July 2016
Friday 01- 102 degrees.
I did my stretches, weight bench, yoga, took Cassie for a one mile jog, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.
Studied and finished Chapter 26 and its quiz and then began chapter 27.
Saturday 02- 106 degrees.
I did my stretches and took Cassie for a walk.
I went to the community first Saturday breakfast. I got there around 8am and started taking folk’s vitals for my EMR class. I needed to fill out the whole sheet with vitals for twenty some people, I had seven left to do and I got them all filled out and done.
I finished chapter 27 and all the quizzes. Now to work on the acronyms they use in the EMS field.
Sunday 03- 104 degrees.
I did my stretches, weight bench, yoga, took Cassie for a one mile jog, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.
I had to do a couple of rewrites for class. I started trying to remember all those darn acronyms.
Monday 04- 106 degrees.
I did my stretches and took Cassie for a mile run.
I did some studying of them acronyms, but I’m about burned out on the whole EMR studying thingy that I’ll just spend a little time on them today and do something other than studying and maybe play the guitar or whatever; besides I finished all the chapter tests... I just have the hands on test to complete and I believe we’ll be studying these in the rest of what’s left of the class.
I took Cassie for a nice long walk.
The internet went out so I ended up studying the EMR book anyways.
Tuesday 05- 105 degrees.
I did my stretches and me and Cassie went for a mile jog.
I went to class and we practiced bandaging and placing a patient on a backboard.
I took Cassie for a nice long walk.
Wednesday 06- 101 degrees.
I did my stretches and took Cassie for a walk.
I arrived at class at 8:20am. We trained on providing oxygen to a patient via HVM and NRM.
I went to Stater Bros to do some shopping but they overcharged me $45.00 for two chicken hindquarters. I didn’t notice the overcharge until I got home. I called them up and they said no problem just bring in the receipt. I will also bring in the now empty box of chicken too, just incase.
I took Cassie for a nice long walk.
Thursday 07- 105 degrees.
I did my stretches and took Cassie for a mile jog where she slipped her collar and ran off. Gosh, all these thoughts went through my mind about having to chase her down and missing class until I got her back, but I just sat down and called to her and she finally came to me. I petted her and told her what a good doggie she is.
I made it to class on time.
Friday 08- 103 degrees.
I did my stretches, weight bench, yoga, took Cassie for a one mile jog, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.
I studied for my hands-on exams.
Saturday 09- 101 degrees.
I did my stretches, weight bench, yoga, took Cassie for a one mile jog, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.
I studied for my hands-on exams.
Sunday 10- 105 degrees.
I did my stretches, weight bench, yoga, took Cassie for a one mile jog, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.
Studied...
Monday 11- 104 degrees.
I did my stretches and took Cassie for mile jog.
In class we did a simulated extraction from a car and also a medical emergency.
I took Cassie for her evening walk.
I studied for my hands-on exams.
Tuesday 12- 106 degrees.
I did my stretches and took Cassie for a walk.
In class we started our hands-on exams with the Medical Emergency. I believe I did well. Tomorrow we will have the other hands-on tests that I keep practising in my head and watching the videos over and over.
I went to Stater Bros to get back my $45 they overcharged me for the two chicken hindquarters. I didn’t notice the overcharge until I got home
On the way home I was pulled over by an officer of the law for speeding... 74 in a55mph zone. I really didn’t noticed I was speeding because my mind was on other things like the on-hands exams of today and tomorrow, but I do believe him. He was very kind and since I wasn’t an ax murderer he let me off with a warning. He said he just wanted me to get home safely. I did have to sign the warning and he asked if I would display it in my car to remind me not to speed, because the next time he wouldn’t be so kind. I have the warning displayed on my visor now.
I took Cassie for her evening walk.
Linda came over to have me look at her Kindle Fire and see why it’s not charging. It was a bad USB cable and I gave her a new cable for it. She also gave me some avocados.
Wednesday 13- 107 degrees.
I did my stretches and took Cassie for a walk.
