cannot take credit for these as I found these in various places online, they are pretty funny...and true

2006-07-01T21:37:00.000-04:00

· Don't ask us what time it is. When was the last time you approached a gorgeous girl with the old "Do you have the time?" line and she responded with, "It's two-thirty . . . and, by the way, are you free for dinner?"

· Never follow us. Unless you are a dog.

· Eye contact should last exactly 0.28 seconds. The quickest glance is the most effective. Treat us like the sun during a solar eclipse.

· We're always chilly. Take your jacket off and delicately wrap it around our shoulders. But watch it: Don't plan, for even a second, on using your arms, mister.

· We hate it when you are late. If you're late, it's over before it began.

· Women are innately self-conscious. This is not a choice; it's a genderwide condition. On a bad day, I look in the mirror and see my ten-pound-heavier alter ego. Her name is Bertha. On a really bad day, Bertha sees her two-hundred-pound-heavier alter ego.

· Women produce half the world's food but own only 1 percent of its farmland. So we're ﬁne with you picking up the tab. And after about three thousand dinners at Nobu, we should be even.

· Women remember everything . Don't believe me? Ask your girlfriend where you met. She won't tell you it was at a party. She'll say it was a Thursday, she had just come from dinner, where she ate a veggie burger, and she was wearing her friend Cathy's pink top, which was big on her because Cathy is a big girl. You were wearing a blue button-down, drinking a Coke with two straws, and talking to Bill, that mutual friend. She waved and you gave her the "what's up" nod. This still infuriates her. ("How could you give me the nod?")

· An eyelash curler, while mean and ferocious looking, is not a weapon.

· We think it's weird when you watch sports and concentrate to help your team.

· Women hear better than men. That's before you even factor in listening skills and attention spans. Come to think of it, I should have listed this one ﬁrst because I'm sure I've lost you by now.

· You may be surprised to know that women were responsible for inventing all of the following: the circular saw, the signal flare, the space suit, the bulletproof vest, and the windshield wiper. You're welcome.

· To start: Bad tipping and being mean to your mom are universal deal breakers. And even the most ardent feminist wants a guy to know how to drive stick.

· We find boyishness attractive when it involves tousle-haired enthusiasm, not when it involves losing your wallet more than once a month.

· Confucius say: He who gets teary eyed in a sad movie is sensitive, but he who audibly sobs is a weenie.

· We envy your ability to compete without regard for popularity. We, on the other hand, will claw the marrow from the bones of anyone in our way, then worry that a) clawing marrow is mean and b) our victim will tell other people about said marrow- clawing incident.

· We feign ignorance of anything technological until motivated. A gal will maintain that she doesn't really "understand all that computer stuff," but tell her that there's some dirt- cheap vintage Pyrex on eBay and she'll download an updated browser, optimize the dial-up, and install more RAM faster than you can say "manly technophile."

· We are amazing multitaskers.

· We revel in our own power, just like men do. We don't want to have to squelch ourselves so our man can feel strong. So rise up and meet us eye to eye in our queenliness.

· Women love men who love their mothers. Men who love their mothers generally know, love, and have great respect for women.

· On the other hand, women hate it when men talk about their mothers all the time.

· We need a plan. We don't feel comfortable winging it. We need the specifics of what's going on and who's going to be there. That way we know what to wear.

· We're worth the effort. What else needs to be said?

Wow...Sorry it has been a while

2006-06-29T23:09:00.000-04:00

Well, it has been a good while since I have had time to post anything on this site. I am doing fine, just been busy with other things and spending enough time on the computer as it is. :-) Funny how we used to get along fine without these computers, only a few years ago. I remember the "hallowed" Texas Instrument that we had in one corner of the classroom in Junior High. If you were diligent and got your school work done early, you could ask the teacher for permission to go play a game on it. I can't even remember what 1 game we had for it...but it was pretty "special". Then our neighbor kids "inherited" a C64 from their uncle...WOW!!! that was impressive stuff!!! :-) Anyway, a lot has changed in the world of technology!

Shadow is her lovely little energetic self! I think I am going to get her hair cut again. I like her "fluffy" but it is hot for her and her hair is long enough right now that she gets it tangled up again within hours of my combing it out! Ugh! I was hoping to get a little brother for her to play with. We came across a situation at work with a little boy doggie who might be going to need a home. I wanted to just take him with me...but we have to "follow the rules" and let animal control do their thing, and then let the Humane Society do their thing, and then hope that we can still find poor Scruffy and adopt him. I went by the Humane Society and left my name and phone number...the first few people were less than helpful, but eventually did let us leave a name and number. I think I will go back there later this week to see if Scruffy is there yet. I sure hope he is. He was a cute little guy and very friendly. I have been thinking about getting another dog and he met a lot of the description I had been thinking about.

Work has been pretty routine lately, which can be good. I had a streak of "attempting to die" patients for a while and am glad for the break. Tomorrow I have USAR training all day. We have our ORE and it promises to be a long day!

John and Maria buried little Jeremiah last week. You can see photos and view their post here.

Hmm, what else is new? Oh, my tomato plants are doing quite well! As a matter of fact, they are taking over the sidewalk! Oops! They are definitely vines! My parsley decided to grow, so hopefully I can use some of that soon.

We had some rather stormy weather this past weekend. It started out here with hail! Pretty incredible.

...Well, I was going to post photos from the storm, as well as a few other things...however, the slowness of my computer, my current state of sleepiness, as well as the busy schedule for tomorrow will not allow me to do that. So, I will post this much for now and try to update again, before next year. :-)

Buy a dog :-)

2006-06-29T23:01:00.000-04:00

If you want someone who will bring you the paper without first tearing it apart to remove the sports section...
Buy a dog.

If you want someone willing to make a fool of himself simply over the joy of seeing you...
Buy a dog.

If you want someone who will eat whatever you put in front of him and never says its not quite as good as his mother made it...
Buy a dog.

