Doctors Can Be Funny

From our Medical Director.
He is addressing some parents-to-be.

Finally, congratulations to a few of our colleagues who have been blessed with expanding their families in the past few weeks. Children are a great gift. For you new parents, here's a brief preparatory exercise consisting of several tests that should help with the new little angels:

MESS TEST
Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Place a fish stick behindthe couch and leave it there all summer.

TOY TEST
Obtain a 55-gallon box of Legos (or you may substitute roofing tacks).Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try towalk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream because this would wake achild at night.

GROCERY STORE TEST
Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you asyou shop. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat ordamage.

DRESSING TEST
Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag makingsure that all the arms stay inside.

FEEDING TEST
Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Suspend from theceiling with a cord. Start the jug swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls ofsoggy cereal into the mouth of the jug, while pretending to be anairplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.

NIGHT TEST
Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8-12 pounds ofsand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 3:00p.m., begin to waltz and humwith the bag until 9:00p.m. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for10:00p.m.Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have everheard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4:00a.m. Setalarm for 5:00a.m. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years.Look cheerful.

INGENUITY TEST
Take an egg carton. Using a pair of scissors and pot of paint, turn itinto an alligator. Now take a toilet paper tube and turn it into anattractive Christmas candle. Use only scotch tape and a piece of foil.Last, take a milk carton, a ping-pong ball, and an empty box of CocoaPuffs. Make an exact replica of the Eiffel Tower.

AUTOMOBILE TEST
Forget the BMW and buy a station wagon. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone andput it in the glove compartment. Leave it there. Get a dime. Stick it intothe cassette player. Take a family size package of chocolate chip cookies.Mash them into the back seat. Run a garden rake along both sides of thecar. There, perfect.

PHYSICAL TEST (Women)
Obtain a large beanbag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes.Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10 of the beans. And try not tonotice your closet full of clothes. You won't be wearing them for a while.

PHYSICAL TEST (Men)
Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask theclerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest food store. Go to thehead office and arrange for your paycheck to be directly deposited to thestore. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the lasttime.

FINAL ASSIGNMENT
Find a couple who already have a small child. Lecture them on how they canimprove their discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet training and child'stable manners. Suggest many ways they can improve. Emphasize to them thatthey should never allow their children to run wild. Enjoy this experience.It will be the last time you will have all the answers.

I've Never Met Anyone Famous Before...

Yesterday, I started out sitting with Grant's father-in-law. I was supposed to be taking care of him while Kendall "walked." Since I was on call for Saturday, I bargained to get a standby for the evening so that I could be available in the morning. The powers that be did not have to allow this and they usually don't. I knew I wasn't going to get to do the Bike Medic thing and be at the Trail of Lights 5K. I did beg to do this, but was beat out of the competition when the guy in charge offered anyone who would volunteer, Starbucks along with the gig. If they called me to work day or night shift, it wouldn't matter - no TOL for me. So I did a standby at the Toros game. I not a big fan of basketball, but the Toros games are really nice. Very family oriented, activites for the kids, all kinds of diversions during slow times, and if you do like BBall, you are very close to the action. You could be watching the next Michael Jordan. You never know.
Oh, you were wondering about the famous person? Well, we parked our stretcher with all of the equipment on it (everything you need to handle anything from a bandaid to a full code), and sat in our designated chairs. An excited young man approached and said, "I never met anyone famous before! See? Over there? Do you know who that is?" Ahhhh, no. "It's Eva Longoria!!!"
Slow down dude. I don't think seeing her qualifies as meeting her. He was so excited, I had to pretend that I recognized that she was famous. Then I had to do the same thing for at least three more people. So when I got home I looked her up. She sounds like a really nice lady.
I did not meet her. I have seen and even talked to a few famous people and I am sure they are all nice. Did I tell you that I got to sit with Bill in the morning? Grant's father-in-law? I felt like I was the lucky one at the end of the morning. Or maybe the one who was entertained so that his family would feel better about him not being up to go to the graduation. The point is, the famous are often a curious and passing interest. Truly interesting and remarkable people are the ones otherwise known as ordinary.

Naturals

Suzy said today that she wasn’t a good cook – whateevvver! Suzy is a great cook!!! She is creative and she has a style, panache, elegance, and flair most people would be envious of. I like to cook, but I am not necessarily a good cook. I have a lot of experience since I began cooking at a young age. My mother started working at nights while I was still in Junior High. She had to leave a hungry husband, three girls and two to four boys and their hungry friends (usually 4-6) to fend for themselves. Well they didn’t get to fend for themselves, because I took over fending for them. So I learned to cook in bulk: Mom’s diner style, Army mess-hall style, cafeteria style – you get the picture. But I am not a natural. I have to work at it. Suzy is a natural and I am always impressed with her cooking and her style.

This is not to ignore Cy and Kimberly. They are also naturals - good cooks who make efficient, tasty, spicy, mostly-good-for-you kinds of dishes. They always make the stuff you can’t resist. It’s not traditional soul food, but soul food none-the-less.

I’m hungry.

Do Try This

After my nice cleaning and a clean bill, I decided I REALLY should start eating better. I am eating more raw veggies, but usually with help from a dip or cheese of some kind.

This is the latest thing I tried:
stuff celery with Jalepeno Cream Cheese from Full Quiver Farms. Then stick whole pecans into the cheese all the down the stalk.

Don"t Try This At Home

So I was driving home from a shift at M21 tonight and I took the Mopac route to Davis and then cut through the sud-division to 1826. When what to my wondering eyes should appear? No, not reindeer, but a Bobby Lee lool-a-like, walking down the non-existant shoulder of 1826, barefoot, in a leather jacket and print boxers. It is dark-thirty. People are zooming past this guy with barely inches to spare. I turn onto Gallant Fox and think about what I should do. Calling 911 seems silly. So I turn around, turn on my flashers and wait for at least 30 more cars to speed by. Then I pull out onto 1826 and pull up next to walking-guy. His car is broke down. His wife is in Manchaca. He needs to get to the gas station. Cars are honking. Get in. (He sees my uniform and I know he won't try anything... crazy). I drive towards the gas station. "So," I say, "you are a long ways from Manchaca." He says: "I get into trouble." "What kind of trouble?" I ask. "Family violence."
F... I just picked up an axe murderer who resembles Bobby Lee - I think I will now call him Wing Nut...
So I take Wing Nut over to the gas station at the intersection of 1826 and 290 (yes, I made him put on his seat belt). I tell him to get out and I will call someone who will help him. 311 and a link to TCSO non-emergency. In less than 5 minutes, SO arrived to "help" my new friend Wing Nut.
A happy ending. But don't try this at home, kids.

Missing

C&K are all moved out and I sure do miss them. I have kept myself busy though, putting away things that have been in boxes or shoved in spaces for at least 3 and ½ years. Of course, I have also rearranged the furniture. (I used to do this all the time, especially when no one was home. That way they would come home and… surprise! Usually a good surprise, except when they all came home after dark. Some people redecorate, I rearrange).
Anyway, I have found only a handful of things left behind by C&K. The best so far are the nalgene bottles. I have filled both of them every day for work. One bottle goes on the “truck” with me and one stays in the station. Very nice reminders of C&K.
And I thought of a new term to describe people who are welcome in many places by many people and have many homes they can go to whenever they want – the homefull.
Next week I hope to utilize one of the things they intentionally left behind. If I do, I’ll post a picture for you.