It’s the last day of class and we had to pass three hands-on tests to get my EMR certificate. I was quite nervous, but passed all three. The three hands-on tests were; coming on scene with a victim lying on the floor... what steps do you take; how to correctly and quickly hook up an oxygen cylinder to a regulator, connect it to a non rebreather mask and apply it to the patient’s face; demonstrate correctly how to save a patient with a cardiac failure using CPR, face-to-mask, bag-valve-mask, OPA (oropharyngeal airway), use a suction device, and AED (automated external defibrillator). I think I did good. I had already received an A on the online test portion.
I went to the end of class barbecue at 5:30pm and mingled around with my classmates until 8pm. Everyone was dang happy the class was over, especially me.
Thursday 14- 108 degrees.
I did my stretches and got ready for me and Cassie to go visit her doggie friends at Sherry’s while her and me go do some shopping.
I had to take a friend to the ER down at Desert Regional in Palm Springs. I sat in the waiting room for two hours observing the sick people and the medical personnel working. I was talking or being talked to by a crazy person I was trying to get away from. Then to top it all off there was a young man, nicely dressed, but with gang tattoos, having been escorted outside by security. The guy wouldn’t leave and got down on his knees and was yammering something to the sky. The security had him there for almost an hour until police arrive. Then after another half an hour they handcuffed him to a wheelchair and brought him into the ER. I didn’t find out what his problem was because I had to deal with the guy who said he was good friends with the John F Kennedy. I didn’t get home until after 8pm. Sherry said it was okay if Cassie stayed with her dogs for a few days so she could lose a few pounds running and romping around.
Friday 15- 109 degrees.
I did my stretches, weight bench, yoga, went for a one mile jog, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.
Saturday 16- 117 degrees.
I woke up late and did my stretches, lifted 20 pound dumbbells, yoga, went for a one mile jog, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes. It was too hot for Cassie to go outside.
Movie night! “Ace in the Hole” (1951) starring Kirk Douglas as a 20 minute hard boiled egg reporter who lost his job in New York and is now stuck in a small town newspaper waiting for a big news break.
Sunday 17- 112 degrees.
I did my stretches.
Monday 18- 107 degrees.
I did my stretches and then went to Copper Mountain College to pick up a packet, but the lady who hands out the packet wasn’t there. I will have to try again tomorrow.
I went to Sherry’s to pick up Cassie and Sherry made some mighty fantastically fine spaghetti which I ate two plate full and took some home. Cassie is on a diet and ain’t gonna get any.
Tuesday 19- 111 degrees.
I did my stretches and took Cassie for a walk.
I went to the college and picked up the packet for EMT, but the lady there said she didn’t think I’d have time to get all of what is required done before the start of the semester on Aug 15. There’s a full physical, a whole lot of shots, a background check, lab tests...
Wednesday 20- 116 degrees And Thursday 21- 117 degrees.
I did my stretches: too hot to do anything else...
Friday 22- 116 degrees.
I woke up early and went for a mile run, core trainer, punched the heavybag, and worked on the weight bench. Cassie isn’t feeling well and I had her stay inside while I did my exercises.
Linda’s car broke down on Coyote road and I went to help.
Saturday 23- 118 degrees Sunday 24- very hot indeed!
I didn’t do much these two days I can remember... just too dang hot to do anything.
Monday 25- 114 degrees.
I did my stretches and took Cassie for a mile jog.
I am turning 65 next month and have to setup a provider with Medicare. I’ve been looking at two programs and decided on the one called Scan. I called the sales rep Christie and she asked to met me locally. I needed to do some shopping at Stater Bros so I told her Burger King would be just fine, but I needed an hour to clean up. She said that was perfect and she could wrap things up with her client she was with now. We met an hour later at BK and I signed up for the Scan program which gives me gym privileges at the local health club right there at the shopping center.
Tuesday 26- 113 degrees
I got up early and did my stretches, weight bench, went for a one mile jog with Cassie, core trainer, and punched the heavybag for three minutes.
Sonors Fat Bike arrived and I started to assemble it.