If you want someone always willing to go out, at any hour, for as long and wherever you want...
Buy a dog.

If you want someone who will never touch the remote, doesn't care about football, and can sit next to you as you watch romantic movies...

Buy a dog.

If you want someone who is content to get up on your bed just to warm your feet and whom you can push off if he snores...

Buy a dog.

If you want someone who never criticizes what you do, doesn't care if you are pretty or ugly, fat or thin, young or old, who acts as if every word you say is especially worthy of listening to, and loves you unconditionally, perpetually...

Buy a dog.

But, on the other hand, If you want someone who will never come when you call, ignores you totally when you come home, leaves hair all over the place, walks all over you, runs around all night and only comes home to eat and sleep, and acts as if your entire existence is solely to ensure his happiness...

Then.................

Buy a cat!

(You thought I was talking about a man didn't you?)

A few things...

2006-06-06T00:17:00.000-04:00

Well, I am starting at my "new" station assignment tonight, Post 6...though so far I have gotten "moved up" much of the rest of the month...oh well, such is life when you are such a high quality employee. Your expertise is demanded everywhere. ;-) Ha, ha!!!

I didn't get a chance to post anything yet about my rapid trip to Ohio for my brother's graduation. It was the weekend of the 20th. I will try to post some photos from home...but since I am writing this from work, that will have to wait.

Anyway, Brad finished up his highschool and so mom and dad hosted a graduation open house for him. Fortunately it was planned for a weekend I had off work, so 2 friends (Holli & Kendra) and I made the 1,000 + mile trip in a little over 48 hours. :-D We left Friday afternoon, were present for the open house on Saturday, and drove home Sunday so that Holli could be back at work on Monday morning. Holli and Kendra spent some of the time on a marathon "tour" of local Amish country. We were able to do a little driving through Holmes county, stopped off quickly in Berlin and not much else. :-D

Well, I have started yawning, and everyone else is in bed...so I had better follow their example and do likewise. :-)

Jeremiah's funeral

2006-06-04T19:20:00.000-04:00

The Lord worked out the details and I was able to go to Wisconsin for Jeremiah's funeral. My Lt. was gracious enough to rearrange my work schedule so that I could get off work to go. God provided an affordable plane ticket. I flew to Chicago on Sunday and a friend of John and Maria's picked me up. I was not able to make it in time for the viewing Sunday afternoon, but John had arranged with the funeral director for me to be able to see Jeremiah Monday before the funeral. His casket was so tiny! It was really sad to walk in and see this itty-bitty casket, and then a tiny baby. Our humanness says that babies aren't supposed to be like that, and I know I tend to relegate dying to the "older". Anyway, Jeremiah looked just like a precious little baby and I am saddened that I will never get to know him here on earth.

The funeral was "nice", as funerals go...It was a good time of rejoicing in our hope of heaven, based on Christ's work for my salvation. It was also a testimony to God's sustaining grace, specifically for John and Maria. My 2 sister's and I sang "He Giveth More Grace". And God gave us the grace to be able to sing it. :-)

I was able to spend a few more days with John and family before I had to return to Greenville. I am grateful for the opportunity to be with them during this difficult time.

Jeremiah Enoch Swaffer

2006-05-27T00:52:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah Enoch Swaffer
May 25, 2006
8 lbs. 9 oz.
21"

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee... Jeremiah 1:5

...and he was not; for God took him. Genesis 5:24

Please pray for my brother's family

2006-05-25T23:16:00.000-04:00

My brother John and wife Maria were expecting their 4th little one to be born this weekend. After Maria had not felt baby move since last night, they went to the doctor this morning...long story, short...baby died and is now waiting for us in Heaven. The last information I had heard was that Maria was still in the hospital and they were deciding things like if/when to induce labor. I can only imagine the grief they are going through and the emotional pain dear Maria must feel. Please keep them all in your prayers! Thanks!

Nurses Week

2006-05-18T00:59:00.000-04:00

I am involved with the Employee Advocacy Group at work and one of our projects for this spring was to bake cookies and take to the Emergency Nurses for Nurses Week. We had a lot of fun doing it...and I think the nurses really appreciated it. Here are some photos...

We made lots of cookies...

...and made lots of boxes.

St Francis

EMS...we can adapt and overcome...We needed a delivery "cart". :-) (no, that is not the "new" way to transport a patient...in boxes...those really are cookies for the ED staff...)

MedTrans One

Life Reach

Hillcrest Hospital

North Greenville Hospital

Photos from wreck we witnessed

2006-05-18T00:46:00.000-04:00

Read previous post for story behind photos...

Posting from work

2006-05-13T02:50:00.000-04:00

Okay, I will post an update from work here...don't know how it will go...never know when those annoying tones will go off. :-) So, what shall I post about at 0248? :-D Hmm...well, earlier tonight I was talking with my partner about EMS in general and thinking about what a cool job I really have! Of course I have those "bad" days like everyone, where no matter what job I had I would be annoyed...but in reality I have a pretty cool, mostly fun job! That is GREAT! I really like what I do, and that is such a blessing to be able to have something like that for my job!

Speaking of jobs we have had a few interesting things happen lately...

Stopped out behind a disabled vehicle broken down in a construction zone on the interstate. While we were parked behind them to keep traffic from hitting them (they were unable to get off the road) a truck managed to careen past us (why he was going at least 70 mph in a construction zone AND while passing a stopped emergency vehicle is yet to be determined, though characteristic of Greenvillians!) and then it proceeded to totally lose control and CRASH right in front of us. It was one of those "happens so fast, yet in slow motion, oh my goodness I can't believe this is happening but I know it is, wow this is COOL!" moments! :-) Sorry, you might have to be in emergency services to understand...Anyway, it was pretty incredible to see! The poor people we had stopped out to help, she freaked out and started crying...he started screaming "no! No! NO!" but I was thinking to myself...buddy, don't waste your breath, it is going to happen, there is NOTHING we can do about it. I will try to post a picture later, when I am at home and have access to them. Anyway, ends up no one was hurt to speak of, in spite of the truck flipping up onto the concrete barrier. PRETTY INCREDIBLE!

