My Time Here

One of my many weaknesses is writing so therefore I try to skirt around it as much as possible.  This class has presented an exposure to different styles of writing in areas I never thought I would.  Like setting up and creating blogs, citations, literature reviews, proposals and an editorial.  I guess I don't feel quite so intimidated to think outside the box.  I know always try and write without using the word "I".  I like reading the discussion board and was glad to be able to have access to so many thoughts and idea's.

Even with the fact writing in not my favorite subject I did enjoy my class.  I only wished I ended the class with the same energy as I started.

I would like to have had the chance to respond to the Blog Assignment of what would we ask of our classmates to blog about if we had the chance.  That would have bee fun.

Thank you Brianna

Jeri

A Daily Perspective From A Dog Kennel

I have a very important job today.  My four walls, floor, and ceiling must securely hold Tess today.  Tess can be very active and tends to make a mess.  I take my job very seriously and I am sure that my locks stay in place so Tess isn't able to escape.  I wish I had earplugs at time because she likes to wine a lot.  I don't complain when the two legged critters put Tess in me when she is muddy and wet.  The pillow I contain will usually soak up any dirt and/or water that Tess brings in with her.  I do enjoy a nice shower now and then.  I don't like smell bad.  So, all in all I like it when I have put in a good day's work.

Blog Prompt I Would Suggest

"If I had a Million Dollars given to me"  I would ask the class to write a blog on what you would do if you had a million dollars given to them and what would they do with it.  Then what would they do with it if they weren't able to keep it.

I choose this because I would like to get people to think about how it can be truly more fulfilling to give than to receive.

Somewhere Important To Me

My Husband and I on vacation

This picture was taken in Florida last year.  It was our second vacation.  I waited 22 years to get my husband out of Waldo County.  It was really great for the two of us to spend time with just each other.  No phones, work, or worries.  I am so glad he agreed to finally go and I must say he had a great time discovering there is more to life than work.  Sometimes life can really get in the way of a marriage and it is important to take time out to connect.  Even if you can't leave the state you can be creative and find a way to disconnect from everything else and connect with each other.  I recommend some time away for everyone.

Our turn to teach

In addition to working I also volunteer on the Brooks Ambulance Service as an EMT-B.  I became an EMT after a scare with my youngest daughter and didn't want to be put in a situation where I didn't know what to do.

One thing that I have learned is that keeping a calm demeanor during high stress situations is crucial to be able to deliver the best patient care.  In addition to administering proper patient care you must be able to communicate with any facility in which you will be transporting your patient.  I was taught from the beginning that you must paint a picture of what will be coming through their doors so that they are ready to receive your patient once you arrive.

Once you are about four to five minutes out from your intended destination you will contact the hospital.  This is when you will give information about your patient.

Start by indicating you are in route to their facility, whether male or female, age of patient and the primary medical reason for transport.  You now move on as to how your patient presented on your arrival on scene and then how the patient presents currently.  You indicate the last set of vitals and then let the hospital know what type of procedures have been conducted on the patient, such as glucose reading, what type of O2 delivery you may have the patient on, and is there an IV established and where anatomically it is located as well as what kind and what rate of fluid you are delivering. 

If our patient is in pain you need indicate in your report what number the patient has indicated the pain is on a scale of 0 to 10, 0 being no pain at all and 10 being the worst pain ever.  You need to also indicate if the patient has self administered any medications prior to EMS arrival and any medications you as an EMS provider has given the patient and did the patient improve after medication was administered.
You need to report all medications the patient is on currently and any allergies if applicable.

Once you have reported all pertinent information you ask if the person receiving information if they have any questions or instructions for you.

Favorite Childhood Memory of Playing in the Snow

This week we have been ask to Blog about our favorite childhood memory of playing in the snow.  I actually am very fortunate to have many childhood memories of playing in the snow as a child.  However, my favorite memory would be sliding down the field at my grandfather's farm.

I grew up next door to my grandparents in Palmyra.  Every winter we would wait for the perfect sliding conditions.  I consider the perfect sliding conditions to be several inches of snow on the ground topped with a layer of ice.  Not too much not too little, just enough so you can walk on top without crashing through.