Lenovo Yoga 11E arrived and I got it all fixed up with the latest updates.
Went to take Cassie for a walk, but the delivery person left the gate open and she was gone like a paycheck in Vegas. I could chase her down and I knew if I paid her no attention she’d come back. So I went back to working on the bike. She came up to me in fifteen minutes and licked my leg.
Wednesday 27- 117 degrees
I did my stretches, exercised lifting 20lbs dumbbells, and took Cassie for a mile jog. Stayed in the house the rest of the day to keep cool.
Thursday 28- 116 degrees.
I did my stretches, core trainer, and went on a mile jog with Cassie.
I posted this on FaceBook seeking friend’s opinions:
The Fork in the Road
I've been busy the last couple of weeks trying to decide on a few things. It’s also been very hot here. There are two things I need to decide between doing: should I continue on the path towards EMT or get back to what I was doing before I took the EMR class; I was writing poems and books. I have 8 books self-published on Amazon, another I’m still editing, and I need to do a rewrite of them all, weave them altogether until I feel comfortable, re-publish and then sink a few bucks into promoting them.
The EMT part of my problem is that it’s something I’m interested in because I like helping people, but I am going to be 65 on the 8th, so to what end will the EMT be helpful... I really don't need a job in it. The EMR class gave me enough knowledge to save lives and get the patient ready for transport.
My biggest problem is that I can only focus on one Big thing at a time; I tend sink my whole being into these “Big Things”... little things I can deal with mostly, but it’s EMT or rewriting my books :)
I am not trying to impress you, I’m just trying to make you see my problem... kinda like using you as a sounding board. That's what people do, that’s how we help each other. Writing this to you helps me put this all down into words and is already helping me come to a decision. The fall semester starts Aug 15 and I won’t be able to take the EMT class this fall, but maybe a medical terminology class and then EMT come spring semester, so I need to come to a decision.
I've been busy the last couple of weeks trying to decide on a few things. It’s also been very hot here. There are two things I need to decide between doing: should I continue on the path towards EMT or get back to what I was doing before I took the EMR class; I was writing poems and books. I have 8 books self-published on Amazon, another I’m still editing, and I need to do a rewrite of them all, weave them altogether until I feel comfortable, re-publish and then sink a few bucks into promoting them.
The EMT part of my problem is that it’s something I’m interested in because I like helping people, but I am going to be 65 on the 8th, so to what end will the EMT be helpful... I really don't need a job in it. The EMR class gave me enough knowledge to save lives and get the patient ready for transport.
My biggest problem is that I can only focus on one Big thing at a time; I tend sink my whole being into these “Big Things”... little things I can deal with mostly, but it’s EMT or rewriting my books :)
I am not trying to impress you, I’m just trying to make you see my problem... kinda like using you as a sounding board. That's what people do, that’s how we help each other. Writing this to you helps me put this all down into words and is already helping me come to a decision. The fall semester starts Aug 15 and I won’t be able to take the EMT class this fall, but maybe a medical terminology class and then EMT come spring semester, so I need to come to a decision.
Friday 29- 116 degrees.
I did my stretches and took Cassie for a mile jog.
I spent two hours writing my friend Ami-Ven a birthday story. She has been doing this on her blog for many years for her friends, so the last couple of years I decided to return the favor.
Saturday 30- 114 degrees.
I did my stretches and took Cassie for a morning walk.
I went to the community Potluck and we all got pretty full on the mighty fine grub everyone brought. Charles called to say he couldn’t make it that his car broke down in Yucca Valley at the Big O Tire. I went after potluck to give him a ride home.
Sunday 31- 112 degrees.
I did my stretches and took Cassie for a walk.
Charles called to ask if I’d pick him up and take him down to Yucca to pick up his car; I said yes and drove him to Big O where they had fixed his car. It turned out to be a bad alternator and needed to be replaced.
Goodbye July. You’ve been a very interesting month with the EMR class where I met new people and found that I still had it in me at the college level.