Deer Don't Really Like Figs, Just The Trees

I came home from work this morning to find a little buck rubbing his antlers on my fig tree. I drove toward him and he was so intent on his destruction on my fig tree limb, that he didn't seem to notice until the bumper of my car was about 3 feet from him (which is as close as I could have gotten without driving over the curb and onto the lawn). Anyway, when I had inspected my fig after the first sighting (see previous blog), I wondered why all the leaves were on the ground and had no bite marks. Now I know. Bastard!

Deer Like Figs

When I drove home tonight from S&P's big pumpkin carving party, there was a big ol' deer muching on my fig tree! I alsmost never see deer in MY front yard and certainly didn't except that they would like figs??!! The deer did not stick around for a pic.
About that party... boy did they like S's Beef Stew. By the time I went to get some, there was only broth left. Still yummy, though. And did I mention that the Cranberry-Avacado Salsa and Spinach Dip were also VERY yummy. I thoroughly tested them prior to the arrival of the pumpkin carvers. I really didn't deserve any beef stew...

Eight Boxes

Usually, I can only be bothered to blog about food or bugs. Today, however, I got eight boxes from UPS. Eight boxes!!!? What could it possibly be? I hadn’t ordered eight of anything. I did order some “party” plates from Macy’s that didn’t make the first shipment due to being, I forget the term, but they meant that somehow the “party” plates and/or their boxes were destroyed, crushed, mutilated – undeliverable. Yup, it was my party plates, one per box. There they are in the last photo, next to a dinner plate, to give you an idea of the carbon Bigfoot print I inadvertently produced.

Smile! Say Cheeeese – Cake!!

Pre-heat oven to 375°

1 and ¾ cup finely crushed graham crackers
¼ cup to ½ cup finely chopped pecans
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted

Mix the first three ingredients together; stir in melted butter. Press into the bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of n 8- or 9-inch springform pan.

3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat-type)
1 cup sour cream (I used organic, full fat)
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup sugar ( I used organic)
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used organic, unbleached)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon rum-extract (if desired)
½ vanilla bean, scraped
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

In a mixer bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, flavorings and vanilla bean. Beat mixture until fluffy. Add eggs and yolk all at once, beating on low speed just until combined. Stir in cream. Pour into crust-lined pan. Place on a shallow baking pan in oven. (you need this shallow pan, as your cheese cake will “weep” and make a mess of your oven without it).
Bake in a 375° oven for 45 to 50 minutes for the 8-inch pan )35 to 40 minutes for the 9-inch pan) or until center appears nearly set when shaken. Cool 15 minutes. Loosen crust from side of pan. Cool for 30 minutes more; remove sides of pan. Cool completely. Chill at least 4 hours. Serve with fruit or caramel sauce.

Now, Say “Chocolate Pumpkin Cake”

Pre-heat oven to 375°

1 ½ cups flour.
2/3 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, plus one yolk

Line the bottoms of two 8-inch pans with parchment paper and lightly butter (or grease and flour). Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Stir the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Beat the butter and sugars together using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and yolk, one at a time. Reduce mixer speed to low and alternately beat in the flour and buttermilk mixtures in thirds. Pour the batter into prepared pans. Bake until a tester, inserted in the center, comes out clean – about 35 minutes. Cool layers completely before icing.

Icing recipes later. I am off to sleep. I need to rest up for work tomorrow at my “slow” station. Well, it was a slow station a couple of years ago. But no more, especially thanks to a couple of nursing homes down the street, where the patient is always: “not mine – his regular nurse is off” “he/she just got here today/yesterday – I have no clue if this is their normal behavior” and “they were just fine a few minutes ago.” All of these nurses could just shorten their report by taking four words out of the former: “…I have no clue...” Vanna can’t even help these people.

Mediocre Home Makeover

I spent at least 3 days cleaning cupboards and putting down shelf paper. Last night I was showing off to C & K: “See, all of these recycled plastic containers on this shelf have lids and the lids are in this fancy storage bin.”
Thirty minutes later, the TV happened to be on, and there was Ty showing the newest family of Extreme Makeover – Home Edition, all of the super-duper, fancy-smancy things their house could do.
Ummm...

Dreams

Like everyone else, I sometimes have vivid dreams. I usually don't remember them. But sometimes I can remember every detail. I had a dream about 4 months ago that has really stuck with me. I was working at this high school and there was a dirt ramp and a pond. Kids were flying wooden airplanes. Then we were in a very large auditorium, but it seemed like a church service or maybe a graduation was going on. Finally, as the dream seemed to be winding down, I saw the last plane take off and I knew it was going to crash. And it did and there were a lot of injuries. Two months ago, our department was asking for paramedics to assist with the Red Bull Flugtag and when I read about it, it really felt like deja vu. The event is this Saturday. I am putting this in writing so that when the event is over and everything is cool, I will feel very silly about my dream. If you don't have anything to do on Saturday, go watch. Don't watch from the landing zone end - just in case.

http://www.redbullflugtagusa.com/Texas2007/default.aspx

Lattice Entertain Mom

I worked a "payback" yesterday at a relatively slow station. We had one call around 1, didn't do anything until midnight and then got up at 0530 for a serious medical call. We got "stuck" on the truck for an hour and a half past shift change (0700). During the lull of the afternoon and evening, I watched at least 4 episodes of CSI on Spike TV. While I was lazing at work, Cy and Kimberly were busy at the house... After work, I hung around the Pflugerville/Round Rock area, drinking Starbucks and reading Suzie's next book, My Sister's Keeper (only a few pages into it, and the story is a keeper - this is going to be a GREAT read). I taught a Body Pump class at the Hester's Crossing gym, stopped at the grocery store and then home. Cy and Kimberly bought me a new rose bush and mentioned it. They didn't say anthing about the new lattice over the deck. I think I was home at least an hour before I noticed it. So while I was chilling at the station, they were busy in the back yard trimming the rest of the vines, ripping out the rotted plywood and adding the lattice. The picture is at night, but isn't it pretty? Wow! C&K are soooooo cool!

Au Natural

I do take short cuts now and then, but I am careful about what I use. I can honestly say that I have NEVER bought a box of Hamburger Helper, for instance. At work the other day, in front of about 10 of my co-workers, one of them asked if the pie crust I made for the peach pie on the grill was homemade or frozen. My response: anyone have a rock?
Food is serious business.

Web Mistress

Suzy, Retta, Cliff and Tor came over for breakfast this morning. As they were leaving, they stopped to admire the spider and her gorgeous web. The web mistress was not at home, but one of her victims was nicely wrapped in the right hand corner of her web, just waiting for her. Can you tell what it is?
Clifford grabbed a branch of the bush under the web and gave it a tug and up jumped the spider! She sped right to the center and did a couple of push-ups (she is definitely part of the family). Right after Suzy and the gang left, we watched as the little lady went and got her scorpion, moved him to the center of the web, wrapped him a few more times in webbing (you know what it looks like when you take a piece of plastic wrap and pull it out and wrap something – it looked like that), and then she had a snack. The scorpion didn’t like it much, but he was not able to do anything with his stinger, it being all wrapped up. Makes me think of the song by the Fabulous Thunderbirds…

Web Update

This morning, before I left for work, I stood and watched the spider re-spinning her web. She moved it just a little more to the left. While I stood there, a nice sized bug landed in her web. She was half way around to it, spinning a thread about 3 inches from the middle. As she got closer to the bug, the bug started to wiggle around. The spider stopped her spinning, moved quickly to the bug, and gobbled him up in a flash. Then she was back to business. I will try to get a video next time.

