The packing list…

As I sit here eating my box of chicken mcbites, it hit me that since my registration fees are now paid, all that’s left is travel and lodging…and putting together my packing list for the Baltimore festivities known as EMS Today. What am I going to pack for my weekend?

I know for a fact that I have to take at least one complete uniform with me in case I fly either my civilian or military means. I just ordered a RETIRED patch for my uniform—then found out the place I ordered it from is about 10 minutes away. I need to try to get back my $6.00 shipping and handling (and put it in my gas tank).

I believe a new kilt is in order.  After all, it is a new year. The fine folks at Sport kilt.com have a nice ACU one that’s on sale.  I do believe it’s a must buy. So for the ACU kilt, I believe I will have to get some new nametapes for my uniform shirt (now that I’m retired.) I won’t get away with wearing my rank, but #CoEMS and my twitter name should suffice—just long enough to get told otherwise.

I have to remember my now adorned 5.11 Tactical shirt and regular jeans or EMS pants. Still deciding if I’m going to put my NREMT patch on the right sleeve or not.

Have to also remember my business cards…although they’ll direly need to be changed. I’m not the “68W Coordinator/Trainer”. Now I’m the “Easy chair holding coffee cup lifter”.

A lot to do and get in the next 31 days…damn, I’m going to be busy.

MY Top 10 of ‘11

1. The people I have met in 2011 This should go without saying. I finally got the privilege to meet the folks behind the keyboards and @ signs that I have spoken to in 140 character blocks. It was worth being called an “ass” when I met Ted Setla, as much as it was worth watching @THEGrinderMedic order someone a drink called “uh…” in Vegas. Hope to meet more next year.

2. EMS Today 2011 Well, yeah, the first real conference I went to would make the #2 spot. It had its own set of adventures (to include a missed flight). When is the pre-party for next year’s at Pratt St.?

3. EMSWorld Expo 2011  Wow…the one thing I bitched the loudest about getting my travel approved for only made #3. The strip and the Las Vegas Convention Center will never be the same after the #CoEMS crew was done with it. Will NOLA be the same?

4. FDIC 2011 The biggest Fire Department conference of the year made the Number 4 spot on this year’s top 10. Finally meeting The Fire Critic, Capt. Willie Wines, and a few others.  Same place in 2012—the week before my 41st celebration of being alive.

5. My unit returning home from Iraq The 801st Combat Support Hospital (Detachment 10) was in Iraq for 10 months providing Detainee Health Care. All but two of my Soldiers are now home.

6. 21 seconds at FDIC The Globe Firefighter Challenge only took me 21 seconds to complete at FDIC in Indianapolis.  It would have been faster if I had known that the “rescue dummy” weighed about three pounds (I was expecting much heavier).

just crawl between the cones to take less time

7. Participating in #KiltedtoKickCancer The idea of a couple of friends not only increased awareness for the male specific cancers, but also ended up with a pretty penny being donated to LiveStrong and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. It also got the biggest reading from this headquarters while trying to make my kilt (which is now hanging in the closet and a 3rd one is being planned on for purchase eventually). I will say, though, that they’re nice in the summer…but one wintertime word:  SHRINKAGE. (Though they make life easier with the TSA)
 

8. Making the “Medic’s Mecca” The only reason this is not higher in the countdown is because 1) the LACoFD Museum was closed and 2) the crew from LACoFD Station 127 were out on a run when I arrived. It was still a nice retirement present from my unit given to me the day before Thanksgiving.
 

9. Attending the 9th Annual US Army EMS Conference I wasn’t expecting to go, but I got my first glimpse of the Alamo and Durty Nelly’s in San Antonio. This trip was much better than phase 2 of my BNCOC.
 

10. My Retirement Orders It took over a year to get them, and that included re-submitting the packet exactly one year after I first put it in. But getting them puts a chapter to a close that I am very thankful to have written in history. It had its high points and low points, and I actually got to see some beautiful parts of the country while I was in the Army Reserve, but now I get to watch the younger Soldiers fill in my place as I sit and watch from my rocking chair.

The Fourth Badge

On the wall in my bedroom, there is a nail between my desk and my closet. On that nail hang four items composed of paper, plastic, cloth, and a clip. Each with its own story to tell.

The first one is from a weekend in March that started with some real strange foursquare check ins. It built up to meeting a BEAUTIFUL blonde lady and culminated with one check in asking “Where’s the Party?”.

I walked into the exhibit hall and ended up meeting friends, old and young; Happy, and those that seemed to have a permanent scowl on their faces. Friends that live both under lights and under sea level. All kinds on medics under the same roof. Some social, some talking out of their garage, and even an ambulance driver or two.