***** Stuff I Wrote this Month******
A young Ami Ven went on a ski trip with her family to the Rocky Mountains. While the rest of her “expert skiing family” went off on the ski lodge’s many trails and ski runs, Ami, being this was her first time skiing adventure was forced to take a one-hour instruction class with a bunch of little kids. Her Mom, being a very protective Mom, had put so much insulation between Ami and the elements that she became so stiff she kept falling on her behind trying to learn the maneuvers their instructor was teaching. The younger children in the class seemed to enjoy Ami’s antics persistently laughing at her when she fell. To make matters worse after the class was through she was restricted to the Hansel and Gretel ski trail.
She went up and down the trail a few times. It was made easy to get back to the top grabbing onto the continuous rope-tow connected to a large red spinning wheel at the summit and a smaller one at the bottom.
The Hansel and Gretel ski trail was yellow taped off so the young skiers wouldn’t wander off trail, but one section of tape had been torn by a deer during the night’s heavy snowfall and was missing. This is where Ami made her grand exit from the beginner’s trail and out into the freezing cruel wilderness of the Rockies.
After a spell Ami noticed the rope-tow wasn’t where she expected it to be. She called out for help… nothing… she yelled… not a sound… she screamed until her lungs almost froze from inhaling the frigid dry air… growling, snarling, and yelping sounds came from the tree line just above her; a pack of wolves! The pack started slowly down the snow packed ridge towards her carefully sniffing the air.
Ami made a run for it and skied down the steep mountain slope as the wolves gave chase. Missing this tree and that rock, Ami thought she might have a chance of getting away, but a large boulder was planted right in her path and what she saw beyond it was a great fall of hundreds of feet and unquestionably death.
The wolves now had her encircled where she stood in front of the giant boulder with her ski poles pointed at them as they snarled, and snapped at her and each other. The alpha-male decided he wanted first pickings of Ami and turned towards the others with raised hair and yellow teeth showing. So fierce was the alpha’s glare that a young male skittered off whimpering with tail between his legs.
As the alpha-male was about to make his leap onto a frightened Ami, he suddenly stopped. There was a rumbling, the ground shook beneath Ami’s feet, and then darkness.
It was cold and dark and the back of her head hurt. She didn’t know how long she’d been out or which way was up or down, at least at first. She took her glove off and felt around. Ami discovered she was in a small crevasse of the boulder. Her back was against it and she could feel where it slanted up. She continued searching and felt something like a rug was lying next to her; the alpha-male!
He wasn’t moving. His head was buried under the snow of the avalanche that apparently struck them. Without a thought, Ami dug out the head of this wild creature of the mountains. His breathing was faint, but he was alive. She pulled him next to her to keep them both warm.
When the wolf finally woke he growled and snarled at Ami as she was petting him. He then settled down for a little while as Ami talked soothingly and continued petting.
“Okay Mister Wolf, we need to get out of here before we use up all the oxygen.”
With her broken ski pole she began digging into the snow above and next to the boulder. She kept clawing and digging at the packed snow to get free. Then the wolf figured it out and together they both dug and clawed until finally they broke through to see the brilliant blue of the mountain sky.
“Now don’t you eat me Mister Wolf,” Ami said knowing the wolf wouldn’t understand, but really, really hoping he would not eat her.
The wolf was the first one out and Ami could hear the growls of the rest of the pack. Maybe she should just stay here, she thought to herself.
The alpha-male came back to look down into the hole they had dug and gazed deep into Ami’s eyes. It was then she knew it was okay to come out.
She worked her way out of the snow refuge that had protected her and the wolf and into the daylight and brisk mountain air. The pack then surrounded her as before, but this time there wasn’t any snarling and snipping, they just stood there panting as the alpha-male came up to her. He nudged Ami along in a direction of what would turn out an hour later to be where she had left the Hansel and Gretel trail. It would have been a sight to behold seeing this young girl surrounded and protected by a pack of wolves, but no one saw, no one would ever know. Ami believed no one would believe her story and left that part out as her concerned mother attended to the bump on the back of Ami’s head.
