Yes I am a slacker when it comes to updating this thing. Currently, I am sitting at home working on a brisket and feeling the slow steady narcotic wave of my first percocet wash over my pain wreched body. For those I haven't seen in person lately, I have been suffering severely from the back injury I suffered 3 1/2 years ago. The military never fixed it, and now it is getting worse.
So, finally, I got to see a Doctor who actually listened. It only took me telling him what I had been thru and what I was currently experiencing for him to say "Sit down, do this, move this." and then say "You have a herniated disc between L-5 and S-1." DUH!!!!!! I've been saying that for 3 years now. But no one believed me. Anyway, I have an MRI scheduled for this coming sunday and a follow up with ortho on my mom's birthday, March 6th.
I'll keep everyone updated, but I don't think I am going to get out of this one without getting cut! Please keep me and my family in your prayers, especially since I don't know what this will do for my current job with the Fire Department. Also, keep my mom in your prayers. She is going to have a second hip replacement, because the first one is not working right, osteoporosis, and she also has a stress fracture in her sacruum, aka tailbone.

Well, if you read her latest entry, you know we sold my motorcycle. I am in morning...but I know it is for a good cause. Kayla will be starting nursing school in a few weeks, and it is quite a haul to the campus, and as much as I tried, I couldn't convince her to just ride my bike back and forth. So, the end of an era. Not, that I've been riding it much lately, but it was hard to let it go.
Work has been going well. Was really busy for a few weeks there, and then it kinda dropped off. Historically, Nov. thru Feb. are the busiest fire months. Guess that's why Oct. is "Fire Prevention Month." I'm just about sick of asking 5 and 6 year olds if they know how to "Stop, Drop, and Roll." But, if it saves one child, I know it's worth it.
So, here I sit in the calm before the storm. We are finally able to put in for our permanent duty assignment, but I am still trying to decide exactly what to do. I am trying to get into the Technical Rescue Team, but there is no guarrenty that I will get in there. Prayers would be appreciated, seeing as how if I don't get in there, I am pretty much going to get stuck at the worst station no one else wants to go to.
Anyhow, I guess that's about it for now.

Well, yes it has been a long time, but, it's been busy. I finally graduated and have started my probation as a San Antonio Firefighter. It has taken some getting used to, but I am enjoying it so far. Oh, and my speach at Graduation went well. Haven't put out any big fires yet, but did get to be back-up, to the back-up, to the back-up, at a 2 alarm fire that started at 1030 wednesday night and wasn't truely out until after 4am.
Kayla and I are now parents, well sort of. We bought a boxer puppy. Her name is ruthie and she is quite a handful.
Yesterday around noon, I was getting stuff prepared for dinner last night, chopping onions, and sliced the tip of my left pinky finger nearly off. So, I got to go experience the joys of TexMed Clinic and get 5 stitches. So, feeling really dumb aside, my finger really hurts and I am at work now. Have already made to medical runs, and let me tell you what a joy puting latex gloves on is!
Anyway, that's it for now.

It's been a good while since I have updated, so here it goes. After 6 weeks of waiting to take the EMT National Registery Test, I finally got to take it on April 13 at 1:00 PM (aka 1300) For those who don't remember that was a Friday. I'm not superstitious, but the fact being that half of my class got to take the test on Thursday and they knew whether or not they had passed by 4:00PM Thursday. The test is actually taken electronically at a testing center. It starts out asking easier question and progressively gets harder until you get enough question correct to pass that subscale. A subscale is a subject area such as Patient Assesment, CPR, Ventilation, etc. Well, the test cut me off somewhere between 74 and 80 questions. Then I had to wait all weekend to find out whether or not I had passed. Not what I call a relaxing weekend. Monday, at about 9:00 AM we finally were informed that we had passed, all of us who had taken it Friday. So, out of 35 only 2 had failed. They will be taking it again in 2 weeks. If they fail the second attempt, they'll be looking for other employment.

Anyway, other than that, training is going well. We graduate exactly 8 weeks from today at 2:00 PM at the Municiple Auditorium, Downtown San Antonio. It promisses to be BORING. Oh, and I have to give a short speach.

I'm currently still trying to recover from our week long meeting with RJ Stevens. It was a good week over all, beside the fact that I had 4 test that week, in addition to the meeting every night! I think all the crazyness finally caught up to me. Yesterday, I woke up nauseous and could barely stand. I went to work because we had, yes you guessed it, another test. I ended up vomiting twice during the day, and couldn't drink anything with out getting more nauseous. Even so, I made a 94 on my test and came home. Kayla took good care of me last night and made me Chicken Noodle Soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, the only thing I kept down all day. Thanks Babe!

Did I say it's been a while since I updated. Here's a little tid-bit to piggie back on one of Her blogs. Drama, Drama, Drama. Last weekend, I took Kayla to SeaWorld. On the way there, I got a call from our class V.P. He told me someone had sent an email to the whole class, accussing me and another one of the student of Cheating on the Tests! He said that we had the answers to all the tests. So, as soon as I got home, I replied to the Anonymus Emailer, he had used an alias to send the email. I dispelled all doubt that there was any chance that I had been cheating. Satuday night, we all got an apology email from the mysterious mailer. But, all I wanted was an apology face-to-face, man-to-man. As the week went on it looked more and more like we would not find out who it was, until Wednesday morning. The culprit acctually got up in front of the class and apologized and explained why he had sent it. Even longer story, not so long- Family problems, got drunk, thought it would be funny, regretted it, let's move on.
I guess that's it for now. Until next time.....

ya, so not exactly the update you all were probably expecting, but, I have been sick for the last three days. I thought I was going to be okay yesterday, pushed it too hard and made myself worse. So, here I am....I'm forsaking the assembly today.

In other news. I did start the SAFD Academy back in January, after 2 years of waiting...well it will be once I graduate. It's been quite an adjustment going from being in charge of a bunch of young marines and teaching them, to being basically the lowest man on the totem pole and having to take orders again. But, I am adjusting nicely. Right now we are in the final weeks of EMT training. It's been really interesting, but a ton of studying. At least 3 hours a night, and even more on the weekends. I have also done 2 rotations in the ER at UT Health Science Center- University Hospital, and 2 ride outs with paramedics. I've definately seen how the good I have it and have a renewed perspective on how important good health is. I actually got to ventilate a 59 year old woman in respiratory distress last tuesday. She had (clear airway, takes deep breath) asthma, congestive heart failure, diabetes, Hypertension, was on oxygen treatments, about 40 prescription drugs, and her husband was smoking in the house!!!! Her oxygen saturation was 62% when we got there! The average person sustains about 95% or higher on room air. FUN TIMES! A week from tomorrow I will be taking my National Registery test. Wish me luck! After that we head out to Landa Park in New Braunfels for Swift Water Rescue. I'm kinda nervous about the water;)HA! Then, back to the actual fire academy.

Well, guess that's 'bout it. Take it easy and stay away from University Hospital and South"death" General!