I was even able to get myself a nice toy or two.

Of course, with every badge, there’s an adventure that goes with it.  Especially when you miss your flight home and have to spend the night in the airport USO

The second badge, encased in it’s black pouch comes from a much closer locale later in March. The aforementioned beauty told me that she was going to spend that weekend living “vicariously through me” while I was traveling on the expressway in my pick up.

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when she came knocking on my room door with the TALL red that I had met just a couple of weeks before. I’m not sure if it was the fact that we were together again or that I had a face covered in shaving cream, but neither mattered.

The meet up that we went to had more friends. Some made of iron, some that ran to the curb a lot, some that were critical, almost daily, reaching out on the radio.

On that HUGE floor, I saw an old geezer that definitely kept the coffee going. I also ran into a medic that captured this…

All 21 seconds of hustle

It was a long drive back to Peoria.

The third badge, encased in its own cloth and plastic holder, is an anomaly. It’s one that shouldn’t be there really. I have no clue how lucky I was to be able to go to San Antonio for the US Army EMS Conference—if you really want to call it a conference. No one was allowed in the exhibit hall unless they were on break or at lunch time. A shocking thing, is that the booths weren’t all that big…especially ones with BIG NAMES.

The fourth badge, in it’s plastic holder with blue ribbon, reminds me of meeting more friends, young and old. Some rallying for a cause and some looking for the latest toys. Most all came to network, enjoying the fellowship of their fellow providers these birds of a feather. Generations of us, with many braving the elements to get there, all coming together for the same purpose.

I look at those four badges hanging on that nail and contemplate the spring and summer’s events. It also makes me wonder…

Where am I going to hang the 5th one?

Til next time…

The Baltimore Surprise

Folks have no clue how hard it was to keep it quiet...

It was next to impossible, but I did with limited personnel knowing what was going on.

Friday afternoon, I finally let the cat out of the bag with the tweet of "WHERE'S THE PARTY?" when I checked in on foursquare.

The "other medic dressed in green" had arrived at EMS Today, and my head is STILL reeling from all that happened.

I arrived at the convention center and made my way down to the exhibit hall floor.  I made that right turn and proceeded to the Zoll both. When I got there, the first two folks I met were @Ckemtp and @NJDiveMedic. Of course, I was easily recognizable wearing my issue fleece jacket with my rank and name on it. Then we looked over and saw "The 'mother' of EMS 2.0 and Chronicles", Sam Bradley. Little did I know that I would be signing a copy of my book when I met her.

Then (as soon as he stopped flapping his gums) I met @theHappyMedic and the awe-struck and shell shock was starting to hit.

After about 2/3 of a lap around the hall, we stopped at the podcast booth where I met @MsParamedic, one of the two SMOKIN' #HAWTIES from GenMed, also meeting up with @gingermedic and Dave Konig. I also got the chance to call @gfreise a "cheddarhead" and offer him a chance to root for a real football team, but I didn't capitalize on it--still very much awestruck.

I sent a text to @shell1972 with the exact words "OMFG my head is REELING", to which she replied that she knew the feeling and agreed that these are some awesome folks...WOW is the only word I can think of.

While going out to have a smoke, I ended up meeting @SES4EMS, and little did I know that it was far from over.

Later on Friday evening, I met the one person that, after I sent his picture to shell, I got called an asshole by her.  I met the man himself, @setla. He told me that he was honored to finally meet me.  Honestly, the pleasure of meet him was truly mine.

After the crew busted out of the Pratt St. Ale House, going to another bar in a more historic area of Baltimore, I was again awestruck as I met @geekymedic, the @podmedic, and also got to meet the other GenMed SMOKIN #HAWTIE, @medic61, along with @DrAnonymous.



Damn, this is the most blue I've seen on one blog post that I have written ever...

Saturday morning and early afternoon were equally awe inspiring as I met the @AmboDriver himself, Mr. Kelly Grayson along with the half of Firefighter Netcast that lives in an area PRETENDING to be part of Illinois, John Mitchell. (DON'T FORGET MY COFFEE CUP AT FDIC)

I know that there's QUITE A FEW  MANY that I'm forgetting right now...I just might have to make a part 2 to this post.

Most of all, I want to thank a beautiful lady for accompanying me this weekend.  I had a WONDERFUL time with @wvmedicgirl that I won't forget anytime soon.

Now, I will say that this ended up having one of the usual @ssgjbroyles induced boo-boos that I am known to have.  Let me just say, when the notice on my phone goes off...GET TO THE AIRPORT--yep, I screwed myself up again...more on that later.

I need to have a couple more cups of coffee to decompress.