Ami came back to the ski lodge the next season. She was eighteen now and could come and go as she pleased. The lodge had only one cabin available far from the others and she rented it for the weekend. She continued her ski lessons that day. She mastering some of its skills and progressed past the Hansel and Gretel trail and onto an intermediate one.
She was very tired that night and went to bed early, but was awoken a few hours later by an insistent scratching at the cabin door.
To be continued?
She went up and down the trail a few times. It was made easy to get back to the top grabbing onto the continuous rope-tow connected to a large red spinning wheel at the summit and a smaller one at the bottom.
The Hansel and Gretel ski trail was yellow taped off so the young skiers wouldn’t wander off trail, but one section of tape had been torn by a deer during the night’s heavy snowfall and was missing. This is where Ami made her grand exit from the beginner’s trail and out into the freezing cruel wilderness of the Rockies.
After a spell Ami noticed the rope-tow wasn’t where she expected it to be. She called out for help… nothing… she yelled… not a sound… she screamed until her lungs almost froze from inhaling the frigid dry air… growling, snarling, and yelping sounds came from the tree line just above her; a pack of wolves! The pack started slowly down the snow packed ridge towards her carefully sniffing the air.
Ami made a run for it and skied down the steep mountain slope as the wolves gave chase. Missing this tree and that rock, Ami thought she might have a chance of getting away, but a large boulder was planted right in her path and what she saw beyond it was a great fall of hundreds of feet and unquestionably death.
The wolves now had her encircled where she stood in front of the giant boulder with her ski poles pointed at them as they snarled, and snapped at her and each other. The alpha-male decided he wanted first pickings of Ami and turned towards the others with raised hair and yellow teeth showing. So fierce was the alpha’s glare that a young male skittered off whimpering with tail between his legs.
As the alpha-male was about to make his leap onto a frightened Ami, he suddenly stopped. There was a rumbling, the ground shook beneath Ami’s feet, and then darkness.
It was cold and dark and the back of her head hurt. She didn’t know how long she’d been out or which way was up or down, at least at first. She took her glove off and felt around. Ami discovered she was in a small crevasse of the boulder. Her back was against it and she could feel where it slanted up. She continued searching and felt something like a rug was lying next to her; the alpha-male!
He wasn’t moving. His head was buried under the snow of the avalanche that apparently struck them. Without a thought, Ami dug out the head of this wild creature of the mountains. His breathing was faint, but he was alive. She pulled him next to her to keep them both warm.
When the wolf finally woke he growled and snarled at Ami as she was petting him. He then settled down for a little while as Ami talked soothingly and continued petting.
“Okay Mister Wolf, we need to get out of here before we use up all the oxygen.”
With her broken ski pole she began digging into the snow above and next to the boulder. She kept clawing and digging at the packed snow to get free. Then the wolf figured it out and together they both dug and clawed until finally they broke through to see the brilliant blue of the mountain sky.
“Now don’t you eat me Mister Wolf,” Ami said knowing the wolf wouldn’t understand, but really, really hoping he would not eat her.
The wolf was the first one out and Ami could hear the growls of the rest of the pack. Maybe she should just stay here, she thought to herself.
The alpha-male came back to look down into the hole they had dug and gazed deep into Ami’s eyes. It was then she knew it was okay to come out.
She worked her way out of the snow refuge that had protected her and the wolf and into the daylight and brisk mountain air. The pack then surrounded her as before, but this time there wasn’t any snarling and snipping, they just stood there panting as the alpha-male came up to her. He nudged Ami along in a direction of what would turn out an hour later to be where she had left the Hansel and Gretel trail. It would have been a sight to behold seeing this young girl surrounded and protected by a pack of wolves, but no one saw, no one would ever know. Ami believed no one would believe her story and left that part out as her concerned mother attended to the bump on the back of Ami’s head.
Ami came back to the ski lodge the next season. She was eighteen now and could come and go as she pleased. The lodge had only one cabin available far from the others and she rented it for the weekend. She continued her ski lessons that day. She mastering some of its skills and progressed past the Hansel and Gretel trail and onto an intermediate one.
