Done with Classes

This picture in the news for 1-9-09

So now that it is the second week of March and I FINALLY have all my recertification hours for the National paramedic - I have a couple of classes to recap...

I attended a Difficult Airway course in Portland. KEWL, it was at home (bonus column) I knew the people there (negative column). Lets discuss the arrogance of some people...

Now, typically if you work that type of job you are going to have confidence. you have to - how else are you going to perform a skill or even attempt a skill if you are not confident that you can do it??? Where do you cross the line to arrogance. Well, the best example was at this class... This guy has worked at the same company for 23 years in the metro area. Great - no problem with that. He thinks he has "got it" - he has seen all there is to see and done all there is to do. You know what I think???? "Hey if you got it all covered - do something else!" I dont want to hear about you. You bore me. You anger me. You aint shit. So of course when he starts on his "scenario" and the flight nurses are perplexed with which way to go. I stand there with a cric- going "here"... Apparently he felt that I was too aggressive and he wanted to continue to fuck with the other people. So I get a run down of his resume... Still not impressed!! and less impressed that he needs to spill his 23 years of accomplishments (or lack there of)... So, whatever man it's your show. Then he talks up this other dude - "well he has 30 years in the field" ok - I remember him, not sure how he has had so long in the field without having his certification pulled for being an idiot. And this dude, when we were all back in the auditorium taking the test. He starts SNORING, shit you not! It was quiet as could be, and he is snoring, when everyone starts laughing - he wakes up. Hummm, dont know what to think of that.

So, I guess I am ok with him finding a spot in life that makes him happy, and he can be the big fish in his isolated pond..... Good luck to ya!

Two days of that course, then it was back to the other ambulance service that I had worked with. I guess the good news is that I have aged (not terribly gracefully) over the past few years. Quite a bit heavier than I had ever been in my life - excluding 8 months pregnant. Oh and the grey hair - I call those platinum highlights. But when I havent had the rest of my hair highlighted - it looks like grey... Bastards - getting that taken care of today.

So the first person I see, that recognizes me - was just starting their paramedic carrier about the time I was leaving. She had to ride as a third person with me for a couple of weeks. She was like "oh my god! you were such fun, we had a nursing home transfer - a good song came on the radio, you cranked it - the patient was foo-barred and we sang all the way to the nursing home" ok, I dont remember that but, thinking it could very well be true...

The instructor has worked that area for ever - before time. And she still has the same stories. Living in the logging community - gutting an elk, when discussing kinematics of trauma. And stories of her child and pregnancy (note, the kid is 20 now). Again, happy in the world they know - never to move on or find new challenges....

Then some dude is there in a kilt. Thats ok, we love our freaks here in Oregon. Why Austin, TX has shirts all over "keep Austin weird" has never been to the Pacific Northwest. So we are doing a two day trauma course - I know this is going to be hands on... maybe that is why he wore the kilt? Then he was all talking he works offshore, for Frontier. Kewl - nice to be a contractor and a day-rate-whore as we call them. No wonder he is wearing a kilt. He was talking a big game, till he found out who I worked for, then he wanted contact information. He go to the web site and submit a CV like everyone else - I aint giving my name up for you.

The second day was entertaining in that - he showed up in a kilt again. There was a girl in there that had been a student about three years ago. I got to telling her funny things, and making comments and she was laughing uncontrollably. So not all was lost.

I did one day see the Operations Manager - or at least that was what he was when I was there. Thought maybe I would drop a pay stub on his desk. Best I could do, was pass him in the hall and call him by name. I think he knew who it was...... I'm pretty sure they dont still have my picture at the front desk, as a management threat......

Gotta send all that paperwork today!!!!