Stu Stressed at Work

Here's me at work tonight. Shhh, I have to sleep a lotta hours to make my car payment. You know how celebs use body doubles for stunts, nude scenes, or close ups? Well, this fellow in the photo is my "head" double.

Sweet dreams.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

My Job Can Kill Me...Can Yours?

Stu here. On my routine online workout, I went to aol.com and found the business link, "Can your job kill you?" The subject was stress at work, and below is their list of the five biggest causes:
Biggest Causes of Stress At Work
1. Job Security
2. Poor Diet
3. Lack of Sleep .
4. Success
5. Feeling No Control

And here is my response in relation to my current job: fireman/paramedic. Maybe I should add, Apostolic fireman/medic...the good folks at ninetyandnine.com would appreciate that!

1. Job Security: As long as stores sell candles, teenagers are given driver's licences, and folks follow wacky, dangerous diets such as the Atkins diet, then job security is a given.

2. Poor Diet: Oops, got me there. I tend to overeat at lunchtime, since I have time to prepare whatever it is I want to cook. Some stations cook a feast every work day. I also like fast food, especially $1.00 Mickey D's double cheeseburgers. I'm talking one dollar!

3. Lack of Sleep: I'm paid to stay here all day and night, 24 hours, and we have beds, but unfortunately, it's not like sleeping at the house with the wife. Plus, there is an annoying buzzer/bell that rings whenever we get a 9-1-1 call. HOW RUDE!

4. Success: Count me out on this one. We've had a promotion freeze for 5 years now. But putting out someone's house on fire is its own intrinsic reward. Or pulling a trapped patient out of a wrecked car. Or shocking a human being back to life. WHOO!

5. Feeling No Control: Feel the stress on that one! We throw ourselves at the mercy of unknown conditions at any house or car fire. On medical calls, folks are often drunk, high, or crazy. But the stress from adrenaline is what we firemen folk live for. We're adrenaline junkies!
Bring it on baby!

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Fireman Language Made Easy

Stu here again, at work, 24 hours, Station #103.
We (fireman) use language that is totally incomprehensible to the rest of the civilized world. So here, for your viewing and learning pleasure, is a brief dictionary, so that, the next time your house burns up or fire personnel come traipsing amok on your new white living room carpet, you'll understand what they're saying.

Catch the plug: hook hose up to fire hydrant.
The Clique: members of engine/truck company paying for lunchtime meal.
Wear out: teasing another fireman to the point of fists.
Go to the Store: Buy groceries.
Take Watch: Watchman's duties include taking aout trash and sleeping in Radio Room.
Quick-hitches: (see: bunker pants)
Bunker pants: (see: quick-hitches)
Ventilate: Create opening in the roof of your home with axes.
Go In with a Line: Use fire hose to pump 150 gallons of water-per-minute on your living room.
DFO: patient done fell out.
Crash: motor vehicle accident.
Nomex: hood made from Nomex fire-resistant material for a firehead.

There are many more, but for now, that's enough. Next: How does an Apostolic fireman fit in with unchurched derelicts. In other words, George Barna doesn't have a chapter on me.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Stu looks at Cherry Blossoms?

Here's a shot of Cherry blossoms in full bloom on Third Street Park in the middle of March. Those are azaleas in the foreground. I've walked down the avenue of trees one year for no reason: free cherry ice cream. The view is often obstructed by a large number of blue-haired persons pouring out of tour buses. But somehow, tourists create an economic boon in Macon, perhaps by the number of candy bars they buy at the convenience stores or something (sump'n).