She was very tired that night and went to bed early, but was awoken a few hours later by an insistent scratching at the cabin door.
To be continued?
The Fork in the Road
I've been busy the last couple of weeks trying to decide on a few things. It’s also been very hot here. There are two things I need to decide between doing: should I continue on the path towards EMT or get back to what I was doing before I took the EMR class; I was writing poems and books. I have 8 books self-published on Amazon, another I’m still editing, and I need to do a rewrite of them all, weave them altogether until I feel comfortable, re-publish and then sink a few bucks into promoting them.
The EMT part of my problem is that it’s something I’m interested in because I like helping people, but I am going to be 65 on the 8th, so to what end will the EMT be helpful... I really don't need a job in it. The EMR class gave me enough knowledge to save lives and get the patient ready for transport.
My biggest problem is that I can only focus on one Big thing at a time; I tend sink my whole being into these “Big Things”... little things I can deal with mostly, but it’s EMT or rewriting my books :)
I am not trying to impress you, I’m just trying to make you see my problem... kinda like using you as a sounding board. That's what people do, that’s how we help each other. Writing this to you helps me put this all down into words and is already helping me come to a decision. The fall semester starts Aug 15 and I won’t be able to take the EMT class this fall, but maybe a medical terminology class and then EMT come spring semester, so I need to come to a decision.
I've been busy the last couple of weeks trying to decide on a few things. It’s also been very hot here. There are two things I need to decide between doing: should I continue on the path towards EMT or get back to what I was doing before I took the EMR class; I was writing poems and books. I have 8 books self-published on Amazon, another I’m still editing, and I need to do a rewrite of them all, weave them altogether until I feel comfortable, re-publish and then sink a few bucks into promoting them.
The EMT part of my problem is that it’s something I’m interested in because I like helping people, but I am going to be 65 on the 8th, so to what end will the EMT be helpful... I really don't need a job in it. The EMR class gave me enough knowledge to save lives and get the patient ready for transport.
My biggest problem is that I can only focus on one Big thing at a time; I tend sink my whole being into these “Big Things”... little things I can deal with mostly, but it’s EMT or rewriting my books :)
I am not trying to impress you, I’m just trying to make you see my problem... kinda like using you as a sounding board. That's what people do, that’s how we help each other. Writing this to you helps me put this all down into words and is already helping me come to a decision. The fall semester starts Aug 15 and I won’t be able to take the EMT class this fall, but maybe a medical terminology class and then EMT come spring semester, so I need to come to a decision.
What is Art? It’s more like what you believe Art is to you. I believe Art has many mediums an artist can use to express their creativity and depth of feeling. What a spectator sees as Art is up to that individual's tastes and their acceptance to new ideas. Art may hang on private walls, hotel lobbies, or foyers of museums gathering dust or be as fleeting as a mime's antics in a park. Great art is what makes you suddenly step back in awe, to ruminate on the artist's message, to rip apart your ideology and lay it bare before you like a blank jigsaw puzzle you need to rearrange to become whole again.
~RD
~RD
...and the universe opened up before him, a rift between life, physics, and of what is, was, or will be. Into the dark abyss he spiralled seeing gray shapes of his past as if watching some bizarre silhouette puppet show being played out before him. Down down down he went legs and arms flailing as he tried to control his descent. Time had no place here, an endless nothingness, an intimate relationship with infinite realities yet to be born.
~RD
~RD
Old friends are little treasures we safely tuck away, unlike like our enemies we keep at bay. Old friends are always ready, and never lost, unlike money or old shoes, old friends are neither spent nor ever tossed. They be here for us and us for them, when the time is right they just show up, and that’s just the way it is.
~RD
Sometimes you have to devote your whole being when your journey suddenly ends at a crossroad. Deciding which road is a detour, weighing your odds for this road or another. Standing at the precipice of your destiny, the harsh cold forbidding winds of fate blowing hard against coat and hat as you lean in and take that first step forward.
~RD
*************
