Jen the Bug

On the way out, we saw a sign: BIERGARTEN

Husband said he was curious about it. I said, “curious about it meaning you’d like to check it out now?”

“Well, if you’re offering…”

So we went to the Prost Biergarten and had a wonderful time. (Their kolsch is amazing and their schwarzbier is also great)

In the middle of having this wonderful time, I got a message: “It’s time to check in for your therapy appointment with [Ms Therapist] at 1700”

FUCK

So my choices were to try to slam a beer and get home within 15 minutes (we live 20 minutes away) or miss the appointment. I missed the appointment.

Unfortunately, it was a *therapy* appointment. I don’t think I can lie to my therapist. So when I get asked about this in two weeks, I’m gonna have to say “I was drinking beer with my husband” as my reason for missing the appointment.

I spent most of the time playing in the kiddie wave pool with Caballero. I didn’t actually go on any rides; it was only 85F outside, and that water is COLD! Getting my feet wet was enough.

I got a sunburn, but not a bad one, and I’ll consider that a success.

Here are the things that Caballero (4) thought were important in the kiddie wave pool:

Thanking the wave whenever it gave him a particularly good push

Pointing out airplanes

Playing tag (slowly and safely, he doesn’t know how to swim so he was within arms reach at all times)

There was an interesting bug in the water, so I rescued it and put it on the side. After he confirmed that the bug wouldn’t hurt him, we watched it for a good 5-10 minutes.

Showing off his floatie

Getting wet in the fountains

After we got done with the kiddie pool and were ready to leave, we took some pictures. I will not be posting them because I forgot to get permission from the kids and their parents, but I will say that Caballero should be a model. Little man LOVES the camera. I got him to stop playing by offering to take his picture. He put himself in every group picture (which was fine, and adorable). He posed. He checked every picture afterwards and pointed himself out to say, “Awww, I’m so cute!”

Well guess what happened last night.

Morgan Wallen at the football stadium!

Tailgating! Drinking and fighting and the local hospital conglomerate trying to assert control but not knowing what they’re doing! Expensive tickets resulting in obnoxious and entitled fans! Police blocking off roads and not letting ambulances through! A new app to learn with NO notice, courtesy of the hospital conglomerate! Somehow being staffed with a handful of the most obnoxious people I’ve ever had the displeasure of dispatching!

But we made it.

LOOK AT THAT SKY

I get to see this when I get home now!!

This week I started the 1700-0500 shift (again), because I finally have a partner on overnights. So stoked! She’s good, too. She came from another private ambulance company, one that uses the same computer system as us, so she knows more than we do in some ways. (The Mini Boss, our “subject matter expert” on the program, really isn’t one)

On top of that, she knows private ambulance. While all the less experienced people are rightfully freaking out because fucked up things are happening, her and I are like “Yep. This is fucked up, and it has happened at other companies before, and it is outside my sphere of influence, so I’m just gonna kick back and dispatch.”

I need to ask her how much she makes, btw, note to self. I’m planning on bringing up my pay in a “based on my experience and performance, and the salaries of other people in comparable positions*, I should be making $xx/hr.”

*I just won’t mention that the comparable positions are in the same company until my exit interview—at that point, all bets are off

Everything is fine, except for the oncologist herself, who is still a thoroughly aggravating person.

I have a new lung nodule, 2mm, “probably inflammatory or infectious” per radiology. They’re not worried, Dr Oncologist isn’t worried, but it is something new. And because of that, I have to get scans and come back in four months. 😒

Because of a stop by my primary care clinic to get my home blood pressure cuff validated and a trip to the lab for bloodwork, I didn’t get home until noonish. And I only got to sleep in until 1830.

Poor Soba is having such a bad day.

Not allowed in the fridge.

Not allowed in the pantry.

Not allowed in the cabinet above the pantry.

Not allowed to steal bagels.

Not allowed outside.

Only got one good smack in on Momo’s ass as she was running past.

I didn’t get the Flights job. I got a very kind call from the dispatch director there, saying that it was a hard choice to make and that he wanted to bring me in; encouraging me to apply next time an opening becomes available. And I appreciate that. I’ll email him and thank him and ask what I can do to become a stronger candidate. And then I’ll do it. It was as good of a bad outcome as one could ask for, but I still didn’t get the Flights job.

Work kicked my ass again. This time, it was just stupid busy. Last night’s music to get hurt to was Seven Lions, which actually fucks hard, but it’s super popular with the underage drinking crowd.

And because of that, Tough Girl and Pedro were running event calls, so I was alone in dispatch from 2200 on.

Despite her water being within normal limits, Momo Fish isn’t acting right. She’s lethargic. I’m worried. I tested her water twice; both times came back looking good. I’ll do a 20% water change when I go in this evening.

Mina is totally fine though!

Remember Lt Fuckin Joe with the Big City? I called him asking for “the detox van or an ambulance, whichever will get there sooner,” because we had a drunk 19 year old male at a concert venue. About 10 minutes later, the EMT on scene called back asking for an ambulance instead, since that same patient tried to bolt and was with police. I relayed that to Lt Fuckin Joe; pt needs an ambulance, not the detox van. About five minutes after that, the EMT called back requesting a paramedic unit emergent, because the patient was fighting the cops and would be sedated. So I called the Big City back and passed that along. Seems straightforward to me. I get info from crew, I pass it along, it’s up to Big City to send on that.

About an hour later, Lt Fuckin Joe calls, asking for a supervisor. He spent a good five minutes bitching at poor Pedro about how I wasted resources on Memorial Day weekend, how my communication was confusing, how the detox van showed up to a dangerous scene (?!?!?!?), how he knows me (lol barely) and he trained me (OH FUCK OFF, you did not) and on and on, trying to get me in trouble. Pedro said he’d address it with me. I typed up a timeline of the calls, what I asked for and what I canceled, and what info the crew at the venue gave me. Tough Girl confirmed that I did everything right.

It’s probably one of those “You’d have to work there to get it” type things, but I’m still pissed off.