Pure Relief

The second most exciting thing that happened today was that I awoke WITHOUT a sinus headache. It seems like I have had one for two weeks running. So I must put a plug in for Dr. Hana’s Nasopure. It’s a nasal wash and you squirt it up your nose. Paul asked if it felt like when you get water up your nose while swimming. No, it’s much worse. But the relief is worth it. Yes, you can make your own saline solution and all that, but I like Dr. Hana’s organic, pre-measured salt packets.

The most exciting thing today was working the PT part of our hiring process. I was hoping that I would see Grant come through. Fourteen people took the written and then we got the word that only six would be showing up for the physical ability course (meaning eight people failed the written). I kept looking for Grant’s car and didn’t see it. I was biting my nails and deep in conversation with our new safety guy, when the six candidates walked past me. I had to keep from jumping up and down when I saw Grant in the group.

Peach Pie on the Grill

I made supper tonight for the gang: my chili casserole, guacamole, black beans and rice, corn on the cob and peach pie for desert.
Here’s how to make the peach pie:

8 medium to large peaches (you don’t want soft ripe ones for this recipe; the peaches should be firm)
Pie dough for double crust
3 tablespoons of flour
¼ to ½ cup of sugar depending on the peaches
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
A dash of nutmeg
(OR, you can leave out the spices and use a couple tablespoons of chopped basil)
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons of butter

Cut the peaches in half and cook cut side down over hot coals, about 3 minutes; turn over and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Cool slightly, remove skins and slice. Mix the flour, sugar and spices together. Sprinkle the flour mixture and lemon over peaches and stir gently until combined. Line a cast iron skillet with ½ of pie dough. Add filling and put butter on top. Cover with other half of pie dough, making sure to make a couple of cuts in top. Place the cast iron skillet over indirect heat, coals should be medium. Put the lid on the grill and cook about 30 minutes, turn and cook another 30 minutes. Remove, cool slightly and serve warm with ice cream.

I made two small pies tonight, one with spices and one with the basil. They were both good, but I still prefer the traditional. This was totally worth the effort. Even my pie crust turned out good and I didn’t even inherit the pie crust gene. It skipped a generation and Suzy got it. The best thing about making any kind of pie is having it for breakfast the next morning!

Web Address

Here she is. The little lady is still here after 3 days. Check out her perfect web!

Hatch

Just look at these beauties! These are mild hatches, freshly roasted. You can get them everywhere and at CM they will roast them for you. But why? Why miss out on the aroma in your own home? These are almost ready for tomorrow. I coated them with olive oil, broiled them. Next, they go into a clean paper bag where they will stay for a few minutes, then I will peel them and refrigerate until tomorrow. I made a sort of casserole chili-relleno last week. Here's the recipe:
8 hatch chilis, roasted; 1 pound of organic ground beef; 1 large sweet onion; 3 roasted tomatoes, a couple cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin to taste. Cheese if you are not lactose intolerant.
Lightly oil (olive oil only - no cooking spray - I don't even own any cooking spray anymore) a 9 X 13 pan. Layer half of chili's in bottom. Chop and cook onions, add ground beef and cook until done. Add garlic, tomatoes and spices and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Put meat mixture on top of chilies. Layer second half of chilies on top. Add cheese. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Done. Serve with brown rice or whole wheat orzo, avocado, cilantro, pico and beans on the side. Or Spanish rice and corn. Or, whatever you fancy.

Spider Update
She moved to the other side of the doorway sometime between 10 last night and 530 this morning. I was careful to look outside before opening the door. She did have a couple of strands all the way across the entrance. I carefully broke those strands so that I wouldn't walk through and bring her entire mistress-piece down. She is still there.

Welcome!

It is never too early to get ready for Halloween. This little (she's actually about 3 inches long) beauty found a nice spot at the front door. She moved in two days after I moved the impatients to a cooler spot in the back yard. These types of spiders are always hanging out around here. Sometimes they are at various places on the front side of the house and sometimes in the back. When you come to visit, just be on the lookout. I know I'll be looking. I love seeing them there, I just don't want to have her crawling on me. If that happens, I will scream and the neighbors will be calling the po-po.

Lessons Learned and Things to be Thankful For

Things can change so fast. One second you are screaming because a centipede crawled off a discarded workout glove, and the next second, someone needs stitches.
The person screaming over the bug was me (see previous post). The person needing stitches was Kimberly. Kimberly and Cy have done a lot of work around the yard and I particularly liked the way Kimberly trimmed the big hedge in front of the house and asked her to trim the one on the other side. So while Cy was trimming wild, crazy vines on the back side of the house, Kimberly was making the hedge look awesome. Then I distracted her. The next thing you know, she says “ow”! Then she’s holding her right forearm and says she doesn’t know what happened. She wasn’t holing the clippers at the time. When I take a look, all I see is blood, so I tell her to stay put while I run to get something clean to blot up the blood. Getting a look without the blood, I am relieved to see that it’s just a lac (laceration) that will need stitches. Before I could actually see what was there, I was worried that she might have gotten bit by a snake, so the lac was better than a snake bite. This is something to be thankful for (STF).
I called my GP MD and their office was “short on doctors” so they were no help. Lesson learned: find a new GP. I called the ortho doc, but none of the orthos are in that office on Mondays, or the staff assured me, they would have done it. The ER option seemed like it would be too expensive and also take 3 to 4 hours on a good day. Finally, I remembered the clinic that opened up 4 months ago at Escarpment and William Cannon. We got right in, but did have to wait about an hour for stitches. The doc was a hippie lady in dirty keds and baggy sweat pants, but she was nice and it looks like she did a good job – we’ll see exactly in about 7 days. The nurse dressed Kimberly stitches while I went up front to pay the bill. Kimberly wasn’t supposed to see the bill, but thanks to the primping, preening, receptionist, who advertised himself, in part by having a sticky note on the side of his computer (visible to anyone checking out) with a phone number and “The Full Monty” (I am not joking), she arrived just as he was telling me the total. It wasn’t cheap. This is only information for you, the reader, should you find yourself in a similar situation. I am not complaining. I love Kimberly a lot and I found other STF: we got stitches in a relatively timely manner, pre-numbed and with a clean needle (unlike many countries where you won’t get numbed and the needles are often reused and the dullness is only secondary to how clean they are after how many other people).
Finally, we also learned that it is probably better to blunt cut your bushes, unless they are under a window that you want to discourage would be intruders from entering. What’s that saying, “better than a poke in the arm with a sharp stick”? Now you know how much better.

She Gets It From Me

It's not enough that I grew up in Wyoming with six brothers, five of them older than me, but I have also lived in two very buggy and cockroachy places (not counting Austin). When I was little, my brothers delighted in chasing me with all manner of bugs and spiders. When you are very little, you really believe it when your bothers tell you that the bug/spider will kill/blind/cripple/make you pee the bed. They even tortured me with bat stories. One day, my mother decided to "clean" the bats from behind the hayloft door. All of the bats flew, except for one. It was a mama bat with a baby on her back. Too heavy to fly, she looked for the first dark place she could find, which was up my pant leg. I screamed and stomped, knowing that I would surely die from rabies, while the rest of my family screamed at me to not hurt the poor mama bat. Remeber, I was the one with the bat heading for her crotch on the inside pant leg! What were they thinking??? But I digress...
When I was pregnant with Suzy, we visited Tehran and I remember awakening to two large roaches crawling on me. I screamed so much, the entire household spent the evening calming me and making me tea and playing backgammon with me. Oh, did I mention that we don't have roaches in Wyoming, or at least none that I ever saw.
Then we moved to Houston in 1981 and promptly moved into a roach-infested apartment complex. The first night there, I remember being "chased" by flying roaches. I swear to you that they were as big as small airplanes and they followed my every move. My screaming caused the kids to scream, so whether Suzy remembers it or not, this was her second exposure to my screaming hysterically due to large bugs.
I remain sensitive and tend to scream. A couple of years ago, I went on a call to a residence for some medical problem or another. When went to the back of the house where the patient was. Right away, I noted that there were roaches EVERYWHERE. I did not put my bag on the floor. Then, something grazed my calf...and I screamed like a girl, positive one of those roaches was heading up my pant leg. The patient's family was apologetic (and hid their laughter) as they locked up their chihuahua, who had licked the back of my calf...

