Apparently, I Make too Much Money
Posted: May 31, 2010 Filed under: EMS, Parenting, Thoughts Leave a comment »
Last week, I opened a piece of mail from the Oregon Department of Human Services. These are the folks who have been keep my family alive for the past several months. Without their valuable service and support, we would be in a world of hurt – deep weeds, so to speak. So, I am very grateful, and try very hard to keep abreast of the various communications I receive from them. The letter I opened however, was a bit disconcerting.
The citizens of Oregon, with help from Federal taxpayers, through the Oregon DHS, have been providing us with just enough assistance to get by during this trying time. The unemployment insurance checks amount to just a little over $1800 a month (more on this in a minute), we receive food assistance, through the Oregon Trail EBT program, that covers $200 of our monthly food bill; and in addition, our kids get full medical insurance coverage, and The Wife and I have been receiving basic coverage – which we pay $36 a month for. Read the rest of this entry »
Unfriendly
Posted: May 26, 2010 Filed under: Parenting, Thoughts 2 Comments »
Several months ago, someone I counted as a good friend, “unfriended” me on Facebook. It wasn’t too surprising, as she was part of the revolt against my leadership. But it has lingered in the back of my mind and has irritated me. Of all the people who went through what we did, I mistakenly believed this attorney friend of mine would be able to remain objective through the conflict. I was wrong.
As we continued through the process of recovery and healing, The Wife and I had another real-life friend, who was also on Facebook. It seemed as if whenever we posted something, he had a “solution.“ It was beginning to bother me. I wasn’t looking for solutions, I just wanted empathy. Not sympathy, not pity, just understanding. Read the rest of this entry »
Full Circle
Posted: May 21, 2010 Filed under: EMS, Parenting, Thoughts 12 Comments »
Earlier this week, I completed the process of retesting for the paramedic national registry. According to the NAEMT site, I started this process exactly three months ago in February, that’s when I first submitted an application to test for the NREMT-Paramedic exam. But that’s only half the story. In reality, the process started a long, long time ago, in a land far away.
I was 14 years old when my friend Larry first invited me to an informational meeting on the Washington County Fire District #1 (WCFD#1) Explorer Scout program. I really didn’t know anything about firefighting, but Larry told me it was just like the TV show Emergency! After attending that meeting, I decided it would be fun – but I had to wait until I was 15. For most of my life, since that time, I’ve been involved in emergency services. Read the rest of this entry »