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Georgia...Georgia...A Song of You

Good Mornin' from Macon, Georgia, home of the H&H Restaurant(see photo) where all the Capricorn Studio artists hung out in the heyday of Southern Rock. Gregg Allman actually took Mama Louise on tour with him as chief cook and bottlewash. She was the owner and proprieter of H&H Soul Food on Cotton Avenue downtown. It's great to be in Macon today, as Spring is around the corner, it was 73° and sunny yesterday, and tour buses-full of tourists will soon be inundating us to view the Yoshino cherry trees in our fair city. Unfortunately, they'll be looking at bare limbs or buds unless the prediction for blooms makes its mark this year.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

24 Hours day at the Fire Station Part II

As you read before, life can march on at a snail's pace at the firehouse. After I posted Part I,
I took a walk, looked at the stars, ate Part II of the Red Baron® pizza and drank more tea. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuugh! I heard that! But just when you think it's time for bed and life is too simple, we had 2 back-to-back calls: the first one was a motor vehicle accident at a busy county intersection. Usually not good for the occupants.

BRAKES, not gas!
We arrived on the scene, I'm driving, fast, and we see one car near the intersection, and another car way up in a parking lot. The second car pulled out of the side road in the path of the first car which was traveling at least 50mph. A little Asian lady with an I.D. from the hospital with "RN" stamped on it pulled out (I think), was hit blind-sided, and apparently floored it instead of hitting the brakes. She jumped 2 high curbs, dodged a huge lighted sign, and came to a stop in the parking lot. She was unhurt except for a knot on her head, plus she was not oriented to time, a bad sign to us paramedics. We helped load her in the bus (ambulance) and I crawled in and helped set up I.V.'s. Good work, a little excitement, and I had to help cut clothes off. More about that later.

Another call Stu...LET'S GO!
Fire Radio dispatches us at the scene to another call, person down. We're only a mile away, and arrive way ahead of the bus. An elderly gentleman is having problems, mental ones. He is a diabetic, has been sick x 3 days with, let's call it fluid loss, and he drinks beer and eats cookies all the time. This, in case you hadn't guessed it, is a recipe for disaster. We help the tiny EMT tote the man, a large man once we picked him up, down a flight of stairs. The house he lived in was easily $375,000+. Which goes to show you, er, what exactly does it show you?

Bedtime, finally
Back at the firehouse, I eat my cereal, make up the bed, and unwind writing emails until midnight. Then I read a bit and crash before 1am. I've been a little punchy all day, and need to quit now so I can run fix supper for my blushing bride of...a few years. Chicken Parmesan avec rice, and cabbage casserole (like squash casserole except put cabbage in instead). Easy.

I get see the wife for a little while tonight. Back to work for 24 more Friday. It's payday.

Life is good.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Reader's Digest Exposed

This is NOT earth-shattering news, and I must be either OCD or bored, but I counted the ad pages in the March RD today and counted 65 pages out of 202. Plus 4 inserts. Not including the pictures, half and quarter page ads. So, out of 202 pages, 101 include actual reading matter. In case you wondered. I saw an RD from the 60's and there were maybe ten pictures in the entire issue, and 2 ads. So, what am I digesting in 2006?

Lights, Sirens, Action Continued
Part II: A Day at the Firehouse COMING SOON...Our last call was at 10ish and I'm a bit dashed. Stay tuned for mayhem, speeding, and side-blinding collisions.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

A 24-Hour Day at the Fire Station

Ever wonder how a fireman can spend 24 hours at work? Now it can be told! Here, for your perusal is an actual day (today 2/15/06) of an actual fireman (Stu in GA).

6:15 - Alarm clock goes off. Hit snooze button.
6:25 - Alarm clock goes off. Hit snooze button.
6:35 - Alarm goes off. Get up, shower/dress/pack.
7:27 - Arrive at Fire Station.
7:28 - Coffee.
7:29 - Check out fire engine #103: oil level, airpacks, ladders, jumpkit/med bag, pumping operations, generators, Oxygen tank (for medical), radios.
7:59 - Coffee.
8:00 - Read Macon Telegraph in this order: Comics, Frontpage, Local/State, Sports, Jumble.
Eat x2 Pop-Tarts® (Hello Kitty flavor). Solve World's Problems with fellow firemen.
8:05 - World's Problems solved.
8:06 - Coffee.
9:00 - Drive fire engine to "The Sto" (grocery store).
10:00 - Back at station. Shave, call wife, check e-mail.
10:05 - Coffee.
10:53 - Fire phone rings. Call to "person down, fall from construction site."
10:58 - Arrive on scene. Lieutenant states, "Where the @#!&* is this address? There ain't no
%&*$! address across from this #$&#@ place! What the %$#!&!"
11:08 - Finally arrive at scene. Construction worker complaining of pain to foot. Ambulance on scene offers transport, patient refuses. Engine #103 back in service.
11:47 - Back at the Station. Put frozen Red Baron® pizza in oven, fix tossed salad.
Total lunch cost: $5.04
11:48 - Coffee.
12:18 - Pizza done. Lunch.
12:19 - Major work habit change in effect: switch from coffee to ice tea.
12:45 - Run deposit funds in bank to cover check.
12:58 - Back at station.
12:59 - Ice tea.
1:00 - 3:32 - Wait for Emergency Call®.
3:33 - Ice tea.

