Hey, it's Thursday.

Today is my last day off on this rotation. The new schedule was posted today and I’m on the typical Fri, Sat and Sun 0700 to 1700 schedule. Then, I’m off for a week, as my wife and I are taking a much needed vacation to Lake Tahoe. We had planned this getaway a while back and I told the folks at IFT when I started that I had already bought the tickets and made the reservations. I’d heard horror stories from other people about how the scheduling department would ignore or not approve Time Off requests even if they were submitted months in advance, so I was a little worried. No problems. The scheduling folks just said, “Have fun. See you when you get back”.

In other news, I’ve been really vacillating on what to do with the Medic School application. I know I wrote that I was not going to apply this year and until last night, that was the plan. In all honesty, I don’t think I have much of a shot at getting in, but after a chat with my wife, we decided that I should submit my application and see what happens. If I am accepted, and she takes another job, I’ll stay, finish school and sell the house. If she doesn’t take another job, well… I’ll stay and go to medic school. If I don’t get accepted to the Paramedic Program, I’ll look at other options for school and work this year. That RT program? Maybe so.

See, here’s my problem. If I lived anywhere else in the country, I’d have no problem getting into a medic program. I’d go to the local community college and apply. I have great grades, enough experience and glowing letters of recommendation. The issue lies with Washington State only approving a couple of institutions to teach the Paramedic curriculum. Harborview/UW has an outstanding program. That’s Medic One. The Seattle Fire medics and King County paramedics have to go through this course. It’s the only approved medic course in King County, and one that I have ZERO interest in. Aside from other programs run by fire and the ones way to far for me to drive to every day, like Central Washington in Ellensburg, that leaves Tacoma Community College. Each year TCC has a zillion people apply and takes 24. Am I good enough to be one of those 24? I’d like to think so… but that’ll be up to the admissions board and the Program Director. So, again… we’ll see what happens. I’d be flattered just to be invited to the interview.

Not much in the way of fun stuff has been happening at IFT. There has been a rash of theft of electronic goodies at the station, including an iPod belonging to my Monday partner. She discovered it was stolen right before she came on shift, so you can imagine how her mood was for most of the night. I keep my GPS and other stuff close to me at all times when I’m there. I think that anyone who steals from a coworker is the lowest form of scum there is. I can see stealing food if your family is starving… but stealing a coworker’s GPS or iPod? That’s just low.

I talked to the folks at the other independent Ambulance company in the area again yesterday. They originally wanted to hire me back in December, but couldn’t put me on until the state cleared up the cert process. Well, I now have my card and when I spoke to the HR director, she said “I’d love to have you join the family, talk to me after your vacation and we’ll figure it out”. That sounds promising. This other company works a Modified Detroit schedule, (24 on, 24 off, 24 on, 24 off, 24 on, 4 days off), so I’d be on 24 hour shifts. Oh yeah, they pay more. And they run 911. Hmmm. No brainer.