An Extraordinary Life

Most people remember the TV show in the early 70's called "Emergency!"  It's where paramedic firefighters were showcased for the first time.  What I didn't know is that the character of Johnny Gage was based on a real-life firefighter named James O. Page.  Not only is he recognized as one of the forefathers of EMS, he is generally considered a gifted writer, teacher, and historian.

Today at our NAEMSP conference, the Memorial lecture was dedicated to him, and the speaker talked about his life.  Wow.  It got me to thinking about how you learn about these amazing people and hear about the extraordinary things they do and wonder how they did it.  How does someone live the extraordinary life?

It made me start thinking about the movie "Dead Poet's Society" and how influential that movie was to me at the time... about to start college... thinking of challenging what I felt to be my parents' ideas of what my life should be like.... wondering how I was going to lead my own extraordinary life.  This scene is my favorite:





The lecture ended with a quote which was found in the wallet of James O. Page when he died suddenly. Given that it's a brand new year, I felt it appropriate to think of this as a mantra for the upcoming year... what will you do to make your life extraordinary?

‎"I want to appreciate the time when moments were made into memories. I want to embrace them, cherish them, and never forget that they come so few and far between. I know that wherever life takes me, these memories will always follow. They remind me of what's truly important. It's not just life, but living. It's the journey, the destination, and all the little points in between. And I must admit, I like what I see." - author unknown

Saving Lives

You might wonder what a SWAT vehicle would have to do with saving lives.  Or what an E.D. doc would have to do with a SWAT vehicle.  That's what I'm learning about here in Florida this week.  That plus a lot of other information during the weeklong National Association of Emergency Medical Services Physicians Conference.

Many of you know I am interested in EMS (Emergency Medical Services) which, most of the time, has to do with ambulances, firetrucks, helicopters, etc. and the prehospital care of patients.  Well, there's a branch of EMS known as Tactical EMS that has to do with the care and support of police officers, SWAT team members, federal agents, etc.  I am here at this conference primarily to attend a Medical Director's course for this group.

Now, I don't plan to be running into buildings like a medic, grabbing people and then jumping on helicopters flying them out of dangerous situations, but a part of our training today did discuss those kinds of situations.  For the most part, it's taking care of the people who perform these dangerous duties and helping them stay fit and active so that they can do their jobs.

And, of course, sometimes, we do get involved in the actual "live" part of the job.... but, that's training for a another day... for now, I'll content myself with knowing the basics.  Crawl, walk, run....

On the Eve of the New Year....

OK, so last year I started off with this post, and with the following resolutions....Let's see how I did...


 - to continue my raw food healthy habits (so, I sort of fell off around April, and part of the difficulty is that my DH started eating the same way and soon started looking like a scarecrow... so, we started fixing different foods, and he gained weight, and so did I.)
 - to study and read more journal articles (I have been better about this.  I have weekly EM updates which I have been reading, and I did spend the better part of two months preparing for my board exams, so I think this counts)
 - to finally get better on my snowboard (you can only do this with time and snow;  had plenty of snow and very little time.  I only got up to what passes for mountains in Western NY once and that was it... so fail on this one)
 - to pet a cheetah (I guess stuffed ones don't count... darn)
 - to finish at least 2 of the UFO's (that's unfinished projects) in my quilting stash (I did make several tops to quilts, but they haven't been quilted yet.... so fail there too... )
 - and to make it to church more often and thank God for the wonderful gifts of family, friends, and health He has bestowed on me this year (I think I actually have done this.  Maybe not every week but more of a concerted effort to put more time away for God)


All right, so about 50/50... Regardless, this has been an amazing year with lot's of life's changes.  I finally finished my training and am now working as an Emergency Physician in one of the most beautiful places imaginable.  


And what am I looking forward to in 2011....?
 - a new house
 - new responsibilities in my chosen career
 - travel!
 - finally getting to a place where I can enjoy other pursuits... maybe writing a book...?!?!


So, new resolutions:
 - to get back into my healthy veggie habits... hubby's just going to have to have a milkshake along with his salad
 - to get back into a regular fitness routine
 - to continue to improve as a physician and further develop my career goals
 - to write, frequently, and start the outline for a book
 - to enjoy every minute that I can with my family and friends
 - to get organized with my quilting and actually finish most of the projects I have started (you can follow my progress here)
 - to go to one new place this year and explore!
 - to remember to thank God weekly for everything he has given me and my family
 - and, darn it, I will pet that Cheetah!!

I WISH YOU A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!

Life as a House

Have you seen this movie?  OMG.  It was a tear-jerker from the very beginning.  You know once the comment is made, "So how much weight have you lost?" that the diagnosis is not going to be very good.



My DH and I watched it last night for the first time.  I knew it had to do with a man who had a terminal illness building a house... Wow. Even my DH, who isn't much one for drama, liked it. I always tease him because he likes to fast forward through the "talking parts."

I got a phone call during one scene and then asked what I had missed. He told me nothing important just talking. I hit the rewind button (or whatever you call it nowadays) and we rewatched the scene.  It was the scene that had to do with the "licking cure" which he argued had nothing to do with the rest of the movie, but then I got to "ha, see!" him when it was referenced back later on in the movie.

Anyway, I guess I just wanted to share a really good movie. Tell me what you think....

Traveling Through Space and Time

Testing out the mobile feature on Blogger since there's no WiFi or dial-up at my mom's house.  Man I hate typing everything on my phone's keypad.

Don't you just love planes? I do. My DH always teases me about gremlins on the wings as that is one of his favorite Twilight Zone episodes.  He's home with the kitties... Too much talk of shopping and errands for him to stand for three days... Although I'm sure he won't complain about the suitcase full of homemade goodies when I get back! Not to mention some other goodies I may or may not have picked up while shopping today...?!?

Ok, have to sign off... Will post soon...

Growing Pains...

According to Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development, I am at the age where I am supposed to "create a comfortable home."  I'm not so sure I'm ready to do that.

I've been a renter for 19 out of the last 25 years... I've never even thought about the possibility of buying a house since my career life had been so up in the air.  Now, we're shopping for a house.

I want the white picket fence with 2800 square feet, three bedrooms, lots of windows, high ceilings and a gourmet kitchen.  I worry about hardwood versus carpet floors, tearing down wallpaper and finding the right furniture.  Oh, and we want a dog or two to add to the family, so a nice yard and play area.  And, a spot for a garden.  Not too much to ask, right?

My DH worries about survey lines, acreage, power grids. He questions roof lines, heating systems, and septic tank placement (I'd never heard of a septic tank until I got into house buying out here.)  He wonders about foundations, inspection reports and, because of his job as an appraisal, he wonders how scrupulous other appraisers are in their reports.

It's led to some arguments.  I like the picture windows, and he comments on heating costs.  We argue over putting in a propane tank for a gas stove versus using an electrical one (I say gas cooks more evenly.)  We haven't even made an offer on a house, and we discuss whether the kitchen counters should be granite versus tile... a painted backsplash versus a tile.

Suffice it to say, I'm learning a lot about real estate, and he's learning a lot about scrolled embellishments for the kitchen cabinets... and, since it's a buyer's market right now, that perfect house might just be available.

On Dasher, On Dancer....

I love decorating for Christmas... and my favorite decoration... well, I do have the entire set of these reindeer plates, cups, napkins, etc. from Pottery Barn, but I also have lots of other reindeers, and they all come out for Christmas.

These are just a few of the reindeer from my Christmas tree....

And, this is one of the deer from Williams Sonoma....

Now I just need a house so I can invest in deer for the front lawn... Until then, I just have to enjoy my snowflakes....