Lucky Friday the 13th

Leaving work, I sit at the red light at Faro and Riverside, waiting to make a left turn. The light turns green and I sit and wait while two cars turn. Then I wait while the another car finally decides to turn. So I have waited about 40 seconds, that's how long my light has been green and the light for other traffic has been red. Then I turn. Whoooooosh! Missed me by inches. At 50 plus miles an hour. He never saw me, until he missed me and the red light, THEN he stepped on his brakes. I hadn't looked to the left before turning. Two seconds slower and I wouldn't be writing this. MY Friday the 13th is a lucky one - so far.

MADDDDDDD

Mostly Against Dumb, Drugged, Drunk, Drowsy, Distracted Drivers

So, like, I am driving up Highway 71 towards Bee Cave and the pickup in front of me swerves into the oncoming lane (18-wheeler headed towards her), then swerves to the right lane. The driver swerves a few more times into both lanes. Good sense would dictate dropping back and staying out of the driver's potential crash area, but I was curious. Was the driver drunk? Suffering a serious medical emergency? Something more mundane like unable to talk on phone or apply make-up while driving? So I passed the pickup. And what was the woman doing??????





She had her face in the rearview mirror, flossing her teeth!

These kind of people should have their pictures plastered all over the front page, not Paris Hilton.

Check us out

Please go to austinparamediccycleteam.blogspot.com to check out my posts as well as those of my co-workers. Be sure to scroll down as you will find a link to a photo album.

Memori al Ride, Day One

We started off the morning with a ceremony at the FDNY training academy at Fort Totten, the weather being cool and misty. The FDNY bagpipe crew did and excellant job. Amazing Grace always makes me cry, but especially so, when it is played on the bagpipes. Then we had a police escort that took us from the Bronx to downtown Manhattan, all the way to ground zero. The roads are not in the best of repair, so I spent a good deal of time out of the saddle, protecting my bike more than my butt. But how cool! A police escort, no stops, tourists snapping pictures of us, right through Times Square, past Central Park and THEN, a ride to Statten Island on the Statten Island Ferry, with a beautiful view of the Statue of Liberty. By this time the weather was perfect for riding, having lost the mistiness and growing steadily warmer. We rode to another fire station, where we were fed lunch and then had to load up to drive across the bridge (no more police escort and too dangerous for bikes). We had biked about 30 miles by that time and had another 30 to go to Princeton, New Jersey. BUT, we got lost/seperated after about 20 miles and had to get in vehicles again for the final part of the day. Turns out, it was probably for the best, since I did see lightning just before the skies opened up with pounding rain and wind.
We finished up at Hillsborough Fire Department, who fed us at least four different kinds of pasta, salad, fruit, beer and wine. Did I mention that the food was fabulous? It was.
A little laundry and we are off to sleep.

Bodies

Kimberly, Cy, Kimberly's friend Maggie, and myself wandered over to Bodies in downtown Manhattan. Before getting there, we stopped off at a pizza place we spotted on the way, and had the best pizza I have ever had - yes, it was that good. It was rainey and cold and kept getting colder. No, I shouldn't have gone, but keep convincing myself I am better than I am. Then we ventured over to Central Park and climbed around on the rocks before taking a carriage ride around the park with an enteraining and informative driver (Robert) and his sure footed tenderfoot, Max. Finally, we did not go with our newly arring members of the rest of the team for more pizza. We did not want to spoil the opinion that we had already had the best pizza in NY at lunch. Instead, we got Thai just down the street from the Hotel. And guess what? Another best! I haven't had Thai before, so it was the best for me, but I was assured by the rest of the group that this was good stuff! Oh, we finished off the night with Scrabble - a tie between Maggie and I, with Kimberly and Cy close behind.

Binge Blogging

I must be a binge blogger. I don't blog for a couple of weeks and then 3 in one day!

During our drive this week, we had beautiful weather. No rain to speak of, which was good since I had my bike on top of my car. There were a lot of bugs, though. Thankfully, the bugs on the bike were much less than the ones on the car and came off very easily. Now it is rainy and cold. I am really hoping for warmer weather on Sunday. If not, at least I have a super nice rain coat, thanks to Suzy.
Unfortunately, I have a sore throat and a fever. The sore throat started out this morning and has gotten worse. The fever was the trip-out-to-Long Island-killer. We were looking forward to going out there, in spite of flood warnings. My brother Geoff assured us that the flood warnings here just mean that it will rain and there will be puddles. In Austin, flood warnings are quite a bit more serious as drownings are not uncommon. Cy and Kimberly have kept me company with Scrabble and I am resting as best as I can. If I am worse and/or no better tomorrow, I will sacrifice seeing the sites for getting better.

New York City (almost)

Cy, Kimberly and I drove 30 hours almost non-stop from Austin to NYC. We left Austin at 130 in the afternoon and managed to miss all major traffic in all major cities, that is, until we got to the DC and then Baltimore area. Then we spent 3 to 4 hours driving the 20 or so miles of that area. I might be exaggerating a little, but this was the toughest part. By the time we found a place to stay, just less than an hour from NYC, we were all a little frazzeled. But we found a really nice room on our first attempt (Hampton Inn with a great rate through AAA), food, beer for Cy and wine for Kimberly and I, then showers and sleep in fabulous beds. I am sure that I was asleep within 1 minute of hitting the pillow and didn't waken until 0600 - perfect!
I am doing laundry as I type, already had breakfast and coffee. Kimberly is running on the treadmill and Cy is working in the room (Cy had to bring his work with him to be able to make this trip :-(
We are set to leave the hotel in about an hour. We had some cell reception issues, but by a miracle, my brother Geoff's girlfriend Linda called us and offered a place to stay tonight. She lives out in the Hampton's, so we will be driving out Long Island this morning. One of Kimberly's friend's will be meeting up with us and Linda has promised to give us the 411 on the best things to do/see in the area.
I think I forgot to mention that we did stop just west of Roanoke to visit briefly with Kimberly's cousin, Jesse. From that point on, I have been paying attention to the terrain. The hills are gonna be a blast!!!!!

You don't blog anymore...

Suzy said I don't blog anymore. The last couple of weeks have been hectic. Some continuing ed and resulting testing that was a little stressful. Some overtime and then sleeping during the day while everyone else is having a normal life. I will try to blog more.

Alarming

Tuesday night, Suzy, Paul, Retta and Cliff took off to Lake Jackson. I managed to get my blueberry bush planted, the car cleaned out and my CPR manikins clean and back together that night. I cleaned all day Wednesday so that I would be able to bake most of Thursday. About an hour after falling asleep on Wednesday, the smoke alarm went off. No, there wasn't a fire or smoke, it was just letting me know that it was time for a new battery. Jarred, and a little shaky, I went back to sleep. Two hours after that, a big bolt of lightning struck somewhere near by, knocked out the electricity for a second and set off the security alarm. I jumped up from bed, completely confused and terrified, (mind you, when I am at work, I am regularly wakened by alarms to go to someone in trouble, but nothing like this!). I had never heard that security alarm before. Apparently the alarm is designed to be so loud that the burglar/bad guy CAN'T stay in the house. It was loud enough to paralyze me. I am afraid if anyone ever really broke in and set the thing off, I would be more incapacitated than the bad guy. Anyway, I am glad that the rest of the family didn't have to endure the alarming night that I did.

