WORK, WORK, WORK.

Well, work has actually been pretty slow - for the last few months. Cant really think of much to write about. I'm on night shift at the moment and have actually been pretty quiet after about midnight.

If anything exciting or unusual happens I'll let you know.

THE STORY

It should be OK to tell a tale as I suspect those involved wont read this now.

Some of you wished me well so here is the story.

I hooked up with my childhood sweetheart a wee while ago. I was very happy and got carried away with things.

She came out of a pretty destructive relationship a short while ago and I guess she thought she was ready for something new. She wasn't, certainly not what I threw at her after 20 years of carrying a torch for her. I also have more than my share of baggage to lug around and this manifested itself as a flood of love and affection. It is exactly the sort of stuff that scares me off so why did I expect her to do anything other than run? I don't know.

I felt pretty stupid at blowing it and sad that two people who really do get on so well couldn't work things out.

Anyway I'm nothing if not resilient and feel pretty normal again. I hope that she'll still be my pall but if not I learnt some pretty good lessons about where I am emotionally. Too much time on my own living in a ditch in the country. Not healthy. Even though I love it here it's maybe time for a change. Maybe I need to engage with polite urban company again.

I really do need to get a life.

PS. if you do read this, A. You'll always be cool with me <3

SOMETIMES II

Sometimes life just sucks; and it's all your own fault!

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING.

One of life's great mysteries to me is the shopping trolley.

As a child my father always said "a place for everything and everything in its place". He was right. When things are tidied up and put away in an orderly fashion they are not only easier to find but take up less room.

Why then is it that on completing my circuit of Tescos and having packed the groceries, randomly thrown into a trolley, into plastic bags and then place these bags into the cart do they tale up more room? These bags should fit neatly into the trolley making you thing "that's not to bad, really" rather than "what the f*** did I buy to take up that much space"?

My theory is that the supermarket chains have developed some strange marketing device that imperceptibly shrinks the trolley as you pass the checkout. While shopping it's bigger so you think "not bought much, have I" after it's all to late and you've paid it shrinks so the thought is "boy, that's a lot of stuff".

The volume contained in a shopping trolley is therefor inversely proportional to the amount of goods purchased.

Still confuses me.

THINK ON IT!

I could go on and on about how i feel about this subject and how my perception has change since I joined the ambulance service. A complete U turn.

Nothing I could say however would touch THIS.

Enough from me.

SOMETIMES

Sometimes life is good. I'm pretty happy at the moment :-)

I like this.

FINGERS CROSSED.

There is a young girl, 16, that I've taken on the two hour trip to the nearest transplant unit a couple of times now. She has cystic fibrosis and is awaiting a lung transplant. It's not happened yet but despite this she smiles and is full of hope and life. Her sister died from this a year or two ago. I can't begin to imagine how this effects her and her parents.

She smiles and talks, constantly, some may say too much but I like this and I cant help but admire her strength and optimism. She was back to the unit yesterday, all smiles and chat. I hope that the Donner is suitable and that all goes well for her.

While things don't ever seem to phase this amazing kid, they phases me though, it breaks my heart every time she's turned around and sent home. I hope that I never see or hear of this girl again. This would mean that all is well. Good luck Lass, fingers crossed.

SOMEONES WATCHING!

Actually someones listening. This is quite important and if your in the ambulance service, or possibly the police as its the same system, beware the new radio system that is being deployed. This is the national radio system being rolled out for the emergency services and is already in use in some areas, notably the police force where I work.

I heard a rumour and got my union convener to check up on it. The rumour is correct. The new radio system has a facility whereby "authorised" members of the control staff can listen in on your conversations. I don't mean just the stuff that you may transmit to your colleague while on a job, I mean the private stuff you talk about in the cab - and you cant tell when this is being done. Get this --- even if you turn the personal unit off they can still listen in.

As a result both UNISON and the T&G here are pulling out of the consultation and advising staff to refuse to carry the new radios unless this feature is removed prior to roll-out. Typical ambulance service stuff this not just staff privacy but patient confidentiality being ignored.

I'd advise anyone who reads this to chase it up in your area. If its anything like the service here when you think you've hung up and start talking about how crap a particular controller is you'll get disciplined and possibly sacked, regardless of any assurances that are given.

Don't sign for the radio or carry it, if you do don't talk or ask the patient any questions. They have rights that are being breached. I'd also emphasise that your union reps should chase this one up as mine has. She's on the committee responsible for the roll out and heard this from me. She was socked that it was not being openly discussed and that rumour proved to be true.

Just something for you all to think about.

HAVING NOTHING TO DO CAN PROVE FRUITFULL.

I was board beyond belief. I'd done the shopping and was even thinking about cleaning the bathroom when a random trawl through the web brought up this picture. I had to post it. Laugh, I weed in my trousers a little.

IT'S ALLIVE!

Hi there people. I am alive but I have been very lazy over the past few weeks. Actually I've been having quite good fun going on holiday and fiddling around with the Land Rover. Bit of a money pit though.

Workwise, there's not much been going on for ages that inspired me to post. There was a period of about 4 weeks where there was only one person ill enough to warrant canulating. Most were in better health than me.

Things seem to be changing though so I promise that there will be something that pisses me off enough to overcome the inertia that has set in.

Thanks to everyone who has kicked my ass. I needed the push.