The best… and worst… boss I ever had. I’m gonna miss her. I had been an EMT perhaps two weeks when I met her. The big EMS agency in my town wouldn’t have anything to do with me; I showed up at their headquarters and asked the receptionist for an application, and then cooled my heels in the lobby for ...
Read More »Steady Progress
Haven’t updated this in a while… but the weight has steadily been coming down. Weighed in at 272.6 today, down 3.4 pounds since Wednesday. Not bad, considering I ate whatever I wanted during the holidays and haven’t been in the pool in two months. For those keeping score at home, that’s 127.4 pounds less than April 14, 2023 and 137.4 ...
Read More »Getting There
That’s what two hours of killing yourself in the pool gets you. Weighed in at the doctor’s office this morning at 334.4 pounds, down 14.3 pounds from my weigh-in on November 13. Even better, BP was 106/60 and resting heart rate was 58.Got two shots of Dr. Wonder’s Miracle Knee Lube (TM) and made plans for a full checkup in ...
Read More »Happy Blogiversary to Me!
On this day seventeen years ago, I wrote my first scribblings on this blog to polish my writing chops and promote my first book. That spurred hundreds of EMS columns and articles, a half dozen textbook chapters, at least three successful podcasts, dozens of short stories in various anthologies, and a half-dozen more books of my own. Since then, there ...
Read More »Protected: Star of Life: Chapter Seven
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Read More »Cecil the Combat Wombat: Platypus Platoon
Serving with distinction in the military may earn you medals and promotions, but it also earns you more headaches. The reward for a job well done is more work, and our hero Cecil is discovering that as the new project officer for P.U.S.S., or Project for Utilization of Sentient Species, the Australian Army’s newest effort to integrate uplifted animals into ...
Read More »Moar Progris!
Broke 100 laps in the pool again today. Did 103 laps in 90 minutes. Even better, that average heart rate was down to 92 in one minute, and 72 in ten minutes. That’s pretty damned good cardiovascular recovery for an athlete, much less a fat guy trying to get in shape.Weighed in at 348.7 pounds this morning, down 3.3 pounds ...
Read More »Milestones and Breakthroughs
Hit a couple of personal records running in the pool today:Did 75 laps in 60 minutes, a personal best. Hit 100 laps in 82 minutes, also the most ever.Kept going and hit 109 laps in 90 minutes, although the last nine or so were more of a drunken weave/stagger.354 pounds on the scale today, another 1.5 pounds down in the ...
Read More »Progress
On April 14, 2023 I suffered a life-threatening massive pulmonary embolus. I had a DVT that I had ignored/rationalized for nearly a year that turned out to extend from my mid-calf to lower thigh, and on April 14 a big chunk of it broke loose and tried to kill me. I had major clots in both main pulmonary arteries and ...
Read More »Protected: Star of Life: Chapter Six
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Read More »On Scene: An Excerpt
It was often said that I had no brakes on my Dare Car, and today’s shopping trip proved it. I was browsing the maternity section at Lane Bryant, and not for clothes for Mary. Thus far, Operation Impregnation had produced zero results, but I vowed to soldier on and do my part in the procreation process no matter how many ...
Read More »LibertyCon AAR
Spent the weekend at LibertyCon in Chattanooga. LibertyCon is a very pro-heavy sci-fi and fantasy con that typically sells out within 30 minutes of opening ticket sales. They had nearly 1500 attendees this year. Larry Correia was 2023 Guest of Honor and did his usually stellar job of being gracious and available for pros and fans alike. Larry typically conducts ...
Read More »Protected: Star of Life: Chapter 5
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Read More »Book Review: “Sirens, Lights and Lawyers”
One of the most egregious disservices to EMS students is what passes for medicolegal education in EMT or Paramedic school. Far too often, students are subjected to myth, dogma and outright bullshit from instructors who have at best a superficial understanding of the subject, most of whom have never had their lessons taught or vetted by an actual lawyer. This ...
Read More »Memorial Day
Today is Memorial Day. Normally, most of us would have spent the weekend grilling burgers and visiting with relatives, or lounging on a beach somewhere, or watching a baseball game in an opulent stadium, overpriced beer and hot dog in hand, but let’s not forget the meaning of the day. So when you partake in your Memorial Day festivities, try ...
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