My sister and I would start in the upper right hand corner of the approximate 10 acre field.  We would each have our own toboggan and we would push off with little effort.  We would go so fast it would give us a crazy adrenaline rush.  If there was any kind of breeze our eyes would water and it would freeze on our faces.

It would only take a few seconds to reach the bottom.  Once there it sure was a long walk back up to the top corner of the field.  We always wished we had a snowmobile so someone could give us ride back up to the top.

I will always remember the time my sister and I talked our father to go with us one day.  We all rode on the same sled.  It was so cool to have dad go with us.  However, I don't think he realized how fast we woud go with all of us on the sled.  My sister and I was loving it, but dad decided it was too fast for him and he bailed off before we were a quarter of the way down.  We always teased him about it and he never did go with us again.

Fortune Cookie

So, we have been assigned to create something one might find on a fortune cookie.  It sounds like an easy assignment but everything I come up with is something I have read somewhere or have been told all my life, such as:  "good things come to those who wait" and "patience is a virtue".  So, I have been telling myself that "good things come to those who wait" and I have been waiting and waiting for something good to come as far as this assignment with no luck........

Ok, so I am going to say that maybe the opposite it true, my fortune cookie would say "one who waits to long may lose out"

I hope I can keep up

Life can be so busy sometimes.  I wonder why.....like the song lyrics say...."I'm in a hurry and don't know why". 

I want to be a better writer and be more educated about my writing.  I am not sure I will be able to keep up with everything in the class and all the other things I have on my plate.  I know I will not fail this class but do wonder if I will be able to obtain an "A".  It will drive me crazy not to have an "A" and I think I have set some pretty strong goals.  I did not do so well in school during my high school years, (so long ago:) and I think I am trying to prove something to myself.

Writing just has too many rules

Blog that means something to me, Blog Prompt #2

Hello,

This week we have been asked to write about a blog site that means something to me.  While I have very limited exposure to the blogging world I have followed some of the students' blogs at Unity College.  I work at Unity College and some of the students when on internships will blog throughout the summer.  So, I don't know of a specific blog that means something to me rather than the entire blogging idea.  Each student will create their own blog site.

I have just finished my 22nd year and have seen many students go through the internship process.  In the years past I never really knew what kind of experiences students would encounter and the skills they would obtain.   I now can see what the students are doing even in Africa on a daily basis.  It really brings things together as a community to be able to see first hand what kind of learning experiences they encounter. 

Reading students' blogs has truly given me a whole appreciation for what it is they do.  I really like to converse with the students as they return in the Fall.  I feel I can truly engage with them about their internship and I like being a part of their learning experience. 

I like having access as it shows the variety of oppurtunities our students have and like to share with future students'.  It has completely opened doors to the life of a student out on an internship.

Below I will list of our students blogs.  However, I am not sure under what date his internship is, but I still find the students blogs very informative.

http://wknight07.wordpress.com/

As a writer, I will consider myself successful when:

I will consider myself successful as a writer when I am able to articulate what needs to be communicated in the least amount of words.  I like to keep things short and sweet and to the point.  I find when writing I am often unclear as what it is I am trying to say.  It will make sense to me but not necessarily to my readers. 

Everything sounds good as I am thinking what I write but I have such a difficult time getting my thoughts to paper.  I have never been strong with words.  My strength has always been numbers.  My thoughts seem to ramble as I try to write and I write as I think and my writings are unclear and rambled. 

Writing styles differ with each of us and I want to be able to be aware of the basics of writing so I am not making rookie mistakes.  I am sometimes told to write business professional and years later told that one should write as the speak. 

I am required to do more and more writing in my job.  I must improve my skill set to stay on top of my job responsibilities.  I want to be able to convey what needs to be communicated in a respectable and professional manner without being to wordy.  With all the fast paced communications that are out there no one really stops to read a lengthy letter.  So, if I want to reach my targeted audience and get the information out there I need to know I can write short and to the point yet intelligently.