Had one of the most legit psych patients I have ever had. WOW! Totally off the wall, random, not in touch with reality at all! Actually somewhat humorous, yet at the same time sorta' sad. I thank God for my sound mind. (Okay, no comment!) :-)

Tonight when we got to work we had a message to call FD. They were making baked spaghetti for dinner and wanted to invite us over. It was really good! Thanks C shift!

I spent my day at home (before work) changing out the bad bulbs in my headlight and taillight on the Trooper. Then I tried to thoroughly clean out the Celebrity and LeBaron so they would look nicer to sell. Uhm...anyone know how to get the top of a convertible back up after it decides not to work anymore? (Jason, I hate to disappoint you, but I never did ride with the top down...and I think I am glad, as now I can't get it back up. Stupid convertible! they really are not a useful car at all!) Anyway, I shall buy a tarp at Wal-Mart on the way home in the morning...that way it might not get rained on. I am beginning to think the cheapest way to get rid of the car may be to send it to the junk yard! :-) Hmmm...if I could only get the top back up, I would love to tear the car apart myself...for extrication training! (No vengeance at all!) ;-)

I think I have a busy week coming up...I have a couple of trainings to go to, and a parade in Columbia for EMS Week.

I have some pics from the Firefighter's FunFest last weekend that I will post later, as well as some from our EMS BBQ.

Well, I am getting tired...lullaby and good night! :-p ZZZZzzzz.....

Pics of Shadow and Me

2006-05-12T12:28:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Lynetta for taking these when she and dad were here for the weekend...I don't have many pics of the 2 of us...since it is just the 2 of us. :-)

Okay, while this does look like she is kissing me...in truth she is trying to eat the potato chip in my mouth. We wanted a pic looking at each other...but she kept looking at dad and Lynetta in the room...and so I put food in my mouth to get her to look at me (yeah, she is just like me...where's the food?) :-P Anyway, she decided she would just try to eat it. :-)

Oh wow

2006-05-12T01:03:00.000-04:00

Okay, so when I go a long time without posting...that means I am exceptionally busy (no comments from the peanut gallery about me being busy, please.) And when I am exceptionally busy, that means I have lots to post about...so I will post some pics with descriptions and if you want more info you can ask. How does that sound? Besides, a picture is worth a thousand words, right? :-)

Totally random order, as there is no way I can get everything chronological without taking FOREVER! :-)

How would you like to be sitting on your back deck and see this come through your fence? :-)

Having dinner with our buddies from the PD.

My "new" vehicle, a 1996 Isuzu Trooper. What a blessing! It has the space I need, the things I wanted (oil cap screws on, spare tire is full size, windshield wipers have intermittent...hey, try having a car without these and you will realize why I put them on my prayer list for my new car.) is even blue and has a TON of extras too! Wow! It is pretty neat to have! Oh yeah, it runs and I don't spend more in oil and transmission fluid than in fuel, definitely an upgrade. :-)

My garden is growing...though something stepped in the parsley patch...and it has not been growing anyway...I tried planting seeds, but may have to go buy an established plant...

Well, I have more to post, but the computer is being somewhat slow tonight...so I better wrap this post up and head to bed...already overslept this morning, so I guess I need sleep. :-)

Various thoughts...

2006-04-28T00:43:00.000-04:00

Birds
Well, the birds seem to have taken a liking to the free food. I really need to get that bird ID book I have been thinking about. Anyway, I have seen quite a few at the cedar feeder and the hummingbird comes by occasionally. Actually, he likes to come when I am taking Shadow out...and then he swoops around the corner only to see us and freaks out...so we are trying to remember to go farther away from the feeder for her to take care of herself.

Fitness
I had a full day today...had to get up early for that fitness testing stuff. They said I checked out okay... ;-) The guy giving the TB tests seemed to have a little difficulty giving me mine, as he ended up sticking me multiple times and at one point all the vaccine was dripped all over my arm and not in the "little bubble" it is supposed to create. So then he had to get a new needle and start all over again. 8-P Other than multiple "track" marks on my arm, I am none the worse for the wear. :-)

Orthodontists
Then later in the morning I had an orthodontist appointment. This was a follow up to the initial "let us look at you and see what we think" visit. This is the visit where they tell you what they think. ;-) So anyway to try to put it concisely, they recommend that I
1. Have all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed. "No big deal, they are erupted, so it should be fairly easy."
- these are not direct quotes, but paraphrasing and interpreting
2. Have a temporary splint made that will help ease some of the constant tension on my jaws.
- temporary? why? well, because the rest should probably wait until we see if and how much insurance will cover! yep, you knew that catch was coming! ;-)
3. Have braces for several months to year + to get my teeth in alignment for the next phase...
- patience, the big news is coming...
4. Have jaw surgery to "fix" my upper and possibly lower jaw.
- okay, there is some hugemous fancy name for it, but I cannot recollect it at the moment...apparently I have had a bony "defect" in my jaw since ??? anyway, one side is longer than the other...it is significant enough that I picked it out on the x-rays before he even got to saying it...anyway, this causes me to "compensate" for my teeth not aligning correctly (because it is impossible for them to) every time I bite, chew, swallow etc...consequently this causes constant strain and tension on my jaw muscles...and this could be a significant source of at least some of my constant headaches.
5. Continue treatment in braces for several months to finish up "detail" work on my teeth.

Then at this point I should not only have teeth that align correctly, but a jaw that does as well. While he cannot "guarantee" that this will help with my headaches, he is pretty sure it should help with at least some. From start to finish this will take an estimated 24 - 32 months...but we cannot really start until we get the word from the insurance.

