an LJ post right now,

So we play some Madden 10 in the morning and head out to lunch. We come back and squeeze in another half and then back our shit up and head out to the lake. That's right, we were on a boat.

We did some water rescue training and played around a bit with the life vests and learned some quick removal and survival tactics while out there. Drove the boat around all over the lake down to Church St. and back. But while we were on the way back it started to stutter and we damn near ran out of fuel if you can believe it...we coasted in to the dock and moored up right as the engine died on us! =^.^=

Then, as we are unloading our equipment and what not our tones go off. We were listed as 10-7 code 2 (out of service- training) but yet they called for us. Working structure fire all the way on the other side of the district from where we were. We haul our sorry, wet, and sun burned asses off the boat and run up the dock to the engine, jump in, suit up, and roll. Jay didn't have socks or a shirt as they were in the water rescue bag still. Regardless, somehow we ended up on scene and the fire was still rolling! We jumped off and pulled a line from one of the other responding engines and work it.

We even ended up pullin out a kitten. Up thats right, two animal saves in the last two fires. Work it kids. All right, thats it for now. Been a fun fun day so far and hopefuly it will get better.

In review:
Madden 10
Lake
Boat driving
Swimming
Fire
Kitten save

Cheers and be safe,
~Teej

Testing. 1,2,3?

I JUST got the packet from Winston-Salem fire department. They are only now getting ready to continue on with their hiring process. Geez...at least I know I may have made it on with them if the GSO thing hadn't worked out, right? =^.^=

Cheers,
~Teej

So yesterday began my long week. This is the week that happens once every three where we end up working three days instead of two. Its nice because if we get up in the middle of the night for some reason...its extra time on your check. Woot.

...not that I want bad things to happen ya know...its just...yeah...money is good, right? Speaking of things happening, I don't know what it is but the last like 4 shifts overall, not just A shift, have been busy with action: Fires, suicides, wrecks, etc. Yesterday we ran a structure fire up the road on 29 a bit. We were third due in and when we got there we were assigned Vent. and secondary search. We jumped off and I went to work knocking out windows while my Lt. set up the PPV fan at the front door. The crew inside had most of the fire contained and under control by the time we got there but there was still some up above the stove. We ended up finding a locked cage with a little puppy in it. The poor thing was still breathing when we pulled him out and gave it to EMS. They got the little guy some O2 and last we knew, it was still alive. So huzzah...puppy save =^.^=

Just got back in from my run around UNCG's campus this morning. Hit it pretty well including two parking deck stairs and then back down then up the ramps and down again. Saw Engine 5 working on the high-rises doing some training this morning...it was kind of a surprise when I got to the top of the parking deck near the science building and I see a crew on the 6th and 7th floor of the high-rise hooking into the Standpipe and pretending to force the door. I waved and went on my way.

Hope you all have a great week and a good Monday. Be safe and if you are getting ready to go back to school, or are back in school for my GTCC friends, good luck this semester!

Cheers,
~Teej

Check it, yo

Kenya remix

Cheers,
~Teej

Awesome day so far. News tomorrow at 10!

As posted on twitter, as of 0730 engine 55 A shift is 10-8.

Stay safe
Cheers,
~Teej

Watch twitter for updates on shift!

Well, here it is. Saturday is my first shift day. I'm horribly excited and nervous at the same time. =^.^=

Ill try to give you all a great review on Sunday when I get back from work and my run. Hopefully I will have some good pics of the training fire we are doing.

OK, it is time for me to get some sleep.

Cheers,
~Teej

So as we are moving along with the season, I thought it would be a good time to mention some updates.

Seems like Boston is stuck in a slump of mid 70's on the score board. Weakness seems to be coming from the visual caption. I hope the can pick that up.

Santa Clara Vanguard appears to be doing well, and that makes me happy. The are one of my top corps to follow and it makes me happy when they do well. Boston has 4 parades today to march in, which is kinda normal on the 4th of July. Regular shows begin again tomorrow.

And can someone please tell me, why have the Garfield Cadets, Cadets of Bergen County, The Cadets, etc. now changed their name to, get this: Holy Name Cadets!? Anyone? Please?

Cheers all and here's to a great DCI Season!

~Teej

BAC-CBS

DCI Website

Looks like next week I will be house sitting in K-Vegas while my brother goes on vacation for a week. Should be nice really. I will get to hang out up there in the house and do my last bit of studying before my EMT final on Thursday. Play with his dog and cat as well.

