I am officially an NREMT-I!!!
Now I don't have to worry about it till next year with the NREMT-P test.
By the way, what the heck is with the security for the written test? ID, fingerprint, palm print, photo, signature. Can't take anything into the test area with you, not even chapstick. What the hell? How is my chapstick a security concern? I mean, really? I know that they administer tests for people other than NREMT, but is there really a need for all this? I thought they were going to ask for a DNA sample next!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Waiting....
In case anyone was wondering, I passed my practical NREMT-I test on Friday. I only had to retest IO, since I had a minor equipment issue (unknown if it was brought about by operator error or not. I chose not to challenge it, and just retest the station). So yes, I passed. Happy day.
The day before the test I didn't have time for terror, since my laptop gave up the ghost, and I spent much of the day running around on errands, and getting a new computer. Now all I need to do is get a sled so I can move all my files from the old hard drive to the new one. It isn't a huge deal, but it would be nice to have my wedding information instead of having to redo the budget, guest list, etc all over again. I also have to finish moving my music, since iTunes was being sullen and didn't get all my music from the external hard drive, leaving me to transfer everything myself. It's good, in a way, since it will allow me to go through and erase all the duplicates and so on. I am a bit miffed about the loss of all my playlists, though.
So, at 0800 this morning, I took my NREMT-I written test. I was done in just over an hour, and took another 20-30 minutes to review all my work and the flagged questions. There are still a few I am nervous about, and I left feeling that I either knew my shit or didn't know anything at all. I should get results sometime this afternoon.
Since I had to be in the glorious County of Monkeys this morning for my test, I decided to meet my old co-workers for lunch. I've come to realize over the past year and some that getting laid off was probably the best thing that could have happened (something I voiced then, but didn't quite believe). I enjoyed working for that company, mainly due to the people there, but felt trapped. It was a vicious cycle I went through on a fairly constant basis, becoming excited about a new project and working as hard as I could on it for several weeks, only to gradually become disenchanted with it when it dragged on too long. I would slack off, get depressed, and then something would happen, or I would think of something that would take me back to that excited, busy state again. It was like I was manic depressive, but only about my job. During my low periods, I would constantly talk about leaving and going back to school to become a paramedic, just as soon as I'd paid off more bills. Well, you know how that goes...For years I never left, aside from the trip to Antarctica, and one of the main reasons I didn't go back to the Ice was because I felt it would be pushing my luck to leave again less than a year since I'd been back.
Ironically, I was laid off a month short of my year anniversary of being back from the Ice.
So today, the day I took my test and took one more step towards fulfilling my dream (I'll consider it a full step when I find out if I've passed), I am once again meeting with my co-workers, my tie to my former life. It's a strange circle I feel I've come to, honestly. I readily admit that there is a part of me that still misses working there, but I think it's more for the loss of the camaraderie and those other intangibles other than the work itself (in fact, I'm sure of it). I miss the verbal sparring, the joking, and laughter we shared. I miss being surrounded by people mostly my own age, and, truth be told, I miss being 'the kid.'
Don't get me wrong...I'm enjoying where I'm at now, and I enjoy (mostly) my classmates. But being a full generation older than everyone but my instructors (one of my instructors is a year younger than I am) is wearing. At least at my old job, while I was younger than most, I had a good appreciation of things the people older than me enjoyed. My current classmates have very little appreciation of what came before, and I find it discouraging to make jokes and have only the instructor laugh. It's depressing to have to constantly explain things to the children in my class.
All the same, I am happy where I am now.
But I'll be happier when I know I've passed my test.
The day before the test I didn't have time for terror, since my laptop gave up the ghost, and I spent much of the day running around on errands, and getting a new computer. Now all I need to do is get a sled so I can move all my files from the old hard drive to the new one. It isn't a huge deal, but it would be nice to have my wedding information instead of having to redo the budget, guest list, etc all over again. I also have to finish moving my music, since iTunes was being sullen and didn't get all my music from the external hard drive, leaving me to transfer everything myself. It's good, in a way, since it will allow me to go through and erase all the duplicates and so on. I am a bit miffed about the loss of all my playlists, though.
So, at 0800 this morning, I took my NREMT-I written test. I was done in just over an hour, and took another 20-30 minutes to review all my work and the flagged questions. There are still a few I am nervous about, and I left feeling that I either knew my shit or didn't know anything at all. I should get results sometime this afternoon.