The blessings are that
1. the oral surgery should be able to be covered under my major medical insurance, which covers more than my dental.
2. I am provided dental coverage through work.
3. I believe my dental coverage includes some orthodontics. (I do not have my fine print book to look at this moment, but before I even went the first time I tried to read up on it and I believe I have at least some coverage. So, until I learn otherwise, I will count that as a blessing.)

The prayer requests are
1. wisdom concerning all the aspects and decisions that I must make regarding this.
2. The financial needs involved.
3. That it would totally get rid of my headaches.

At this point I am thinking I will progress this direction as far and long as the Lord lets me. I have often prayed for answers to my headaches and thought I would pay anything I could to get rid of them. Even if this only reduces them by 50%...wow! that would be incredible! (I take something, usually OTC, for some degree of a headache just about every day.)

Well, seems like I was about to type something else about this...and it totally slipped my mind...Oh yeah...I go for my consult with the oral surgeon next Thursday, so would appreciate your prayers as he reviews my "case" before I get there and your prayers as we meet. Thanks.

Other than that, not much happened today. ;-) I am currently at work...figure I better start saving up the OT again...Whew! ;-) I think I will go try to catch a nap...hope I didn't just jinx us. :-P

Thoughts on sleep

2006-04-27T09:09:00.000-04:00

Do but consider what an excellent thing sleep is: it is so inestimable a jewel that, if a tyrant would give his crown for an hour's slumber, it cannot be bought: of so beautiful a shape is it, that though a man lie with an Empress, his heart cannot beat quiet till he leaves her embracements to be at rest with the other: yea, so greatly indebted are we to this kinsman of death, that we owe the better tributary, half of our life to him: and there is good cause why we should do so: for sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together. Who complains of want? of wounds? of cares? of great men's oppressions? of captivity? whilst he sleepeth? Beggars in their beds take as much pleasure kings: can we therefore surfeit on this delicate Ambrosia? Can we drink too much of that whereof to taste too little tumbles us into a churchyard, and to use it but indifferently throws us into Bedlam? No, no, look upon Endymion, the moon's minion, who slept three score and fifteen years, and was not a hair the worse for it.

-- Thomas Dekker

(I cannot take credit for this comment, which I found posted on RuthAnn's site.)

Flash flood!!!

2006-04-26T19:55:00.000-04:00

Well, it happened again! It was kinda' frustrating at first, because I was literally about to walk out the door to go to church...but on the other hand, I consider it a blessing that I had not walked out the door yet! My washer flooded my kitchen! I guess the "stability" of this apartment floor (or the lack thereof) causes the tremendous seizures that my washer sometimes has (even though I have made sure it sits level and that the clothes are in it "evenly"). So apparently the item I had wedged in between the drain hose and the drain pipe (to keep them from coming apart again) worked its way loose...and the drain hose fell out, spewing dirty wash water over my kitchen floor. I heard something (and heard Shadow freak out) and went to investigate. Fortunately it was just about across the kitchen floor and I was able to grab a few towels and stop its trek. Then I hurriedly found more towels (okay, so now ALL the towels in my house are dirty) :-) and finished mopping it up. (Wow...telling the story is sure a lot easier than doing it was!) Well, as much as I have any say, it will not happen again! I took some wire I had and wired that silly drain hose to the adjoining faucet head...so in order to come out of the drain pipe it will have to break the wire. :-p Any way...I was disappointed that I wouldn't make it to church (since church had already started by the time I got it anywhere near cleaned up...good thing I am used to moving overweight patients...washing machines full of wet laundry and half the wash water are pretty heavy!) :-) I found a sermon tape and listened to that while I cleaned up. It was about finding how the Christian's joy is found in the Lord. It was good and encouraging. Well, while I was tempted to be mad at first...because I only get to go to church every other Wednesday b/c of work...I was really grateful that I was home when it happened...as finding it 3 hours later would have been MUCH more tragic! (that happened last time!) And I reminded myself that God allowed it, and knew it was going to happen, so it was okay and there was something else for me to learn/accomplish tonight.

Well, my tummy is a little hungry, so I better go eat something...in just one hour, food is forbidden, as I have my work physical in the morning, and it includes blood tests...that means I will be famished in about 1 hour and 15 minutes...as I have not really been hungry all day...just like you ABSOLUTELY have to sneeze if you are under strict orders not to move or make a sound. :-) Oh well...what shall I eat? nothing I have sounds good...but that is no excuse...I shall just make myself eat something I have. ;-)

Bread and a spider

2006-04-24T00:09:00.000-04:00

I thought I would try making some bread tonight after church...so I followed the directions very carefully...and it flopped! It did the same thing the last time or two I tried to make this recipe. I have a "help" email in to Tanya, as it was her machine and the same kind of mix she used...maybe the machine just misses her? Anyway, instead of nice fluffy, sweet Hawaiian Bread, I have heavy, dense, Hawaiian brick. :-D So that will be headed to the trash.

My next idea was to make Monkey Bread. I have never made it before, but it sounded good. So I made some of it. It seems to have turned out pretty well...though I haven't actually tasted it. I was thinking about taking it to work, since I can't eat the whole thing myself...and am never quite sure if it is rude to take something to work that I have "started" eating? Hmm...

Anyway, the spider comes in as I am baking. I am in MY kitchen, minding MY business...when Mr. Eight-legs Hugemous goes prancing along the floor between MY oven (where the treasured Monkey Bread is) and MY refrigerator. Well, in a split second I determined I was going to be really brave and find a shoe and step on him...in that same split second Mr. Eight-legs Hugemous decides to go between the cupboard and the refrigerator, circumventing any intentions I have of squashing him! Great!!! Now I resort to the chemicals...good thing I keep a can of spray handy in most rooms...I whip it out from under the sink. Squirt.....! I can't quite tell if I have gotten him...he turns in a little circle...wait...(muffled scream)...he is running TOWARDS me! (Why on earth when something is trying to kill you do you run TOWARDS it?!?!) SSQQUUIIRRTT....................!!!!! (Have you ever noticed that you press the little squirt button harder when you are REALLY trying to kill the monster as he runs towards you?) Aha! the chemicals kick in...he decides that running towards the spraying menace is not the best option, but it is too late...he begins his tremorous convulsions. (For the sake of the faint of heart, I refrain from further describing his last few agonizing moments...) Now comes the disgusting task of disposing of his body! Ugh! I should call in the Crime Scene clean-up team, but decide that multiple layers of paper towels may offer me enough protection, if I am careful. Now, just for the record...I try to live a peaceful life, and I let the little creatures live...but they need to stay in their domain...and that is NOT my house! I don't go around outside looking for their homes to destroy, or take over or whatever...so they need to leave me and my house alone.