Looking forward to it to be honest. Oh well, nothing else of major concern going on aside from keeping you all safe during the 4th weekend. Please be careful while you are out and about or at a con, or going to the beach, or just visiting friends a few miles down the road.

Cheers and have a great weekend,
~Teej

Just as the light was starting to fade, and the sky turned that wonderful reddish-orange color, I looked out my window and smiled a bit.

Every morning for the last week or so, there has been a spider outside my window, and I get to see it every time I wake up, and just as I am about to leave for work, it retreats off somewhere and tears down its web.

Tonight I looked out and with the light just right and the angle from which I was sitting and looking up, I got to watch it build its web. You may not like spiders, but that doesn't mean you can't appreciate the beauty, craftsmanship, delicacy, and functionality of their webs. I just sat here and watched it go to work, and I just smiled.

I always find spiderwebs amazing things to see...just not to walk into. Then it becomes disturbing, hehe

Cheers,
~Teej

Got up and ran a little bit with some friends, then played around on some CoD 4 for a bit as well. Lots of fun.

Came home and did another 1.4 miles while Mitra was in the shower...and now I wait for her to finish so that I can take my shower. Then its off to study and lunch and coffee. Got a test on 3 chapters tomorrow: Pharmacology, Cardiac Emergencies, and Acute Abdominal Emergencies. Should be fun, right? hehe

Cheers all and have a great Sunday,
~Teej

Ok! Let's try to translate this medical jargon into plain English!

"a leading cause of epistaxis is digital trauma"

Comments are screened! Have fun

Cheers,
~Teej

Update: we have a correct answer, but it isn't fair! He is an EMT!

Do you know what time of year it is? Mid June? Yup...and you know what that means...

DCI! The Season kicks off this week! LETS GO BOSTON!

CHEERS,
~Teej

Hey all! Here are two fairly funny videos, but again, they are in German. I would like to request two icons from these videos as well! Ill mention those in a moment.

First video is about the amazing use of atomic power!



I would love an icon of the little "atomi" juggling with the text scrolling or posted with: Koch mal was ich kann!

And this one on the Catholic Church!



I would love an icon of 'Katoli' dancing about with the text KUCHEN! scrolling on top!

You should watch these videos anyway, even if you can't help me with the icon issues. You may not know German, but you might get some context clues along the way!

Tschuess!
~Teej

Some of you may be familiar with the cross used by the Fire departments. But do you know a lot about what it stands for?

The cross itself is called one of two things officially: The Maltese Cross or the Cross of Saint Florian. The latter of these two is the correct one to call it though. Both are 8-pointed stars, but you can tell the difference between the two due to the Maltese cross missing the large arches between the points like the Cross of St. Florian has.

Each of the points represents one of the eight different virtues of Knighthood:

* Tact and discretion
* Loyalty and commitment
* Dexterity and mental adroitness
* Observation, attentiveness and perceptiveness
* Sympathy, compassion and sharing
* Explicitness and thoroughness
* Gallantry, and
* Perseverance

St. Florian is the patron saint of Fire Fighters and meet his martyrdom in 303 for not renouncing the Christian faith. He was believed to be an officer in the Roman army and there are stories of how he was able to put out a fire and prevent a town from burning with one bucket of water and praying. Ironically though, he meet his death by burning at the stake.

Know that we have a nice brief introduction, I will be making 8 more posts after this, one each on each of the points of the cross and its significance.

Let me know if this is something you would be interested in reading about!

Cheers and be safe,
~Teej

EMT day three has been knocked out. Have now covered 5 chapters in 3 days. Today was base-line vitals (Blood pressure, reparations, pulse, assessment, etc.) Tomorrow are lifts and carries. Test on Friday will be the body (yes, the whole body...we did that class in record time by the way), baseline vitals, and carries.

It is a lot of information in a very short period of time. It is of particular annoyance if you have never seen any of this shit before. I know a bunch of the guys in the class are getting frustrated with it, since they don't get a lot of the words. We are working on it...and we need to. I don't want to see anyone fail out at this point...not after the 18 weeks of hell we went through.

Now, not passing the class doesn't mean you get terminated...you just have 2 years to get your EMT-B. I hope we get everyone passed this time around so we won't have to worry about it. I offered my help out there, and I hope they take it, swallow some pride or whatever it is that a lot of fire fighters have stuck up their asses about asking for help, and just ask.

Oh well, we will see what happens. I think they will all get it, it is just a different style of learning than we have been used to lately...it will all work out.

Cheers and be safe,
~Teej