Vicious Dogs

We just happened to be outside early this afternoon, when we witnessed a near-attack. The neighbor who lives a few houses past us was out with her two kids in the stroller and two dogs sans leashes. The neighbor's child who lives next to us going the other direction was walking down the street towards her house. She was at least 100 feet from the dog, maybe more. The dog, named "Blue" (a Blue Heeler), took off at a dead run, decidedly on the attack towards the child. Paul and I wear screaming and yelling at the dog (okay, maybe I was screaming and Paul was yelling), but the child jumped up into the bushes and the dog finally backed off and came back to it's owner. I am sure I looked like a rabid dog as I told the owner that she needed to keep the animal on a leash and had better not take the dogs out again without a leash. "Yes ma’am. Yes ma’am," was all she said as she headed back to her house with her children and the dogs. I went to the girl's house to let her mother know what had happened, but by the time I went, no one was home. Later, I called the Sheriff's office to make a complaint. The officer (TCSO) was here within 5 minutes! (Paul, this will be the majority of the type of work you will do...). The officer went to talk with the owner. When he returned, I learned that the lady walking the dogs has "memory loss" issues. There is really nothing he can do unless the child's parent's make a complaint. The dog has been complained on before. Here's my point: the guy knows his daughter-in-law is not completely competent (memory loss - I am sorry for her condition and whatever caused it, but it still makes her incompetent and is not an excuse) and yet he keeps a vicious dog that cannot be controlled. He will be responsible for any injury that dog causes. I hope that it won't take a serious injury for the dog to be impounded. The owner is just as responsible for the actions of his dog and his daughter-in-law as a driver under the influence, and in my opinion (it's my blog, it's my opinion), even more so because he knows and has been warned several times.

The Johnson's Are Here

Suz, Paul, Retta, Clifford and the three pugs arrived Thursday, on one of the most perfect days so far this year. At the beginning of the week it was possible to imagine people stopping by on a gorgeous Easter Sunday for a bite of BBQ and a hello to the Johnson's. Now that it's freaking freezing, I am totally whimping out. So if you are in the area, please feel free to stop by, but I will be planning BBQ and more a little later in the year when the weather is bound to be a little warmer and more conducive to outdoor activities, boisterous children, barking dogs, etc.

The Johnson's Are Coming!

Suzy called today as she drove across the border into Texas. She said they would be here tomorrow. Of course, you will probably find out right away when she updates her blog tomorrow. I am planning on having lots of food and other refreshments available on Sunday. I will blog more details on Friday to let you know what time to stop in. Probably all day. All are welcome. Very informal.

Finally

I had been in touch with the people who sent me the broken tripod. I bugged them almost daily. Only one email and one phone call today and I got a response. They are sending me a new "comparable" tripod. They don't even want the old one back. I hope it arrives soon, as I would love to start using it. I think it will be especially helpful during the filming of the Retta Show - Texas Episodes...

New Clothes

Yesterday the doorbell rang. This doesn't happen very often, but I expect traffic is going to pick up. Gisselle was at the door. Natalie had brought clothes for Retta and Cliff. This is really great as I am sure when Suz, Paul and the kids arrive, they will have a ton of clothes for the wash. Natalie asked me for directions to Jaime's house. I couldn't give them. I can get to Jaime's house, but I can't tell you how to get there. No worries, though, as I see from Jaime's blog that Natalie made it to her house. I don't know how Natalie had the time to drive clothes around as she is such a prolific blogger. In other news, I found the first scorpion of the season. I chased him around trying to get his photo for you, but he kept running under things. Eventually I decided it would be better to just get rid of him...

Unexpected Jewels

Maybe this isn't new to anyone else, but...

I was moving things to the storage shed tonight. Of course I was using my handy Petzel headlamp that Suz and Paul gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago. As I was walking back, I saw the most beautiful blue/green, sparkling "lights" all over the ground. The color is spectacular. I moved in closer to the ground for a better look and discovered the diamonds in the rough. I did try to capture the sparkle, but just couldn't do it. Perhaps when Cy and Kimberly are here they will be able to show me how to do it. Anyway, take a look at the creature that has the most beautiful eyes in all the world - at least at night in the glow of an led light.

It's ALIVE!!

Last year, sometime before they left to California, Suzy, Paul, Retta and Cliff planted Cliff's tree. I first attacked the web worms that attacked the tree, picking them off and avoiding any harmful chemicals. Then, during the summer (the long, dry summer), I kept Clifford's tree watered with a trickle from the hose at least every 3 days. The leaves fell off during winter. When things started turning green around here, it seemed like everything, EXCEPT Clifford's tree was alive. The thistle's are almost bushes already! I have checked that tree every day for the past 6 weeks and was starting to think it might not come back. But here it is. The entire tree is about to sprout leaves! Those web worms better watch out!

Shipping

Okay, so I ordered a tripod in December. Like a dumb A, I didn't open it until last week. It was in two parts. I swear I looked (stupidly) at it for at least 30 minutes trying to figure out how to hook the two parts together. Then I realized that it was broken! I should have opened and inspected it when it arrived. Finally, I have been in touch with the manufacturers and was asked to send them a photo. I am sharing it with you...

Cycle Team

This is the Cycle Team unofficial photo. Yes, those are Bicycle Sport Shop Jersey's which they donated to us to wear on the EMS Memorial Bike Ride. They also gave us a couple of water bottles and some spare tubes. From right to left:

Randy Vickery, Aaron Langford, Tree Marsoobian, Susan Erwin, myself and Mark Hawkins. I used my new broken tripod to take the photo (I'll tell/show you later). I had forgotten how to set up the auto shoot and of course didn't know where the owners manual was, but thanks to the internet, it took about 2 minutes to figure out!

What is Indoor Group Cycling?

Most gyms have a group indoor cycling program of some kind. Johnny G is probably the best known of these as he created the “spinning” program. Johnny G’s program is so well known that participants often refer to any and all indoor group cycling classes as “spinning” or “spin.” Other indoor group cycling programs are Precision Cycling, RPM, Schwinn, and Reebok to name a few. So what’s the difference? Not all that much. Most programs purport to mimic outdoor cycling and all tout their program as the best for various reasons.
I started teaching group indoor cycling several years ago. I had taken one class when it was first introduced at my local gym in about 1992 and hated it. The class incorporated weights, resistance bands, and push-ups on the bike – crazy! I vowed I would never take another class. When I started teaching group fitness in 2001, however, my manager convinced me that I should teach group cycle. So against my better wishes and with many pre-conceived notions, I signed up. The instructor training was awesome and changed my mind completely. The whole concept of group indoor cycling had changed by that time and it really did feel like I could bring a little outdoors inside.
With all of that said, instructors vary greatly. When looking for a group indoor cycle class that works for you, you will need to ask yourself why you are going. Do you want to be entertained? Want to be in company during your misery? Want to get stronger? Improve your pedal stroke? Improve your cardiovascular capacity? Be indoors when it is too hot/cold/windy/rainy? Know why you are working out indoors to begin with. Try different classes/instructors until you find a good fit. We always recommend that you try a particular class at least three times before you make up your mind. Maybe that seems like a lot of work, but it is well worth it.
Always bring a towel and water bottle to your class. Proper etiquette includes, wiping the bike down when you are done and raising the handlebars and seats. It also includes NOT carrying on a loud conversation with the person next to you. (I don't usually say anything, because everyone assumes I am mean and tough and when I say something it never comes out right. I have been to lots of classes, though, with sweet little instructors who will not hesitate to tell you that you are being rude). If you must answer your cell phone, take it out of the room. Try not to fart in class. If you have really strong BO when you sweat, take a shower before your class and use deodorant. Your instructor will not likely say anything to you if you violate one of these etiquette guidelines, but your fellow serious participants will have you tarred and feathered! If you have an issue, such as a knee problem and know you will not be able to do some of the drills, let the instructor know so they will understand that you are not ignoring them. If you know that you will have to leave early, also good to let the instructor know so that he/she won’t think you are leaving because you didn’t like the class. Finally, the instructor has the responsibility of bringing a class format that fits all fitness levels, but the bottom line is that it is your ride.