More from my older brother's visit

2006-04-22T21:47:00.000-04:00

Josiah is my cute little fireman! :-)

Shadow cracks me up when she walks around on her back legs...she heard "intruders" in our back yard and had to investigate. She couldn't see outside (because it was dark) so she stood on her back legs to get a better look. :-) It is really funny to see her...

John and family were here for Easter too...

Two "lovables"...

On Monday we went to Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia.

These two elephants were "fighting" over this hay...it was funny to watch, finally the "original" owner of the food picked it up and walked off. :-)

We got to watch the seal feeding...it is amazing how strong God created their "flippers".

I found this stoic little guy to be humorous...he stood there like a sentinel just about the entire time we were watching the penguins, and that included their "feeding" time too. :-)

The kids got their picture next to cutouts of Emperor Penguins. Riverbanks didn't have any of these, but had the cutouts so you could compare their size to that of the other penguins that they did have.

Well, I should post more LATER...as I need to head to bed, in order to make it to church in the morning. :-)

May you have a blessed Lord's Day!

My older brother's visit

2006-04-22T00:57:00.000-04:00

Last week my older brother John, wife Maria, sons Johnathan and Josiah and daughter Kaili came to visit. They wanted to see Living Gallery, and then stayed to visit for a week. It was nice to see them and nice to get a break from my regular schedule. :-)

We stopped at one of the overlooks on the way to Pretty Place.

Aunt Lana, Kaili and Johnathan at Pretty Place. (Josiah was not feeling very photogenic at the moment.)

Josiah took great delight in Shadow, the two of them becoming fast friends the first day. One morning as he was burying himself in her "fluff" he looked up at me and said "She loves me!" :-) Yep, she did...and he loved her!

Kaili on the other hand was not so sure about the dog. She finally decided that if she got in Shadow's crate, then the dog would not be able to "get" her. However, seeing a little girl in her crate only made Shadow curious and want to investigate. :-D In the end, Kaili warmed up to Shadow...as long as their "meetings" were on Kaili's terms. :-)

Johnathan decided he wanted to impersonate Shadow playing frisbee.

My sister Lynetta came to Living Gallery with us on Friday night so on Saturday the kids and I took her back to Ambassador Baptist College in NC. We stopped in Gaffney to see the "Big Peach", or as Kaili called it..."the REALLY big peach!". :-D

If only I had known to order tomato plants before they came...as I had a very willing little "gardener".

My older younger brother's visit

2006-04-22T00:10:00.000-04:00

In March my brother Brian, wife Molly and nephew Andrew came for a visit. Of course, most of the pictures I took were of Andrew. :-)

Andrew got to meet a doggie for the first time. ;-)

We did take a stroll through downtown Greenville and looked over the Reedy River at Falls Park.

A little more...

2006-04-21T12:56:00.000-04:00

The houses/architecture are supposed to be a signature of Charleston. However, I couldn't help but notice how crooked everything was...from shutters to exterior walls to "fancy" decorative brick work. Definitely not a place for the Obsessive/Compulsive! ;-)Maybe that's the way things get after umpteen hurricanes. :-)

In truth though, there were some really pretty things to see. :-)

Phases...

2006-04-20T14:33:00.000-04:00

Wow! I have been a busy little person the last few weeks and have a TON of pics to upload. I also know that if I wait to write a lengthy update...it will never get done...as I am struggling with time issues right now. (Though I will say that I have been working on that.) So I will just update with a few pics and thoughts as I can. :-D You won't get to see all my lovely pics at once...but that might get old and boring for you too. ;-)

The weekend of April 7th Holli and I went to Charleston with my friend Kendra from work. Her church, Hampton Park Baptist, was having a singles retreat.

Smiley went too...and rather enjoyed himself. (okay, so I have a "strange" sense of humor on 1 hour of sleep, and have this really bad habit of personifying inanimate objects.) I guess I helped keep Holli awake by keeping her amused. ;-)

Well, we arrived late and so had to take the "leftovers" in our cabin, which meant 2 of us got the hide-a-bed couch to sleep on and 1 person got to share a room with a "stranger" ...so we did the friendly thing and decided to make our own 3 person "room" on the screened in porch. ;-) It was rather amuusing to watch the reactions from the other girls as we moved the couch out onto the porch. It really was not that heavy...especially compared to some of the 400 lb. + people we get called out to assist in EMS. ;-) One girl who appeared to be the "leader" in our cabin commented incredulously...

you can't move the couch onto the porch!

I am not sure if she was doubting our ability or if it had never occured to her to move furniture to suit her needs better. Nonetheless, we assured her it was a viable option and proceeded. Yep, lifting 70 lb. stretchers with 300 lb. patients can come in handy sometimes. :-)

After we arranged our makeshift room for the weekend we decided to take a walk around the park. (We were staying at the James Island County Park.) Kendra and I, being night shifters, were wide awake at this point...and proceeded to drag Holli along around the ENTIRE 1 mile + trail. There was a nice ocean breeze and it was a comfortable walk. Along our way we stopped by the boathouse and found this swing. Oh yeah, we also found signs that said it was illegal to

"feed or harrass the alligators."

ALLIGATORS!!!