TO BE CONTINUED!

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Weddings and V.D.

Weddings and Valentine's Day, of course. Check out this link about the price of weddings going up 100%, and the average price now reaching $27,000! And that doesn't include children, which are a separate expense (offer good only in participating households). But don't let that put a damper on YOUR Valentine's Day celebration! Just like the story about Johnny Two-Cows, where the guy overpays the dowry for his bride...you can look forward (guys) to forking out the average wedding price of $27,000 for your bride-to-be! That's because payment by parents is wa-a-a-ay down, according to the CNN.money.com report. But look what a bargain you're getting!








Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Valentine's Day For Dummies

Yeah, today happens to be Valentine's Day, and it's not too late to rush out and buy a card and flowers for the loved one in your life (ladies, substitute fishing tackle for flowers). If you are married, I recommend the greatest book on marriage: His Needs Her Needs. Read it yourself, first. Then share it with your spouse. This guy's got sound advice!

Top Ten Valentine Tips for Guys
But for those of you dating, or should I say guys, here are some great things you can do to make this a Happy Valentine's day for you and the subject of your affection:
10. Brush your teeth.
9. Clean out all sporting equipment from your car.
8. Have car's upholstery professionally cleaned.
7. Tip the Haz-Mat Tech for the decon job.
6. Call your beloved.
5. Be on time to pick up subject of affection (SOA).
4. Purchase card/gift in advance of pick-up.
3. Be a gentleman.
2. Did I mention "be a gentleman?"
1. Make sure your gift involves chocolate.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Cheney Accidentally Shoots Fellow Hunter

We had a fantastic Spanish service tonight, but the elation was quickly dampened when I read the above headline. But then I thought, Maybe the Veeps could invite Hillary to go hunting with him next weekend. But no, a duel would be much more civilized, exept V.P. Cheny obviously has
aiming problems. Perhaps we could extend his lack of aim to the missile division of the armed forces, and Cheney could fire a big ole fat warhead and hit Iran's presidential palace, and we could all go WHOOPS! Each week he could fire off a new missile at selected sites (next week, North Korea). Oh, did that missile hit your country? I didn't see you!!

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!

Wedding Announcements, A Sunday Habit

One of my habits on Sunday is to read the wedding announcements in my local newpaper.
Something bugs me about them, and I finally figured out what it is...the academic-employment paragraph. For example, I'm reading one today where Bob is pursuing such-and-such degree from the Univeristy of Georgia and hopes to teach and coach in a local school system. I didn't even know the paper would print fiction, but if I could go back and do mine over, I would have put: Stu hopes to earn 100k per year without performing any manual labor and can spend most weekdays reducing his golf handicap to a "1."

The other annoying part is when there is too much info (FYI) about the subject's employment: Bob is Shift #3 Supervisor of the gizzard stripper at the Cagle's Chicken Processing Plant, in the Plucker Division.

So please, when listing your wedding, be truthful, but not all the way inclusive, and list only your present accomplisments, which for a guy should read: Bob washes his socks every month now instead of every other month. He has taken up teeth brushing, and can prepare frozen meals in the microwave without explosions. He hopes his bride-to-be can take over the sock washing duties (and can change the oil in his car).

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!