Mutton Races

I worked the Star of Texas Rodeo tonight. It is an easy gig. We park our ambulance and are there solely for the cowboys. The cowboys are tough and mostly tended to by the Justin Healers. Even when a cowboy gets stepped on, thown in the air, bucked off, or run over and is lying on the ground barely moving, we just stand there until and unless we are summoned. We did not get summoned tonight. One of the events is the Mutton Races. Small children don a helmet and protective vest and are put astraddle a sheep. The sheep takes off running and the tyke holds on as long as he or she can. Tonight, a six year-old girl won the event. At the "award ceremony" she was given a beautiful belt buckle. Before she was handed the buckle, she was asked if she would give, first the clown, then someone else, a kiss on the cheek in exchange for the buckle. They have been doing this for years and they even ask the boys, but I think it is time to dump the practice of asking children to give a kiss in exchange for anything. Tonight's young lady said "no" both times. Clearly, she knew that these two people were strangers. I know you are thinking I am radical in this line, but I really believe this is one of those subtle ways children learn NOT to trust their instincts and at the same time learn it's okay to do something not quite appropriate if the bribe is big enough.

Les Mills Quarterly in Houston

Here I am at the Les Mills Quarterly in Houston. With me are Susan Tolji and Steven Renata, Master trainers from New Zealand. They had the quarterly (quarterlies are opportunities to get fitness ce while getting your ass kicked) at the Post Oak Y. Since I used to teach classes there, it was fun to go back and see a few folks that I know. My friend Cecelia let me spend the night with her. Her house isn't far from the POY, so it was perfect. I stayed up late though, drinking wine and talking, forgetting that I would lose an hour of sleep very soon. Cecelia and her husband Mike both got up early and made me coffee and a little breakfast. Cecelia even packed a couple of cookies and a bottle of water for later in the day. I took a total of five different classes. I could have stayed for two more, but I was pretty tapped out after that. Monday morning, I didn't hurt too bad. As I was driving around Austin, Tonia called me and asked if I could teach her 545pm Body Pump as she was a bit sore after all she did in Houston. I said "no problem" as I bragged (too soon) that I wasn't sore at all. Something happened from the time I got in my car until I got out again - I hurt all over and couldn't believe I had agreed to teach. I had a dentist appointment just before teaching, just a cleaning, but still painful. By the time it was time for me to teach, everything was good again, as my mouth hurt worse than everything else.

Expensive Coffee

My Saturday morning routine is to get off work somewhere around 0600 (we usually don't sleep at all). If we have had a really rough night, I sleep two hours at the station and then head downtown to teach Body Pump to my AWESOME Saturday peeps. But if we can get off at or slightly before 0600, I go home, sleep for 1 and 1/2 hours (reviewing my music on the drive home), make some coffee and then drive downtown for class. Well, this Saturday, I got in the car to leave and as I was picking up my ipod, I dropped it - right into the coffee! There was no rescue, no resuscitation, only recovery of the moribund ipod. Warrenty doesn't cover stupid tricks like that. I did have all of my backup CDs, but the loss of about one hundred playlists was a very costly bummer.

Bubbles in Your Chest

What are bubbles in the chest and how does one get them? They can be subcutaneous emphysema; usually a result of trauma and actually rare. It can be seen with a pneumothorax, (when a lung is punctured due to penetrating trauma). When air leaks under the skin because of trauma, it forms little bubbles. When you push on the skin, it feels like rice krispies or very tiny bubble wrap as the bubbles are pushed through the tissue under the skin. Again, this is usually a sign of a very serious injury. But it can happen as the result of breast augmentation. I don't know how often this happens after breast augmentation, or if the physician warns the patient about this possible occurance. In these instances, it PROBABLY isn't serious, but should still be evaluated. These are some of the things that people call 911 for... of course, only between the hours of 0000 and 0330. It is against the law to call during office hours or to consult your physician after hours. You didn't know all this? Consider yourself duly educated!

Life is Short. Eternity is Forever.

Such was the Priest's statement today at a funeral service I attended. He was talking about how it could be any of us, at any time; so we ought to live every day like it is our last. No, he didn't mean in wild abandon, but as if what we do matters. I tend to agree with him, although I know I spend a lot of time doing meaningless things. Like cleaning a house that's not very dirty and washing dishes that could wait to be joined by at least a few more. I admire people who make time to spend time with family and friends, go camping and adventuring, take the kids to park or the library or the pool or to dance lessons, have the courage to leave their job (even if only sorta), to travel around the country, and do all of these things FIRST. In all these years of dealing with folks who had just lost a loved one, I never heard one person say, "gee, I wish I would have worked more..." (or cleaned the house, or did the dishes, or watched TV more). No, they all said things more like "I wish I had spent more time with him/her/them." So, yeah, life is short. That's why it's so precious. Spend accordingly.

Please Blow Your Nose In The Bathroom

Subbing a Body Pump class tonight, I heard one of the loudest, most obnoxious, brrooonnk, honnkkk, I think I have ever heard. The class hadn't even started. The young lady was at the very front of the room. She was using paper towels to LOUDLY blow her nose - several times. Her voice was also loud. Everyone clear to the back of the room heard her say, "darn buggers!" I think we still had 5 minutes to spare at the time, so it wasn't like she would miss the start of the class to run to the bathroom. Everyone was staring at her, but I got the impression they were used to this type of behavior from her. I had to work at keeping a straight face and I think the class was possibly more interested to see what my reaction would be. By the time class started, she was in the very front row and there was quite a space around her. She sometimes counted the reps OUT LOUD with much VOLUME. She was often enthusiastic and she even said how much she liked the class afterwards. I did not shake her hand...

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Cookies

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Cookies

1 Cup butter ½ cup brown rice flour
1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar ½ Cup whole wheat flour
½ Cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon salt
1 Cup oat flour 3 cups rolled oats

1 cup raisins, cranberries, dried cherries, dates and/or walnuts, pecans or coconut

Beat butter until light and creamy. Add sugar/s and beat again until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla and honey; beat well.
Combine the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and mix until evenly combined.
Stir the flour mixture into the butter/sugar/egg mixture, and then stir in oats and raisins (or other addition). The cookie dough should be soft, slightly sticky; not too dry. Because flours vary, the amounts above may need to be adjusted. To test, bake a couple of cookies and adjust accordingly. You can bake as soon as the dough is made, or refrigerate up to two days. Bake 10 – 12 minutes at 350. If you want a crispier cookie, bake until they are golden. For a softer cookie, remove from the oven just as the edges are turning brown, leave on cookie sheet for about 1 minute (no more than 2!) and then move to wire rack to cool.