Great! Here we are walking around in the dark, the path goes beside the lake/bay...how are we supposed to know where the alligators are?!?! But we didn't let that small fear deter us and stopped shoreside for this picture. ;-) (Notice the beady little eyes pearing through the darkness in the background. ;-) Ha, ha. After arriving safely back at our "room", we happened to read the rules for the campground.

Please refrain from walking around the park after dark.

Oops! :-) We were good the rest of the nights.

Birds and mice...

2006-04-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

The early bird may get the worm,
but the second mouse gets the cheese.

:-D I thought this was funny!

Munchkin & muffins!

2006-04-09T21:40:00.000-04:00

Well, I just found out that Shadow likes blueberry muffins. I was in the spare room trying to check the weather for later this week when my brother and his family come...I heard this funny noise from the living/dining room...when I walked around the corner, there is Shadow standing ON TOP of the table, licking her lips while she sniffs around. Silly girl!!! The half of blueberry muffins I had set next to my tea...no where in site! Tsk, tsk! My girl is part kangaroo and part mountain goat, in addition to her dogginess! Oh well, it must have hit the spot, as she seemed very satsified! :-p

Delinquent posting

2006-04-07T00:10:00.000-04:00

okay...so I have not posted FOREVER! it has been somewhat hectic...which is my fault... uhm, so several of us went to the opera @ BJU. It was Mephistopheles. Very good performance. The prelude was pretty impressive, utilizing footage from NASA. The group photo below is from that night.

Shadow is as lovable as ever...seen in photo below.

Brian, Molly & Andrew came to visit. They were down in the NC area looking for housing/jobs for when they move down in June. We had a nice visit and I enjoyed getting to meet Andrew. I also got to see the "official" wedding album. It was very nice...though they forgot to bring their Hawaii honeymoon pictures. ;-) I look forward to having them in the area. I have some pictures from their visit that I hope to post in the near future...I am at work at the moment, so can't post them.

John and Maria and family are coming next week. I am trying to get off work while they are here...but it might take a miracle...We hope to go to Living Gallery.

This weekend I am going to Charleston. A friend from work goes to Hampton Park Baptist Church and invited Holli and me to go to their Singles Retreat. I am looking forward to some time away and recreation! Things have been rather stressful at work lately and I really need a break. Charleston is supposed to be a pretty fun/neat town and I have wanted to go for a while.

I got "reassigned" to the Simpsonville station, Post 9, at work. I enjoy this call area so am happy to be back. I did really enjoy my time at Post 12 on Pelham Road. I got to know several of the Wade Hampton firefighters pretty well and we had fun. :-) They learned to save their "left over" food for me...and I would bake and bring them candy. :-D So we all got along really well. :-D I will miss them...but will be back. ;-) (right, B-shift? you can't get rid of me! ;-)

Well, I have a few more emails to write for work related stuff...so I better close this post.

2006-03-20T13:56:00.000-05:00

My bouncy little munchkin, Shadow, in action!

Stephanie, Lynetta, Lana, Holli, Stewart & Nate after the opera

Denny's

2006-03-19T15:43:00.000-05:00

Wow...so my plans to post recently have not worked out very well. I am actually at work at the moment, and probably should be sleeping...however, I will try to post about these pictures at least. :-) Last Wednesday night after church a group of friends got together at Denny's for food. It was a lot of fun. It was a great chance to get together, meet new people and just enjoy good fellowship. I am hoping that we can do this on a somewhat regular basis, with any and all welcome. So next time D shift is off on Wednesday, come out and join us if you are in the Greenville area. :-)

Johanna shows what delightful options we have available tonight.

Chris, Eva, Kendra, (Rick, hidden), Johanna, Lynetta, Holli, Nate, Ray

DIE!

2006-03-13T11:58:00.000-05:00

Whew, I finally killed off the villain! I coaxed him to the window with light in hopes that he would go on the screen part and I could close the window and kill him from the outside...But he would not cooperate with the screen part. Finally I was forced to gingerly poke the bee spray through the blinds and douse him with the nerve agent! All the while screaming "DIE!!!!" :-D Okay, so it might not have been that dramatic...But pretty close. ;-) The point is, he is laying feet up in the air on the window sill. I will leave him there a few minutes to make sure he is good and dead before I actually dispose of the body. I don't think he really deserves a funeral or even burial...I might just throw his carcass in the yard to be eaten by the ants. Perhaps he will be a lesson to other villains who are thinking of entering my house! :-)

Trimmings & lizards

2006-03-12T23:05:00.000-05:00

Well, I did get Shadow's hair trimmed...And the poor thing looks "skinned". :-) Ha, not quite that bad...But I do think she looks better with some "fluff". Without all her "fluffy" hair, she looks more like a poodle. :-) Here are a few pictures of her now.

My cute munchkin

She looks so skinny without her hair!

Awww...my baby's tired.

Are you talking to me? cute little, innocent me? :-)

Yum! this tastes good! (okay, so anything tastes good. ;-)

I am so tired...I shall start snoring soon!

The weather has been very nice here lately...I like that, except the bugs and creatures are coming out in full force! It seems I have lizards here at this place...there are some cute little "fluorescent" blue ones that seem to like my back door. Plus I have seen some rather drab scaly ones that look like they could grow into alligators or crocodiles. I really don't mind lizards...But I think I read somewhere once about poisonous ones...If you eat them...And I am afraid Shadow will try one for a snack. So far they have not come in the house...Just sun themselves on my back porch and under the screen door. HOWEVER there is a wasp in my house today...And I DON'T like them! Great! I am not sure how to get rid of him...As I don't want to spray everything in the house in an attempt to kill him! I have turned off all the lights inside the house (except in this room, where I have closed the door.) and have turned on the porch light, leaving the front door open, in hopes that he will decide to fly towards the light. I hope it works...Otherwise I may have to move out and leave all my stuff behind! :-D Just kidding! But truthfully, only one of us will be staying, I just have to figure out how to get rid of him. I think I may contact a bug sprayer person...Or look into spraying my house myself. I was hoping to find somewhere to move...But that is slow going right now, so I may have to spray the place down before I get a chance to move.

