Random Stuff

I feel like I owe you folks a post, but as I used up a bunch of material in my last post, I am kind of coming up dry here today. So you are about to be subjected to a 'stream of consciousness' post. You have been warned.

• I read Rogue Medic's post on bad ambulance drivers this morning and was glad to learn that it isn't just me that feels many of our drivers are a bit too aggressive. When I drive I can seldom avoid all stops, BUT I plan for that stop well in advance and work the speed down over a long distance, then as the vehicle is beginning it's last few few before stopping, I LET MY FOOT OFF ON THE BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE. This little maneuver allows the vehicle to stop without the inertial change and the little jerk. Try it, it might take some practice, but you can actual come to a full stop without anybody realizing you've stopped moving. This little trick, combined with looking way down the road to plan for what MIGHT happen, has kept me from getting any complaints from my techs in the back. Some patients will complain no matter what. To Whit:

PATIENT (on stretcher in back of rig): Tell that DRIVER to take it easy, it's not like I'm gonna die right here!
EMT: Ma'am, we haven't left the accident scene yet.
PATIENT: Don't You tell me! It feels like he is taking us across a cow pasture!
EMT: Yes, Ma'am, I'll tell him. (Under breath: "This is gonna be a LONG ride.")

• Did my morning chores today which includes a trip to my folks house to get then the weekly essentials, milk, bread, etc, along with the Sunday paper. I spend some time doing a few little things around the house and see how they're getting on. With the steady rain today, it doesn't look like they'll be doing much.
• Yesterday, I bit the bullet and spent the day installing my lights and radios in the new truck. It's getting harder and harder to do this stuff in these vehicles with less access holes, more trim, and everything tightened up. But I did manage, after pulling out the center console, carpets, and various door trims, to get everything installed with hardly any wires showing. Halfway through, my driveway looked like some kind of sick extrication drill with parts all over the place.
• This week was a stressful one at the paying job. New product releases are always rough and we are working on one now that is being pushed through at a ridiculous rate (10 weeks instead of 6 months), and there are always a lot that can go wrong. My part of it is almost done and ahead of schedule. I excel at these types challenges because it was my specialty for 20 years and I have gotten good at pulling a rabbit out of a hat. The other parts of this project are loafing along and we will most likely have a mad rush near the deadline to make it all come together, but at least they won't be waiting for my stuff. I was so drained when I got home Friday that I was in bed by 8:30.
• So Saturday when I got up and decided to get the truck work done, I completely blanked out on a public service/community day event that was taking place, and I missed it completely. I have to send a note of apology the organizer, but to be fair, I had not gotten a reminder or anything in the last 2 weeks.
• In spite of all the stuff on my mind this week, I found myself thinking about the trials of another blogger friend across the state who is sailing some rough seas with her Department these past couple of months. I hope things worked out to her satisfaction, but I know she will come out of it fine in the long run.
•  My damned dog ran off yesterday. It's a game she plays and thinks it great fun. She just goes out for a 'walk-about' then comes back in an hour or two. But like a fool I went looking for her with the truck because she won't come to me when I'm on foot, but she loves tuck rides and will jump right in. I found her grazing at the other end of the swamp, and when I opened the door she jumped right in, on my new seats, all dripping with brown swamp water. So today, if the rain lets up, I'll try and get the new stains off my new seats. Yeah, she's cute, loving, and my best buddy, but when she does stuff like this she is just the 'damned dog'.
•  Sunday's around here are a little different. Most of my friends and neighbors work 7 day weeks, so Sunday is just another work day, sort of. They try to make some time for family by starting early, doing short fill in jobs, or saving Sunday for doing quotes and estimates. I ran into several at the local coffee shop this morning and they were all discussing the rainy day plans, one already had 4 hours work in by 9am. I felt guilty heading back home to do whatever chores I felt like, or not, around the place here.
• TOTWTYTR had a fun post yesterday about his day at the range. I love posts like this because they take me away from the routine and transport me to another place and time, and the writer is not even aware of what he is doing for me. His post brought me back about 25 years to my own day at the range when I was testing out a (new to me) rifle I had rescued from mothballs that was chambered in .222 Remington. I loaded up the clip, took aim, and CLICK. Nothing. Waited a few minutes in case of a hang-fire, chambered another round, took aim, and  ... CLICK. I thought I had a box of bad ammo, so I turned it in to the Range Officer. After returning home and doing some investigating, I figured out that the rifle had spent so much time sitting in a rack, cocked, that the firing pin spring had gone soft. A week later I replaced the spring, went back to the range, and she fired just fine. That gun is a real tack-driver. In those days I would be at the range once or twice every week running hundreds of rounds through my handguns, rifles, and occasionally shotguns. I miss those days when I spent my beer money on powder, primers, and bullets.
• Every time I think about FDIC I get excited. Although I still have no idea how I am going to come up with the money, it looks like this is really going to happen for me. Now we have three of us planning on going from the area, and I am going to try to get together with the other guys to firm up some long term plans. I just can't wait.
• I added a page to the blog yesterday titled "Series Posts" (see it up there at the top?). This is just a place for me to put quick references to the longer multi-part series that I have done. Check it out and see if there isn't something you missed from the past. I'll also have posts I feel are worthy of referring to later, it makes them easier to find.

Well that's all I got for today, sorry. No big EMS or Fire revelations here, just routine stuff. I'm sure my issues are of little interest to you, but you have to take what I've got, and today, that's not much. Maybe later something brilliant will hit me.
 Be Safe, Be Sharp,
UU