Since I had to be in the glorious County of Monkeys this morning for my test, I decided to meet my old co-workers for lunch. I've come to realize over the past year and some that getting laid off was probably the best thing that could have happened (something I voiced then, but didn't quite believe). I enjoyed working for that company, mainly due to the people there, but felt trapped. It was a vicious cycle I went through on a fairly constant basis, becoming excited about a new project and working as hard as I could on it for several weeks, only to gradually become disenchanted with it when it dragged on too long. I would slack off, get depressed, and then something would happen, or I would think of something that would take me back to that excited, busy state again. It was like I was manic depressive, but only about my job. During my low periods, I would constantly talk about leaving and going back to school to become a paramedic, just as soon as I'd paid off more bills. Well, you know how that goes...For years I never left, aside from the trip to Antarctica, and one of the main reasons I didn't go back to the Ice was because I felt it would be pushing my luck to leave again less than a year since I'd been back.
Ironically, I was laid off a month short of my year anniversary of being back from the Ice.
So today, the day I took my test and took one more step towards fulfilling my dream (I'll consider it a full step when I find out if I've passed), I am once again meeting with my co-workers, my tie to my former life. It's a strange circle I feel I've come to, honestly. I readily admit that there is a part of me that still misses working there, but I think it's more for the loss of the camaraderie and those other intangibles other than the work itself (in fact, I'm sure of it). I miss the verbal sparring, the joking, and laughter we shared. I miss being surrounded by people mostly my own age, and, truth be told, I miss being 'the kid.'
Don't get me wrong...I'm enjoying where I'm at now, and I enjoy (mostly) my classmates. But being a full generation older than everyone but my instructors (one of my instructors is a year younger than I am) is wearing. At least at my old job, while I was younger than most, I had a good appreciation of things the people older than me enjoyed. My current classmates have very little appreciation of what came before, and I find it discouraging to make jokes and have only the instructor laugh. It's depressing to have to constantly explain things to the children in my class.
All the same, I am happy where I am now.
But I'll be happier when I know I've passed my test.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Terror
We went to the Joint Services Open House at Andrews AFB this weekend. I am now peeling like a snake. My face got extremely burnt, thanks to some expired sunscreen and a whole day on the flight line. My back got sunburned the day before, gardening in a tank top. See pictures here.
In other news, my NREMT-I practical exam is on Friday. I am terrified. The last time I took it, I failed the medical, trauma, and both cardiology stations. This time, I feel fairly confident in everything except dynamic cardiology. We haven't had much time in class to do actual practice in class; most of our dynamic practice has been more of a 'practice by committee' kind of thing. So today we finally got a chance to actually sit down with our instructor and do a dynamic station. I did it twice. And failed twice. And we don't have practice time tomorrow, because our instructors are setting up the test.
I am in terror. I don't know how I'll handle it if I fail. I feel confident about all the other stations, and feel confident that I will fail dynamic cardiology.
To make matters worse, The Fiance will not be in town this weekend, which means I have to get up at 0330 Friday morning in order to be at the test site at 0800 (it's 1.5 hours away, which means, at rush hour times, I need to budget at least 2 hours, if not 2.5 to get there).
I'm hoping to get to the firehouse tomorrow, in the dream that someone there can run me through some dynamic cardio scenarios.
On the plus side, in happier news, The Fiance got word today that once his exile in NJ is complete, he will be placed on a project here at home, that will last for at least a year and a half. Which means he will be in town for the wedding. And my senior year of this program (assuming, of course, I pass my NR test, and make it to senior year).
In other news, my NREMT-I practical exam is on Friday. I am terrified. The last time I took it, I failed the medical, trauma, and both cardiology stations. This time, I feel fairly confident in everything except dynamic cardiology. We haven't had much time in class to do actual practice in class; most of our dynamic practice has been more of a 'practice by committee' kind of thing. So today we finally got a chance to actually sit down with our instructor and do a dynamic station. I did it twice. And failed twice. And we don't have practice time tomorrow, because our instructors are setting up the test.
I am in terror. I don't know how I'll handle it if I fail. I feel confident about all the other stations, and feel confident that I will fail dynamic cardiology.
To make matters worse, The Fiance will not be in town this weekend, which means I have to get up at 0330 Friday morning in order to be at the test site at 0800 (it's 1.5 hours away, which means, at rush hour times, I need to budget at least 2 hours, if not 2.5 to get there).
I'm hoping to get to the firehouse tomorrow, in the dream that someone there can run me through some dynamic cardio scenarios.
On the plus side, in happier news, The Fiance got word today that once his exile in NJ is complete, he will be placed on a project here at home, that will last for at least a year and a half. Which means he will be in town for the wedding. And my senior year of this program (assuming, of course, I pass my NR test, and make it to senior year).
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