Knots & Rackets

2006-03-08T00:04:00.000-05:00

Photo of our Basic Extrication Class

************************************

I was supposed to work OT @111 today...and got there fine...but then the Lt. had to call and tell me that due to such and such circumstances...there was an extra floater...and since I was the only one working OT...I needed to go home. Blah! So I took my car full of Wal-Mart returns and headed to Simpsonville. It was nice to actually get those taken care of. And I got to take care of some other business errands...during actual daylight hours. :-D

I met Holli for lunch at Ryan's. Then I drove through a few car lots...nothing promising. Okay, so after the cars, I gave Shadow a very thorough brushing/combing. I think I am going to get her hair trimmed again. I like it long...but it takes a lot more grooming to keep it nice that way...and she doesn't like having the knots combed out. :-) Besides she gets them again right after I comb her out! Like just now after I got back from tennis...she already has 2 new ones behind her ear/on her neck! Arughhh! Plus, when I let her out in the yard, she likes to roll around in the left over leaves...and that makes a mess of her longer hair. Oh well...at least it grows fast. :-)

Tennis is...well, lets just say "interesting"! I am not very good at it...and the instructor was getting rather frustrated with us tonight, I think...sometimes I think he forgets that we are a beginning tennis class...that means we know nothing! :-) One thing I did learn tonight...I need a lighter tennis racket. I have been frustrated b/c I just can't seem to get some of the stuff he says we are to be doing...and my wrist hurts every class. So I asked him about that...and apparently there are different size handles (circumference) and different weights of tennis rackets. Well, the one I was borrowing has a handle that is too small for me (apparently I have large hands) and is too heavy. It was wobbly and cumbersome even when the instructor tried to use mine...so I don't feel 100% incompetent...just 98%. :-D

Weasle? :-P

2006-03-04T13:52:00.000-05:00

Well, the guy decided to come look @ Henry this afternoon...So he shows up and rings my doorbell, while I am asleep. He said he had called and left a message that he was coming. Okay, no big deal...As long as he doesn't mind that I just woke up. He did his little "inspection" of Henry, etc...But didn't seem too interested in buying him, at least not for what I am asking. To be honest, I don't think I really trust him. He seems a little weaslely...Is that a word? 2 specific things make me doubt his credibility. 1. After he looked Henry over he said "well, I don't have a problem paying someone what they are asking for, if I think it is reasonable. I don't like this 'going back and forth' stuff." Yet one of the things he really wanted to know before he came and looked at the car, was if I was negotiable on the price. To me, those are contradictory statements... 2. I checked my voicemail, while he was out test driving...In it he said that he was on his way, but had to stop for an errand BUT that I needed to call him back, so that he would know whether or not to come out and look at the car. He said he would need to know that I was going to be there and that he could test drive it before he came out because of "his time". Well...He came out anyway...And besides, he was the one who cancelled on me this morning...And apparently wasn't going to tell me until I called to make sure he was coming. So what about my time? Anyway, every time I have talked to him, he seems to talk down to me, give me the impression that I should be doing something for him. Oh yeah, and he started on a list of "major" repairs that Henry was going to need...And then said, "well, I wouldn't expect someone like you to know or understand that". Okay, I know Henry is not a spring chicken, but I have looked into what "major" things were wrong with him. No mechanic ever told me some of the things he was trying to tell me. And one thing he told me that needed work...Well, a mechanic whose name this guy kept "dropping" had already checked that out and said it was fine and that I didn't need to do anything about it. So one of them is not telling the truth. :-P Anyway, this guy didn't even make an offer, but basically told me that if/when I couldn't sell it, I could call him and we could talk about the price. Whatever, I don't want to "deal" with him anyway. As he left he told me to be careful if I drove it, as it really was dangerous to drive and that I should go see this "so & so" mechanic (who already said the brakes were fine and needed no work.) and he would verify what this guy said. Well, 2 thoughts there...If these 2 are in cahoots, I don't want to deal with either one... And if the car is "that dangerous" to drive, why would he want to buy it. I got the distinct impression he was trying to bluff me...Which matches with the impression I had gotten over the phone.

Well, I need to go get ready for Anderson.

TTYL

Henry, explosions & house hunting...

2006-03-04T13:24:00.000-05:00

Since I have not posted for a while, I will post really quickly, though I need to go take a nap. Actually, I stayed up this morning after getting home from work, since someone was supposed to come look at Henry to see about buying him. (I haven't told Henry that he may get a new home yet, so if you see him, please don't mention it). :-) But then the guy cancelled. Ugh!!! I am somewhat disappointed, as I have to get up early anyway (once I do get to bed) since I am going to a class in Anderson this afternoon.

Shadow is doing well, her normal cute self. :-) Work has been fine...pretty routine...though we did respond to an explosion this week...and I have not had many of those. :-)

Holli and I are looking for a house to rent in the area. We may go look at one in Simpsonville. It seems workable, at least from the pictures on the web. :-)

I am attending a class on RSI (Rapid Sequence Intubation/Induction) this afternoon in Anderson. That should be intersting. :-)

Well, sleep calls...

Ice rinks, rodeos and too much dessert

2006-02-25T02:53:00.000-05:00

Wow, today has been a pretty fun day. It was full but fun nonetheless. I was pretty tired when I got home this morning, as I had worked a 36 hour shift(s). I took a few hour nap, and my faithful Shadow rested quietly beside me. I think she was rather glad that I was home again. :-)

The "original" plan for today had been to go skiing at Cataloochee, but the weather was not really cooperating...50 degree weather is not really good for skiing.

Instead, I went ice skating with a couple of friends from work. That was a lot of fun and we decided that we needed to do it more often.