Notes about ingredients:

I use as much organic as I can. I use ONLY real butter, and ONLY real vanilla-extract.
To make oat flour, you can put your whole oats into the blender. Works great. Or you can buy oat flour. Be careful when getting brown rice flour as one brand I saw packed their white rice flour exactly the same. Florida crystals makes great organic sugars, but sometimes the brown sugar can dry. The brown sugar needs to be soft; if it isn’t, just put a small piece of fresh bread in the sealed bag for a day or two and the sugar will be just fine. Finally, most cinnamon is really cassia and you probably won’t find that on the label of any major brand (they don’t have to tell you). Real cinnamon is lighter in color and more delicate in flavor than cassia. Either one works for me. Oh, and the eggs. I try to use good eggs, but I read a while back that the “free range” eggs can come from chickens that aren’t really free range – at least not the way you or I would probably think of free range.
Finally, you can cut the amount of sugar in half in just about any cookie recipe, but the cookies will usually be a lot more crumbly. You can use all brown sugar in this recipe and omit the ½ cup of white sugar, but, I have found that the cookies are then crispier than I like.

Ramp It Up

Added this new ramp to the storage shed in back. One of those crazy projects one gets in their mind and then spends an entire morning doing. Well, I didn't just make the ramp. I also changed the lightbulbs, swept, cut limbs and raked rocks off the path. I put a few things in the shed and plan to move more. I am making room in the garage just in case Suz and Paul need it...

Last of the BBQ pics

1. The boys from LeBare
2. Check out the belly at 9 o'clock. Couldn't get a better shot, but I
swear it looks like she has dropped....


3. Proper footwear for walking at the Rodeo - NOT!
4. Check out this pathetic guy holding his "entrance exam"
Do you think any women actually put their breast in those holes?
This booth was right across from our First Aid station, and yes,
a number of women put their bare breasts in there. I really
liked the lady who faked them out and put her rear end in the top
holes. No, she didn't take her pants off - she was offering her
opinion. One of the girls on our Safety team drew a similar exam
on a napkin (for boys) and took it over. The guy was pissed and
tore it up! Insecure?

5. Couldn't resist a photo of these adorable girls. They were the best dressed and the cutest of all out there Saturday night. Of course that's because Retta and her friends weren't there.

Hruska's Rocks!

Half way between Houston and Austin, if you are traveling on Highway 71, the little community of Ellinger has a couple of gas stations that half of Texas visits regularly. On this last drive through, I was able to experience their newest update. COMPLETELY touch-free restrooms. They updated them with a gorgeous tile floor, new stalls, paint and decorations. The hall curves going into the restroom and there are no doors. The toilets, water faucets, soap dispensers, and paper towels are all touch-free. They still have fabulous shopping and snacks. I picked out this camo hat with bling for Suzy. It is resting on top of her birthday present. She has to return to Texas to open it.

See It On The Big Screen

So I went to the movie theater after my late breakfast and the only movie that was starting within an hour was Ghost Rider. I was tempted to come back later, but knew I wouldn't. So I went in. It was just starting and I didn't have to sit through all the previews, which I hate doing. If you ever read comic books, you'll like it. If you like a little corn and some low key humor, you'll like it. If you like a good v. evil story, you'll like it. If you like to watch just to be entertained without thinking about what the hell the movie is about, you'll like it. If you like scarry, but not frightening, you'll like it. If you don't like death and gore, you'll like it (a couple of charaters die, but not grossly, and they are evil anyway, so it doesn't count) Mostly, though, if you like some cool-ass graphics, you will love it! Which is why you should see it on the BIG screen.

More Bare BBQ

My three shifts at the BBQ went off well. We were busy Friday night and busier Saturday. The nice weather helped. I took a few pictures, which I will post when I return to Austin. Thanks to a quiet Sunday morning, I am doing laundry, drinking coffee and updating this blog at the Sugar Land Holiday Inn Express.
While sitting at our first aid booth, I noticed a group of handsome young men walk by. I was sorry that I missed them, so I grabbed my camera and kept it with me just in case. Sure enough, they returned a while later and were very obliging, one of them baring a very nice chest. They asked me if I would email the photo to them. They were from Le Bare. Unfortunately, my flash was on, so they were pretty washed out. Hopefully, I can darken it before I publish.
It happens every year, numerous times. Imagine the BBQ: acres of pavement, a long hike from any parking to the main event, a crowd that is often shoulder to shoulder, loud, boisterous, booze, long lines. Now fill in the blanks. A person comes to us and says "I need a ride to my car because I can't walk anymore." My _____ (feet/back/knee/sciatic/neck) hurt/s. I had _____ (surgery/cardiac arrest/hospitalization/transplant/a baby/due date is tomorrow) ________ (yesterday/2 days ago/3 days ago/last week) and I take ________(morphine/Norco/Soma/Codiene/Welbutrin/Zoloft/
Propanolol/Cumadin/Lasix/Nitro/Albuterol/Viagra/Insulin/ - chose any five) and my ______ (cardiologist/pain management doctor/psychiatrist) says I shouldn't _______ (exert myself unduly/walk). I have had _____ (2 beers/2 drinks). Mind you, a person can barely walk through the crowd, let alone drive a cart. We like to reserve our "cart" (it holds a stretcher, backboard, oxygen, etc) for the people who fall and are unconscious and really can't walk. I can't print the language these people use when we politely tell them that we cannot give them a ride to the parking lot. All the while, I bite my tongue and don't say: "Uh... you knew you had these issues before you came out here, right?"

Rodeo Time - In Houston That Is

Heading out to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for the BBQ, right after my noon Group Cycle class. Got the house clean and ready to come home to nice clean sheets. BBQ ought to be jumping tonight since the weather is quite nice. The BBQ is a great place to watch people who come to walk around acres of booths in brand new boots. The Hoochie girls still wear their stillettos and short skirts, even when it's cold. Pregnant women come to see if they can go into labor early. Asthmatics like to see how much smoke and dust they can breathe in and how many hits can they do with their inhaler before they need us. Diabetics leave their meds at home and go waaayy off their diets. People who never drink like to see how much they can drink before they stop breathing. The cooks try to slice off body parts into their special dishes because they forget that the BEER was the secret ingredient and was supposed to go into the recipe, not them. And people run into knives and do other silly things. It's gonna be fun. I'll let you know.

One Big Dumpling

Here is a great recipe for chicken and dumplings. I will write the instructions so you don't make "one big dumpling" - I'll explain later.
Chicken
Season nice (as opposed to naughty) pieces of chicken (I remove the skin from mine), flour, and brown in 1/4 inch oil in dutch oven (yes, another nationality will work, but not as well). Drain on paper towels, pour off oil and return chicken to skillet. Cover with water or chicken broth and simmer until tender, about 20 - 30 minutes. Have liquid just to top of meat, but not covering and drop in dumplings in slightly larger than golfball size spoonfuls.

Dumplings
1 1/2 cup of flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt - sift these together
3/4 cup milk and 3 Tablespoons oil - mix these together
Pour liquid mixture into flour mixture and beat the heck out of it. The mixture should be light, probably a little sticky, definitely not one big lump. Drop, by spoonfulls onto meat with liquid boiling hard. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Then cover and cook 10 minutes more. The chicken and dumplings are now done. You have tender chicken and fluffy dumplings with tasty gravy.

