Drunk People Can't Think Straight...

So I was awakened from a nice sleep at 3.30am this morning to respond to an auto vs. building call. On arrival, we find an obviously inebriated, Spanish-speaking only patient who decided to create his own parking space inside an apartment. He's relatively uninjured, more damage to the car and building than to him. Basically he finished his shift at a Mexican restaurant (big surprise) and downed a few 'cervezas' before hitting the road. He overshoots the driveway to his complex (at 30 mph, apparently) and hits the apartamento...burying the truck in someone's kitchen. On the way to the hospital, he's telling me this story about stopping to talk to two black men, a gun and a knife and how he runs from them. Oh, and it wasn't the same story he was telling to the officers who were interviewing him at the ER. It turned into four men and two guns. Alcohol must multiply your assailants I guess. Sad part was that he works to send money back to his familia in Mexico, and now that he'll be in jail and probably be fired, his family suffers for his stupidity.

Shame...

-cya

My Summary Of My FEMA Deployment

I've had time to rest, recover and digest all that I experienced on my recent ambulance strike team FEMA deployment. I must admit it was quite an experience, and not what I had expected. Many of the people who worked Katrina and Rita told stories of rescues, evacuations,and being worked ragged during their deployments, but that just didn't happen this time. Maybe it's because FEMA overdid the resource requests so as not to be caught with their pants down, so to speak. In any event, it was financially lucrative for me, but I certainly would have liked to have been busier. One thing that made it bearable was the great group of people we had on our strike team. We all had 'our moments' at one time or another, but for the most part we all got along very well, and even had fun most of the time. Some of the other things I learned on this trip:

I can sleep quite well on an airport floor...

FEMA cache ambulances are pieces of crap...

I am not a fan of brisket tacos and beans for breakfast...

NEVER eat chow line eggs.....EVER!

Bathrooms on tour buses smell no better as the temperature rises...

Love Bugs do not clean well off windshields...you need a chisel!

Truck Stop showers are better than sliced bread...

Truck stops are really cool places...

Shower trailers aren't all that bad...

I hate Texas...

Lafayette, Louisiana is a pretty cool place, and friendly too!

Changing a tire in a downpour while being eaten by mosquitos sucks big time...

Bourbon Street is a really awesome place...Yo Mamma's Grill is the BEST!

People should evacuate when told to....PERIOD!

Did I mention I hate Texas?

I was talking with a Port Arthur, Texas resident, and when he learned I was from California, he mentioned he could never live in California, what with the earthquakes we have. I looked at him, looked around at all the hurricane destruction, and said "And this is any better?" He replied "Well, we have warning for a hurricane, and we can get out". I just laughed and said "Does it really make it any better to know that in four days or so, all you own will be blown halfway to Canada, after you probably just got it rebuilt from the last storm that came through? At least with a quake, we don't know its happening until its over." He still wasn't convinced.

Nice guy though...just a little off kilter...

I'd say I learned a lot on the trip, and if called upon to do it again, I probably will. The hardest part was being gone for so long. And the lack of communication from the top on down. FEMA needs to address this, so all crews can be better informed of things as time goes on.

Although if the next deployment is to Texas, I ain't goin'.

c-ya!

A Quick Question...

Can some one answer me this simple question?

Why would an egg company, who touts their organic eggs as cage free, no hormones, all natural and environmentally sensitive, package said eggs in a petroleum based non-biodegradable PLASTIC egg container?

Amazing...

-cya...