Then we met more friends at Carson's Steakhouse in Anderson. The food there was really good...though Stewart would not recommend getting your steak medium/rare...as it still was mooing. ;-)

Next we headed to the rodeo at Clemson. That was a lot of fun, though I still think I would enjoy participating more than watching. :-D (Sorry, no pictures, as they weren't turning out...)

Lana, Stewart, Nate, Jennifer, Kendra & Holli

Afterwards we wanted dessert, so ended up at Ruby Tuesday's in Clemson. Stewart was worried that his dessert wouldn't be large enough, even though it was called "tallcake". However, after they arrived, he decided that it was not only a "tallcake" but a "widecake" as evidenced by Holli's here below.

Holli and her "tallcake"

Stewart had almost no difficulty finishing his off, as shown by his satisfied grin.

A "no longer hungry" Stewart

That finished off our night, leaving the 2 people with "normal" working hours, somewhat exhausted by the antics of the "night shifters" they were hanging out with. :-) What can I say? as that would be why I am posting this at 0330... :-)

Collapsed buildings and Tennis balls

2006-02-23T00:35:00.000-05:00

Well, yesterday was an interesting day. :-) I started out the day...well, first I had to drop Shadow off at PetSmart, as I was not going to be home all day and she needed to run and play...

THEN I had USAR training. For those who do not know, I am one of the medics assigned to the Regional Response Team - 1 for South Carolina Urban Search & Rescue. This month's training was focused on shoring up collapsed/collapsing structures. So, I spent the day hammering nails etc. :-) It was interesting to learn different ways to help support collapsed structures.

In the evening I had tennis lessons. :-) Holli and I decided to learn to play tennis. We are taking it through the BJU TOPS program. We are taking an 8 week class that will teach us the basics. After that, we will see. ;-) Last night we worked on our grip and our forehand...which were made slightly more difficult since I had just finished up 8 hours of hammering nails... :-)

Holli and I had great intentions to go to the LifeCenter and work out after tennis, but I had not really eaten all day and was famished, so we decided to have dinner at IHOP instead. Who needs a fitness center when you can eat instead? :-)

Tonight I am at work, nothing too exciting yet. Matt predicted a fire earlier, but when it didn't happen before his "bedtime" he decided they (the FD) were "closed" and fires were no longer allowed. :-) Ha! if that were only true!

Whew, a busy week...

2006-02-18T07:58:00.000-05:00

Well, it has been a busy week for me. It is our "long" week to work, and then we had IST (or CE, whichever you want to call it) on Monday BEFORE we went in to work. Then I had training for several things on my few days off. I actually did not get to make it to the one training...as I was too exhausted to safely drive there...and the last time I overextended myself that badly...I ended up with a migraine that lasted 7 days. Yikes, no fun!!! I did mostly enjoy the training on Wednesday. We did some "compass work" at Paris Mountain. So it was fun to actually hike and not just walk on the trails! :-) My greatest mishap was the time I misjudged an area at the base of a fallen tree...and consequently fell into the hole caused by the displaced roots. My biggest concern was not whether I had broken any bones, but rather... What lived in the hole!?!? I was very relieved to extricate myself without any extremities being the beginning of a hungry animal's mid-winter snack! :-) It was an added blessing that I did not break any bones either. :-)

My friend Holli and I went to look at a house earlier this week. I don't think we will be getting it...it wasn't in the best of shape (you know how ads can make stuff sound much nicer) and I am not too keen on the neighborhood. While it may be an okay location...I have had some dealings with the general area d/t my job...and am not sure that is where I want to live if I have the option. There are some definite advantages to working my type of job. Knowing the reality on housing areas is one. :-) So we are still looking for a reasonalbly priced 3 bedroom house to rent. (Hopefully we will have one more friend join us, and that will help with rent even more.) If you know of any...let me know. :-)

Well, since I just got off work...sleep calls...and I have to work yet tonight. I was going to post some more pics...but can't think of anything extremely interesting at the moment.

:-)

hmmm

2006-02-13T02:58:00.000-05:00

Well, the link is on the post...only it is "under" the title...

An experiment

2006-02-13T02:53:00.000-05:00

Okay, I have changed a few settings on my "site"...(not that I have ANY clue what I am doing!) and I want to see if I have enabled adding a link to my post. (Not that I am sure where in this post it will end up...if it even shows up...but hey, this is a learning experience.) :-)

Birthday Pic

2006-02-13T02:20:00.000-05:00

A few days after my birthday (I had the great privilege of not only working on my birthday, but having to attend training all afternoon BEFORE working on my birthday) my friends Holli and Johanna took me out to Olive Garden. Yummm!!! :-P We had a good time enjoying each others company and eating yummy food! Thanks girls!!! :-)

Feb. 9th

2006-02-09T23:46:00.000-05:00

Well, I have not updated for a while. I really need to be cleaning my house, but wanted to drop a few quick notes...

This week has been pretty "normal"...work, etc...though I did have a dentist appointment today. I guess that was not "normal"...scrape, poke, prod...ouch! Good report though, no cavities. I did get a referral to an orthodontist. My teeth have made some recent attempts to return to their erring ways, so hopefully we will be able to correct it with minimal effort. :-)

Here are some recent pictures of Shadow. She is quite the cutie...not that I am biased. ;-) She just got groomed yesterday and looks all prettied up, decked out in her hairbows and all...

Tonight Holli and I walked 3 miles. :-) We have been walking 2 miles several times a week, but tonight we had "extra" time, so we went ahead and went a 3rd mile. :-) It has been good.

I am off work tonight, as someone needed yesterDAY off, so I worked for them and they are working for me tonight.

Tomorrow I have a class to renew one of my EMS certifications. I hope it goes quickly. Actually, I think I am the only one signed up for the class. :-)

Well, my munchkin is trying sleep...and I need to go vacuum the living room. Still no decisions on a new place to live. Made some phone calls today about places, but didn't get any helpful answers. :-)