Three weeks ago, we worked with the "B" shift at our M31, AFD's E43. This was the same day that Jaime came to our station with her play group. We offered to cook the "wagon". The wagon is community dinner. One person cooks, everyone eats. So I made chicken and dumplings. I left detailed instructions for every step of the way in case we got a call. We did get a call at about the time I had put the chicken in the pot covered with liquid. Once we had our patient loaded and were on our way for a veerrrrry long transport, I called the station to check on things and let them know we wouldn't be back for a while. It was like this:
FF "I mixed the stuff up, but it was just one big clump."
Well, add a little more milk.
FF "Too late."
You already put the dumplings in the pots?
FF "Yeah, but it's just one big clump...well, I divided it in two, between the two pots."
They needed to be dropped by spoonfuls.
FF "I gotta go." Click.
Fortunately, our commander had stopped by the station at that very moment and helped them break up the clumps. They still turned out tasty, just not fluffy. We got back about 2 hours later, ate one bite and left on another call. Returned about an hour and a half after that. Cold chicken and dumplings are good, but do try to make them when you can sit right down to dinner, because that is when they are fab - u - lous!

The Departed...leave it alone

Five minutes after posting that the Kitty hadn't used her new litter box, my fastidious feline gave it a wizzzz, so to speak. All is well.
Just finished watching The Departed. Yeah, it is a good movie, but don't watch it Suzy, you won't like it. I could have done without all of the gratutitous (sp?) violence. I've seen plenty of the real deal, but still don't like movies that graphically depict it. What's the point? We all have imaginations far worse than anything "they" can produce. I like a good story line, but it loses it's punch when I have to cover my eyes every 5 minutes (that's 20 times for just one movie), and covering my eyes doesn't block the sound effects. Nuff said. Watch at your own risk.

Automation

So I got the kitty a new automated litter box so I won't have to worry about it filling up while I'm gone for a few days. But she is very suspicious of it. She hasn't used the bathroom anywhere in the house, she's just holding it. She's got til Wednesday to figure it out...

Disturbing

Something very disturbing today and something to think about. On the way to pick up my new bike, I passed a car with it's blinkers on. It was on the MoPac flyover just before the top, while there are still two lanes. As I neared, I wondered if I should pull behind, turn on my blinkers and see about pushing the vehicle to the crest so they could coast down. But I didn't because I thought it wasn't a very safe place to be at all. So, an hour and a half later, on my way to teach a class I passed the closed intersection. The flyover and 290 were closed. I am not going to tell you the rest because I haven't been able to find any news reports on EXACTLY what did happen. I will say that I wonder what would have happened had I stopped. Something entirely different maybe and maybe I wouldn't be writing this now. Makes you think about how a few seconds, a turn, a stop, a fill-in-the-blank, can change everything.

New Bike

My new Bike. A triple beauty. I picked this up today as I had levers added to the handles. The nice folks at the new Performance Bike store in town gave me some goodies to take to my cycle participants. I know they will love a little something extra, but I hope they like the music more. I ripped 6 CDs today, about 120 songs and created ONE playlist for tomorrow morning!

Easter Pumkins?

Did a bunch more cleaning today. These beauties have been sitting in front of my door since Halloween. There was a trio, but one went rotten fairly quickly. I think these are going to last a couple more months. My plan is to keep them cool and protected so that Retta and Cliff can make some Easter Pumpkins when they get here.

Random Things

Listening to NPR, I heard about Johnny's Kabob Sounds like the place to visit for Persian food in DC. Maybe we'll be able to swing by on that 600 mile bike ride in May. We do stop in Emmitburg and visit the National Fire Academy which I actually got to attend for two weeks a few years ago. It is only an hour or so from DC, a few minutes from Gettysburg and just 8 miles from Camp David.

Just how long does it take an astronaut to drive to Florida??? Depends....

CSI online. Did you know you can watch CSI Miami and New York past episodes on line? This is totally cool, because I cancelled my cable TV. Now I can watch CSI while I play an on line word game like the daily Sudoku. A more efficient way to waste time!

Orphan syndrome

It's known as "orphan syndrome" and I am to blame. I should have taken two kittens instead of one! Scuttle was born in the attic of a fire station, but the kittens weren't found for several days. The very wild mother had broken through ceiling tiles in the admin offices and was taken to kitty jail. We heard the kittens several days later. Their eyes were just starting to open. I took this one and had to bottle feed her and that's not all. (you don't want to know the rest). Anyway, according to the Vet, she has orprhan syndrome. But not the worst kind. She's just anti-social to everyone except her "parents". She is jealous of my children, grandchildren, anyone who smells like another animal and all other animals - except for the parakeet, which she looks at lovingly every day. So, she's really not Church in disguise...

The Vet says he can't wait to see that little black pug again and that adorable little girl.

Before After

Did some cleaning and organizing yesterday - what a difference!

Subbed a Body Pump class early this morning. "Why do you have that band on your arm?"

Because it's cool!

Last, but not least, I made my whole wheat sugar cookies. I used

all organic stuff, except the vanilla extract. The only problem with the powdered sugar was that I had to sift the heck out of it to make it not lumpy. Was it worth it? These are the best sugar cookies I have ever made and the icing is unbelieveable!

Beaman

This is Beaman. He is a lovely little plant left at my house by Kimberly, Cy's girlfriend. The picture doesn't do him justice, as he is about 6 foot tall and and all stem until the top. I hope to keep him alive and well. He is keeping Suzy's Norfolk Island Palm company.

King Cake

It's that time of year. Mardi Gras needs a King Cake. What is a King Cake? Not really a "cake", more like a fancy cinnamon roll. The tradition was for someone to host an annual party. A pecan or bean was hidden in the cake. Whoever got the slice of cake with said bean or pecan had to host the next year's party. Today, it's a plastic baby and these cakes are seen almost every day at offices around the city of New Orleans. Whoever gets the baby brings the next cake. But these everyday cakes are a sad imitation of the real thing. (One can get a really good or fancy variety at an upscale bakery, but it will cost you). You can get them here in Texas at the local HEB and other stores, but still pathetic compared to the homemade version. So, in preparation for next week, here is a great recipe I copied from a neighbor's cookbook. She bought her cookbook at the 1984 World's Fair, the year it was held in New Orleans.

King Cake - Makes 2 9 X 12 inch cakes

Cake
1 stick, plus 1 Tablespoon butter
2/3 cup 99% fat free skim evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 package yeast
1/3 cup warm water
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon grated lemon rind
2 Tablespoon grated orange rind
6 cups flour

In a saucepan, heat the milk until butter melts; add 1/3 cup sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 Tablespoon sugar, yeast and water. Let stand until foaming, about 5 to 10 minutes. Beat eggs into yeast; then milk mixture and rinds. Stir in flour 1/2 cup at a time, reserving 1 cup flour for kneading surface. Knead dough until smooth, about 5 - 10 minutes. Place in large greased mixing bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours.

Filling Topping
1/2 cup dark brown sugar Make butter or cream cheese icing, divide
3/4 cup granulated sugar into 3 parts and color green/yellow/purple
1 Tablespoon cinnamon 2 plastic babies, beans or pecans
1 stick butter melted

When dough has doubled, punch down and divide in half. On a floured board, roll half into a rectangle 30 X 15. Brush with half of the melted butter and cut into 3 lengthwise strips. Sprinkle half of sugar mixture on strips, fold and seal each strip. Braid the 3 strips and make a circle by pinching ends together.
Place each cake on a 10 X 15 baking sheet, cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 about 20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately. While still warm, insert pecan/bean/baby. Let cool. Ice - alternate colors.